Chapter Eleven #3
He wasn’t wrong; even if it all went wrong, and Wyatt ended up with a broken, demolished heart, he didn’t think he’d regret it.
“Hiding out?”
Wyatt glanced up and saw Tabitha lingering in the kitchen doorway. He was putting the final touches on the main course of the barbecue—tri-tip steaks that he was planning on grilling and slicing thin.
All the cold salads were prepped and in the fridge. He’d set up the appetizer buffet in the backyard, and put Ryan in charge of drinks. Everything was coming together, and he was feeling calm and collected, until Ryan’s best friend decided to drop by the kitchen to check in.
He knew he wasn’t intimidated by Tabitha because of her beauty. It was probably because it felt like she saw right through him, past his skin and his rib cage, to the frantically beating heart underneath. The traitorous heart who was just about ready to topple head over heels in love with Ryan.
“I’m finishing up prep,” he said. “I’m not just here as the eye candy hanging off Ryan’s arm.”
Tabitha walked in, setting her glass on the counter with a click. “You’re not even here as eye candy.”
“Tell Eric, who’s already been through here, telling me to change my shirt, fix my hair, get ready for a hundred pictures that I’m apparently going to have to take tonight. All demonstrating just how hot Ryan’s new boyfriend is.”
Wyatt had told himself not to let Eric get to him, but it seemed to be a losing battle.
“Eric’s an asshole,” Tabitha said.
“That’s what everyone keeps saying,” Wyatt said crossly, “and yet we all still have to deal with him.”
“Someday, Ryan will get fed up, and he’ll dump him. For someone with an actual shred of empathy. But Eric makes him lots of money so that probably won’t happen for awhile.”
Tabitha didn’t need to point out that Wyatt would likely be long gone by that point.
“Are you here to take a selfie with me?” Wyatt finished rubbing the dry seasoning mix onto the meat, and then transferred it to the tray.
“Actually,” she said, “I’m here to ask if you need any help. Which seems a little ridiculous, I’ll admit, but my mother always tried to drill manners into me. Even if it was mostly unsuccessful.”
“Actually, you can help me,” Wyatt said. “Grab that salt, I need to season the meat and I don’t want to wash my hands again.”
“You’re going to let me do something this important?” Tabitha asked skeptically, while still coming around the corner of the island and picking up the salt shaker.
“It’s just salt. You seem very intelligent. I’m sure you can manage,” he teased.
“How much?” she asked, shooting him a grateful look. He didn’t imagine that many people upon meeting her for the first time noticed her intelligence first.
“Just shake it liberally all over,” he said. “And then the pepper grinder next.”
She did as directed, as he rubbed in the seasonings further. “Would it be patronizing to tell you that you did a good job?”
Tabitha shook her head. “I like praise, and you’re good at it.”
“Praise?” Wyatt questioned, as he walked over to the sink, scrubbing his hands under the spray.
“Yes, and putting people at ease,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons Ryan likes you.”
He turned, grabbing a paper towel to dry his hands off. “You mean that’s why Ryan picked me.”
“No,” she insisted with a sharp shake of her head, “that’s not what I said. That’s why he likes you.”
Before she could elaborate, Ryan burst in. “The grill’s ready, I think.”
“Good,” Wyatt said, hefting the tray.
“Miles and Evan just got here,” Ryan said, trailing after him, Tabitha bringing up the rear. “I love them already, though I was surprised at how uptight Evan is.”
“Everyone is, after they meet Miles,” Wyatt said.
“Miles and Evan?” Tabitha questioned. “From Pastry by Miles?”
“Yeah, they’re friends of mine. Miles and I worked together. Lived together too, for awhile.”
She let out a heavy sigh and shot a glare at her best friend. “And you didn’t tell me they were here? I’ve been dying to meet them!” She elbowed her way between Wyatt and Ryan, escaping out the back door first.
“Are you ready for this?” Ryan asked quietly as they paused on the threshold. To Wyatt’s surprise, he didn’t sound ready; he sounded apprehensive.
Wyatt looked out over at the crowd milling around the backyard. It had definitely looked more intimidating in his mind. But he wanted to reassure Ryan, so he leaned over, brushing a quick kiss over Ryan’s mouth. “Never readier.”
Wyatt headed straight to the grill; he needed to get the meat on so all these guests could get fed. He was glad, as he used the tongs to position it just so on the metal grid, that he’d planned for far more people, because there were definitely more than that in the backyard.
Probably more like twenty-five or thirty, if he was being honest.
“So this is the LA life, huh?” Miles asked from behind him.
Wyatt turned, and pulled him into a quick hug. “I’d like to remind you that you moved to LA before I ever thought about it.”
Evan was next to him, and got hugged too, because Wyatt was happy and feeling generous. “I’m so glad you guys are here,” he said.
“I can’t believe you’re dating Ryan Flores,” Evan said.
“I told you, babe,” Miles said, voice dropping in volume, “he’s not really dating Ryan Flores.”
Evan waved a dismissive hand. “Isn’t that all a matter of semantics?”
Technically, Wyatt didn’t think that Eric would think of it that way—and probably not Ryan either, no matter how affectionate he liked to be in bed. And outside of it. And in grocery stores.
“It’s a good move for you,” Miles said, clearly trying to sound positive. Except that while he’d never been a Debbie Downer like Xander, he’d never exactly been the cheerleader type either.
“The private chef job was a good move,” Wyatt corrected. “This is probably stupid, but I’m doing it anyway.”
Miles shrugged, and it was clear from his expression that he agreed with Wyatt. “As long as you’re happy.”
“I’d be happier with a drink,” Wyatt admitted. “Make sure the tri-tip doesn’t spontaneously combust while I grab one.”
Miles nodded, but eyed the grill with trepidation. He was a pastry chef, and happiest—and most comfortable—around desserts. He could deal with some savory preparations, but barbecue was definitely beyond his skill level.
Meanwhile Wyatt headed towards the makeshift bar that Ryan had set up in the shade. There were metal bins full of ice and bottles of beer, as well as a few bottles of various white wines.
He grabbed a beer from the bin and was just looking around for a bottle opener, when Tabitha showed up, a handsome blond man in tow.
“Wyatt, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Calvin.”
Wyatt reached out and shook his hand. He had frankly appraising blue eyes and a firm grip. The fact that Tabitha’s expression and voice softened as she talked about him made him like Calvin already.
“Cal,” he said in a friendly voice. “Call me Cal. If you do, I’ll keep pretending that I don’t already know all about you.”
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. He finally located the bottle opener and popped the top off. Taking a long drink, he realized mid-sip that meant Ryan had been talking about him.
“What do I have to do to get the details?” he asked with a grin.
Cal laughed and Tabitha snickered. “You’re going to feed me homemade tri-tip with the fixings,” he said. “And I’m sure Tabitha told you she can’t cook. I’m grateful enough that I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Calvin,” Tabitha admonished in a low voice.
“What?” he asked innocently. “Should I not tell him how crazy we know Ryan is for him?”
“We could,” she said primly, “but that is none of our business.”
It wasn’t, but Wyatt couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. And then, if it was true, why Ryan kept insisting that their relationship had to be pretend.
“How about you tell me why Ryan is so scared of relationships that he has to hire a boyfriend who’d be perfectly happy to date him for real?
” Wyatt asked, wondering if he was giving too much away, then deciding he didn’t give a crap.
Tabitha definitely had seen through him, and he wouldn’t be shocked if Calvin weren’t right there behind her.
“That,” Cal said, “is unfortunately beyond my pay grade. You’re going to have to ask Ryan about that.”
Tabitha muttered something that suspiciously sounded like, “but he won’t tell you.”
It wasn’t like Wyatt had necessarily expected Ryan’s friends to sell him out, even to a guy who was crazy about him. But he did learn one thing; that there was definitely some reason why Ryan would opt for something pretend instead of something real.
“I’ve got to go check on the meat,” he said, “but it was great to meet you.” They shook hands again, and Wyatt was off to the grill again, but Eric waylaid him in the middle of the yard.
“There you are,” he said, putting his arm around him, like Wyatt had seen him do with Ryan more than once.
Ryan hadn’t seemed to have much compunction in just shrugging him off, like a pesky fly, but Wyatt knew he should tread a little more carefully.
After all, while Ryan signed the checks for both Wyatt’s jobs, Eric cut them.
He didn’t know if he should feel more or less bothered thinking of Eric as his boss, instead of Ryan.
“I need to check on the food,” Wyatt protested, even as Eric steered him towards a pocket of people underneath one of the big trees.
The group included Ryan, and Wyatt shouldn’t have felt a twinge of nerves, but he did.
This was it, then, the very first time he met strangers and got introduced as Ryan’s new boyfriend.
“What you need is to mingle, and meet your boyfriend’s friends,” Eric said pointedly, hitting Wyatt’s suspicions right on the head.
Wyatt felt his palm dampen against the beer bottle in his hand, but he lifted his chin. “Hey, babe,” he said, directing his comment at Ryan.
“Look who I found, hiding out,” Eric said, laughing obnoxiously. “I told him he needed to join the party.”