Chapter 40
Dean
Dean stepped onto the elevator and hummed as he waited to arrive on the second floor.
He couldn’t contain his happiness any longer.
After his emotional flare-up the night before, Colton had put his mind at ease with words and kisses and a killer poolside blowjob.
And, to top it off, Colton shocked the hell out of him by agreeing he wanted to adopt Aiden too… the sooner, the better.
The idea that, in just a matter of weeks, Aiden could be his son, his family, was just too exciting. He needed to talk to Jordan and get the ball rolling. He stepped off the elevator, meandered around the corner with a wave to some of his staff, and rapped his hand on Jordan’s office door.
“Hey, J, let’s walk down to Bump and Grind, grab a coffee.”
Jordan smiled and closed his laptop. “Oh my God, you read my mind!”
They walked back around the corner to the elevators and took the grand glass staircase down to the first floor of retail shops, saying a quick hello to Herbert at the security desk.
Across the back of the first floor was a massive Whole Foods Market.
On the east side were three stores: George and Weezy’s Dry Cleaners, Tip It!
Wine and Spirits, and Slice Up Your Life Pizzeria.
In the center of the first floor stood a large atrium with small café tables and quiet seating nooks among planters of flowers and small trees, with two round fountains framing the security desk at the elevators.
And, on the west side was Tuesday’s Taco, The Frisky Biscuit Café, and Bump and Grind Coffee.
As they neared the entrance, the smell of fresh coffee slammed into Dean’s nostrils. “God, I love that smell!” he exclaimed with a big inhale.
Inside the shop, the warm reclaimed wood walls were adorned with framed photos of San Francisco, the space dotted with small and large tables and barrels of coffee beans.
At the back of the shop, a glass case displayed delicious pastries and a giant silver espresso machine loomed large in the corner.
They were greeted at the counter by a cute blonde named Thomas.
“Hi, Jordan. You’re looking good today,” he said with a genuine smile.
Of course, Jordan took every opportunity to flirt with Thomas as they perused the day’s menu.
“Thanks, Thomas. You too.” Jordan smirked, his eyes traveling the length of his body.
“So, what can I get you today?” Thomas asked with an eyebrow wiggle.
“Besides a heaping portion of you, I’ll have an extra-large Sumatra and a pistachio muffin.”
“Comin’ right up.” Thomas blushed. “Not me…the coffee and muffin.” He scuttled away.
Jordan turned to Dean, who stood smirking with a raised eyebrow. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. You two know each other?” Dean tilted his chin toward Thomas.
Jordan chuckled. “You know flirting is my love language.” He leaned closer to Dean. “We’ve hooked up a couple of times. But it’s just for fun,” he whispered.
“You sure you don’t want anything more? He’s super cute. And this is awfully convenient.” Dean bumped their shoulders together.
“Too convenient!” Jordan giggled and smacked his shoulder. “The hookups were hot, but no, I’m not looking for anything serious. Just some fun from time to time.”
As Jordan finished that statement, Thomas returned with his coffee and muffin. “Here ya go. Anything else I can get you?” he asked with pleading eyes.
Jordan ignored the innuendo with a smile and paid for his items.
Once Dean had his order, they took a seat at a small table by the window.
As he settled in his chair, Jordan’s phone buzzed. He gasped loudly as he read the text.
“What? What is it?” Dean asked.
Jordan gently placed his phone on the table, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms with a shit-eating grin. “Guess who just got nominated for a Grammy?”
Dean nearly spat out his coffee. “What?!”
“Yep. Nominations are coming out soon, and my source tells me you have four.”
Dean beamed. “Shit! That’s amazing!” He paused to think. “But I hate awards shows.” He furrowed his brows. “What the fuck will I wear?”
Jordan laughed. “I think you’ll have time to figure that out. Congratulations, Dean!”
“Wow!” Dean leaned back in his chair and looked off into the distance. “I mean, I think I make good music, write catchy songs, ya know?” He sighed. “But a Grammy is big-time, next-level shit. I can’t believe it!”
“Well, you haven’t won yet…” Jordan teased with a wink.
“Fuck you!” Dean tossed a wadded-up napkin at him. “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” he joked with a hand over his heart and fluttering eyelashes.
“You’re a dork!” Jordan snickered as he removed the lid from his coffee and inhaled deeply. “Mmmm. They have the best coffee in the whole city.”
Dean grinned. “Yep. And we have it right outside our front door. How did we get so lucky?”
Jordan savored his coffee and Dean sobered his expression. “So J, there’s a reason for this little field trip. I have something very important I need to tell you.”
Jordan quirked one eyebrow, giving Dean a sassy smirk. “Oh, so you’re finally going to fire me?”
Dean laughed out loud and playfully smacked his hand on the table. “Shut up, bitch.”
He spun his cup on the table. “I’ve decided to adopt Aiden…if he wants it, of course.”
Jordan cracked a huge grin. “Of course he wants that! He loves you, Dean. And we all love him.”
“Thanks.” Dean smiled. “I’m gonna need your help in getting through all this…the paperwork, meetings, and the construction in the loft.”
Jordan snickered. “Of course. You couldn’t do shit without me. But wait…” He paused with a look of confusion. “What construction?”
Dean cracked a smile. “There’s a huge section of the loft that’s unfinished. I want to build Aiden his own suite.”
Jordan furrowed his brows. “For real? You’ve got more space?”
“Yep.” Dean stood with his cup. “Come on, I’ll show you what I’m thinking.”
***
“When’s Aiden getting here?” Colton asked as he emptied the dishwasher.
“About a half hour.”
“Believe it or not, I’m actually fucking nervous!” Colton leaned back onto the kitchen counter.
Dean stepped in front of him, crowding him against the countertop, and kissed his forehead. “I’m nervous too, but I think he’s gonna be stoked!”
Colton chuckled. “Hell yeah! I mean, we’re awesome! Who wouldn’t want to live with us?”
Dean pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. “True. But we’ll have to be more careful. We can’t just make out or fuck wherever we want after he moves in.”
Colton gasped in mock horror. “Shit. I hadn’t thought of that! I don’t think I like this plan anymore.”
Dean giggled and poked him in the ribs. “Shut it. Everything will be fine, and you’ll have plenty of my cock, whenever you want it.”
A short time later, Aiden arrived with his usual smile and happy bounce in his step.
There were hugs all around.
“You want some food, something to drink?” Dean asked.
“Nah. Not really. Thanks though.” Aiden looked between Dean and Colton. “But this isn’t my normal day to visit. What’s wrong?”
Dean patted his shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong. We do have something important we want to discuss with you though.”
They led Aiden over to the seating area, having Aiden sit on the coffee table, with Dean and Colton on the sofa facing him.
Aiden lost his signature Cheshire-cat grin, and a hint of concern crossed his brow. “Okay, you two are scaring me. What’s going on?”
Dean chuckled. “Sorry. We don’t mean to scare you.
And it’s nothing bad. Promise.” Dean inhaled a deep breath and took Aiden’s hand.
“Aiden, we both love you very much. I don’t think that comes as any surprise.
But lately, we’ve been talking” —he gestured between Colton and himself— “and we feel like we don’t get to see you enough or spend enough time with you.
So we were wondering if you might want to live with us?
I can get all the adoption paperwork done pretty quickly and you could move all your things here as soon as it's approved.”
For a moment, Aiden looked to Colton, then Dean, with a slightly confused look.
“So…you’ll both be my dad?”
Dean smiled warmly. “If that’s what you want.
Yes. But we realize we’re only twelve years older than you.
So if that feels weird, having two dads closer to your age, we can do whatever makes you feel comfortable.
We can be your dads, big brothers, uncles, whatever feels right for you.
” Dean squeezed his hand. “The most important thing is, we love you, and we’ll live here together, as a family. How does that sound?”
There was a brief pause. The silence was killing Dean.
He wanted to say something else, make Aiden feel at ease, convince him to say yes, but the deafening silence continued.
All he could hear was his heart beating in his ear.
What if he said no? Dean wasn’t sure he could handle that.
He wanted Aiden to say something, but he didn’t push, he waited as Aiden processed everything he’d just heard, which was admittedly a lot.
Finally, Aiden’s chest began to heave and his eyes became watery. As the tears began to stream down his face, he hurled himself between Colton and Dean, hugging them both around their necks.
Aiden huffed and sobbed as Dean and Colton rubbed his back. They sat that way for several minutes, Dean and Colton on the sofa, Aiden squeezed between them, sobbing as they rubbed his back.
“Um…are those happy tears?” Dean finally broke the silence.
Aiden barked out a laugh and pulled out of their embrace. “Duh!” He wiped his eyes.
“So…that’s a yes?” Dean asked.
“Fuck yeah! I’d love to live here!” Aiden exclaimed.
“Language!” Dean and Colton said in unison, both trying to hold back their laughter.
Dean placed his hand on the back of Aiden’s neck. “C’mon, I want to show you my idea for your bedroom suite.”
“Suite?” Aiden jerked his head toward Dean.
Dean and Colton led Aiden into the large undeveloped area of the loft. Aiden looked around in amazement, eyes wide, as Dean explained his plans for Aiden’s suite…a large living area, with a separate bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet.
Aiden threw his arms around Dean’s waist. “Thank you! I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me.”
Dean did his best to control his emotions.
He kissed the top of Aiden’s head while Colton squeezed his shoulder.
“You’re worth it, Aiden. We love you, and we want you to have the life you deserve.
The paperwork should be complete in about a week.
You’ll move in as soon as all that's done and live in the guest bedroom until your suite is finished.”
Aiden bear hugged Dean and squeezed tight. “I love you.”
And this time, Dean couldn’t control his emotions. The tears streamed down his face as he squeezed Aiden. “I love you too, buddy.”
As they walked back into the main area of the loft, Aiden flashed his signature Cheshire grin and pointed toward their sleeping area. “I certainly hope a wall for your bedroom is planned in this renovation. I don’t want to walk by and see you two humping like bunnies.”
“Aiden!” Dean struggled to control his grin while Aiden grabbed his stomach, cackling loudly. Colton covered his mouth, trying to contain his laughter.
Dean ruffled Aiden’s hair with a chuckle. Having him here was going to be fun.
“Alright, kiddo. How ‘bout we walk Cocoa, then make some dinner?”