Chapter Five
The text from Zane the night before regarding Eli had been such a relief, but also quite remarkable.
What were the chances that his closest friend would be the one to stumble across him?
Although it was Ryan who’d done the stumbling.
Eli was fortunate that not only had he gone to that particular shelter, but that Ryan had such a good heart.
As Avery drove through the streets of Boston toward Club Sensation to meet with Zane for dinner, he gave himself an inner pep talk.
He wouldn’t insist on seeing Eli, even if all he wanted to do was apologize for upsetting him.
Zane had already made it clear that Eli wasn’t ready for any interaction yet and might never be.
The realization settled like a stone in his chest. Why did this one young man affect him so deeply? Even when he worked with a sub, he didn’t carry that level of interest. But now he was overwhelmed with concern over an employee to whom he’d barely spoken more than a few sentences?
Avery gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles whitening against the leather. He’d replayed their brief encounter at the hotel dozens of times, analyzing every word, every gesture. The way Eli had flinched when he'd raised his voice. The terror in his expression.
He pressed his lips in a thin line. He'd handled the situation all wrong. His usual commanding presence, which worked so well in business and the club, had clearly been the worst possible approach with someone so fragile. Someone running from God knew what kind of trouble.
The familiar brick facade of Club Sensation came into view, breaking into his worrying thoughts.
He got lucky and found a parking spot on the street not too far from the entrance, so opted out of using the valet.
He sat for a moment in the quiet of his car, watching other members arrive for their evening activities.
At last, he made a decision. He needed to compartmentalize this turn of events, the way he did everything else in his life. Eli was a business matter now. Nothing more. An employee who’d required assistance and found what he needed with Zane.
The lie tasted bitter even as he tried to convince himself of its truth.
Avery stepped out into the cool evening air, straightening his charcoal wool coat.
The familiar sounds of the city—traffic, distant music from a nearby restaurant, the click of heels on pavement—usually grounded him.
Tonight, the urban soundtrack felt muted, as if he were experiencing it through glass.
He pushed through the restaurant’s entrance, located to the right of the club.
He approached Gabe at the host station. The low lighting and familiar surroundings should’ve relaxed him, but his shoulders remained rigid.
The soft sounds of conversation and clinking silverware drifted in from the dining room, punctuated by the occasional laugh.
“Good evening, sir.”
Gabe’s smile wasn’t a perfunctory staff response to a nameless stranger. Avery had known him since back in the day when he and Zane had employed him at the resort.
“Hello, Gabe. How are you doing?”
“Wonderful, thank you. Master Zane is already seated.”
Avery nodded. “Are there any scallops left?”
His mouth had been watering ever since Zane mentioned they were getting some in. They usually went pretty fast.
Gabe chuckled. “Don’t worry. Master Zane made sure to save a generous portion.”
Avery smirked and patted his stomach. “Not sure I need to go overboard, as it were. I haven’t been to the gym very much lately.”
A touch of pink tinged Gabe’s cheeks. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about in that department.”
Gabe had been hinting around for years that he was interested, and Avery had gone out of his way not to lead him on.
“I’m sure the butter my dinner will be swimming in would disagree.” He gave Gabe a genuine smile, but needed to end the conversation. “Good to see you.”
Gabe’s expression fell, but he quickly recovered. “Great to see you too, sir.”
Avery stepped into the dining room, noting that Zane was at their usual table. After shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the hook attached to the tall wood posts at the end of each half-moon booth, he slid into his seat. Zane glanced up from his tablet then shut it off, pushing it to one side.
“Traffic wasn’t too bad?”
Avery adjusted himself on the microsuede surface, then folded his hands on the table. “Not terrible, I even managed to find a parking spot on the street.”
Zane let out a soft chuckle. “That’s a miracle.” He relaxed against the booth. “So tell me. Are you feeling better today?”
Avery didn’t need to ask Zane what he was inquiring about. Undoubtedly, Zane was as curious about his preoccupation with Eli as he himself was.
“I’m relieved he’s not on the streets anymore, and that he’s being looked out for by someone I trust.”
Zane snorted. “I should hope you trust us.”
Avery rolled his eyes. “Just a tad.”
“Are you ready to eat yet, or do you want to start off with something to drink?”
“Drink.” Avery sighed. “I won’t be playing tonight.”
Zane signaled the server, who came and took their order. After he left, Zane turned to Avery again.
“When’s the last time you made full use of your membership?”
Avery ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of Zane's question. It had been weeks, possibly months, since he'd done more than make an appearance at the club.
“Too long,” he admitted. “The hotel’s been demanding most of my attention.
Zane’s eyebrow arched skeptically. “The hotel that practically runs itself at this point? With your competent staff who you've trained to perfection?”
Heat crept up Avery's neck. “There’s always something that needs handling. For example, the situation with the chef right now.” He upturned his palms, like he was signaling that he had no choice. “As you know, I’m very hands-on with the restaurant.”
“Mmm,” Zane hummed. “And it has nothing to do with you avoiding connections?”
Their drinks arrived—a neat scotch for Avery and some craft cocktail for Zane that looked too colorful to be taken seriously. Avery took a generous sip, letting the warm burn coat his throat.
“I’m not avoiding anything. It’s a responsibility.”
“And what about your responsibility to yourself?” Zane's voice softened. “You can’t pour from an empty cup, my friend.”
Avery stared into his glass, watching the coppery liquid catch the light. He’d never been one for empty metaphors, but this one felt uncomfortably accurate. When had he last felt satisfied? Not only as an accomplished businessman, but also as a contented man?
“My cup is fine,” Avery said, though even he could hear how hollow the words sounded.
Zane leaned forward, his expression growing more serious. “Is it? Because from where I’m sitting, you look like you haven’t slept a full night in weeks. And now you're fixated on some kid you met for five minutes.”
The observation stung because it was true. Avery had caught glimpses of himself in mirrors lately—the shadows under his eyes, the increase in gray hair. He’d told himself it was the stress of the chef situation, but that had only been going on for a week.
“I'm not fixated.” Avery took another sip, silently willing the server to arrive with their food.
Zane's laugh was sharp enough to cut through the ambient restaurant noise. “Right. So tell me about this non-fixation of yours.”
Avery set his glass down harder than necessary, the sharp clunk against the table echoing his irritation. “There’s nothing to discuss. He needed help, you provided it. End of story.”
“Except you texted me three times last night asking how he was settling in.”
The heat in Avery’s neck spread to his cheeks. Had it really been three times? He'd been careful to space them out, to make them seem casual. Apparently not casual enough.
“I was concerned about an employee. Like you said, I felt responsible. That’s all there was to it.”
Much to his relief, the waiter chose that moment to show up with their meals.
“Here you go, gentleman.”
The server set down their dishes, asked them if they’d like anything else, then left. Avery laid his linen napkin across his lap. An unbidden thought of Eli draped over his thighs as Avery gave him a hearty discipline spanking shot through his mind.
He let out an aggravated sigh. “All right, fine. I haven’t been taking care of my own needs. I’ll make a point of coming to the club tomorrow night. No alcohol, no street clothes. I’ll have my gear and be ready to play.”
Zane grinned, patting the side of his arm. “That’s what I was hoping to hear. You know I’m only looking out for you. I think I know you well enough by now to tell when something’s not okay.”
Avery let out a long, slow breath. “I have to agree.” He reached over, squeezing Zane’s hand. “Thank you.”
Zane gave him a knowing smile. “Let’s say we dig in. After waiting for a fresh round of scallops, you don’t want them to get cold.”
Avery snorted. “That’s not the only thing I don’t want to get cold.”
They shared a comfortable laugh, and for the first time in a while, the ever-present knot in his stomach eased.
Now to find someone I think is interesting enough to do a scene with.
Eli thanked the line cook for showing him how to use the dishwashing apparatus.
The sanitizer wasn’t all that complicated, but getting the solution right was key.
He’d only spent one night and the morning in the presence of Master Zane, but it didn’t take genius perception to realize the guy was meticulous in everything he was a part of.
More than anything, he wanted to do a great job, show how grateful he was for all his help.