Chapter 22 #2
“I had to tell someone or I’ll die,” Tris whines. “And she’s your best friend. You should have already told her anyway.”
“Technically,” I say through gritted teeth, “I already did.”
Marcus looks at me sharply. “You did?”
I choose to ignore him.
“Yeah,” she says, “and you said you were going to end it, J. That was the last conversation we had about it. Weeks ago. And now Tris tells me he just caught your boss fucking you, and you didn’t tell me? I’m offended.”
“Client,” I correct at the same time Marcus pushes up next to me and says, “We’re not fucking.”
Tris raises an eyebrow. “Oral sex still has the word sex in it. I’d say that’s fucking.”
Marcus’s face flushes red, and I grab his forearm, worried he might actually punch Tris in the face. “The sun’s getting real low, big guy.”
We watched Avengers: Age of Ultron last night. Sue me.
He pulls away, staring at me incredulously. “Don’t pull that Hulk shit on me.”
“Aww, you’re so cute,” Tristan’s eyes bounce between us. “So are you guys a thing now?”
“No—” I start.
“I’m not gay,” Marcus interrupts and then looks frustrated with his own outburst.
I roll my eyes.
“Uh, okay,” Tris scoffs. “You had his dick in your mouth. That’s pretty gay. Marion?”
“Sounds gay,” she responds.
Marcus gestures erratically at Tris’s phone. “Who even is this person?”
I sigh. “Marcus, this is my best friend, Marion. Marion, this is my client, Marcus.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Marion says with a smirk.
Guilt twists my gut. I probably should have told her that I didn’t end it that day at the beach. We’ve hung out a ton of times since then, and out of everyone, she would have kept my secret, but I didn’t want to betray Marcus’s trust.
“Funny, I haven’t heard anything about you,” Marcus says petulantly.
“This is all irrelevant,” I snap. “Yes, he was sucking my dick. We do that, okay? Now everyone knows. The end.” I turn and grab my coat and messenger bag from the table and stomp toward the door. “I’m going out for a drink.”
I’m only a block away from the pub when I hear Tristan yell, “Wait up!”
I turn and see him running up the sidewalk with Marcus close behind. I’m not surprised that Tris is following me, but I am a little surprised Marcus is. I expected him to go somewhere to sulk. Or panic.
I don’t pause for them.
Tris catches up to me with an apologetic smile, but I can hear Marcus trailing behind us, most likely glowering.
I glance over at Tristan. “Marion’s coming, isn’t she?” My breaths make little white puffs as I march down the street in my agitated state.
“Look, I’m really sorry, Jeremy. I honestly thought she knew already.”
I pull my jacket closer so I can zip it up. “It’s fine, Tris. Just . . . don’t tell anyone else. As you may have noticed, Marcus is still figuring some stuff out.”
He snickers. “I noticed. Straight Marcus is so grumpy. Do you think gay Marcus will be more agreeable?”
“I’m right here, asshole,” Marcus growls from behind us, and we both giggle.
When we reach our usual bar, Marion is already standing outside, waiting for us. Her short blonde hair is swept back from her face, her cheeks are flushed from the cold, and she’s wearing an adorable pair of overalls.
I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Where’s your coat, babe?”
She smiles. “I was so excited to meet you that I left it at home.” I give her a look and shake my head. “What? It’s only a couple blocks from my place.”
I glance at Marcus, who’s staring at Marion with narrowed eyes.
The fuck is his problem? I mean, besides the fact that his secret is somewhat out.
We get a table quickly, and I’m surprised when Marcus slides into the booth next to me and places a hand on my thigh, squeezing it possessively. I glance down and then at him, but he’s still watching Marion.
The waitress takes our drink orders, and I order a plate of fries for the table. When my vodka cranberry arrives, I down it quickly and order another because this really isn’t how I wanted to spend my evening.
Marcus gives me a warning look when my second drink arrives, but I just stare at him like a brat while I take a large gulp.
Marion snorts a laugh. “So tell me more about this little secret situation.”
I shrug. “There’s not much to tell.”
“There’s not?” Marcus says sharply. “I wouldn’t call what we’ve been doing nothing.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask skeptically.
“Yeah,” he says, squeezing my thigh again so hard it hurts, and I take another sip to keep from moaning because it’s kind of turning me on. “Jeremy and I are sort of serious. He’s my boyfriend.” His tone has a weird edge to it that I don’t recognize.
I turn and squint at him. “Are you high? I know you’re not drunk yet.”
Marion bursts out laughing, and I look at her curiously. “Are you jealous, Brawny Man? Think I have a thing for J?”
“Jealous?” I scoff, and Marcus says, “Absolutely not.”
I turn to look at him sharply.
“Methinks he doth protest too much,” Tris stage-whispers.
“You know, there was this one time—” Marion starts, and I kick her under the table.
“What time?” Marcus asks, then looks at me. “What time, Jer?”
I sigh. “We hooked up once during a Halloween party in college.”
“You fucked her? I knew it!”
Marion loses it, laughing so hard that she almost falls out of the booth. “We didn’t fuck,” Marion says between giggles. “He just ate me out.”
“Oral sex is still sex,” Marcus parrots back Tris’s comment from earlier.
“Wise words,” Tristan quips. “And why don’t I know this story?”
“I’m not sure details are necessary,” Marcus starts.
“We were dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marion,” Marion says with a grin. “Our hookup was inevitable.”
“Ah, yes,” I say dryly, “the age-old tale where Robin Hood robs from the rich to give to the poor and then eats Marion’s pussy in Sherwood Forest.”
Tris erupts into a fit of giggles, and Marcus gives me a horrified look.
I side-eye him. “What’s your problem?”
“You mean, besides your filthy, unfiltered mouth?” Marcus deadpans. Then he glances at Marion. “She’s just . . . a really handsome woman, so with you being androsexual . . .”
Marion looks smug, and I groan. “Don’t stroke her ego.”
“Brawny Man can stroke whatever he wants,” she says, winking at him.
“For fuck’s sake.” I give her a dark look. “Marion has a girlfriend, Marcus.”
“You’re a lesbian?” he asks, and his grip on my thigh loosens.
Jesus, he really was jealous. Wild.
She raises an eyebrow. “I’m bisexual.”
“Oh.” Marcus worries his plump bottom lip between his teeth in a really distracting way. “How did you know you were bisexual?”
My mouth drops open. “Classy, Marcus.”
Marion waves her hand. “It’s fine. I had my bi-awakening watching Romeo + Juliet in high school when I realized that I wanted Claire Danes just as much as Leonardo DiCaprio.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “The guy who played Mercutio—Harold Perrineau—was the real snack. All manly body hair in a sparkly skirt. Like a sexy present.”
Tris enthusiastically nods with my assessment, but Marcus looks away, obviously uncomfortable.
I take another long sip of my drink, feeling the alcohol relax my body. My eyes drop to Marcus’s hand again. It hasn’t moved since we got here. Not through this entire conversation, and not even when our waitress stopped at the table.