Chapter 32
EVAN
“If you say one word about the dog, you’re not getting fed.”
Millie smiles brightly. She’s sparklier than usual tonight. Glitter lipstick. Glitter eyeliner. “Oh my God, I love that sweater on you. And you,” she says with a blunt nail pinned directly to my breastbone, “aren’t in charge of the food. Right Deacon?”
“I don’t want to hear about the dog, either,” my roommate says.
Her face twists into a pout that’s actually really cute, but then she spots Isaac and springs forward, hand out for him to shake. “I’m Millie Hutchins! I live across the hall.”
“Isaac Sullivan.” He slides his big hand into her tiny one. “I work with Evan and Deacon.”
“Tech Bros! A complete set! I’m a tech bro, too. We should get a group pic.”
“Millie works in game design.”
“Ah.” Isaac does a quick assessment of everything Millie brings to the party. “You must be very talented.”
She puts her hands behind her and sways back and forth in an aw shucks kind of way. “I have a passion for a pretty storyboard. What do you do?”
“I own Polytech, we do—"
“Oh, I know Polytech.” She gestures at Deacon and me. “Obviously. Do you have any pets?”
“Millie,” I warn.
“It’s a normal question.”
Nothing about you is normal, I want to say but roll my eyes instead. I feel Isaac’s hand on my lower back, and he asks if we’d like a glass of wine.
“I’ll get it,” I tell him. As I go to make sure the door to my bedroom is closed to keep Apollo in, I hear Millie telling Isaac about why her dog couldn’t be here tonight.
Deacon and I share a look as I come around the island to start pouring wine.
He has a small grin on his face, and I pinch his oblique muscle, which makes him jump and emit a short huff because he’s very ticklish there.
Especially after he comes. And yes, before Isaac got here, he had me on my knees on the kitchen floor, helping with his pre-party nerves in a way he’s never requested before.
I was happy to help since he won’t let me do anything else for the party.
While I was sucking his cock down my throat, he told me we should have started doing this a long time ago, and I’m still not sure whether that makes me feel better or worse about this whole situationship.
It reminded me a lot of blowing Isaac before a board meeting.
I’m happy to provide the service, but that’s exactly what it feels like—a service.
Bailey, Ryan, and Malcolm show up together.
Bailey is carrying two large mason jars of what looks suspiciously like another one of her sangrias.
Mal has a bowl of mashed potatoes, which is what he always brings, but will go great with the stew according to Deacon.
Ryan is carrying their dog Heather, a tiny Yorkie puppy with a pink bedazzled collar.
“Hope she’s not in heat,” I hear Millie say.
Ryan gives her a dark look. “She’s four months old.”
“Jesus, Millie,” Bailey sighs.
Isaac is standing off to the side near the dining nook, and I take him by the hand. “Guys, this is Isaac. Isaac, this is Bailey, Ryan, and Malcolm.”
Isaac greets them all with handshakes. “I’ve seen your show,” he tells Ryan and Mal.
Mal grins wide. “Yeah?”
“Yes, I find it very refreshing.”
Malcolm puts his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “That’s all this guy. He’s the one with the big brain.”
Ryan looks vaguely mortified, but manages to smile, which always looks painful on him.
“Who wants sangria?” Bailey asks. “Isaac?”
“Sure.” He sounds game for anything. Okay, maybe I’m falling for him a little bit.
The grip he has on my hand is reassuring, and it’s taking some of the pressure off me to be “on” for this group of friends.
I usually find myself running interference for Deacon, or at the very least picking up some of his social slack at these things.
His shyness contrasts sharply with his desire to host these get togethers, and since I live here, I’m the co-host, so I’m responsible for making sure everyone has a nice time.
Deacon is in charge of them being well fed.
He’s great at standing in the kitchen and letting someone chatter at him, though.
He’s a good listener, but when it comes to talking, his words are few and far between in this crowd.
I’m almost always filling in the gaps, but here Isaac is, engaged in an easy conversation with Mal and Ryan about their finance backgrounds and what it’s like to host a popular YouTube show.
Rachel and Priya show up when everyone’s standing around the island snacking from the charcuterie board and talking while Deacon chops herbs for a salad dressing.
He’s flanked by Bailey and Millie while I’m with Isaac, opposite them.
Isaac has an arm around my waist, and I’m unable to stop myself from leaning on him while I sip the delicious red wine sangria.
“Oh, Jesus,” Isaac says.
“What?”
“I know them.”
“Oh…right. Did you make a bad impression or something?” I notice the way Rachel looks Isaac up and down, zeroing in on his hand on me.
“Probably. Calyx was never very happy with me.”
All I know from Calyx is what I’ve seen of him with Sam. For the life of me, I can’t picture him with Isaac, but only because he’s so perfect for Sam. They’re constantly showing each other off, and they’re naturally playful in a way Isaac is not.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Rachel says.
“Hello, Rachel. Priya.” He nods at the two seemingly inseparable women.
Rachel gives us an appraising glance. “How’d this happen?”
Isaac shrugs casually. “You know how it is out there with dating, et cetera.”
“Is this the dating part or the et cetera part?”
“Hi Rachel,” I say, to remind her I’m here, and I’m a person, too.
She reaches out and pinches my cheek. “So cute. I was just teasing our Bay Area playboy. Where’s Apollo? I need to see for myself whether or not he could knock up a French Bulldog.”
I’m immediately defensive. “Are you an expert in animal husbandry?”
“My mom’s a vet, so…want me to check him out?”
“And do what? Give him an erection? No thanks. We’re letting him sleep tonight.”
“What you need to understand about bitches in heat is they’re super snuggly. If she wanted it, she would have gotten it.”
Without meaning to, I glance over at Millie, and I can tell she’s listening, eyebrow arched.
Bailey is glaring at her and says something to get her to stop looking at me. Millie snaps to attention at whatever Bailey’s command was, and all of a sudden she’s over by the sangria, asking if anyone needs a refill. Bailey winks at me.
Nice trick.
To Rachel, I say my standard, “Apollo isn’t the only intact male in the building. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore. How’s work?”
“I’m guessing not as fun as your job.” With that she glances at Isaac.
Jesus. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Rachel and Priya know Isaac is my boss. I told Calyx. And Sam.
Priya, who’s not as shameless as Rachel, speaks up finally. “Work is tolerable. Rachel just made partner, and she’s being a bossy bitch, but what did we expect, right?”
Rachel bumps Priya with her hip. “She loves it. What’s for dinner?”
“Stew,” I say.
“Interesting. Well, if Deacon’s making it, I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”
I spot Miguel and his on again off again plus one Nathan coming in the door. Now that everyone we’ve invited is here, I steer them toward the living room.
Deacon and Bailey stay in the kitchen, and I wind up on the couch between Isaac and Miguel.
While Deacon claims these people as his friends, they came together around Ryan and Malcolm.
They all work in finance, with the exception of Rachel and Priya, so there’s a lot of work and industry gossip until Nathan and Miguel get put under the spotlight and mumble through responses about whether they’re actually together or not.
In the times I’ve seen them, and tonight isn’t an exception, it’s obvious Nathan wants to be, and Miguel is keeping his options open. I get the impression there are some trust issues, and I can’t say I don’t relate.
Millie somehow hooked her phone up to the bluetooth, so we’re being subjected to another one of her eclectic playlists. I groan internally when Garth Brooks comes on, and Isaac laughs. “I’ll be right back.” He gives my thigh a squeeze before standing.
The space beside me is quickly filled by Bailey, and I turn around to find Deacon gone from the kitchen. “Is he okay?”
“He said he needed five minutes.”
He does that. It’s not unusual. It makes more sense now, knowing he can get overstimulated, but with Isaac gone, too…
My first urge is to go after them, but I don’t.
Even as I resist it though, the jealousy and FOMO reach a simmer in my chest. As the seconds and minutes tick by, I get increasingly agitated.
I don’t go after them. I have no right to their alone time, or to be jealous.
I’ve been alone with each of them a ton this week, but there’s still an ache in my chest at not being asked to join.
I get up and check all the food in the kitchen while I stuff my face with cheese and crackers. I give the stew a stir and top off my sangria. Eventually—like three songs later, Deacon reappears, frowning at me for standing too close to the stew pot probably, and looking eerily calm. Even glazed.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Just making sure nothing’s burning.”
He frowns, and here comes Isaac. His hair isn’t the same. It’s ruffled. His lips are swollen and red enough that his facial hair doesn’t hide a thing. No one’s paying any attention to us, so he joins Deacon and me in the kitchen.
“Did you guys just have sex?” I ask.
“No,” Isaac says.
“You did something.”
“This is a lot tonight,” Deacon says with a sideways glance at Isaac.
“It was your idea,” I remind him.
“Yeah, well, not all my ideas are good.”