9. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
L aying down had been a mistake.
Once Lex found a suit and tie stashed in his own poster-and-Polaroid covered room, and he didn’t need to worry about what the hell he was going to wear, it had been so tempting . They had an hour and he needed ten minutes. Tops.
A cat nap, really. He was running on fumes .
Lex had no idea how much time had passed until Morgan was outside the locked door, clipped irritation bleeding through.
“You’re going to make us late. Do you vaguely understand what kind of impression that gives off? At all?”
He really, really hated this version of Morgan. So much.
Dragging himself to the door, he wrenched it open and stepped forward only to find Morgan right there. There wasn’t enough room to get by, and Morgan didn’t budge.
Of course, he didn’t.
Instead, Morgan’s eyes scanned down, starting at the top of Lex’s head and trailing to his scuffed sneakers.
The judgment was fucking intense, and he wasn’t awake enough to stop the heat burning his ears.
“If you’re gonna start complaining, do it faster. You said it yourself—we’ll be late.”
Morgan reached out and Lex took a step back on instinct. Before he could open his mouth again, Morgan’s hands were on him, pulling at the knot of his tie.
“Hold still,” Morgan murmured, quiet and forever bored, as he yanked the tie loose with a single pull. He ripped it off completely. “Even this is crooked. I’m not going into how wrinkled the jacket is.”
“Hate to break it to you, but that’s what you just did.”
Morgan’s eyes lifted. He didn’t say a word—didn’t need to. The tilt of his head, the tight line of his lips… he was teetering in the valley of losing my patience and one breath away from pissed.
Moving with the same precision, Morgan looped the tie back around Lex’s neck. There was no hesitation, no pause, and Lex had zero interest in thinking about how nice Morgan’s fingers felt on his skin.
Not happening.
Also not happening? Letting his mind linger on whatever new cologne Morgan was wearing—something like leather, something that smelled a whole lot like the woods . Lex tried to focus on anything else— jesus, anything at all —but Morgan pulled the knot too tight and he almost choked.
“Holy shit, warn a guy,” Lex grumbled, adjusting until it felt more comfortable.
Breathing was kind of mandatory.
“Stop slouching. It makes you look like you’re hiding something.”
Lex pulled back his shoulders before he could stop himself.
Of course, Morgan would notice. Of course, he’d comment . And, of course, it’d feel more like an order than advice.
The valet opened the door, and as soon as Lex had both feet on the concrete, he was tugging at the jacket. It wasn’t the suit—it was him. He hadn’t changed enough for it not to fit right, but every stitch may as well have been a spotlight on how he wasn’t ready for this. Not tonight. Not ever.
He’d slammed down an energy drink before they left thinking it would wake him up, but it just poured gas on his anxiety. Now his nerves were buzzing and he couldn’t manage to stand still .
Hyping himself up the entire ride was supposed to help. He had gone over the information he could remember, what he was going to say… but it didn’t.
Something had to help. Something had to go right.
Lex swallowed hard, trying to force the knot in his throat to budge. His thoughts looped on an endless don’t fuck this up reel.
If he bombed this? Then what? Goodbye inheritance, hello job hunt.
Inside the glass restaurant, he could already see men and women in suits, clustered around the bar. Between that, and the expensive cars in the parking lot, nothing about it read casual.
He wanted to be anywhere but here.
“Relax,” Morgan murmured, stepping closer and casting him a sideways glance. “You look like you’re heading to a funeral.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder. This isn’t a big deal. The fundraisers are what you need to be afraid of. This is child’s play.”
Lex shot him a glare. “It kind—”
“You’re going to embarrass both of us tonight unless you listen.”
How the hell did that sound like a threat?
“Listen to what, Morgan?”
The hostess waved them over, her bright smile directed entirely at Morgan. Because why wouldn’t it be? Her clicking heels and pleasant chatter were lost to Lex. He could barely hear himself think over the sound of his own heart.
Morgan’s hand brushed his wrist as they reached the table, firm enough to stop him in his tracks. He turned, and Lex really did not like that smile. At all .
“Me,” Morgan said simply. “If you follow my lead—speak when spoken to—this will be a good experience. I promise.”
Lex had to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. “I think I know how to navigate a conversation, thanks.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You haven’t changed at all, have you, Morgan? I haven’t seen you since you were… what? Eighteen?”
“Ten years goes by faster than you think, doesn’t it?”
“Do you remember the Seattle project you were interning on? That could not have gone worse.”
“I think we managed to salvage it. All thanks to you, of course,” Morgan said, and his laughter could have passed for sincere.
Fifteen minutes in, and Lex was maybe, possibly, way over his head.
It would have been great if Morgan had mentioned he knew these people. Personally. Would’ve been a lovely piece of information to have. Then, Lex could’ve picked his brain.
But no.
Instead, he had to sit here, smiling awkwardly, listening to this bizarre, shiny version of Morgan. Every goddamn word was more polished and fake than the last—a plastic doll had more substance.
If he hated anything more than normal Morgan? It was this one. This one made Lex grind his teeth together .
When the waiter filled his glass with wine he was sure could've paid half his rent at home, he didn't argue.
“I’m happy to see that we’ll be in good hands,” Steve—purple sweater vest, patchy facial hair, and too much cologne—said, leaning over the table like they were best friends. “I don’t remember if I’ve ever met Alex, though. How’re you adjusting?”
The words bounced off Lex at first because Alex? Who the hell—oh. Oh . They meant him. Steve had to turn toward Lex, the polite smile on his face before he realized it.
“It’s—it’s Lex,” he mumbled quickly, clearing his throat, “but I’m actually really excited. I’ve been reviewing the firm’s past and I already have a few ideas I think could—”
“ Alex always seems to have lots of ideas. Some of them even work,” Morgan interrupted warmly, almost playful.
When the table laughed, the embarrassment was too hot to ignore. It rushed up his neck, burning his cheeks. He tightened his grip on the wine glass, taking a drink so he didn’t snap. It was bitter, dry as hell, but he didn’t stop until it was almost empty.
“Do either of you have plans going forward? How the projects will be split?” Karen—enormous earrings, matching red lipstick, and pantsuit—asked, her gaze moving between Morgan and Lex.
Lex jumped right back in. “Well, I think the team is in a great position where it is. If we could shift focus to the—”
Before the entire rehearsed sentence was out of his mouth, Morgan was cutting in again.
“Focus is a great way to put that, Alex . I’ll be handling the major accounts, of course, but Alex will take on… smaller projects. It’s more suited to his background and talents. ”
Steve was saying something, but Lex wasn’t listening.
Lex turned his head slowly, jaw clenched, and Morgan was already looking at him. He raised his eyebrows, that shit-eating smile firmly in place. At that moment, Lex hated that he could read him—hated that he had spent so long learning Morgan’s tells.
I told you , was written all over that smug face.
The knot in Lex’s stomach coiled as the waiter came around, setting dishes down in front of them with some overly cheery crap about sauces. He could barely look at it.
The only thing he could see was Morgan.
Making his life hell.
He hadn’t done anything wrong for fuck’s sake. This was petty.
At least the wine helped.
Halfway through this nightmare of a dinner, Lex had forgotten how much he hated lamb. Hell, he’d forgotten how much he hated Morgan for a few minutes. Several glasses of wine later, he felt a whole lot better. Better, not good.
“It’s fascinating that the two of you are working together,” Karen said as she cut her food into tiny, bird-sized pieces; Lex hadn’t actually seen her eat anything. “I imagine it’s a unique experience—brothers in business.”
Morgan’s half-laugh was quieter than it had been. “Unique is one way to put it. Even if blood isn’t involved, family can be complicated.”
The hell do you mean complicated ?
The words were almost out of Lex’s mouth before he could stop them.
Morgan was the one complicating everything, throwing out cryptic bullshit like Lex wouldn’t realize it.
This didn’t have to be so hard.
Steve’s chuckle sounded more polite than genuine.
If Morgan wanted to keep playing this game, fine. There was more than one way to win over a room. Two could play the charm card, and Lex wasn’t about to let him steamroll another conversation.
“We have different approaches,” he said, leaning forward in his seat and nudging his plate aside. “But I think that’s a strength. We balance each other out. Right, Morgan?”
“Balance.” Morgan drummed his fingers on the base of the wine glass, and try as Lex might, he had no idea what the hell Morgan was thinking. “That’s interesting. Alex is a quick learner, you know?” He looked over, focusing on the other five heads at the table. “He’ll find his footing with us soon enough, even if there’s a few stumbles along the way.”
Lex hadn’t even realized his leg was shaking until Morgan’s hand landed on it.
When everyone finally decided to leave, it still felt far too late. Nine p.m. might as well have been the next day.
His face ached, the tight, practiced smile carved into his cheeks. Every muscle in his body screamed for bed .
But standing was… special. As soon as he got to his feet, the world shifted sideways. He grabbed the back of his chair, holding on for dear life.
Two years sober, and he hadn’t stopped to think that something as low alcohol as wine would send his head reeling and turn his legs to jelly.
He kept his grip on the chair as he moved through the motions, forcing handshakes and more polite conversation.
“We’ll see you two in the office tomorrow, right? Bright and early?”
“Yes, of course,” Morgan said, and Lex could see the cracks forming on the surface. The honey in his words had evaporated. He wasn’t even bothering to slap on the smile anymore.
Even Morgan had his limits. He wasn’t perfect.
After the last overly pleasant, overly handsy goodbye, it was blissfully quiet. Morgan stood still, his shoulders slumped and his head tilted back like he was staring at the ceiling, except his eyes were closed.
Honestly, falling asleep standing seemed like a decent option.
“Are you coming?” Morgan finally asked.
The question that had been simmering all night launched itself out of Lex’s mouth without so much as a thought. “What the fuck was that about?”
Morgan didn’t answer. Those dark eyes just slid from Lex to the door, then back again.
Fine. If Morgan wanted to play coy in public, Lex could wait.
The night air was cold as hell, too sharp against his skin. It didn’t do anything for the way the world kept tilting, the pavement shifting out of sync with his feet. But at least it chased away the gross, sick warmth of too much alcohol and way too much frustration.
“I warned you,” Morgan said evenly. “You didn’t listen. You chose to make this unpleasant, not me.”
“Oh my god.” Lex’s laugh came out more high-pitched than it ever had. “I didn’t choose shit. You could have helped me! I spent three hours in misery— misery , Morgan. You sabotaged every single thing I said!”
“Did you want me to hold your hand? Spoon-feed you what to say?”
“No! I needed you to have my back .”
Morgan didn’t even blink as he gestured in front of them. “Get in the car. You’re drunk. People are staring.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, Morgan , I don’t!” Lex snapped, taking one uneven step to the side. “I’m so tired of dealing—”
Morgan was on him before he could finish the sentence, shoving him back against the car with a force that knocked the air out of his lungs. The metal biting through his jacket was too damn cold and Morgan was too damn close .
“Yes,” Morgan hissed, quiet and cutting, “you do. Trust me. You’ll like where we’re going. ”
Lex couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe . This was the worst goddamn time for his mind to start circling the drain that was Morgan. It was that simple. He was pissed— he didn’t want to be anywhere near Morgan — but god, he couldn’t stop.
“Is that a no?” Morgan prompted, dragging Lex back to reality. He needed to get himself together and stop cataloging the moles on Morgan’s face.
Lex put his hands out and Morgan stepped back. Thankfully. Even if he felt hollow as hell, all the heat rushing out in an instant, it was better than dealing with that.
“Where?”
“We’re going to make a new video.”
It took a second for the words to make sense, and the manic energy running through Lex thrummed down into an electrifying buzz in his stomach. He could feel the adrenaline in his toes .
“Someone’s meeting you in the woods,” he whispered, his heart slamming against his ribcage so hard he was half-afraid something would break.
“Are you in or out?”
“In. I’m—I’m definitely in.”