Chapter 3
Henry
Dinner left me in a daze. I’d have blamed it on the wine, but I didn’t drink enough to even get a buzz. Nothing got a mission off to a bad start like getting arrested for a DUI. The issue was Nick.
I’d showed up prepared to paste on a fake smile, use my phony charm, and hold my nose as I pretended to befriend him.
Instead, he and his boyish optimism pushed all my buttons.
Bursting into the apartment, bouncing with excitement, and dying to share that energy, he upended my preconceived image of Nicholas Fenton.
The reports said he lacked confidence and followed Grant around like a puppy, but they were wrong.
Nick had a mind of his own and wasn’t afraid to let others know what he thought, but only in situations where he was comfortable.
At home, at his dinner table, with his best friend, Nick didn’t cower or hover in the background.
He laughed and joked along with Grant and me. I’d call him cautious, not unsure.
Seeing him shirtless and sweaty added to my interest. In a hundred and fifty plus years of dating, I knew I had a type; tall, athletic, tight muscles, clean shaven, and strong features. If I could’ve ordered someone, it would be Nick.
Had Uncle Michael known this when he gave me this assignment? Doubtful, but I put nothing past him.
More annoying was Grant. He watched me like I was a fox in the hen house. Nick thought he was sneaking glances at me, but not only did I catch on, Grant did as well. On more than one occasion, Grant changed topics when Nick and I were locked into a conversation. It was irritating as fuck.
Finally, after one too many dirty looks, I stretched and leaned back. “I should get going. Tomorrow’s my first day at the office.”
Nick’s smile faded, but before he said anything, Trevor stood. “Hey, Nick. Would you mind starting to clean up while I walk Henry to his car? I need to talk to him about a family matter.”
I checked my anger before I called bullshit.
Trevor might be acting the fool, with his overprotectiveness, but speaking in private was probably wise.
Judging by Nick’s expression, he didn’t buy Grant’s clumsy excuse to exclude his roommate.
Nick clearly didn’t appreciate being cut out, but he nodded. “Sure.”
“Thank you for dinner,” I said to Trevor, before turning to Nick and holding out my hand. “And thank you for being my co-pilot. I’ll call you to set up a time for Saturday.”
Let Grant stew on that. It was petty, and I knew it, but I was team leader, and I needed to remind one of my subordinates of reality.
“Great,” Nick’s smile returned as we shook. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
We maintained contact longer than necessary. I might bitch silently about Grant’s mother hen routine, but he wasn’t wrong. Nick wasn’t fire I was playing with, he was a roaring inferno that could reduce me to ashes.
Grant’s concerns, however, were for Nick, not me. I needed to tread carefully for both our sakes.
“C’mon, Henry, I’ll walk you out.”
Subtlety wasn’t a strong trait for him. He could add improving it to the list that included learning to show proper respect for his superiors. Neither of us were going to enjoy this conversation.
The silent walk to my car ended when Grant spun around, finger raised, ready to unload on me. I held up my hand to pre-empt his tirade.
“Don’t. Think before you speak. I’m taking over as team leader on Michael’s order. If you want to say something, that’s fine, but respect my position.”
He sputtered, lowered his hand and growled. “Permission to speak freely, sir.”
My gut told me to say no, get in my car and leave, but I didn’t. I needed Grant on the team, which meant we needed to do more than co-exist. “If you keep it civil, go ahead.”
“Why are you hitting on Nick? There are a million other guys to wet your dick with. Why does it have to be him?”
Even being generous, no one would call that civil or polite. “I won’t lower myself to your crude phrasing, but that isn’t my intent. To guard him properly, I need to get to know him better.”
“By taking him for a ride in your big car. Because that won’t impress a kid from the wrong part of Long Island. At least try to lie better.”
I bought the Maserati because one of the current operatives told me Nick loved fancy cars and his screensaver at work was a Quattroporte.
“Watch your tone, Grant. Unless you’re trying to get reassigned, tone it down.
First, yes, the car was specifically purchased to give me an in with Nick.
Second, you know nothing about me, so don’t project someone else’s slutty ways onto me. ”
“You’re a dick, you know that, Henry?”
I’d gotten the rise I wanted. He might not know me, but I’d certainly done my research on him. Before he and Nick became friends and roommates, Grant had cut a wide swath through the pretty boy crowd in New York City and Fire Island.
He tried to go back inside, but I held out a hand. I’d wanted him to get angry so I could reel him in. “Stop. We’re not finished.”
Anger flashed in his eyes, and he looked down at my hand. If he attacked me, it would be a short fight. He’d just started to get his powers, while I’d had mine for more than a century. Even at full power, he’d never match me.
But this wasn’t a beatdown nor was I trying to humiliate him.
We needed to clear the air. “I’d prefer we address this before you get removed.
Nick clearly loves you and I don’t want to take that away from him.
I’m not a predator looking to hook up with Nick.
Whatever you heard about me, it’s not true. ”
“You being an organizer of the White Party in Miami isn’t true?” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me.
The mention of my old life didn’t cause the pang I’d have expected when Uncle Michael gave me the assignment.
I filed that away to unpack later. “I’m not sure the point you’re trying to make.
Organizing the party doesn’t make me a man whore.
Let me shut this down now. I didn’t show up expecting to sleep with Nick, but I won’t deny I’m attracted to him. I’m also aware of his interest in me.
“The trip to Frederick is exactly what I said it was—a way to get to know him. If, something more come from our spending time together, it won’t be so I can wet my dick.
I won’t use him and cast him aside. That’s not who I am.
Also, if you believe nothing else I’ve said, understand I won’t let my dick interfere with my mission. ”
Grant didn’t uncross his arms, but his body lost its hostile tension. He looked away and nodded. “Understood.”
I didn’t know which part of my little speech got through, but I was glad I didn’t need to take drastic action with him. “Are we good now? Or at least not hostile?”
“Yes. Thank you for explaining.”
He didn’t smile and I didn’t expect we’d become friends in five minutes, but it was a start. We needed to work together, and I didn’t want to be at odds with my number one operative. “You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Nick
I stared into my coffee, tilted my head back and drained the cup.
It hadn’t helped. My brain felt like it had shut down right after Henry left the night before.
I’d cleared the table dreading Trevor’s return and the lecture I’d get for hitting on his cousin.
Instead, he came in, helped me clean up, and chatted like he hadn’t been glaring daggers at Henry, and to a lesser extent me, the whole meal.
Had I misunderstood the situation entirely? I thought Henry flirting with me was what had upset Trevor. Now, I wasn’t sure anymore.
Whatever they talked about, Trev was no longer mad.
Did Henry laugh at the idea he’d been hitting on me?
Logically that made more sense than the super-hot, rich, nice guy was interested in me.
It would also explain Trevor’s one-eighty attitude change.
Trying to sort things out kept me up most of the night.
My morning didn’t improve things. I woke up late, missed my Metro stop, the same one I’d gotten off at for three years, and was nearly late for work.
“Damn, you look like you need a nap.”
The hits kept coming. My co-worker/supervisor slid the only other chair in my cubicle closer to me and sat. Given I hadn’t been working when she came in, I couldn’t even pretend to be busy. “Thanks Brenda. Happy Friday to you too. Isn’t your job as my hag to be supportive, not insulting?”
“I…am…not…your…hag!” She punctuated each word with a slap on my shoulder. “I’m your boss, even if you don’t treat me like one.”
I swiveled around to face her. A few years older than me, Brenda had helped me get settled when I started this job. She was also one of my true friends; at work or otherwise. “You look nice. What happened to casual Friday wear?”
“Thank you. I’m glad you approve. I’ll even forgive you for using that word.” Smiling, she straightened her suit coat. “I’m having lunch with Ian.”
Pretty and athletic, Brenda attracted her share of hot guys. Most of whom missed how smart and funny she was. ”Lucky guy.”
“Um no.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s the perky HR director from the eighth-floor. I’ve been trying to meet with him to talk about the expansion of personnel in our department. He suggested a ‘working lunch’ meeting.”
Why did managers always think they could hit on junior people without any repercussions? “Well at least he’s paying, right?”
“So na?ve.” She reached over and patted my cheek. “Why are you tired? Did you go out last night or something?”
Or something. “No, nothing like that. Trevor’s cousin Henry came over for dinner, he left around 9:00 pm and I was in bed at my usual time.”
“Is he single? A hottie like Trevor? Does he like strong, empowered women?”
I stifled a snort. Leave it to Brenda to put me in a better mood with her antics. “Yes, yes, and he’s gay.”
“I see.” She gave her, ‘give me all the juicy details’ smirk. “And?”