Chapter 7
Jensen sipped at his drink as he watched a middle-aged man wrap his fingers around Daniel’s bare wrist. The man leaned forward, an absurd amount of his white button-up touching the bar top while he thanked Daniel for the glass that was just set down in front of him.
Jensen marveled at that. He would have to be incredibly drunk to place that much of his body on such a dirty surface.
Though, he had seen Daniel wipe down the wood multiple times throughout the night, so it couldn’t be that disgusting.
Still, just seeing the action caused a shudder to run down his spine.
Suddenly, Daniel’s crystal gaze flicked over to Jensen as he smiled and said something to the man in front of him.
Jensen, who was not expecting to get caught staring again, fumbled with his drink.
He managed to get it safely on the table and took a deep breath.
He should probably stop staring. He didn’t need his mother to tell him his behavior was bordering on creepy.
God, he was being a creep, wasn’t he? All but five minutes after Daniel left his room, Jensen chased him downstairs to take vigil in the bar.
And he’d been in the same seat, nursing yet another drink he hated, cataloging Daniel’s every movement.
It was surprising that no one had told him to knock it off yet.
Though, maybe the social conventions were just different in this hotel. Reality itself felt skewed.
Daniel’s coworker that had approached Jensen the night before was sitting on some man’s lap while his arms were around the neck of another person.
Neither man seemed upset at the split attention as they held him with one hand and their drinks with another.
In the corner, two women were pressed up against a gaunt man with a Rolex and an expensive suit, their curves nearly eclipsing him—he didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Another woman sat on the edge of a velvet sofa and had every person in front of her almost drooling as they listened to her talk.
And those were just the inhabitants that were still in the bar.
Jensen had seen more groping and necking in the few short hours he’d been there than he was prepared to.
It was like one of those reality shows his mother insisted she hated.
He’d watched porn that seemed less sexual than the room’s cultivated environment.
Honestly, it almost felt like a faux pas to not have even a half chub.
But none of the borderline indecent acts held his attention or distracted him for long.
Only a single person in the room inspired any reaction in his core.
Like a magnet, his attention kept being brought back to Daniel behind the bar, where he was making drinks and talking with the people that chose to sit on a stool rather than immerse themselves in the groups currently being entertained by the workers.
Jensen could recognize the itch to be around Daniel for what it was.
It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d gotten attached to something.
Addicted. Hyperfixated. Though, it was usually hobbies or a study of something that wouldn’t help him in his life or career.
Learning about puzzle boxes and building model airplanes made sense.
They were fascinating and required the right amount of his attention.
But this newfound obsession with Daniel? That didn’t make sense.
He’d never experienced such a pull to another person before. Not even the infrequent boyfriends he’d somehow accumulated over the years. But Daniel was different. So very different. Jensen couldn’t help himself. He had to know more, had to see Daniel, had to be around him.
The quiet of his hotel room had felt oppressive the moment Daniel closed the door behind him, and for the first time in Jensen’s life, he couldn’t handle being alone.
So he’d gone down to the bar, ordered a drink he thought was appropriate for the venue, and plopped down in the most out-of-the-way table to watch the man work.
If he didn’t get such a thrill from his current behavior, he might be willing to see how pathetic it was.
But Wyatt was right; Jensen would be going back home soon, and it didn’t matter if he was being weird.
With his assistant’s assurance his actions weren’t too inappropriate, he was prepared to stick around Daniel until he’d worn out his welcome.
Jensen tried once again to saw off a piece of his steak. The thing was tougher than his unpaid internships in college that had worked him to the bone and significantly less satisfying.
Larsson had obviously chosen the expensive steak house to impress Jensen.
Or to tempt him to show up. Jensen was an honest enough man to admit he’d sat in his hotel room for fifteen minutes, staring at his phone, trying to come up with some reason to cancel.
Nothing seemed plausible enough when they had just seen each other an hour before at the conference’s Sunday closing ceremony.
While he’d changed his shirt and applied more deodorant, he cursed himself for letting slip he didn’t fly out until the next morning.
That would have been a good reason to decline the dinner invitation.
If only he could change the ticket; however, rescheduling his trip home would have cost him hours on the phone with strangers, and Jensen’s nerves couldn’t afford that after a weekend of socialization.
Plus, Mendes would chew him out for spending more money on his flights, and Jensen really wanted to start working on historical projects and restorations.
Upsetting his boss wouldn’t get him that.
So now he was trying to cut through one of the worst steaks he’d ever been introduced to.
With a sigh, he gave up and focused on eating the vegetables on his plate.
At least they were good. He set down his useless knife and pondered if it was just his meat that was made terribly.
Larsson didn’t seem to be having the same issues with his order.
Not that Jensen would ever bring it up. God, no.
He wasn’t about to out himself as persnickety during a business dinner.
He had let his eccentricities fly uninhibited during exactly one lunch meeting and nearly cost his firm a large client.
Though, he still didn’t understand what was so wrong with his behavior.
Really, it was the bistro’s fault for putting balsamic on his salad when he had specifically requested it be removed.
His reaction after that wasn’t entirely his fault either.
He’d been wearing a new shirt, and the tag was very bothersome.
Honestly, he deserved an award for dealing with the world’s bullshit so well up until that point.
Which, of course, was not what his boss had thought about the whole ordeal.
That was years ago, though, and he knew better now.
“But that’s the great thing about this city.”
God, Larsson was still talking. Jensen wiped his mouth with the thick linen napkin and nodded at Larsson to indicate he was listening.
He wished he was back at the hotel, talking to Daniel.
Or even just staring at him. That would be preferable.
The dinner had gone on long enough, in Jensen’s opinion, and with the pace the other man was eating, it would last all night.
If he ordered dessert, Jensen was going to fake a heart attack.
“There’s little competition, and we have relationships with all the influential business leaders and civil servants.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten phone calls to personally ask the company to submit a bid for a project.
And since we’re full service, we’ve done everything from the high school’s remodel to new apartment buildings.
Hell, one of the principals did the landscaping for the mayor’s mansion. ”
Jensen hummed as he speared a piece of crisp asparagus with his fork. “Sounds like your company has been very successful.”
“It has, but it could be better.” Larsson picked up his old-fashioned and took a long draft. His cheeks were ruddy from his alcohol consumption, which was the only thing he seemed to be rushing through, to Jensen’s chagrin. “Which is why I’ve asked you to meet me for dinner.”
Jensen nodded and tried to keep his relief off his face.
If he knew why he was sitting in the lowly lit restaurant, suffering through this social interaction, with a steak that could be used to patch up potholes on an unincorporated road, he could move this along.
If he said the right things, he could be back in the hotel bar in under an hour, which was more reward than he usually got for dealing with the public. “Yes?”
“How are you liking the city?” Larsson set his glass down and leaned forward in his seat, an elbow on the white tablecloth.
Jensen’s body crumpled. He couldn’t help it.
He’d been keeping tight control of his facial expressions the entire weekend.
He’d played his part as a professional who didn’t feel like he was going to crawl out of his skin from being around so many people.
This morning, his mother had praised him for how good he was doing.
But he was at the end of his patience, and he just wanted to leave.
“I’ve liked it well enough, but I haven’t had much of a chance to explore it due to the conference.
” He cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
Grin and bear it. He could endure the conversation a little longer.
Then he’d run back to the hotel and complain about his day to Daniel.
“You were saying there was a reason you invited me out to dinner though.”
“If you were here a few days longer, I could show you around. I think you’d really like what Sevier has to offer. Probably enough that you could see yourself moving here.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jensen said through gritted teeth.