Chapter 27
S EVERAL HOURS, A nap, and a shower later, Brantley had asked Daniel to take him out. He wanted to see his city, and after a Thai dinner and a stroll through the busy streets, they’d ended up standing opposite?—
“The Popped Cherry? That sounds interesting.”
Daniel looked across the road to the packed bar Brantley was pointing to.
People were pulling the door open and rushing inside as others poured out into the street, and something, he wasn’t quite sure what, niggled in the back of Daniel’s mind.
Why does the place seem so familiar? He sure as fuck would have remembered a place called The Popped damn Cherry, but as Brantley looked both ways and aimed a smile back at him, he wasn’t about to say no.
As they stepped up onto the walkway, he looked up at the street sign, and again, there was something familiar about?—
“You coming?”
Daniel nodded, shoved his thoughts aside, and reached for the door. Holding it open for Brantley, he grinned when he brushed a kiss across his lips and thanked him, and as the door closed behind them, Daniel gazed around the bar.
His first assessment from outside had been spot-on—the place was packed.
They were standing on a raised platform that had two steps leading down into the main room, which spread out to an open plan to both the left and the right, and a bar ran the full length of the back wall.
The bartenders were working the area like pros, and the music playing overhead he recognized as the band Barcelona .
Brantley linked their fingers and pulled him farther inside the place.
As they wove their way through friends, lovers, and what looked like coworkers enjoying drinks after work, everyone was smiling or laughing as they drank and chatted around the high-top tables or sat in the booths lining the wide windows of each side of the establishment.
Daniel had to admit. It was nice.
When they finally reached the bar, Brantley snagged two stools at the far end.
“Stealthy, professor,” Daniel said as he took Brantley’s jacket and his own and laid them over the counter.
“I can make a quick decision when I know I want something.”
Daniel took the seat beside him and placed a hand on his thigh, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “So I just found out.”
When he pulled back, Brantley grinned and winked. Daniel then turned around, about to try to get the bartender’s attention, when he took note of the man facing the back of the bar.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with a head full of curls, the guy was dressed in all black, as far as he could see. There was nothing overly unusual about that, but that wasn’t what had his mouth falling open.
No , it was the man standing beside him with his hand now moving to the bartender’s waist. Daniel watched as his fingers moved back and forward in a familiar gesture as he laughed at something the bartender had just said.
Fuck, this can’t be happening to me, he thought as he slowly raised his eyes over the man—the same one who’d now taken a step closer to the bartender and was so close that he couldn’t see between them.
The man was also dressed in black, though much more casually.
His perfectly fitted pants and his black V-neck sweater were so immaculate that Daniel knew of only one person who would dress in such a pompous way even when standing behind a bar.
And yeah, fucking hell , he knew those black hipster glasses.
Before he thought over his next move, he turned back to Brantley and took his hand. “Hey, how about we get out of here?”
“Why?” Brantley asked. “We just got here.”
“Yeah, I know,” Daniel said, and then his gaze flicked back to look at— yeah, Jesus Christ —Tate Morrison and…
“Finley? What the hell are you doing here? ”
Logan fucking Mitchell.
brANTLEY TURNED AND saw that the bartender now standing across from them had his hands resting on the bar top and the second man, who was standing beside him, had his eyes pinned to Daniel like he wanted to murder him.
Unsure what was going on, Brantley looked back to Daniel. One of his eyebrows had risen in an arrogant fashion, and Brantley thought it telling. Whoever these men were, they obviously provoked something in Daniel, because in a split second, the easygoing man he’d arrived with had vanished.
“I’m sorry, is this not a public bar? I didn’t see any signs outside saying otherwise.”
“This is my bar,” the curly-haired guy said, and the one in the glasses moved closer to his side. “And you know what Logan means,” he added, leaning over the counter. “You better not be here to start any shit.”
Okay… Brantley thought, now this is interesting . For the first time, perhaps ever, heat flushed Daniel’s neck and his cheeks before he responded.
“I’m here for the same reason everyone else is. A drink—that’s all. And would you stop growling at me in front of my date? You’re making him nervous.”
The two men then looked in Brantley’s direction, and he kept his eyes steady on them as they gave him a frank once-over and narrowed their eyes.
“He doesn’t look nervous to me,” Glasses said before turning back to Daniel. “And we both know a date hasn’t stopped you in the past.”
“Oh, let it go, Mitchell. That was nearly a year ago now. I promise I haven’t been up late at night fantasizing about the two of you.”
“You know, you’re a real?—”
“Listen, I hate to interrupt whatever this is,” Brantley finally said, and both of the men turned to face him. “Because Finn here can certainly handle two men in a bar without breaking a sweat. But do you think I could get a drink before you continue this cockfight?”
Glasses lost some of his steam then, and his mouth fell open before he shut it and frowned. “I’m sorry—what was your name?” he asked, studying Brantley closely with piercing blue eyes. Eyes that didn’t waver—not once.
That didn’t bother Brantley, though. He had a few years on this guy, he would guess, and he knew how to deal with stuffy professors and tight-ass deans as well as—he slid a sidelong look to Daniel, who was on his feet, looking like he wanted to leave—arrogant lawyers.
He could handle this overconfident guy, no problem. Even if he was ridiculously attractive.
Holding his hand out, Brantley introduced himself. “Brantley Hayes. And you are?”
The man dropped his gaze to Brantley’s hand. Then he reached over and took it. “Logan Mitchell.”
“I would say it’s nice to meet you, but…I’m still deciding.”
Brantley was curious what the guy would say to that, and when one of his dark eyebrows winged up and he looked toward Daniel, Brantley decided that it was time to end whatever the hell was going on there, quick and easy.
If Daniel had had a thing with these two in the past, he was going to make it known who exactly he was by any means necessary. Starting with this guy. Releasing his hand, Brantley reached for his phone and casually tapped on buttons as he spoke.
“I don’t know what’s going on here between you three. And I don’t really care. Finn is with me. I picked the place. And all we want is a drink. You think your boyfriend here can serve us one? Or should I start writing a review on your website?”
The fuck-you smile that crossed Logan’s stunning face had Brantley in a staring match, refusing to back down.
Then that smile turned to a genuinely amused one as Logan looked toward Daniel and asked, “Finn, huh? Trying out a new alias with the hair and name? Doesn’t surprise me.
I’m sure there are many who want to track you down and kick your ass.
” Logan laughed and looked to his boyfriend.
Daniel’s shoulders relaxed a little as he rolled his eyes and asked, “You gonna serve us, or should we leave?”
“Sit your ass down, Finn, ” the curly-haired one ordered. “And tell me what you’re drinking. The least I can do is serve you a drink, since you inadvertently helped open the bar.”
Daniel frowned as he took the stool once again. “What do you mean?”
“The settlement,” the bartender said as his gaze moved to Brantley, obviously not wanting to go in to details in front of a stranger.
“Actually,” Logan said again, “how about we make the night interesting? I have a few hours to kill, and I’m sure Tate could have someone cover for him here and there. Why don’t you both come and join me in one of the private booths and we can…celebrate your new haircut.”
“Fuck off.”
“That sounds great,” Brantley said just as Daniel cursed the guy out.
He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to get to know a little more about the Daniel these two men knew.
Because while he’d seen a glimpse of him those first few days, he still wasn’t familiar with his Chicago lawyer, and honestly, it was interesting and rather amusing to see Daniel so… ruffled.
“Hmm…” Logan said. “I seem to recall telling you that several times. Yet you keep popping up.”
“And now you want to sit down and have a drink with me?”
“Well, not so much with you…” Logan said, and then looked over in Brantley’s direction. “Call me curious, but I’m nosy enough to want to see who could actually put up with you for longer than five minutes.”
Brantley looked to Daniel, knowing that, if he seemed uncomfortable in the least, he would leave in a second. But instead, Daniel gave Logan a smug smirk and then nodded.
“Sounds interesting,” Brantley said. “I’ll have a Chardonnay”
“Got it. And you?” Tate asked, turning to Daniel. “What do you want? And let’s keep it drink related, huh?”
His tone was less hostile than it had been, but it still intrigued Brantley. Whatever these three had shared, or not shared, it hadn’t ended well.
“I’ll take a Crown and Coke,” Daniel said, and then leaned across the bar, and Brantley saw the devilish gleam in his eye he always adopted before he said something particularly antagonistic. “Don’t worry, Tate. I promise to behave while you work.”
Tate’s eyebrow rose as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You know. I’m not particularly worried. In fact,” he said, looking between Brantley and Logan, then back to Daniel, “everything is starting to make a little more sense to me.”
Brantley had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but the pearly grin that crossed Tate’s lips was so blinding that it was hard to look away. It transformed him from hard-ass to gorgeous in a second—and it was all aimed at Logan.
“Take them back to the booth, and try to behave your self, would you? I’ll be over as soon as I give Amelia the orders.”
Logan ran a hand down the front of Tate’s vest to his waist and then tugged him forward by the belt. “Don’t be long.”
Tate pressed his lips to Logan’s and bit his bottom lip, and Brantley had a hard time tearing his eyes away from them. Then Tate turned toward him.
“Try not to let these two kill one another until I get there, would you? They have a nasty habit of butting heads.”
Brantley gave a slow nod and got to his feet. As Daniel did the same, Brantley reached for his hand, and then Logan walked toward the end of the bar and raised the counter to step through.
“Are you sure you want to do this? We can leave.”
Daniel kissed his temple and whispered, “I’m not afraid of Logan Mitchell. This is all rather…ironic, really. When I first met him, he actually reminded me of someone I’m rather fond of.”
Brantley turned to look up at Daniel.
But he shrugged. “What can I say? Look at his perfect pants and sweaters. The dark hair? He drew my attention for a very specific reason, professor.”
“Ahh, so his boyfriend—Tate, was it? He was right,” Brantley said as they started walking toward the man waiting for them.
“Yes, but now that I see the two of you side by side…”
God, Brantley wasn’t sure he wanted the comparison. He wasn’t blind. This Logan guy was extremely handsome, and he was?—
“You’re it for me. You’re sexy, sophisticated, and so fucking it for me. I only looked at him because you weren’t in the room and he was a close second to what I really wanted.”
Brantley leaned into Daniel’s side and kissed his jaw. “Did you sleep with them?”
Daniel grimaced and shook his head. “No.”
“Did you try?”
The look that crossed Daniel’s face didn’t refute the claim.
“I would’ve.”
Daniel laughed at that. “Okay, not what I was expecting.”
Brantley wound an arm around Daniel’s waist and said in his ear, “What? I’m not blind. Or stupid. They’re sexy.”
Daniel looked down at him.
“Very sexy,” Brantley added. “I can see the appeal.”
Still chuckling, Daniel grinned. “Yeah, well, that was a long time ago. But then I ran into them again when I helped Tate on a personal injury case. That was all it was, though.”
Brantley stopped and tilted his head up, and he knew that the question was in his eyes because Daniel lowered his head and took his mouth right there in the middle of the bar.
Brantley cradled Daniel’s face in his hands, sank his tongue deep between his lips, and thoroughly wiped all doubts and thoughts from his mind of him with anyone other than himself.