Chapter Thirty-Three
Isley
Isley got a sweat on at Wilder’s question.
With Wilder being the only one who had any inkling about Laken, Isley didn’t want him pushing in the group chat.
There was also the drama with the blackmailer that Isley could not share.
Wilder was naturally inquisitive, and their friendship meant Isley had been doing some avoiding.
When his phone rang a few seconds after he closed the group chat, he knew before he saw Wilder’s name that it would be him. His hangover would be no match for Wilder’s questions once he got going. He accepted the video call.
“Have you got a date with Laken?” Wilder asked without any preamble.
“Yes.” He held up a hand when Wilder was about to launch into a rapid fire round of questions. “I don’t know where we’re going. That’s why I said I’d tell you Monday.”
He really didn’t have an answer because, like last week, Laken wasn’t giving him any clues as to what they were doing.
Wilder’s camera moved as he sat in the swing chair he had in his apartment, making Isley feel like he was on a rocking boat.
“A surprise. Wow, not what I expected from Mr. Uptight.”
Isley bristled at Wilder saying that about Laken. “He’s not uptight, he’s guarded. And he’s fun. Last week he took me to the dancing in the dark disco. They have drums and fluorescent power paints you pour on the drum and everyone ends up like a glow stick.”
“Seriously?” Wilder’s dark eyes were wide and peering at Isley like he was making it up.
“Yep, and when we do another PA night out I’m gonna suggest we go there.”
“I’m up for that!” Wilder bounced in his seat, making the camera move and giving Isley’s unsettled stomach something to complain about.
“Stop moving, I feel seasick.”
Wilder chuckled but thankfully stopped. “The talk you had with Laken went well then?”
Isley kept his thoughts to himself about how the talk had brought Laken to tears. “We’re dating,” he shared, keeping it brief.
“Fuck, that just leaves me and Lennon as the single ones now! How the hell did that happen?” he said mournfully. His expression revealed sadness that made Isley sympathize with his friend. He was aware of the feelings Wilder had for Jupiter but they were clearly unrequited.
“I thought I’d…” he sniffed and shook his head, short curls bouncing around his cheeks.
He was gorgeous. Dark eyes and hair, with a cute elfin face and pointy chin with a dimpled smile that could charm anyone it was directed at.
Just not the one Wilder wanted to charm.
“Not wallowing. I’m not,” he said forcefully and more to himself.
“What time are you going to Lennon’s?” Isley asked to change the subject, when Wilder didn’t need to be reminded he had been wallowing for months.
“In about an hour. I just need to shower and figure out what I wanna bake.”
Isley chose to ignore the fact that Wilder didn’t sound in any way enthusiastic about the prospect. “What about those Battenburg cookies I saw on Instagram?” Isley gave Wilder a pleading look that made his friend laugh.
“You just want me to make those for you,” Wilder accused, laughing.
“Of course. You know I love the taste of frangipani. And if you loved me—”
Wilder scowled, making him look even more adorable. “You know I hate when you do that!”
“But it’s so effective,” he giggled.
“Go get ready for your date before you turn my baking session all about you.”
Isley was still laughing when they ended the call, as was Wilder, which helped ease Isley’s burden of guilt at avoiding Wilder when he was clearly struggling with his friends finding happiness.
Isley made a mental note to go to Wilder’s favorite store to pick up one of the cute onesies he loved to wear at home.
He went off to shower, hoping that he would sweat out the stink of stale liquor he could smell coming from him.
The Advil he’d swallowed with fresh orange juice when he’d woken up was finally working.
He’d drunk far too many cocktails after the relief of not having to be careful about what he said around Wilder and the others about Bowie.
But it had brought with it more worry about what he should or shouldn’t say about Laken.
If he would share with anyone they were boyfriends.
Mates, his animal supplied.
Rushing much? We literally decided we were a couple yesterday.
No, we decided at the cabin.
You decided, and Laken does have some say in this.
Isley made sure to keep that in the forefront of his mind before his animal got another hairbrained scheme and tried to bite Laken before he gave permission for that to happen.
He might have deep feelings for Laken and could see a future with them mated, but that didn’t mean they were on the same page.
He is on our page, he’s just not as good with the words as we are. You have to help him.
Give over, you want to push for what you want and I’m not doing that.
Isley finished his shower, staying in longer and letting it get cool to blast away the last lingering effects of the alcohol. He was sorting out clothes when he heard his front door open.
He held on to the towel, knowing it could only be one person. He darted out of the bedroom, words dying on his lips at the sight of Somme.
Dishevelled, there was a tear to one arm of his jacket, and dirt down one side of his jeans, like he’d fallen on his side. One eye was swollen shut, and there was a nasty graze to his left cheek.
“I’m fine,” he stated in a roughened voice, as if he’d been shouting.
Isley stomped to him. His hands trembled as he worked to keep control of his fear, and gently guided an unsteady Somme to the couch. “If you looked in a mirror, I’d think you’d say differently.”
Somme sat with a wince, and Isley hurried to the kitchen to grab an ice pack and his first aid box to clean the graze, giving himself time to calm down. When he came back, Somme took the ice pack and placed it on his swollen eye, groaning.
“What happened?”
“Got jumped by two guys after my wallet and phone.” His shoulders rose indifferently, but there was something about the one eye Isley could see that said there was more to it.
The trembling worsened at what could have happened. “Do we need to go to the hospital? The police?”
“Nah. I came here ‘cause I knew you’d patch me up. And I went to the police and reported it. Not much they could do when I didn’t get a good look at the guys.” It was said matter-of-factly, but Isley could see how shook up his brother was and that he was lying.
To get a black eye, whoever hit him had to be right in front of him. “What am I missing here, Somme?” he asked, while gently wiping away the particles of dirt mixed with blood.
“Let it be, okay?” he answered tiredly, his one eye pleading.
“Alright, but on one condition. You get your ribs checked out by Jasper. He’s a paramedic, so will know if you need them strapped.”
Somme groaned and rolled the one eye Isley could see. “Jasper doesn’t need my drama.”
“He’s your best friend, he’s always been there when you’ve needed him. Promise me,” Isley persisted, knowing that if Somme agreed then he would.
“Fuck, you’re a pain in my ass. Alright.”
Something about the acceptance was off, and Isley considered his brother.
“Good. As your phone was taken, I’ll call him for you now.” He tapped the unmarked side of Somme’s face when he wore a guilty expression. “Thought so, you won’t use that as an excuse.”
After the call, Jasper, who had the weekend off, came by to collect Somme. He’d gone with Jasper unwillingly, complaining they were both overreacting when Jasper insisted Somme spend the weekend at his place so he could keep an eye on him.
Isley felt better knowing Somme wasn’t alone. Laken had messaged while Jasper was there to say he’d be with Isley at one o’clock.
He wouldn’t have felt good leaving Somme alone, even though he didn’t want to cancel his date with Laken.
Working together all week wasn’t the same as getting some time alone where there were no emails to be dealt with, meetings to attend, or deadlines to meet.
Isley was ready for some alone time with Laken.
There were no instructions to follow this week, so Isley didn’t dither the same and was waiting outside for Laken’s arrival. The man was prompt, and Isley had the door open before he’d come to a full stop in his eagerness to see where they were going.
“You look lovely.” Laken didn’t give him a chance to reply, swooping in to claim a kiss that, on the Richter scale, would have been a solid eight the way it made everything shift and move.
He blinked several times to clear the lust haze.
In that time, Laken had strapped him in and was pulling into the traffic.
“You could win competitions with those kisses,” he announced breathlessly, his whole body alight with sexual tension.
Laken’s cheeks were decidedly pink above his trimmed beard as he shook his head.
“Give over.” He threw an incendiary glance at Isley. “Only person I’m kissing is you.”
“Right answer.” Isley glanced out the window, not seeing anything that gave him a clue to where they were going. “What are we doing today?”
“Chocolate making,” Laken answered absently, like discussing the weather, as he shifted forward to check the traffic before pulling out.
“We are?” Isley bounced in his seat, not at all concerned by how he’d screeched, making Laken wince. No, he was too excited to hold back.
“How fun! Not that I know much about it, but chocolate? You can’t go wrong with that.”
He kept up a running commentary as they parked at the back of a building. There were a few parking places available. “What time does it start?”
“Not for another half an hour. I thought we could have a wander through their shop, they sell scented candles and diffusers. The ones with the sticks that Popi likes. I thought I might pick something up for him while I was here.”
Isley’s heart fluttered right out of his chest at the adorableness that was Laken right then. “Great idea. With Christmas a month away, I might look to get some gifts.” His mind was racing. “Do they sell chocolate, too? I could get some for Kari and Bowie.”
“Not sure.” Out of the car, Laken interlinked their fingers, and the fluttering turned to a wild flapping. “Why give them chocolate?”
“Their mating. Kari was with Bowie last night.” Isley glanced up at Laken when he stopped suddenly.
“Kari is mated to Bowie?”
Isley frowned, getting a feeling he’d just put his foot in something he shouldn’t have. “You didn’t know, did you?”
Laken shook his head, brows merging. “It explains why Kari brought Bowie to the house this morning.”
“Don’t you approve?” Isley questioned hesitantly.
“He hasn’t announced it officially to his brothers.”
They walked hand in hand into the diving smelling shop.
The scents didn’t compete with each other, more they worked together to harmonize each other, giving Isley good vibes about their date.
Glass shelves held a selection of different sized candles, each with a price and marked with its scent on the wall in front of them.
To the left and up in the corner was a counter in a dark cherry wood which was currently unmanned, and the glass shelves on the other wall held the diffusers.
Isley wasn’t sure what to say so was grateful for the distraction of the woman coming towards them from a different part of the shop.
“Hello, are you here for the chocolate workshop?”
Isley observed the young woman in her twenties, with bright auburn hair up in a top knot and inquisitive green eyes. She offered a friendly smile as she came to a stop in front of them.
Four people mingled, all women, down in the other part of the shop, and the way they interacted gave Isley the impression they all knew each other.
“We are,” Laken answered, offering a polite smile, “but I was hoping to browse in your shop first.”
“We encourage browsing.” She pointed in the direction she came.
“We have a selection of teas and coffee, along with water. There are cookies, too. Please help yourself. We are just waiting for two more people to show up, so you have time to browse now, but you can also wait until after we’ve finished. ”
“Do you sell chocolate?” Laken, who had let go of Isley’s hand to drift over to the candles, stopped and turned back to them, wearing a look of amusement.
His dark eyes sparkling like the sea with the sun shining on it.
In lieu of jeans, he wore navy slacks matched to a powder blue wool sweater that was visible under the navy-blue padded jacket.
His hair was wind swept and his skin glowed from the cold.
“We do, but only one kind so far, though it’s not stored in the shop as it’s a fairly new venture for us. I can give you a sample to try.”
Isley wasn’t blind to how the woman gave Laken an appreciative look before he went off towards the candles. Isley didn’t blame her, he was so damn attractive.
“Sample?” he replied, working to get one head functioning correctly. “I’ll not say no to that.” Isley gave Laken a sexy, flirty wink, getting another blush when he glanced back at them. It never grew old. “I’ll be back.”