Chapter Six
Marcus
I walk into Cityside Tavern, scanning the room for Jax and Linc. This has been our spot since we were in college. I see them at a table, Linc waving at me. I slide into the empty side of the booth they left for me. The guys know I like my space.
“Hey.”
“Hey, I was shocked that Linc beat you here.” Jax places his menu on the table.
“Got sort of a late start.” I run a hand through my still damp hair.
“No worries, it’s Saturday. I miss sleeping in, Millie is up every day at six no matter what.” Linc frowns.
Our server stops by, I order a water and we all place our food order. After coming here for years, I don’t have to look at the menu, their burger is my go to.
I look at the two men across from me, “How are Adam and Mills?”
Linc smiles. “Millie is awesome. I think she’s trying to figure out crawling. She’s been scooting around the floor on her stomach.”
“Already?” I immediately think about how I’ll have to baby proof the first floor of my house.
He nods. “Mel’s mom said she was walking just before her first birthday, so we’re already prepping the apartment. I really hope this means Millie got Mel’s brain.”
Jax gives him a sly smile. “I hope so, too.”
Linc scowls at him. “Hey!”
I turn my eyes to Jax. “What about Adam?”
Adam is Jax and Audrey’s twelve-week old son. They started trying for a baby the day they got married. With Audrey being sixteen years older than Jax, they were up against the clock. Jax fell over himself, taking care of Audrey’s every need, saying he was nervous the entire time she was pregnant because she was high risk. But thankfully, Adam arrived safe and sound.
“He slept a solid six hours twice this week. I’m ecstatic anytime he sleeps more than four hours in a row.”
“Is Audrey back in the groove at work?” I take a sip of my water.
“She is. Took a couple weeks, but once she started letting me get up with him and actually got to sleep, she got excited about work again.”
Linc turns to look at Jax. “How are you doing being on paternity leave?”
“I love it. I get to spend all day with him. I get to greet Audrey when she walks in the door.”
“I wish I could be home all day with Millie. I had to have Mel start dropping her off at daycare because I actually called out one day because she cried when I was leaving.”
I laugh. Linc has always been the sensitive one out of the three of us. He’s a feeler, wears his heart on his sleeve, sort of guy.
“I don’t even want to think about having Adam in daycare. My mom offered to be a full-time sitter once I go back to work, and we’re really considering it.”
Our food arrives, and I ask for a side of mayo.
“You still dip your fries in mayonnaise?” Linc makes a disgusted face.
I point my butter knife at him. “You worry about what’s on your plate. I’ll worry about what’s on mine.”
“Somebody’s grumpy. How was your week?” Jax asks me over his sandwich.
I look down at my plate. “My dad brought up the whole settling down thing again.”
Linc pauses. “No way.”
“Yeah, only this time he upped the ante. He told me he won’t hand over the business until my wedding day.”
Jax wipes his hands on his napkin. “Wow.”
“And I only have a year.”
Linc’s eyes go wide. “He thinks you can find a wife, plan a wedding, and get married in a year?”
“Evidently.”
“Damn, Marcus, I’m sorry.”
I shrug. “Maybe I’m not supposed to take the business. Maybe this is a sign. Just sucks to throw away six years of caving to every fucking demand that man made of me.”
Linc’s eyes me. “That’s not the Marcus I know.”
“The Marcus you know is tired.”
“Understandably.” Jax stuffs the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth.
Linc’s face lights up. I know him, and we’re about to hear one of his insane ideas.
“Let’s set up a dating profile for you.”
“Fuck no.” I groan.
“Speed dating?”
“That sounds like hell.”
“Matchmaker?”
“No fucking thank you.”
He keeps going. “T-shirts that say “Looking for my wifey” with a QR code to your Instagram?”
“What the fuck?” Jax chimes in on that one.
I run a hand down my face. “You’re an idiot.”
Linc looks between us. “What? I saw it on TikTok. Worked for a woman who wore a shirt that said ‘Looking for my future husband.’ So, we change it up for him.”
I scoop out the last of my mayo with a couple of fries. Jax looks at me with concern. “I know we never really talk about this, but do you even want to be married?”
“Eventually, maybe?” I throw my napkin on my plate. “I like being by myself right now.”
“You’ve been by yourself for a long time now. Maybe you’re too comfortable with it? I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but if you do want to get married in order to gain the business, you’re going to have to break out of your shell.”
I let out a long breath and run my hand through my hair in frustration. “I realize that, but I’m different from you guys. I have to know a woman before I want to pursue her. I have to feel a connection, and not a physical one. That takes time that I’m not sure I have.”
“So what if you’re demisexual? People like you find their person all the time.” Linc shrugs.
“I know. It just all feels a bit overwhelming right now.”
The server clears some of our plates and hands Jax the check. He clears his throat. “Can I ask you something really personal? You don’t have to answer it, but know that I’m only asking because I care and I want to help.”
“Okay.”
“Have you ever considered that you’re ace?”
My palms get sweaty. Even though these are two of my closest friends, hell, they’re more like family, the conversation still makes me uncomfortable.
I shake my head. “I thought about it at one point back in high school, but I like sex too much. It’s just how I connect with the person before I can get to the sex stage, before I could see myself in a relationship.”
Linc’s eyes widened. “You like sex?”
“Of course. What would make you think I don’t?”
“You just never talk about it. I know you’re a man that likes his privacy, but we’re the two people closest to you and we never hear you talk about women. Hell, last time I think I knew you hooked up was back in Jamaica.”
“I didn’t sleep with her. We just made out.”
“So, when was the last time you had sex?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Linc and Jax’s eyes go wide and they’re silent. Fuck, I think I just opened a can of worms.
Our server collects our cards and we tell them to split it three ways.
Jax is the one to break the silence. “Who?”
I look out the window, rubbing my hands on my thighs because I can’t look at their faces right now. “So, there’s a woman, Lauren, who I’ve been hooking up with for like two years now.”
The men don’t even look at the server as they sit our cards down and thank us.
“What the fuck?” Linc whispers.
“We’re not a thing. It’s just when we want to hook up, we meet up for a night. We understand each other. We check in on each other. Outside of you guys, she’s one of my closest friends.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Never really came up.”
Linc shakes his head. “This can’t be real.”
Jax studies me. “Could she be wife material?”
I firmly shake my head. “Fuck no. Not in the least bit.”
Linc leans forward. “She’s not an escort, is she?”
I slowly turn to look him in the eye. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Sorry. There’s just so many questions I want to ask right now.” Linc sinks down in the booth as he stares at me.
“Well, I’m not going to answer them. I feel like I’ve said more than enough today.”
We stand from the table and walk out the door of the restaurant, stopping on the sidewalk.
“Thanks for talking with us, Marcus. I know it’s uncomfortable, but it might be good to get some of this off your chest. We’re always here for you if you need to vent.” Jax gives me a fist bump.
I brace for impact as I see Linc move in to give me one of his hugs. “Love you, man. Call us if you need anything. Even if you just need someone to sit in silence with.”
He releases me, and I nod. “Thanks. Give Adam and Mills hugs for me.”
Jax cringes. “That reminds me. Audrey wants to do a group dinner next Friday at our place. She misses everyone and wants to get the babies together.”
“Sounds good. Gigi and I will be there, I’m sure.”
“I’ll let Mel know. Love you guys.”
“Bye.”
They both glance back at me as they walk toward the train. I wave before I turn to walk to my truck in the parking garage close by. I hate that I told them about Lauren. Fuck, I hope they don’t tell their women. I pull out my phone and pull up the chat between the three of us and ask them to keep what we talked about between us.
I don’t really care so much if Audrey or Melonie knew about it, but I do care about Gigi finding out.