Bram takes a drink, considering his words. Snickering, I reach out and thumb away the bit of foam clinging to his upper lip. I nearly stick my thumb in my mouth to suck off the foam, but we are in public, and I value my sobriety.
Had that been whipped cream, however…
He touches his upper lip, lowering his chin. “Thank you, Ignacio.”
“Of course, Dr. Barlowe.”
We both refocus on our drinks, and Bram continues our conversation as if nothing’shappeningbetween us.
“Put it to you this way. Ant tells me you’ve been like a mentor to him. If you hurt his feelings, wouldn’t you want to know what you’d done and be given a chance to correct it?”
Scrunching my nose, I think about the hug I’d given Ant earlier in the week and how I immediately apologized when I realized it was the wrong thing to do.
Ugh.
I hate Bram’s stupid reasonable response. He looks down his nose at me, the way he does when he’s about to give me an order. I refocus on my bottle of fizzy lime water.
“Ignacio. Look at me.”
Fuuuuck.
I do as he says, and his pleased smile makes my cock twitch.
“Talk to Justin,” he says, acting like he doesn’t know he’s given me a verbal hard-on. “Don’t wait more than a week to do it.”
I nod, even though I don’t remember what I’m agreeing to. Oh. Right. Talk to Justin.
“Yes, Dr. Barlowe.”
“Good.” He takes a drink of his beer, his hand shaking ever-so-slightly. “Good,” he repeats.
Before I think too much about it, he asks, “Has Ant ever talked to you about our Friday night dinner? It’s our take on a Shabbat dinner.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Shabbat means Sabbath, or day of rest, and Jewish people celebrate it with a traditional meal.”
“I’m not…religious. Like, I don’t believe in God.”
“Neither do I.”
My mouth drops open. “But…you just said you’re Jewish.”
“There are religious, ancestral, and cultural aspects of being Jewish, Ignacio. Levy and I aren’t religious, but we like to honor our family traditions. Like I said. Shabbat, but not.”
“Wait,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “Does this mean I’ve been left out of something else?”
“Not left out, I promise.” He chuckles, and I can’t remember if I’ve ever heard him laugh. I like it. “Levy and I have always held a dinner every Friday night, even when it was just the two of us. With Ant, since we’re all living in the same space, it’s natural for us to include him, as well as anyone else who is staying with us. It would be no hardship for you to join us.”
“Well, as long as it’s no hardship,” I snark.
“You know what I mean, Ignacio,” he says, sending me a stern look.Mmph. “Levy and I will be out of town for a few days, but next Friday, we’ll be there. You are welcome, and you should come.”
That doesn’t sound like an invite.
Rolling the bottle between my palms, I answer quickly, “Alright, I’ll go. Is there something I should bring?”
“You only need to bring yourself.”
