“Pére splits his time between sun salutations and that WhiteHat app.” He laughs. “And you should see him—so beautiful and still a fairy goth at nearly sixty.”
A few things click into place.
“Does your dad go by spürsfan2020?” I ask. Just a hunch.
Honoré’s brows raise. “Yeah, how did you know?”
“I spend a little time on that app too.”
Honoré and I exchange a look, and he dips his chin, a small show of admiration.
An alert goes off on my phone, and Rami asks, “What’s that?”
I let out a regretful sigh. “That’s my scheduling reminder. I’ve gotta open the shop and prep for my first client of the day. I always give myself an extra half hour though. I don’t have to run out the door right away.”
He gives me a soft kiss, and his sad little pout makes my heart beat a little faster.
“Um…” Holmes says, rubbing his head. “I missed my usual appointment this week. If I can scrounge up a clipper, can you clean up this mess before you go? I’ll pay you.”
The mess he’s referring to is the high and tight fade that’s less than two weeks old by my calculations.
Maverick laughs. “I have a pair of clippers, but I use them to shave my nuts.”
The room laughs, and I hold up my hands. “My clippers are better than anything you have here, and bonus, they won’t have your brother’s short and curlies on them. Just follow me to the shop, and I’ll have you in and out in under ten.”
Holmes sends me an appreciative look. “Thanks. I can’t stand it when my hair isn’t regulation.”
Anders leans in. “There are no regulations. That’s all him.”
I laugh, but I understand where Holmes is coming from. Unfortunately, this means I hafta leave earlier than I wanted to, but I like that I can do something small for Rami’s family after everything they did last night.
Rami trails me back to his room.
“How about a quick blowjob for the road?” he asks, draping himself on me as I fix my hair in the bathroom mirror.
I smile and bring him in for a soft kiss. “Baby, you drained my balls last night. And again this morning. There’s nothing left in the tank.” Another soft kiss because this is who I am now, apparently. “But I’ll take a rain check.”
He bites his lower lip. “I like that.”
Moments later, Holmes and I are in the elevator, heading down to the parking garage.
“Not to assume anything,” he says quietly, “but you and Rahm look good together.”
I dip my head. “I…” I sigh. “He’s different. Or maybe I’m different around him.”
His responding smile is genuine. “None of the women I’ve dated ever made me feel that way, but it’s good to know it’s out there.”
“I still don’t know all of what this is,” I admit. “But I want to.”
I really do.
The elevator dings and the doors open.
“I’m this way,” Holmes says, thumbing a gesture to the right.
“I’m this way,” I say, thumbing a gesture to the left. “Do you know where the shop is, or…?”
Holmes nods, and we go our separate ways. The faint tang of battery discharge hangs in the warm air, blending with the hum of tires and the low murmur of downtown Austin in the distance. My head’s in the clouds as I tap my key fob, still thinking about the look in Rami’s eyes when he took that first sip of coffee.
