Matt tensed. This was the moment he’d been dreading ever since he’d made his promise to Adam. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve just been busy. There was the Debbie thing, then Christmas.”
Evan shook his head. “Your last handshake was mid-September, with Todd. There aren’t that many of us. People talk. Handshakes are how we bond. Besides, Luke isn’t the only one you’ve missed. There’s Harley, Kevin,and Paul, as well.”
Someone was in the kitchen. Matt heard the refrigerator open, heard a soda can pop and hiss.
“Dahling,” William’s voice drifted from the entry, apparently directed at the person in the kitchen, “if you’re making drinks, would you pour me a bourbon? I don’t know how I’ll ever survive tonight’s drama without some.”
“There’s not going to be any drama!” Matt called out. “Not from me, at least!” There might have been the slightest edge of exasperation in his voice.
“Well, in that case better make it a double,” William drawled.
Matt returned his attention to Evan and Luke and the neglected handshake. Surely they, of all the GM, would understand his dilemma. “I made a promise to Adam,” he whispered.
Evan shook his head. “That’s not how it works here. You know that.”
Luke put a calming hand on Evan’s arm, looked around to make sure no one was within earshot, then whispered to Matt. “I wouldn’t have survived here at MCU without the GM. They saved me. But, still, I sometimes wish they were a little more understanding when it comes to love.”
“I can’t change the rules,” Luke continued. “But I’ll buy you some time at least. I’ll tell everyone we hooked up while Evan was at his vampire movie. Get with me later so we can get our stories straight.”
Matt thanked him with a hug.
Matt saw Todd approaching, holding a Diet Coke. Paul was a few steps behind him, having finally recovered from the two weeks he’d spent with his family over Christmas break, two weeks of being called R2-D2. It had worn him down.
“What’s with the hugging?” Paul asked.
Luke grinned wolfishly. “Mustang and I are finally going to shake hands!”
Evan joined in. “Yeah, these two scheduled it for when I go see my vampire movie. As if they need that long! Unless Mustang’s stamina has significantly improved, they could shake hands during the movie’s previews, and Luke would still be able to join me in time for the opening credits.”
Matt laughed. Evan had delivered his zinger perfectly. More importantly, he was doing his bit to help Matt keep his promise to Adam.
William made a grand entrance. He carried a tumbler of bourbon in one hand, waved, with the other, to an imaginary adoring crowd. He nodded solemnly to Matt, then sank into the oversized chair. Tallulah Bankhead would be so proud.
Evan took a seat on the couch. Luke sat on the floor in front of him, cocooned between his knees.
Harley and Josh, the group’s other seniors, joined Evan on the couch, frowning, arms crossed.
The rest of the guys filed in, some dragging chairs from the dining area, some sitting on the floor.
So here they were, everyone crammed into the clubhouse’s living area, everything awkward, no one even on security detail because, hey, who wanted to miss the big Mustang-versus-William showdown?
William sipped his bourbon absently. Waited until all eyes were turned to him expectantly. “Don’t look at me,” he said. “This is Matthew’s circus.”
Matt took that as his cue to begin. “Hi guys,” he said, half-apologetically. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
Silence.
Matt forged ahead. “I know some of you think I’m making a power grab. I’m not.”
“That’s exactly what someone making a power grab would say,” said Kevin.
Matt smiled. “Fair enough. Can I ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt for now?”
“That’s also what someone making a power grab would say,” said Harley.
Matt realized his approach wasn’t working. It was time to ‘Go big or go home.’ “Tell you what,” he said. “There are nine of you here. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. I’m going to ask you one question, and you can respond with a show of hands. If even one of you raises his hand, we’ll adjourn this meeting, and you can enjoy your evening. But if no one raises his hand, you have to at least listen to my plan. Fair enough?”
“Fair enough!” said Luke. He eased his head back, cat-like, apparently signaling for Evan to massage his scalp.
