The front door creaks open, and Slater walks in. Ruby squeaks, dropping the plastic bowl she’d just picked up.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ruby and I ask at the same time.
Slater holds out his hands like he’s presenting himself. “Happy birthday, brother! I’m here to help prep and make your day easier.”
“Absolutely not. You can transport, but that’sit.”
Slater’s eyes cut to Ruby, and he pushes his lips out in a pout. “C’mon, Ruby. Let me help.”
Ruby doesn’t spare him a second glance. “Saint’s in charge of the pastries, so take it up with him. I personally wouldn’t let you anywhere near my kitchen.”
Slater clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “You wound me. Fine, I guess I’ll sit here and look pretty.”
I glance at Ruby just in time to see her roll her eyes. Slater makes himself comfy on one of the barstools. “Your girl in your bed?”
“Yes. Stop yapping so she doesn’t wake up.”
Slater whistles. “Damn, you keep her up all night? Show her exactly what you like? Tell me?—”
“I’m not telling you shit?—”
“Thankgod,” Ruby interjects. “What they did is none of your business, pig. What, you can’t find a girl of your own to fuck, so you have to live vicariously through Saint?”
Slater smirks, unperturbed by Ruby’s barb. “I think we both know I have no problem finding someone to warm my bed, precious. Saint’s been living like a monk for so long, excuse me for wanting to make sure my best friend is satisfied after he finally finds the balls to make a move.”
Ruby clenches her hand so tightly around the spoon she’s using her knuckles go white.
When did Slater start calling her “precious?”
Before she can add gasoline to the fire, I say, “Not that it’s any of your business, but Mikey and I are taking things slow.”
Slater stares at me blankly for a beat before he barks out a laugh. “Slow?S, you’ve been drooling over her for ayear.You even went as far as?—”
“I know what I did,” I whisper harshly. I don’t want him to say it out loud. Mikey could be listening, and I need to be the one to tell her.
“All I’m saying is, much slower and you won’t be getting her pregnant until you’re forty.”
Don’t think about Mikey being pregnant.
“Not everyone has a breeding kink, Slater,” I deadpan.
“No, but youdohave a Daddy kink so…”
Slater and I know entirely too much about each other. We’ve been friends for over twenty years, and when we were discovering our…sexual preferencesin our early twenties, we had many conversations about what we enjoyed. It started with Slater getting drunk and asking if the thought of coming inside a woman and getting her pregnant turned me on. That led to us taking kink surveys. Slater realized he has a breeding kink, and I realized I have a “Daddy” kink.
“Oh. My. God. Will you shut your big, stupid mouth? I don’t want to hear about my brother’s kinks before the goddamned sun is out! Or yours for that matter,” Ruby snaps, glaring at Slater like if she stares hard enough he’ll disintegrate.
Slater and Ruby have argued our entire friendship. One of them is always getting on the others’ nerves like siblings, but even Ruby and I don’t fight like they do. Something’s shifted in the last month or so, and Ruby’s sass is notched impossibly higher, and Slater’s antagonizing is more persistent.
I don’t know what the hell has gotten into them.
My bedroom door opens, and Mikey blinks at the lights, shuffling into the kitchen. She glances at Ruby and offers her themost adorable, sleepy smile, then her eyes dart to Slater, and she freezes.
“Well, hot damn, Saint. You didn’t tell me she was so pretty,” he says, appraising Mikey.
“Fuck you, Slater.” I flip him the bird. “Good morning, sweetheart. Did we wake you?” I round the counter, wiping my hands on my apron.
Mikey glances at Slater again. “No, I’m usually an early riser. Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be here.”
