“Where to, buddy?”
I could’ve walked but chose to sit and close my eyes while the cabbie drove. “Amsterdam and 78th.”
If I couldn’t go where I really wanted, I’d go to the one place where I felt safe. Presley never judged me and was the only real family I could count on. All I wanted was to sit in his quiet shop, drink an espresso, and listen to him tell me how happy he was. Someone should be.
But when I got to the store my wish was doomed, as not only his boyfriend, but another couple was there. Presley’s face lit up when he saw me.
“Frisco, come in.” He ran over to me and dragged me by the hand. “Come meet Nate’s brother, Ethan, and his wife, Allie.”
With anyone else, I would’ve given them a cursory smile and left, but I knew how much that would hurt Press. So I did what I do best. Faked it.
“Well, you’d have to be Nate’s brother. You look like twins.” I extended my hand, and Ethan gripped it tight.
“Nice to meet you. Presley told us all about you. We follow your reviews, and any time we have a special occasion, Allie always checks out what you have to say about the restaurant first.”
I raised a brow at Press, who gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry.” Red-faced, he hung his head. “Uh, just so you know, Frisco does all his reviews anonymously, so no one knows who he is. I never should’ve told you without getting his okay first.”
Nate said, “I’m sure Frisco knows you can be trusted. You’re family, as close as brothers, like Ethan and myself.”
“And?” I directed my question to Nate. “If your only definition of trust is family should always have your back, I’m afraid you won’t get my vote. I have no use for my family.”
“Frisco,” Presley appealed, but I wasn’t in the mood and hadn’t been for a while. I needed to escape all these do-good, well-meaning people who wanted me to fit into their mold and follow along like a sheep.
Baa, baa, love, marriage. Baa, baa, happily ever after.
Some of us believed in happily never after.
Some of us are idiots, whispered the devil.
