Once they landed and were in the car on the way home, Armi seemed nervous. “Uh, do you want to stay the night? With me, I mean?”
Damn, he was sweet. “As much as I’d love to, I need to go home. I don’t have clothes to wear. I can’t show up to the office in shorts and a T-shirt.” He leaned in close to kiss Armi. “But ask me another time, and I’ll be prepared.”
“You can come anytime.”
He grinned. “Only with you.”
With a roll of his eyes, Armi groaned. “God, that was bad.” The car stopped in front of his apartment, and he kissed Armi again.
“I’m going to miss sleeping with you tonight. I like having you next to me.”
“I like it too.”
The trunk slammed shut. “I’d better go so your driver doesn’t have to wait. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Another quick brush of their lips, and he left Armi. He stood on the sidewalk, watching the car roll away. It had taken every bit of his strength not to agree to stay, but he needed some space to process the weekend.
Or so he thought, because he’d only had time to walk inside his apartment and set his mail and keys on the counter when his mother called.
“Hi, Mom.” He shuffled through the advertisements and was grateful he’d moved all his other accounts to online billing. He was also starving, since he hadn’t eaten anything on the planebut a couple of cheese cubes, so he opened his laptop and ordered sushi. “What’s up?”
“I’m putting you on speaker so your father can listen too. You haven’t called in a while. We’ve missed you.”
“Ah, sorry. Things have been crazy.” Guilty, he sat and put the laptop aside. “I was away for the weekend.”
“Business or pleasure?”
His lips twitched. The pleasure had sure outweighed the business. “Both. I went with my boss to scout college players.”
His father laughed. “No offense, Hayden, but what do you know about football?”
I know a tight end, and Armi’s got the best.
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. “I was there to help Armi by taking notes on everything the scout said. He needed me there, so of course I went.”
“So the job’s working out? You’re enjoying it?”
“Yeah. I really am.”
“And the benefits are good?” his father asked.
You have no idea.
“Uh, yeah. They’re very generous.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you landed on your feet. We know how tight the job market is, especially in New York, and how expensive it is to live there.” His mother’s worry always triggered guilt over what he’d put them through.
“It’s fine. It worked out. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m thirty-seven. I’m not going to make the mistakes I made at seventeen.”
“Who said you were? But news flash, sweetheart. We’re never going to stop worrying about you. We’re your parents.” His mother sniffled. “All we want is for you to be happy.”
Having seen how Armi’s father had destroyed his self-confidence, Hayden knew he was so damn lucky to have them in his life. “I am, I promise. I have my apartment, and a new job that’s working out. What more could I want?”
“Someone to share it all with?”
That hopeful note in her voice caught him in a weak moment, or maybe it was the lack of sleep from the weekend, but he slipped. “Maybe I’ve got that covered too.”
