Enzo cut his eyes to his brother before he went over there and did something they’d both regret. “He can’t afford the family discount either.”
“Oh, no,” Vince said. “Perhaps I wasn’t clear. He got the Family-I-Like discount. Free.”
Enzo choked on his drink, snatching the napkin from Vince’s hand when he offered it.
“Free? You gave him a free membership? What the hell?” Enzo asked, studying his brother’s face, trying to discern if he was serious. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
Vince rolled his eyes. “I know this is going to come as a huge shock to you, but the world doesn’tactuallyrevolve around you.”
Enzo’s mood soured even more. He knew he was being childish. He knew it. But he still couldn’t stop himself.
“You can’t know that for a fact,” he shot back, making to take a sip of his drink, then thinking better of it, pushing the glass away. “That can’t be his new dom.”
Vince leaned forward, forearms on the polished oak of the bar, staring at the two men thoughtfully. “Oh, really? Why’s that?”
Enzo turned to glower at his brother. Was Vince implying that manwasSeven’s dom? There was no way. He wasn’t unattractive. He was tall, lean, looked close to Seven’s age, and wore an outfit that probably cost as much as a small Toyota. He just didn’t have the…presence. He wasn’t worthy of Seven.
“He’s too young for him,” he finally said.
“What does age have to do with it?” Vince asked, shaking his head.
“Seven likes older men. He wants a Daddy.”
Vince scoffed. “Daddy is a state of mind, you know that. We have younger Daddy doms in here all the time. With older subs.”
Enzo shook his head. “You don’t get it. He’s not interested in a guy like that. He likes?—”
“Guys like you?” Vince finished for him, his amusement obvious.
“Yeah,” Enzo said, deflating. “At least he did. Before I fucked it up.”
Vince shook his head. “Call me crazy, but you could just, you know, walk over there and apologize and ask him to dinner.”
“I don’t date,” Enzo said, almost on auto-pilot.
“Right now, you don’t anything. You’re just moping around like a loser. I don’t get it. What’s the hold up? You want to play exclusively with him. You haven’t even looked at anyone else since you met him. You clearly like him.”
“What’s your point?” Enzo asked glumly.
Vince gave him a look that let Enzo know that he knew he was being deliberately obtuse. “I saw you two at Mom’s house. You were trying to eat each other alive. Do you think that kind of chemistry comes along every day? He likes you. And—if I’m being honest—you’re not very likable. Luckily for you, though, he seems willing to do charity work. Ask him out and stop brooding around my club like the grim fucking reaper.”
Something tightened in his chest.
“I’ll just end up fucking it up,” Enzo said quietly. “My career comes first. Our family comes first.”
Vince rolled his eyes. “Or you could just not fuck it up. It’s not that hard to be a good partner. Seven already works in the office with you. He knows all about the family. There’s no risk. Unless you think he’s no different from her. Do you think he’ll do the same thing to you that she did?”
Enzo stole one of the stirrers from the jar and began to bend it into complex shapes. “This has nothing to do with her. I wish people would just stop bringing her up.”
Vince shrugged. “We might believe you if you hadn’t forbid us from using her name like doing so would invoke her like Beetlejuice.” When Enzo didn’t respond, he asked, “Are you still leaving presents on his desk like a neurodivergent little squirrel?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Enzo muttered.
“Give me a fucking break. I talk to Seven more than I talk to you.”
“And?”
“Andhe knows it’s you, asshat. From what I hear, the whole office knows it’s you. You’re about as subtle as a stripper at a baptism. If you don’t figure your shit out, you can forget about making partner. You’re gonna get fired for harassment.”
