“Okay… You’re on, Mike Tanner. I’ll blow your mind,” he says, then turns and heads for the bar, a light sway to his hips.You already do, Dennis Holbrook. You have no fucking idea.
The night flies by, old acquaintances from school swinging by the table, hugs, fist bumps, and old stories being exchanged. We soon realize that Wes is MIA, but to be honest, I’m happy to have Dennis to myself. He’s more carefree tonight, less guarded, and it’s clear the alcohol is loosening him up. I’m seeing more glimpses of the old Dennis, the guy I’ve missed so much. He tells me about his new job, and it’s clear he already loves it. When he talks about the kids, his entire face lights up. I bet he’s great at what he does. His enthusiasm and love of nature are so damn contagious that my jaw soon aches from smiling so hard.
“There’s this one kid. He reminds me of you, Mike.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yep. He was really shy at first, but you could tell that he was taking everything in. He didn’t really say much for the first couple of days, but now, it’s like he trusts me enough to ask me questions. He’sso excited about everything. He seems really smart, too. There’s just… I don’t know…” He sighs, playing with the coaster on the table.
“What?”
“He just… he seems a little sad, is all. Like, you know, his smile doesn’t really reach his eyes. He seems…”
I swallow because I recognize the look of understanding in Dennis’ eyes. It was the same look he gave me right after Dad died, spilling over with empathy. He has such a huge fucking heart.
“You can tell me, Den.”
He nods, his fingertips brushing up against my knuckles where my hand is wrapped around my glass. “He’s like you. At least, the way you were when your dad died. It’s like… he won’t allow himself to be too happy, you know? Like he carries too much around on his small shoulders.” He blinks, his eyes growing sad. Then he shrugs, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. “Shit, sorry. I don’t mean to be such a downer.”
“It’s okay. You’re right. It did feel like that at the time. But you made it better, Den—you and Aaron. You gave me these… I don’t know, reprieves from the pain, and from Mom’s grief. You… always make things better.”
His face breaks into a broad smile. “You do, too. Fuck, it’s good to be home, man.”
The mood shifts back to a lighter one, and we talk more about work and our ‘co-parenting’ of Willow, as Dennis calls it.
We drink a lot more than I’m used to, and since I’m bigger than Dennis, it hits him way harder than it does me.
By the time we stumble out into the street, the cool night air hitting our faces, he’s so wobbly on his feet that he’s leaning most of his weight against me. I don’t mind, though. It feels nice. I snake my arm around his waist, and we walk down the empty street. The moon is out, lighting the way, although I’d know the way to Dennis’ house in my sleep.
Dennis hums the last song they played before we left the bar. It was Justin Timberlake’sSexyBack.He hiccups in between the lyrics, and it’s fucking adorable.
Suddenly, I can’t help laughing. “I can’t believe you got me that drink.”
“What drink?”
“That cherry one. I forgot the name.” I didnotforget the name because I nearly fell on my ass when he told me, a wicked look in his eyes.
Dennis snorts, then stops, turning toward me. He’s so close that our chests brush up against each other. “Oh. You meanPop my Cherry?” He pops the P and blinks at me all innocently.
“Yeah… That’s the one.” I swallow, my heart racing.
He chuckles. “Did you like it, Mike? My cherry?”
Fuuuck me. He’s drunk, I remind myself. He has no idea what he’s saying.
“O-kay, let’s get you home, Drunk Daisy.” I grab his hand and tug him after me, but he doesn’t move.
“Mike?” He tips his head back and squints at the moon.
“Yeah?”
“I was only kidding. You know that, right?” He keeps his eyes on the moon, his face lit up with an almost translucent glow on his skin. Shit, he’s stunning. So fucking stunning. Before, I thought he was sexy, but Dennis is so much more than that. Looking at him makes my heart race. The burning sensation returns, my body becoming alight with the kind of attraction I never thought I’d experience. I want to pull him closer to me, to feel his body up close against mine, but he’s drunk. I also think I missed my chance that night when he kissed me and I rejected him, because he’s never shown any interest in me since then.
“I know, Den,” I rasp, then tug him after me down the street.
I wish you weren’t. I wish I’d been your first. I wish…
Chapter 12
