“I heard a secret about Bean & Nugget,” Uncle Owen says.
Ah. The secret. Seems I can’t avoid this one any longer. “Yeah?”
He leans in. “I heard they started sourcingunethical beans.”
“What’s that about beans?” Aunt Brenda says.
“They’reunethical,” Uncle Owen repeats.
“What’s unethical about them?”
“I dunno. What can be unethical about a bean?”
I look down at my plate, then glance up toward Laney.
She’s watching me. And her parents are watching her watching me, which I notice, but she doesn’t.
She lifts a fork and then both of her eyebrows.
Makes me smile.
Can’t help it.
She cocks her head.Do I need to come over there and force-feed you?that gesture says.
Wouldn’t object, princess. I would not object.
Her cheeks go a light pink as if she can hear my thoughts.
I pick up my fork, stab the fish, and dutifully take a bite.
She smiles.Good boy.
Fuck me.
I’ve never wanted to be agood boyin my life, but I would eat this entire plate and Uncle Owen’s too if she’d purr that to me in bed tonight.
Doesn’t hurt that it’s delicious.
She jerks her head to the side like she’s just realized someone’s talking to her, and her face erupts in a deep red blush this time.
Her mother’s frowning.
Her father looks confused.
And Uncle Owen and Aunt Brenda are still arguing over how a bean can have ethics and why that’s such a big secret.
I put my head down and eat.
It’sgood. And I’m hungry.
I can work out more tomorrow. Cut back on my calories again when I get home.
Hell, the women who subscribe to my channel would relate to putting on a little vacation weight.
But what if it doesn’t come off?
But what if they don’t like it?
