“I’m in,” Avery gasped. “I’m in. I’ll buy the firm. I’m ready. I can do this.”
The office fell into silence. Avery glanced over his shoulder. Meredith was still at her desk, but she’d turned her chair to face them. If having actual heart-eyes were possible, she would have them. She sipped her coffee with a broad smile on her face, blatantly eavesdropping through the open office door.
When Avery turned back, Uncle Theo’s head was tipped to the side, and one corner of his mouth was twitching in tiny spasms. “That’s good,” he said softly. “That’s really good, Avery.”
You had to know Uncle Theo to read it right. The tiny smile. The way he opened his body up. On anyone else, it would seem restrained, bored even. For Uncle Theo, the motion was the equivalent of doing a victory dance around the office.
“So, what do we do now?” Avery asked.
“I’ll call Phil. Let him know what we’ve agreed, and he’ll bring the paperwork over.”
“I have a meeting at the equipment rental this afternoon.”
Uncle Theo chuckled. “Still can’t get them to balance?”
“He’s definitely missed something somewhere. There’s no way to make the numbers add up.”
The words felt good. So good. Relaxed and easy, like always, right up until the last few weeks.
“Your aunt wants me to remind you to iron your shirt before the bachelor auction tonight.”
Avery rolled his eyes. “I will.”
“And you’ll remember to turn off the iron before you leave the apartment?”
“Yes.” Although the reminder was fair. Things like that were how he’d wound up with a hot firefighter in his apartment. At the thought of Linc, he smiled a bit shyly and said, “There’s something I should tell you. Well, you and Aunt Brenda.”
“Oh.”
“I have a boyfriend.”
An excited squeal cut through the air from the outer office, and they both turned toward Meredith as she clapped gleefully, then blushed when she realized she’d been caught.
“Sorry!” she called, but then clapped some more.
Uncle Theo sighed heavily. “Is that it?”
“Is what it?”
“Your aunt will kill me if I come home with the news you’ve met someone and don’t have any more details.”
Very true. She’d want to know everything. Who he was, where he’d come from, how he and Avery met. She’d want to know his favorite meal and then she’d invite him—demand he come, really—over to the house so she could cook it for him while she grilled Linc for every detail about his history and personal life.
Avery smiled. “He’s really nice. His name is Linc, and he’s a firefighter. You’ll meet him tonight.”
Uncle Theo arched an eyebrow. “Oh, we will, will we?”
“Yup.” Linc was going to bid on him, win him, and then take him home for hours of grateful boyfriend sex.
His uncle chuckled. “Well, that’s enough to keep your aunt happy. But you should tell him to plan to come for dinner this weekend.”
“I will.”
He texted Linc when he got back to his desk.
Told my uncle. You’re stuck with me now.
* * *
