Then, Laurence did something he very seldom did—he turned his phone off. He’d said what he’d needed tosay.
Alex may have seduced him at the art gallery, but it was time to geteven.
Until they met at Castyna, he’d make Alexsquirm.
6
Alex
The city passedAlex by through the passenger-side window of his Uber. At night, the high-rises that were imposing obsidian beacons during the day came to life. Light glowed through windows. People—faces and names Alex would never know—thrived within them, pulling late shifts at work, coming home after a long day spent toiling in the corporate grind to their lofty apartments, or simplyexistingjust for the indulgence of saying that theyhad.
That theycould.
Stress, excitement, fear,worry.
Love, lust,loss.
In every window there was a different story, and Alex watched them unfold in vignettes as they advanced through rush hour traffic. Tonight, his story would be amongst them, blended into the chaotic canvas they all shared. He intended to leave the most striking mark hecould.
The car pulled up to the curb on the corner of 93rd and Saint Dennis. Alex thanked his driver and exited the vehicle. He’d heard of Castyna, but never visited it before. The old restaurant had decades of impeccable service backing it, and its celebrated chefs the culinary excellence to match. From the outside, it wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, but then again, Mr. Ephemeral had said that surprises were in order tonight. Alex supposed this was the firstone.
It wasn’t that the building was disappointing—there wasn’t a single establishment in Aurora’s affluent downtown core that Alex would say was below average—but it had a certain modern charm that the other buildings in its vicinity lacked. It was clean and simple, certainly, its partially frosted windows lit up from the inside. It was understated, but its simplicity didn’t detract from it in the least. The façade screamed decadence—Mr. Ephemeral was aiming to impress. Alex wondered if he was playing at being rich, or if he was part of the elite and simply kept himself humble. He certainly didn’t act like any of the men from that social sphere that Alex had metbefore.
Surprise,surprise.
When Alex unwrapped his gift, what exactly would he find inside? The question twitched the corners of his lips as he approached the door to therestaurant.
There was only one way to findout.
* * *
The door wouldn’t open.Alex narrowed his eyes and rattled the handle, figuring that maybe it was stuck. It wouldn’t budge. He took a small step back, searched the window for business hours, and sawnothing.
“What the hell?” Alex looked up and down the street. Had he come to the right location? A quick Google search had only brought up one result, and he’d figured that it was where he was supposed to go. Wires must have been crossed. He’d come to the wrong place. “Well,fuck.”
Alex took his phone from his inside jacket pocket and brought up his text conversation with Mr. Ephemeral. He fired off a message.I’m at the restaurant, but it looks like it’s closed. Are you here? Did I go to the wrongplace?
The message marked that it was sent, but the icon didn’t change to read. Alex groaned and looked over his shoulder. The Uber had already left, his date was missing, and he wasalone.
“Well, what am I going to do with myself now?” Alex tucked his phone into his jacket and rolled his shoulders back. He glanced down the street, hoping to see his date on the horizon, then chided himself for checking. He didn’t need an alpha to rescue him from a bad night—he was independent, resourceful, and confident as fuck. He’d find another way to entertain himself if he’d been stoodup.
What did he need a smooth, sophisticated older man for, anyway?Nothing.
Absolutelynothing.
But a pale, sickly yellow color started to bleed into the edges of his vision regardless. He was upset—he couldseeit—but why was he upset over a man he barely knew? A canvas, no less. Someone he would use up, then get ridof.
Alex sighed. He adjusted his jacket, casting melancholy thoughts of his date aside. He didn’t even know his name. There was no point in getting worked up about something that wasn’t destined to happen, no matter how brightly their chemistry had burned at the gallery, or how scorching their text messages hadbeen.
Determined to make the most of a night that otherwise would have left him hollow, Alex left Castyna and headed down the street. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he figured once he found where he was meant to be, he’d know it. Nights like these were urban adventures—a chance to get to see life in its purest form. He would relish the experience and grow from it. And the next canvas hemet—
“Alex!”
Alex stopped. He looked over his shoulder to find Mr. Ephemeral on his way down the street. He didn’t hurry, nor did he let any embarrassment or disappointment show through in his expression. Instead, he smiled at Alex, like Alex alone was enough to make the evening worthwhile. A chill swept down Alex’s spine, and he found himself folding his arms over his chest to insulate himself against the way that look made himfeel.
“Well, good evening, Mr. Ephemeral. I see that you’ve decided to join me.” Alex turned to face the man, letting his arms drop to his sides. He smiled an easy smile, his lips all too familiar with the empty movement. “You mentioned surprises, but I didn’t think that you’d go thisfar.”
“I have no idea what happened. I did book reservations—this isn’t me trying to weasel my way out of poorplanning.”
