“What? Sorry. What kind of a steakhouse seasons fries? That’s weirdo-ish. That’s like using apple juice as salad dressing.”
Chase went back to studying the menu. I could tell his anxiety over food was starting to mount because he was frowning as he turned pages. He kept looking toward the entrance for Hollis.
“Where’s Hollis? He’s going to miss out on weirdo food and seasoned fries,” Chase mumbled.
I glanced at Morgan and then excused myself from the table to go grab Hollis. I greeted his bodyguards Steve and Zed before I stepped closer to Hollis.
“Hey,” I said to him when he looked over at me and smiled.
“Everyone about ready to order?” he asked.
“Well, Chase is stressing over seasoned fries.”
“What? Corey knows to pick restaurants where Chase can easily find something.”
“Are you about done?” I asked.
“Yes,” Hollis said as he finished signing a baseball cap with his dragon logo on it.
Steve and Zed parted to let Hollis and me walk into the restaurant.
“There were a bunch of kids in that group, and I didn’t want to seem like a dick,” he said quietly as we walked toward the table where his family was seated.
“You don’t have to do that all of the time.”
“I don’t want anyone to think I’m being selfish.”
I sighed. That fucking bitch Ginny had him worried about being viewed as selfish ever since she threw that line of garbage at him.
“No one would think you were selfish for having a meal with your family, Hollis,” I reminded him.
He reached over the back of Chase’s chair and flicked his ear. The gesture instantly made Chase smile. Hollis sat between Morgan and Chase, and he greeted his parents as he opened his menu.
“What looks good, Chase?”
“Not your ear.” Chase stared at the cut on Hollis’ ear. It wasn’t bleeding, and he had a small bandage over it. “Does it hurt?”
“Nope. What looks good for dinner?” Hollis asked again.
“The baked potato. Stay away from the seasoned fries. Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?”
“I’m sure.” Hollis looked in Chase’s eyes and then reached for the thin sea-green thread bracelet that was wrapped around Chase’s wrist. “I promise you, it doesn’t hurt.”
“Okay, I hope you don’t start looking like the guy inGoonies,” Chase said.
“Mmm, the makeup artists for Sloth did an incredible job,” Morgan added.
“The dude they kept in the cellar? That’s who you think I look like?”
“Nooo, not yet at least. I hope you don’t either. How unfair would the world be for me to have the face for modeling and you to look like that?” Chase joked.
Dinner was great and then we made our way to the elevators. Along the way, occasional cameras flashed or shouts of “The Dragon” could be heard.
The rooms for Hollis’ parents and Morgan and Chase were left of the elevator lobby, while my room was in the opposite direction, next to Hollis’. There were some people from Hollis’ security team to greet us as we exited the elevator. After we said goodnight to his family, they went with the security team to their rooms while Hollis and I went down the other hallway with Steve and Zed.
“Corey stopped by and gave us the tape of your fight tonight, sir,” Alfonso from the security team said as we approached.
“Great, thank you,” Hollis said. He waved the tape in front of me and flashed his smile. “In the mood to watch some tape, Patrick?”
