At lunch, he met up with Mike at their usual spot.
“Gloria wants to meet you,” Mike said after they’d gotten their food and sat down.
“Yeah?” Tex said, taking a big bite of his sandwich. “You getting serious?”
Mike nodded, a pleased little grin on his face. “Serious enough that she wants to meet my friends.”
“Doyouwant me to meet her?” Tex asked. He’d met Gloria plenty of times, but only in a work capacity. Meeting her as Mike’s girlfriend—if that was what she was—was different.
“I do,” Mike said.
“How about a double date?” Tex suggested, frowning when Mike made a face. “What?”
“Carver is a little intimidating,” Mike hedged.
“And I’m not?” Tex joked.
“You smile,” Mike said, taking a sip of his Coke. “Carver just stares at you with that face like he’s planning how to sue you.”
Tex couldn’t help the laugh that burst from his chest. That was the most accurate description of Carver meeting a new person he had ever heard. He couldn’t wait to tell him.
“He’s not that bad,” Tex defended his husband, mostly out of loyalty. “But all right, he has a work thing next Thursday night. How about we do it then and I just bring Peter?”
Carver had a business dinner with an old client and would be out all night.
“That would be great,” Mike said. He hesitated, making a face. “I don’t mean to insult Carver. I know he’s a great guy, he’s just…”
“Intimidating?” Tex suggested.
Mike nodded.
Tex wasn’t offended. He liked that Carver was stern and intimidating with strangers. It was hot.
“So next Thursday, it’s a date,” Tex said, making a mental note to tell Peter.
“I have to check with Gloria, but yes.”
Tex put down his sandwich, a glint in his eye. “Speaking of Gloria, want to tell me why you came into work looking like you were doing a walk of shame?”
Mike blushed, licking his lips and grinning. “A gentleman never tells.”
Tex scoffed, throwing a piece of lettuce at him. “You’re no fun.”
Mike laughed.
44
Peter
“Don’t worry if you feel totally lost. It took me like four months before I felt like I had everything under control, and Madden said I picked things up faster than usual. So just try your best and you should be fine, okay?”
Peter stared wide-eyed, nodding dutifully. Betty was a preppy graduate student with shiny blonde hair and a wide smile, and she’d introduced herself by saying that Peter was her first trainee and she was very excited.
Peter liked her.
“I will,” he said, fiddling with his apron. They were behind the counter, Betty showing him where everything was and what the different machines did. Peter was glad he’d been given permission to feel lost because that was exactly how he felt.
“Perfect! We’ll start with the basics. Come sit with me, and I’ll go over our menu with you.”
