“Guess Thomas is already here.”
“That’s strange.” Rafael sounds almost sarcastic as he rubs his hands on his trousers. “Do you think their car can go over the speed limit?”
Julien won’t laugh. He can’t give him the satisfaction. “Stop making fun of her or I won’t let you out.”
“Wait, what?” Rafael pulls the passenger-side handle, but it pops out of the door. It’s just decorative, really. “Please don’t leave me here.”
“You’re such a baby.” After Julien slams his door, he takes his time walking around the car. Let the man sweat a little.
He releases Rafael before ducking into the back seat and gathering the gifts. After the wine is handed off, Julien checks the dessert before lifting it and bumping the door closed.
“Julien, mon loulou!”Maman calls out from the porch. “We can hear your car from the end of the driveway.”
“Ready?” Julien asks Rafael, though there’s no other option.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Maman.”Julien navigates the front steps while balancing the dessert. “This is Rafael.”
“Thomas’s teammate?”Maman hisses in French, while she kisses his cheeks. She turns to Rafael with a warm smile and embraces him. “Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you for having me.” With a flash of his hand, Rafael presents the bottle of wine.
“Oh! And he knows his wine.” Maman nearly snatches the bottle and turns it to read the label. “My Matthieu has madeduck à l’orangetonight. This will pair perfectly.”
It better. Julien specifically asked Matthieu for recommendations ahead of time.
“Glad to hear it.” Rafael smirks at Julien who presents the flimsy pastry box.
“This as well.”
“How pretty,” she says, flipping the top open. “Three of you will be racing this week, and I’m watching my figure, but it’s still very nice.”
It’s useless to argue, so Julien doesn’t bother reminding her Rafael won’t be racing this weekend.
Instead, he steadies the dessert as she drags their guest inside. Julien dutifully closes the door behind them before hurrying down the hallway after his mother and fuck buddy.
Maman is showing Rafael the paintings in the salon when Matthieu sticks his head in and announces, “Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Mathé!”Despite his brother having to finish what is probably a very complicated dinner, Julien rushes to him with excitement. “It’s been so long!”
“How have you been,Juju?”
“Good, it’s going good.”
“That’s what I thought.” Matthieu is far too perceptive. “You and Thomas sure have a type, huh?”
A type? “What do you mean?”
The middle brother nods over to Rafael. “Your man? He looks a little like Thomas’s guy. Tall, tan, handsome.”
Julien nudges his arm with his elbow. “Rafael is not ‘my man'—he’s just a friend.”
“Sure, sure.” Matthieu accepts the burden of the dessert box with a sly smile. “Well, when you see the other guy, you’ll understand.”
Other guy? Matthieu might not follow Formation 1, but he still knows Jean-Luc. He’s met him before, at least.
Julien follows his brother through to the kitchen and stops dead in his tracks. “Why is Sam Campbell at our dining room table?”
