"I do a lot of traveling."
"Is that the only reason?" Bailey asked with a cocked eyebrow, chin tilted upward.
"No."
Silence split the air between them.
"Well, don't keep me waiting in suspense," Bailey said after a few seconds had passed.
Nathan sighed. "To be honest, when I was younger, I didn't care about being alone. Now, both of my siblings are married, and I'm starting to see what it means to have someone in your life who loves you and with whom you can share everything."
"So, now you're ready to settle down?" Bailey asked.
"I don't know. I just want to see if the remarkable man who made me feel lonely for the first time would give me a bit of his time to see if we could be more than just an occasional acquaintance," Nathan said.
Now, it was Bailey who was at a loss for words.
Nathan leaned over a little. "Will you?"
Bailey licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Why me?"
"Why not you?"
Bailey lowered his head, hiding his smile and reddening cheeks.
Nathan took hold of his chin and lifted his face to his. "Why not you?" he asked again.
Bailey shrugged. "I—I don't know. Men come and go, and not one really took much of an interest in me." Not like how Vito took interest in Zindel, he thought. Such a Cinderella tale that he envied and felt he would never experience. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for his best friend, but he hoped one day he'd also find a man who was the other part of his soul. Could Nathan be that needle in the haystack? Was this an opportunity he wasn't supposed to pass? "Men desire me, but they don't want me, even when they claim they do." He was tired of empty promises.
"Fuck those fools," Nathan said, then smirked. "But I should thank them for ignoring you. Because now I can have you all to myself."
"Stop," Bailey said in a hushed tone, then looked away coyly.
Nathan chuckled softly. "I'm serious. I want you all to myself. Ever since our first meeting, I can't get you off my mind."
Bailey looked up. "Really?"
Nathan nodded. "It's true. Full disclosure, my brother is married to Zindel's brother, Ze."
Bailey's eyes widened then. "You're... You're Nathan Bridger?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" he asked, hoping the gains he just made weren't lost, because he could tell that his words and honesty had an impact on Bailey.
"Yes—I mean, no... um... I don't know," Bailey said, blinking in confusion.
"How much has Zindel told you about us? My family, I mean?" Nathan asked before he revealed too much too soon.
"Don't get mad at him. He's just looking out for me," Bailey said.
"I just want to know what you know and why you had that reaction?" Nathan asked.
Bailey sighed and nodded. "This was when Zindel first started working here. He told me about his brother's club and how badass they were, but they couldn't save him because of who the Castiello family was. Then when he started dating Vito, I was worried for him, but Zin is a tough cookie."
"Are you a tough cookie?" Nathan asked.
"Do you need to ask that question?" Bailey asked with a little attitude.
"You're tough, there's no doubt about it. But are you able to handle what Zindel can?" Nathan asked, clarifying his meaning.
