“That should not be as hot as it was—” Tanner remarked, his eyes locked on Lance’s face. Lance rolled his eyes, and Tanner resumed working his way through his stack of colorful pancakes.
“Pancakes were always Parker’s very favorite thing to have for breakfast. I used to make them every Sunday for him and Jeremy.”
“Will your brothers be at the party?” Tanner asked. Although Lance had invited him to attend as his plus one, he had yet to get any details about the event.
“Unless they want to be hunted down like fugitives from justice, they better be,” he laughed. “My mom doesn’t fuck around with party planning. There’ll be lots of people. The neighbours. Her co-workers. My stepdad’s family.”
“Are you sure she won’t mind that I’m coming with you?”
“I already told her I was bringing you. She thinks the more the merrier when it comes to throwing a party.”
Tanner nodded, but he still had his doubts about attending this shindig. He hadn’t made a very good impression the first time they’d met, though that was more on her than it was on him. He’d done nothing wrong. His general appearance of being a bad boy biker and all-around bum was one that all mothers loved to hate, and she’d been no exception.
Lance reached over and picked up his hand, frowning slightly.
“Are you sure you’re alright with pretending to be just friends? Ideally, I’d have already broken the news to her, but—”
“Lance, babe, don’t worry. I’m okay with being friends. We agreed doing the phone thing was not a good idea. Best not to give your mother a heart attack before the party,” Tanner assured him with a wry grin.
“Right, it’s just that I feel like shit for making you pretend you’re my good friend Tanner instead of—”
“Handsome man extraordinaire?” Tanner interjected smugly. “And don’t forget sex god!”
“Right—and there’s that brain damage again,” he joked. Tanner merely smiled.
“Just relax, Lance. It’ll be okay. I don’t see the problem in sticking to the original plan.”
“You sure?” Lance asked yet again, worrying about dealing with his mother’s pretentiousness while having to protect Tanner at the same time. It made him seriously cranky.
“Dude, why should I give a flying rat’s ass what people think about our relationship?”
“Okay, but didn’t we agree weeks ago that we wouldn’t hide anymore?” Lance asked, playing his own devil’s advocate.
“Sure, and we won’t, but a party with a big bunch of people is not the place to tell your mom that we’re in a committed relationship.”
Lance sighed, relieved that Tanner understood him so well.
“Well, unless youaretrying to give the woman a heart attack.”
“Not the plan,” Lance replied with a chuckle.
“Then it’s settled—I’m your handsome bachelor friend who’s been helping you fix up your house. See how easy that is?”
Lance chuckled and reached over to squeeze his hand in a show of solidarity and affection.
“Admit it, you just want to be able to hit on all the older, rich women,” Lance said with a wink.
“Oh, my heavens, no! Now my plans are completely foiled!” Tanner said in a falsetto voice, putting a hand up to his forehead like a damsel in distress.
Lance laughed at Tanner’s ridiculousness. It wasn’t a magical fix, but as far as Tanner was concerned, if all he ever accomplished in life was easing Lance’s worries even slightly, then he’d die a happy man.
The party was in full swing by the time they arrived. Cars lined the street.
“Jesus, she really does go all out for her parties, doesn’t she?” Tanner asked, as he took in the number of people who’d shown up.
“I hope somebody brought extra beer to this thing, cuz I’m gonna need it,” Lance said as he got out of the car and picked up the plastic containers of his homemade biscuits from the backseat.
Tanner laughed and relieved Lance of two of them.
