“Hell, yes. I saw that man from the stairs, the way he kept getting up in your space, then pulling your headphones off of your ears. And when I heard him say that to you…” Roman didn’t share this with Ezra, but hehadbeen showing restraint.
“He was very rude. He asked me if I was gay and wanted to know if I had a daddy.”
“Yeah, I think he was hitting on you, babe, in a really drunk and obnoxious way.”
“What a terrible approach.” Ezra shook his head. “Does that work on people?”
“Maybe on some people. It’s not very classy, though.”
“Not classy at all. Someone should really give him some constructive feedback.”
That asshole could crawl into a hole and die for all Roman cared. He didn’t want to think about him anymore. “I really am sorry that I upset you. And I’m sorry if I ruined our Mardi Gras party.”
“It’s okay. I think it was one of those situations where you were In the Moment.” Roman nodded. He’d definitely felt a bit irrational and a whole lot aggressive. Ezra shifted, relaxing his posture so that he was no longer balled up so tightly. “I still had fun, and I got all of these beads.” Ezra fisted a clump of his flashy necklaces, admiring his loot.
“Yeah, by being a little slut,” Roman teased.
“Roman!” Ezra exclaimed as if scandalized.
“You know you were, flashing all those thirsty men and women your little pink nips.” Roman crawled over to Ezra, grabbed him, and rolled with him on the floor. “My little bead slut.”
“Roman,” Ezra said, more like a coo this time, as he rubbed his stiffening prick against Roman’s thigh.
“You don’t like me calling you that?” Roman asked as he nibbled one of his ear lobes. Ezra made a little humming noise.
“I don’t mind.”
Roman reached a hand under Ezra’s shirt and skated it over his tummy. “Would you be a little bead slut for me?”
“Yes.” Ezra nodded in a lustful daze. He lifted the beads from around his neck and draped them over Roman’s head. “There. You can make me earn them back however you want.”
Roman smiled, drunk on his power. It was going to be a memorable night.
18
Consultation
Roman wanted Ezra’s input early on in his new restaurant endeavor so he arranged for them to meet with Darian, his new head chef and general manager, a few days later. The space he’d chosen was previously an oyster bar with a minimal kitchen and family-style seating, which had meant a complete overhaul of the interior so that it might match Roman’s vision and hopefully, Ezra’s as well. Both the dining area and the kitchen had been gutted already, and they were now looking at potential floor plans and seating arrangements.
“It’s so close by,” Ezra said when they arrived at their destination.
“Just a few blocks from home,” Roman said as he held the door open for him.
Darian was waiting inside and greeted them both warmly. Roman had known Darian for a while in a professional capacity, having worked with her several times on catering events. Her specialty was Southern comfort food, and Roman knew early on that this was a project he wanted her to spearhead. When he’d offered her part-ownership with the added bonus of running her catering business out of the space, she’d happily joined the team.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Darian said after a brief introduction and wheeled herself past a few five-gallon buckets to where a table was set up with two folding chairs.
“The contractor shouldn’t allow workers to leave things lying around like that,” Roman said. “I’ll talk to them.”
“It’s fine, Roman, and look at these beautiful floors.”
The concrete had been sanded, stained, and polished to a high shine; the results were simply gorgeous.
“It looks like photographs from the Hubble Telescope,” Ezra said, marveling at the finish.
“It sort of does,” Roman agreed and shot a meaningful look at Darian, who knew already about his intentions.
They sat down and Darian relayed her parameters for the restaurant’s layout. “I’d like it to be not only ADA compliant but also easily navigable by people experiencing disabilities, including those with vision impairment.”
