I paused on the street outside of O’Sullivan’s and leaned down to fix my mascara in someone’s rearview mirror.
Sometimes, dressing up was a way to express my good mood, but other days, it was more of a lift to my spirits, something I would do to feel better. And after spending the day learning about the mega club that was about to be our nearest neighbor and discovering the full extent of the development plans, I definitely needed a lift.
Not to mention it had taken us more than a week to find the time to see Grayson again. I wanted to look good for our new man, and nothing made me feel flirty like a little mascara.
Demir stepped outside. “Grayson is in the bathroom. He’ll be out in a minute.”
“Everyone else staying for another round?”
He nodded, and I noticed how tired his eyes looked, with bags beginning in soft shadows beneath his lids.
I thought about how hard he’d been working, and my tired brain started going over the details from the afternoon out of habit. “Wait a second, did we ever call the bank back?”
Demir pushed his hands through his hair, then nodded. “The financing offer will stand, even if we don’t take care of it now.”
I stopped myself, then bit my tongue. Immediately, I stroked the back of his head. “Sorry I brought it up!” I brushed a kiss across his cheek and wrinkled my nose against his beard. It was our night with friends, not to mention date night with Grayson, and we had promised to leave that all at home. “Love you.”
Demir nodded and slung his arm over my shoulder. He was wearing the same fit of jeans he always wore and another one of his plain white button-up shirts, casually unbuttoned at the top. “Maybe we should just run away with Grayson, skip town and never come back,” he joked.
I laughed, and we both kicked a foot up against the brick wall behind us. “Don’t think I wouldn’t consider it,” I said as I leaned back. “I’d miss those guys inside, though.”
“You think Grayson liked them?”
“He and Raul could have talked about plants all night and both been happy, I’m pretty sure. And he seemed to laugh appropriately hard at everyone’s bad jokes. I’d say it was a success.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Demir said, squeezing my hand. “I’d miss those guys inside too much, too.”
Grayson came out of O’Sullivan’s. The white cuffs of his soft blue shirt clung to his biceps, and when he turned our way, his gaze was bright and strong.
“Nice feeling,” Demir said. “Seeing him look for us.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It is.”
Grayson approached, and we all three leaned in for a quick kiss.
“Back to our place?” Demir asked.
“Sure,” Grayson answered. “That sounds perfect.”
DEMIR
“My favorite part of taking Marco on a date,” I said to Grayson, “is how he looks when you do something nice for him. Like he’s delighted to have your attention.”
We were standing at the counter in the kitchen. I had opened a bottle of wine and set it on the table with a couple of glasses, but no one had gone to pour any yet. Even though my body was stressed and my mind aching, something else was coming alive in me.
I’d been thinking about Grayson and Marco together in my mind all week. Every day since Marco told me about the date, I’d wrapped my fist around my cock and thought about them massaging each other and making out right there on the couch.
But with them standing together in front of me, the urge was like a furnace.
“You look delighted sometimes, it’s true,” Grayson said, resting his arm on Marco’s shoulder. “And Demir is right—it is a very good look on you.”
“I could get used to this,” Marco said with a laugh, waving his hand like he was cooling himself.
Grayson finally turned to the wine and poured himself only a splash. “I had a great time with you both on our dates,” he said. “I was worried asking for time alone would come across wrong.”
“I think it’s healthy,” I replied.
Which was true. There were a few brief moments on the date when I experienced some thoughts that were… complicated. Like when I pictured Grayson, opening the door for Marco, or doing any of the other million small things I usually did for him. A small part of me wanted to be there, getting Marco a drink myself or resting my own hand on the small of his back.
