Lawrence
Lawrence realizedthat he had a lot of bad habits and addictive behaviors, but more than any of the others, he really needed to get his nervous drinking under control. Because the second Lawrence saw a hot man, he was absolutely overcome by an irresistible urge to swallow something.
“Vodka tonic,” he told the bartender, then turned to Raiden. “For you?”
“You got a pilsner?” His voice came out with a low rumble that made Lawrence quiver.
“Actually,” Lawrence called after the bartender, “make mine a double, please.”
Lawrence had an active and steady sex life. Hookups came along with his other hobbies, drinking and dancing, and while he rarely explored anything that lasted longer than a week or two, he had spent time with just about every type of guy he could imagine. It was like a game to him, another thing to keep him occupied and to numb his brain as the days passed by.
That’s how he knew that men like Raiden were rare. Because most men came and went before Lawrence bothered to learn their names, but for some reason, every fiber of his being reacted to his new bodyguard’s presence.
Raiden was tall, and there was a solid heft to his body, something Lawrence definitely appreciated. He was wearing a nondescript black shirt and a light gray jacket, probably selected to blend into the crowd as he watched over Lawrence, but his sleeves were rolled up, and Lawrence’s eyes trailed over the bright tattoos that crawled over his arm, flames and flowers and knives. His skin was a rich, beautiful brown, and when Lawrence glanced back up, Raiden’s brow cut a strong line above his eyes.
He looked weathered, like he’d seen some things, but it didn’t turn Lawrence away. It just made him want to reach out and coax something else from the man, and instantly, Lawrence decided it was his responsibility to show Raiden a good time while he was under Lawrence’s employment.
The bartender turned back with the drinks, and Lawrence shook his head, surprised by the strange feeling that he quickly chased away. As they found their seats at the bar, he took a large drink from his vodka, then another.
“Tell me about your typical night,” Raiden asked as he took his seat. “The contract was clear about my responsibilities, but I’d like to hear it from you.”
“Sure, let’s see. I usually start off with some dancing and take it from there. Is that what you mean?” Lawrence licked his tongue across his bottom lip and considered how hard to flirt. He didn’t want to have to hire a new bodyguard every few weeks, but then again, better to know now if Raiden could handle his personality.
Raiden narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure you’re not paying all this money so that I’ll sit around and watch you dancing, though.”
Lawrence laughed, although having Raiden watch him dance did sound pretty nice. “I’ve been mugged quite a few times, usually on the way home,” he explained. “I guess it will be easy to tell when that’s happening. I think all the information about that was in the intake form I filled out?”
Raiden nodded. “It was. And I’ll fight off any trouble. That’s easy. Kaiser Security will do follow-up that’s needed with local authorities, businesses, that kind of thing.”
“Thanks,” Lawrence said. The idea was a relief, although as he’d explained to the owner of the security company, it was a bit more complicated than that. “You do understand what happens on a night out in New York, right?” He tapped his fingers on the bar, then threw back some more of his drink. “I requested a gay bodyguard for a reason…”
Raiden laughed. “Yeah, I got it. You’re not going to surprise me. I love the bars back in Albany. Dancing and nightclubs aren’t really my thing, but I’m not going to judge if you pick up a date. Hell, it’s half the reason to go out in the first place.”
Lawrence puffed out a breath of relief. He was wearing a pair of white denim overalls, and he fondled the strap as he studied Raiden. “And I’ll bet you get in all kinds of trouble, don’t you?” he flirted.
Raiden took a drink of his beer, then turned his eyes to Lawrence, entirely ignoring the question, much to Lawrence’s frustration. “I’ll follow you around and make sure no one messes with you when you’re drunk, and once you find some guy to run off with, I call it a night. Did I get that right?”
Lawrence quickly finished his vodka tonic. “That’s right,” he sang, then waved to the bartender for another. He didn’t usually feel shy about the fact that he slept around, but sitting at the bar, he suddenly realized that Raiden would be seeing each and every one of his hookups for the next while, which gave him a strange flicker of anxiety.
Not that Lawrence minded being caught off guard. He was best on his toes, actually. And although he had intended to go home after their meeting and enjoy his bathtub, he was suddenly remembering a club night that Mayer had mentioned.
“You don’t like clubbing,” Lawrence said, tapping his finger to his lip, “but have you ever been to the Fire Hose?”
Raiden got a weird look on his face. “The Fire Hose?”
Lawrence sat up straight on his stool, the warm rush of alcohol already fuzzing his brain. “Why don’t we hit up a club tonight? You’ll be chilling in the back when you normally work, but it would only make sense if you hung out with me a little first and got a feel for things.” Raiden met his eyes, and Lawrence tried to read his expression, but he got lost somewhere in the hazel swirl and kind of melted against the bar.
Lawrence fluttered his eyelashes. “On the clock, of course,” he added. “I’ll compensate you for your time.”
A smile pulled up one side of Raiden’s mouth. “Cool,” he said. “Sounds like fun. I just have one question first.”
Lawrence titled his head to the side, smiling. “Oh yeah?”
Raiden reached out, and for a second, Lawrence thought his new bodyguard was going to touch his face. Instead, though, he drew his hand to his own cheek and brushed his fingers against the spot where Lawrence had gotten scratched up the last weekend. “Did this happen on one of your nights out?”
Lawrence swallowed. He had done his best to act like he didn’t care about the injury and even gave himself a look that evening with bright red and black eyes, his shadow hatched to match the pattern of the scratches. He had been laughing about it, like he always laughed at those things, but having Raiden ask about the marks with concern made it a little harder for him to keep up that act.
“Nothing to worry about,” he said, waving his hand to dismiss the whole thing. “The person who mugged me just shoved me down.”
