“Alright, then—yeah, okay. I’ve got a headache, and I don’t feel like dealing with traffic. I’d rather read my book.”
Nicholas wonders if he can hire Andrew a car permanently so he can read his Kindle on his commute. He should look into it and see if he can find a way to get Andrew to agree to it.
“How long do I have?” Andrew questions.
“I’m not sure. Tony, my captain, is going to text me the address. It’s in town, I think. Once I’ve got the location, I’ll send a car for you. I’ll text you when they’re there to pick you up. Don’t open the fucking gate for anyone. My security team will handle making sure it’s the right car.”
“That seems slightly overprotective,” Andrew says, but his voice is quiet. “But thank you. I feel better knowing you’ve got it covered.”
Pride makes Nicholas sit a little straighter. He’s never been the person who made anyone feel better about, well anything, except when sex was involved. Somehow making Andrew feel safe is better than any orgasm he’s ever had, which is not something he knows how to acknowledge or handle.
“I better go put on mybe a humanclothes.”
“If you’re not a human now, what are you?” Nicholas questions, still trying to parse through the way Andrew talks about himself. He knows it’s related to his neurodivergence, but Nicholas has no experience with it, and he wants to learn. He might be an asshole, but he doesn’t want to be an asshole about that, ever. Especially not since he gets the feeling Andrew isn’t this honest with almost anyone else.
“I am a blob, Nicki. I am a comfortable blob. I took a thirty minute shower hot enough to strip away the entire long ass day, and then I put on my home clothes, which means I am only fifty percent human.”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking.”
“I’m not joking,” Andrew says in a tone that makes it abundantly clear he’s not. Before Nicholas can ask if he’s actually up to coming, Andrew is speaking again. “It’s fine, I just need to go change and brush my hair. I’ll be good. I’ll see you soon.”
True to his word, when the car Nicholas ordered for him pulls up to the curb to the brewery forty-five minutes later, Andrew is stepping out dressed exactly as Nicholas expects—perfectly pressed khakis and a butter yellow polo shirt.
“Hey,” he says, tugging at his open collar. He looks exhausted and uncomfortable, and Nicholas feels like even more of an asshole than usual for dragging Andrew out.
“You look like shit.”
“Wow, you really know how to flatter a guy,” Andrew says with a shake of his head.
“I just meant?—”
“I know what you meant," Andrew says with a tight smile. “It was a long day. Before we go in, what do I need to know?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what do I need to know? Which team members get along and which don’t? Are there any power dynamics I should be aware of? Are there any topics of conversation that might make anyone uncomfortable or cause friction?”
“How the fuck would I know?”
“Uh, they’re your team.”
“And?”
“Oh my god, I’m going in blind,” Andrew groans. He pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before straightening his shoulders. “Thank god I did some research on your teammates on the drive over instead of reading like I wanted to.”
“You didn’t need to do that.”
Andrew fixes him with a stern look. “Clearly, I did. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
They make their way inside where the rest of his team is already seated in the back of the brewery—the only space large enough for their group. Several tables have been pushed together to make room for his teammates and several of their partners. The only empty chairs left are at the head of the table next to Tony, and Nicholas wants to groan, pretty sure that was not an accident.
“Whitmore, get your ass over here and introduce us to your better half.”
Grudgingly, Nicholas guides Andrew to the table, letting his hand remain at Andrew’s lower back. To his surprise, none of the unease and stress that was radiating off him earlier is visible, and if Nicholas didn’t know for sure that Andrew felt crappy, he wouldn’t have had any idea.
At their arrival, the table falls silent, everyone’s eyes swiveling to him and Andrew.
“Are you going to introduce us?” Tony asks.
