I huff a laugh. “Maybe. What do you want to drink?” I ask.
“What doyouwant to drink, Miles?” he says, giving me a look like I should know better. It makes my stomach warm.
“Cosmo,” I answer.
I wait by his side as he gets the bartender’s attention and puts in our drink order. He gives her his card and tells her to leave the tab open. A moment later, he’s handing me my extra pink Cosmo—because Friday is pink and black themed—while he brings his whiskey glass to his lips for a sip.
We make our way to an empty standing table not too far from the bar, and I pull my phone from my pocket to let the guys know we’re here.
“I just texted them, so maybe you’ll get to meet them before you see their asses.”
He chuckles, taking another sip of his whiskey.
“Does it bother you that I may see your friends’ asses?”
“If it did, we wouldn’t be here,” I say. Then add on, “Together.”
“I can’t say I feel the same.”
“No? Why not?”
He shrugs. “I’m not really sure. I can be jealous, but I’m not really sure where it comes from.” He pauses a moment, then adds, “Or why it’s only with some people.”
I’m not sure what the last part means, but I let it go.
“A lot of times people get jealous because they don’t trust their partner.”
JJ shakes his head, looking like he’s just realized something. “Not always. That’s a different type of jealousy. I just want what’s mine to be mine. I don’t like sharing.”
“Would I be okay if you were fucking them? No, I don’t think so. But looking? They’re my friends. We all know it’s just for fun.”
“Maybe if I had close friends like that,” he says.
“You don’t?”
“Not really, no. Most of my friends are in California, but it’s been years since I lived there, and we all have our own lives now. I mostly talk to the guys at the firehouse when I’m on shift. My brother, Nash, is the person I talk to the most.”
“That’s the cop?”
“Yeah.” He nods, drinking from his glass. “I guess AJ is a friend.”
“AJ?” I ask with a laugh.
“Yeah, he works at the firehouse too. We’ve known each other for years. We go out sometimes together for a beer.”
“JJ and AJ… that’s cute.”
“Funny story, actually. I once caught him out at a sex club doing a demo. He didn’t expect anyone he knew to be there, so he was embarrassed as hell. I still bring it up now and then, just to annoy him.”
“Wow, so this is totally your scene then?” I ask, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. I’m not usually a jealous person, but I don’t like the idea of JJ being at sex clubs or strip clubs… without me.
“No, not really. Especially not anymore. I’d only gone to Shadows & Sin the one time. I was… dealing with something and thought going would help.”
“Did it?”
“No,” he says with a humorless laugh. “Not at all.”
I take my first sip, the alcohol warming my belly instantly. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.
