Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“I have never been more uncomfortable in my life.” Thom wasn’t one to complain so the conversation must have been getting to him.
“Kevin, Thom is uncomfortable. Why don’t we schedule this lecture about my life choices for later in the week?” Gray offered. “We can do it over lunch, my treat.”
“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Thom said, moving his hand in the air between Gray and Kevin as he shook his head. “Kevin nagging is par for the course. Before you got here, he was all over Eric about his credit card.”
Rolling his eyes, Eric said, “I’m supposed to get some card because of airline miles.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Want me to get the credit card?” Gray offered Kevin. “Will that get you off my back about being late?”
“You already have a card that gives you travel perks.”
“Kev, seriously, think about why you know that and consider getting less involved in our business.”
“Watch it.” Kevin pointed at Gray and narrowed his eyes dangerously. “People pay me a lot of money for my financial advice and you guys get it for free.”
“Which we appreciate,” Eric said. “Right, Thom?”
“Yeah, that’s not going to work out.” Thom shook his head.
Gray scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.
“He wasn’t talking to me,” Eric explained. “Thom, want to concentrate on the people sitting with you instead of on Jack?”
Gray sat up straight, his heart suddenly racing. “What happened to Jack?”
“Nothing happened to Jack.” Eric sighed and threaded his fingers with Thom’s. “Stop staring at them.”
Noticing that Thom’s gaze was fixed on a spot over his shoulder, Gray quickly twisted his back and peered across the room.
“I said Thom should stop staring, not that you should join him!”
Sure enough, he caught sight of Jack’s blond hair at the bar. Moving on autopilot, Gray pushed his chair back.
“What are you doing?” Eric asked nervously.
“I’m getting a drink.”
“Do not go over there.”
“I'm thirsty.”
“Yes, we know,” Kevin said drolly. “Leave Jack alone. He’s not your type and you’re not his type.”
“You have no idea about our types.” And that comment proved it.
“He stayed in that relationship with Jaime for years when everyone knew it wasn’t working. I’ve known you just as long and you’ve never had a boyfriend. Jack is a commitment type of guy and you’re a one foot in the gutter and the other foot out the door type of guy.”
“I already told you, I’m not afraid of commitment with Jack.” Gray stood.
“Come on, Gray, I know you think it’s funny to constantly hit on Jack, but seriously, now is not the time,” Kevin said. “He’s on an actual date with a guy who actually dates.”
“Jack doesn’t date.” The most beautiful, intelligent, sweet person Gray had ever known occasionally went out, but until he stopped mourning the loss of his should have ended after a week but maddeningly dragged on for ten years relationship with his ex-boyfriend and still-business partner, Jack’s interactions with men were about as meaningful as the one Gray had had before coming to the restaurant. “And he likes it when I come on to him.”
If Jack didn’t gift him with a shy smile even as his neck, ears, and cheeks reddened, then Gray would have stopped the touching and the innuendos long ago. Hell, Jack’s reaction was the entire reason Gray kept it up. That and Gray’s unrelenting hope that one day, when Jack was ready to meaningfully share his life with someone, he would recognize the chemistry between them. Because while he shared Jack’s friend group, Gray’s feelings for the sensitive tech wizard were not of the only friends variety.
“See the man next to him?” Eric widened his eyes and arched his eyebrows meaningfully.
Gray peered across the room.
“That’s the guy Jack’s been seeing for a month. He made a New Year’s resolution to put himself out there and that’s what he’s doing right now with his date.”
“New Year’s Eve was three days ago. How has he had a resolution for a month? And why are you only telling me about it now?” More importantly, why hadn’t Jack told him he was seeing someone? They talked nearly every day.
“We didn’t tell you because he’s our friend and friends back each other’s play.”
“Back each other’s… Eric, you’re a forty-three-year-old organizational consultant, not a twenty-one-year-old frat boy. And Jack Storm does not play.”
“We knew you’d do this,” Kevin said tiredly.
“Do what?” Gray frowned.
“Try to get Jack into bed. Seriously, Gray, it took a decade for him to finally heal enough from Jaime’s breakup to put himself out there. Leave the poor guy alone. He doesn’t need to be another notch on your crumbling bedpost.”
He liked his friends, but they couldn’t be more wrong about his intentions, which wasn’t to say he didn’t want to take Jack to bed. He very much wanted to do that, but it wasn’t because he needed another conquest.