“Nah, a philosopher.” Jace grins.
“Ha, ha. You guys suck. I’m outta here.” Trevor jumps up and storms off, more for show than because he’s really pissed. I can tell because I’d do the same thing.
Nick follows, probably to hassle the guy even more, as Jace reaches around the monitor and retrieves a tiny camera. With a soft click the red light goes off.
“Got the footage you wanted, huh?” I shake my head, despite the fact I’m smiling.
“For now.” He tucks the camera into his media bag.
“That was a nice trick.” I jerk my head toward his hiding spot. “Trevor will be pissed when he sees it though.”
“He’ll get over it. Especially if I get you or Nick in the hot seat, too.”
“True,” I chuckle. “So, what’s the plan for the evening?”
“Do you know in all the years we’ve been doing this together you’ve never asked me that?” He turns to face me, pausing to examine me with furrowed brows.
“Of course, I have.” I tip back in my chair so I’m rocking on the back legs. “Otherwise, we’d end up sitting around doing nothing.”
Jace shakes his head slowly back and forth. “Usually, you just pop up and declare you’re hungry or you want to watch a movie or something. Or someone else does. There’s almost never a plan.”
“So?”
“So, if you’re asking it’s becauseyouhave a plan, and you’re anxious to get to it,” he retorts matter-of-factly.
I should’ve known Jace would see what I don’t want him to. He knows me too well. I chew the inside of my cheek wondering how best to answer.
“Spit it out already. It’s the girl, isn’t it?” He leans forward, his voice lowering an octave as if he can sense I don’t want this conversation to be overheard.
Once again, I’ve got the perfect opportunity to come clean, yet I can’t make my mouth form the words. At this point, it’s not even the gender thing that’s the biggest news. Not to me anyway. It’s the fact that seeing Lennon is starting to feel more important than riding the bike.
“We’ve got plans later. After we all go out.” Picking at an imaginary spot on my pants to avoid his eyes, I realize I need to hang with guys some more so they don’t catch on to my infatuation over Lennon. Or worse, try to meet him.
“Sex is that good?” He arches a brow.
“You guys said you heard it.” Bile begins to work its way up my throat as soon as the words leave my mouth, but I’m not sure how elseto get him to drop it. I can’t tell him what I don’t understand myself. “Might as well enjoy it while I’m here, right?”
Jace studies me for a second, his chin pinched between a thumb and forefinger. I keep a blank, almost bored look plastered on my face. That's what I'm doing, right? Enjoying Lennon's body while we're here. It doesn't sit well in my chest now that I've said it out loud.
“Might as well,” he finally agrees, letting me off the hook for at least another night.
Chapter seven
Lennon
He’s waiting for me out back, right at nine, and after the day I’ve had, I’m relieved to see him. But the brief respite doesn't last long.
“Don’t you have to lock up?” He calls from his perch against the bed of my truck.
“Kitchen closes at nine, not the restaurant. A few of the guys will lock up for me tonight,” I reply as I approach him. When I get close enough for him to see the distress on my face, he tenses, his sexy grin turning serious. The tears I’ve been fighting all day fill my eyes despite my best attempts to blink them back, the fact they spill out in front ofhimis almost as bad as the fact they exist at all.
“What’s wrong?” A frown ghosts over his brow.
“Rough day.” My shoulders slump, the weight of trying to stand straight suddenly too much.
“Does your rough day have anything to do with people all over town looking bummed out?”
“You noticed that?”
