“Law’s getting out of his car,” Liam told him. “He’s gonna bring you to me. We’ll just eat at home.”
“You wanted to try that restaurant!” Nicky argued. The newest Italian restaurant was the talk of the town and Liam had waited weeks to make the reservation so that Nicky could go with them. Italian was Nicky’s comfort food.
“It’s okay! Daddy spoke with the chef and he was more than happy to pack us up food for the night. We promised to come back when everything worked out,” Liam explained.
“That was nice of him,” Nicky said.
“Wasn’t it?” Liam agreed. “It makes me love this place already and I haven’t even had the food yet.”
“We should totally make sure to support this chef,” Nicky said. It was important in a town like theirs to support the locals.Local shops and restaurants brought in tourists that kept the town alive.
“We will,” Liam vowed. “He was just so nice. Are you doing better?”
“I am,” Nicky responded. And that wasn’t even a lie. They should have planned a little night instead of going out. Maybe the fates were actually on his side and knew what he really needed and were just making it happen. Thinking positive was the best thing to do. “Thanks.”
“You know that you don’t have to thank me!” Liam told him. “We’ll meet you at my house.”
“Okay, see you soon.” Nicky disconnected the phone before he watched in his rearview mirror as Law exited his SUV. Damn, that was one sexy man.
Law wore a very nicely fitting suit that had Nicky nearly drooling. It should be illegal being so fucking hot. Law looked like he had complete control over the entire world. A whimper escaped his lips as want filled him.
Nicky both admired the way that Law moved. He also envied him. Law just looked like the man could handle anything. It was hard when his very soul just wanted to be babied and taken care of. Nicky was a master at advertising and controlling that world, but outside of work, there was nothing better than being the little that he’d never gotten to embrace when he’d been a child.
After his mother’s abandonment, it had been Nicky’s job to take care of his father. He’d needed to keep house, make sure bills were paid, laundry was done, and get himself to and from school on time. Even at ten, Nicky had known that it wasn’t normal to live the way that he did, but if he didn’t step up, whowould? His father only cared about work and beer. There were times when Nicky wondered if his father even remembered he had a son.
The hard upbringing made Nicky into the man he was today.
Nicky had worked hard building his company where he never had to work for anyone but himself. It had taken over a decade to gain a reputation in the advertising community as being dependable and fresh with ideas, and eventually his company was one of the most sought after in the country. He’d hoped by this point that the employees that worked for him would handle most of the campaigns as well as the day-to-day operations, but there were times when Nicky needed to step up. Like the recent rebranding of the beer company that had shown how out of touch they were by the recent social media posts by a CEO who had melted down online for all the world to see.
Nicky was both disappointed and disgusted by what the ex-CEO had written targeting groups like him. If the company hadn’t contacted him first, Nicky would have dropped them as a client. He could be picky about who he linked his name with.
With his status in the business, Nicky didn’t need to work with companies that didn’t share his belief that being a decent human was a necessity. Nicky had already begun to draft the breach of contract with the company when they fired their CEO, replacing him with a younger, smarter, and more social-savvy young man.
Fredrick Jones had personally begged Nicky to keep them as a client.
If Freddie hadn’t gone into Nicky’s office, confessing some deeply personal things, Nicky would have happily moved onfrom the contract. He’d felt a kinship to Freddie and knew that helping the young man was the right thing.
Over the last month, Nicky and Freddie had become close friends. Close enough that Nicky had gone to Freddie to work on where the future of the beer company would go. Freddie was exactly who and what the company needed. Not only was he the great-great-grandson of the original owner, but he loved beer, America, and men. Yes, Freddie was out and proud gay. Refusing to allow anyone to make him feel like he didn’t belong in the beer business. And forcibly removing the company from his own father.
Since Nicky was remarkably familiar with battles with fathers, he’d offered Freddie his most honest and constructive advice. Now he needed to take his own damn advice and let his friends help him when Nicky needed it most.
Law knocked on the passenger window and Nicky rolled it down with his shaky fingers.
“Hey,” Law said as he knelt to peer inside. “How are you?”
“I have a flat tire.” Nicky swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I know that’s not a big deal. I have roadside assistance. I’m just already having a bad night. I’m sorry that Jude called you.”
Law’s warm chuckle seemed to fill the entire car. “It was actually Liam who insisted that his Uncle Law comes and rescues his very best friend in the world.”
Nicky had to smile at that description. That was just like his bestie. Liam would always make sure that Nicky and everyone else around him was taken care of. “I’m okay.”
“How about I still take you over to Liam’s? I hear that there’s a slumber party that must happen.”
He could feel the heat on his cheeks. “Yeah…”
“Do you need anything from your car?” Law asked.
Nicky shook his head. He’d been running late, so other than his wallet and phone, Nicky hadn’t brought anything. He grabbed his phone from the holder on the dash. “Just me?”
