You’ve got your car back finally.
Merrick
Thank god. Is the apt next?
jkjk you know you’re welcome to stay
I know but also yes.
After that, he jogged back into work, checking the message from Holden.
Holden
When can I see you again?
It was such a simple question but also so loaded. Merrick had done a very good job at pretending to keep his nose out of Bryce’s business, but it was only a matter of time before his brother got insistent, demanding more transparency about Bryce’s whereabouts than he was willing to give. It wasn’tnecessarily a bad thing. Merrick had always been a little overbearing, and Bryce knew he meant well. Bryce also hated lying, but he wasn’t ready to out his secret relationship until he was certain it would last.
Tomorrow?
after tonight I’m off until Tuesday
Tonight
It’ll be late and I don’t have clothes.
He wanted to.
God, he wanted to.
I want to see you
come get a drink then
He slid his phone back into his pocket, ready for work, trying to pretend he wasn’t about to jump out of his skin at the prospect of seeing Holden again. Verity had been right—it was so fucking obvious. How embarrassing.
Holden showed up two hours later, hair wet from a shower. Bryce saw him walk in and watched him snake his way through the dance floor before stepping up to the bar and waiting his turn. Bryce was in the middle of making margaritas for a group of four, and he smiled at Holden and stabbed the button on the blender. Blended drinks were an abomination, and he had no respect for anyone who ordered them outside of a restaurant setting, and even then…
Bryce finished pouring them out, took a heavy black credit card out of a twink’s hand and started them a tab. He grabbed two beers for a couple on his way down to Holden and then finally, finally reached his man.
“Drink?” he asked, hating how giddy he felt in Holden’s presence.
Holden’s bright blue eyes searched his face and a soft smile flickered across his mouth. “I’ll have a beer.”
Bryce grabbed him one, popped the top, and slid the beer across the bar. Holden took it, raised it in a one-sided toast, then cocked his head to the side and smirked.
“I’m going to wander,” Holden said. “Get some ideas.”
Heat rolled down the length of Bryce’s spine and he managed a nod, watching Holden take a sip of his beer before turning and heading back into the middle of the dance floor.
“So, that’s Holden,” Verity said in his ear, startling him.
Bryce jumped, hand flying up to his chest to keep his heart behind his sternum. “How did you know?”
“The heart eyes, probably.”
“God.” Bryce scrubbed a hand down his face. “Am I that bad?”
Verity reached up and tweaked the tip of Bryce’s nose. “It’s cute.”
