Page 51 of The Liar in Room 5

Legit love it, Daddy.

I’ll send an Uber at 6?

I’ll be ready.

13

Henry

Waiting for Drew was testing my patience, and that was something new for me. Certainly, I’d had relationships with men, but none of them had ever made me want to leave a crucial meeting because it had been a week and I wanted to see him.

From my vantage point near the window, I saw him get out of the Uber and walk up the sidewalk to the front of the restaurant. He paused to thank the driver and smiled at the attendant who’d come out to open the door for him. He looked a little different now than when we first met. His hair wasn’t nearly as perfect, and his clothes were much less put together. He seemed less guarded, and I liked it. Hell, I liked him.

When Phoenix called him interesting, he hadn’t been wrong. The contradiction between the professional-looking man who had seemed so lost and the warm, funny one who sometimes forgot to hide his Midwest roots fascinated me. It was the second one I wanted to lose myself in over the next hour.

“You made it,” I greeted him as he was escorted to the table.

After a quick nod of acknowledgment to the host, I pulled out Drew’s chair. Before he slipped into it, I enveloped him in a bear hug and held him close for just a moment. His hair was still slightly damp, and the fresh scent tickled my nose. Drew wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed me back. Before he pulled away, I planted a firm kiss on his mouth. I’d take the opportunity to publicly claim him every time.

“I’ve missed you, sweetheart,” I told him before loosening my grip.

“Me too, Daddy,” Drew whispered in my ear before pulling away.

“And, of course, I’m happy to say I survived the day with preschoolers relatively unscathed,” Drew answered with a smile.

“And you still managed to drag yourself out of bed today to keep me company for dinner? I’d still be holed up in there with my smelling salts and blankie.”

“It was so much fun. We got to…”

Before he could launch into the rundown, a server appeared tableside.

“Hey, guys, what can I get you to drink?”

Drew glanced at my water, then at me. I gave him a look that told him he better not even think about it because I already knew he hated it.

“Do you have sweet tea?”

“I’m sorry, we don’t, but we’ve got regular iced tea, a Long Island Iced Tea, or a Short Island Iced Tea, which is a mocktail,” they offered.

“Oh, I’ll try the last one, please.”

“Me too, and some garlic cheesy bread, please.”

The server nodded their understanding and bustled off to get our order in. I handed Drew a menu, and he glanced down before immediately beginning to bite his lip. In an instant, I knew what the issue likely was. The restaurant was one of those deceptively fancy California places that looked like a hole-in-the-wall but was actually pricey. The pizza was worth every penny and the extra cost of getting a table without an advance reservation.

Drew waited until the server was out of earshot before he spoke.

“I hadn’t realized how expensive my drink would be. I’m…”

I interrupted him before he could finish that thought.

“Let’s just be really clear. First, I invited you, and second, even when you invite me, this Daddy is buying. Full stop.”

I sat back in my chair and let Drew process.

“Is this important to you?”

“It’s nonnegotiable for me,” I admitted.