Page 27 of AJ’s Fire

“What’s with you?”

“Fine, I’m fine.” I was totally not fine.

We followed the maître d’ as we snaked through the restaurant.

Emily held me back so that the others were a few steps ahead of us. “You don’t sound fine.”

“I can’t do this anymore, Ems. I … I have a date.” I leaned in close and whispered, “With a guy. Tomorrow.”

“And you're nervous about it?”

“Yes. No.” I stopped walking and genuinely thought about it. “No. The date is whatever. Seems like a nice enough guy, and he claims to be in the closet too and working things out like me. I don’t think I’m nervous about that.” I knew the words were true as they came out of my mouth.

“But I have to come out. I have to tell AJ.” Emily’s face lit up like I’d told her Santa Claus had visited. “Tell him I’m bi. Stop lying to him. That’s all he needs to know,” I concluded pointedly.

“And you’re nervous about that?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking terrified. I don’t want things to change between us.”

“Why would they change?” Emily said, but then she started walking again, taking me along with her.

We made it to the back of the room as Casey and Ruth arrived at the table. AJ and Jamie stood to greet them, and I had to tighten my grip on Emily as my gaze traveled to my best friend. He was wearing a charcoal-gray suit jacket with a black T-shirt underneath. The shirt strained across his broad chest, and after AJ absentmindedly buttoned the jacket, it framed him from those broad shoulders to his narrow waist. But it was the pants that had me working to catch my breath. He’d paired the jacket with black jeans so formfitting I felt like I could see the outline of every muscle of AJ’s thighs. I had never seen him in those pants before; I would have remembered. This was a man I had showered and changed with hundreds of times in my five years at the station—but seeing him dressed up for the evening simply took my breath away.

When he smiled as Casey and Ruth approached the table, it stopped me in my tracks again. The room around me faded until all that was left was him. The restaurant wasn't overly bright, but in my mind’s eye, he had that shimmering glow behind him, like the day we’d met. There was no sight, no sound, only him.

Emily turned to me, watching me watch AJ. “Why on earth would things change?” she mumbled, possibly to herself. At any rate, I chose to ignore it. “Come on, Jax,” she whispered. “We’re failing at introducing everyone.”

She tugged on my arm, but I hesitated, the palpitations starting up again and making it so I had to focus to keep from nervously running my hands down my legs. I could feel my pulse everywhere, but my attention quickly focused on my cock, which was surging and thickening as I stood there dumbfounded.

“Jax,” Emily whispered sharply, a tense smile on her face as the maître d’ came back toward us.

“Is this table okay, Mr. Dorso? Ms. Wyecrest?” The man’s concerned attention was enough to snap me out of my lust-filled stupor.

Looking past him toward my best friend, I said, “Everything’s perfect. Two bottles of champagne for the table to start, if you would.”

“Right away, sir. Ma’am.” He nodded toward Emily before he headed for the bar.

Emily and I finally approached the table, where our group stood shaking hands. Emily began, “AJ, so nice to see you again.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “And this must be Jamie? I believe you both know Casey.”

Jamie had a polite if somewhat distracted smile on his face, “Casey, from Lucy's Taphouse! Best nachos in Brooklyn. It’s nice to see you.”

Emily, enjoying her role as hostess, released my arm and linked hers with Ruth instead, guiding her to Jamie.

“Jamie, AJ, this is my cousin Ruth.” Emily smoothly maneuvered Ruth to the seat next to Jamie before linking arms with Casey and directing her to a chair.

Chapter Nine

AJ

Jamie and I were the first to arrive at the restaurant on the Upper West Side, and we were seated right away.

“Oh, you’re with Ms. Wyecrest’s party? Right this way, gentlemen.”

We sat, and Jamie immediately pulled his phone out, which wasn’t like him.

“You worried about Vee?”

“Huh?” Jamie looked up, clearly not having heard me.