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“He’s not someone I want to talk about, anyway,” Victor said. “Likely, he’s throwing her a party for dodging this bullet.” He waved his hand up and down his body, and Oliver wanted to hit something because Victor looked like he might actually agree with that crusty old fucker.
Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately for Victor’s sake—Oliver’s impending rant was interrupted by the appearance of their server. “Do you have any questions, gentlemen?”
Oliver almost choked on his laugh. He was pretty sure he’d never been called a gentleman in his entire life—and especially not at an arena sports bar. “I’m just gonna take an iced tea to drink.”
“I’ll have a sparkling water,” Victor said.
“And are we ready to put in an order?”
Victor looked suddenly petrified as his gaze moved from the menu to Oliver. “Did you…have you…?”
“I think we’ll start with the wing flight. Let’s go with medium spicy,” Oliver said, trying to hold back a smile. Seriously, whowasthis man?
Victor all but melted back into his chair with visible relief. “Yes. Thank you.”
“And extra wet wipes. This one’s a little fussy about his very expensive suit,” Oliver said with a wink.
Victor looked affronted, his eyes wide, but he waited to say anything until the server was gone. “I didn’t say anything about my suit.”
“No, but I saw your face when you were sitting in the back of my car. Not that I blame you,” Oliver said, grinning wider when Victor spluttered his defense. “Oh, honey, come on. Tell me it’s not an expensive suit.”
Victor bit his lip and sighed, glancing away. “I wasn’t trying to show off. It’s all I had. I wasn’t sure what to wear tonight.”
Oliver felt a pang of regret, and he reached across the table, gently laying his hand on the back of Victor’s. He only lingered for a second, despite how much he wanted to touch longer and maybe a little more intimately.
“I’m sorry. I’m kind of an asshole, and I give shit to the people I really like.”
Victor swallowed. “You don’t even know me.”
“Not yet. But you seem really nice, Victor.Andyou seem like you’re in a really shitty situation. Is this really supposed to be your honeymoon?”
Victor glanced down at his hands, clasping them so tightly his knuckles turned yellow white. “I…suppose it is. Kind of a shit honeymoon, right?”
“Are you kidding?” Oliver asked. “I’m not a major hockey fan or anything, but this is the dream. Junk food and hot guys beating the shit out of each other?”
That startled a laugh out of Victor, and more tension left him. “She, ah…Alice. Her name is Alice, and she liked that too. She would have hated this.” He tugged on his suit jacket.
Oliver hummed, tapping his chin. “There’s a gift shop. We can probably find you a jersey when we’re done.”
Victor’s eyes lit up slightly, and Oliver had to wonder what the hell kind of life this man lived if that excited him. “Am I a monster for thinking the company’s better tonight than it would have been with her?”
“I don’t know her, but I can confidently say absolutely not. I’m a delight…and very vain,” he said, and Victor covered his mouth, laughing softly into his palm. The drinks appeared a second later, and Oliver nodded his thanks before taking a huge sip of his. It was slightly sweetened and fruity. Not the best, but not the worst. “Can I ask what happened, or—”
“I caught her cheating,” Victor said without letting him finish. He sipped his own water, then set it off to the side. “I went home early one afternoon to get a file I’d forgotten, and she was in our bed with my business partner.”
“Fuck,” Oliver breathed out. “No, seriously.Fuck.”
Victor laughed, this time without much humor, and he sat back. “That was my reaction. Well, no.” He glanced down and shrugged. “I threw up on my shoes.”
Oliver laughed loudly, then slapped a hand over his mouth. When Victor met his gaze, he winced. “I’m so sorry, but that was just so damnhonest. I probably would have started laughing because I tend to do that when I’m uncomfortable—as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” He tapped his chin in thought, but he couldn’t really begin to imagine what he’d do if he loved someone enough to marry them only to find them in bed with someone else. “I think I would have screamed too, and…yeah. I probably would have puked.”
Victor bit his lip, then released it. “Once it was over, I felt like an idiot. I wish I’d been mean. Instead, I just looked weak. I threw up my lunch, and then I ran.” He went quiet a moment, then said, “She’s trying to sue me for my house.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Whoa, what? Did you buy it together?”
Victor snorted and shook his head. “No, and my lawyer tells me she doesn’t have a case. I think she’s just trying to hurt me for calling off the engagement.”
“Uh,” Oliver said, completely confused. “She fucked your friend in your bed, and you saw her. What did she expect you to do?”
