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He wasn’t supposed to be crushing on someone new.
He was supposed to be on this little adventure to prove to himself he didn’t need to get married in order to be happy or fulfilled. His heart was tender and pinned to his sleeve, and someone like Oliver could rip it to shreds without even meaning to.
He really needed to tell him no.
As he climbed to his feet, Victor’s phone buzzed with an unfamiliar text.
Unknown: Hello, this is Jacob Fuller from the Sol Azur Bay Rescue Aquarium. Just wanted to confirm the tour. It’s just you and your wife, yes?
Victor’s stomach sank toward his feet, and he headed into the kitchen instead of answering. It was ungodly early—barely past eight—so he fixed himself coffee from the Nespresso and took it outside. The terrace wrapped around half the house and overlooked the valley. The tops of the trees looked vibrant with the early morning sun in the distance, and behind him, he could hear the waves crashing against the shoreline.
He wondered briefly where Oliver lived. It was very unlikely it was anywhere near this neighborhood. And most definitely not in a home that needed twenty-five steps to reach the front door simply for aesthetic purposes.
Oliver’s claim to a hurt knee bubbled up in his memory, and he remembered the feeling—first of anger and affront, then of an almost softness because it had taken the pressure off him to be the one to ask for accommodations. He had fully intended on climbing those stairs and paying for it later, and the fact that Oliver had seamlessly stepped in and made it so he wouldn’t have to felt odd. Alice had never done anything like that. She wouldn’t have even considered it.
She would have just expected Victor to find a way to do whatever it was she wanted to do.
Stretching his legs out, he wriggled his stiff toes, then finally picked up his phone again.
Victor: It will be me and a friend. Unfortunately the wedding didn’t happen, but I’m in town and I’d still like to see the aquarium.
Jacob: I’m sorry to hear that, but you’re most definitely welcome. Party of two?
Victor: Yes. Thank you.
Jacob: Please send me a photo of your license plate whenever you can. Use the employee entrance. Your name will be left with the guard, and the tour guide will meet you near the empty dolphin fountain at eleven a.m.
Victor forced himself to finish his coffee before finally opening up the second thread on his phone. He’d seen the three dots indicating that Oliver was typing a message the night before, but they disappeared as quickly as they’d come.
And there was no message waiting for him now.
Victor: If you’re not busy today, I have a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium scheduled. If you’d like to come.
Oliver: Yes! Otters!
Victor smiled, pressing the edge of the phone to his forehead and forcing himself to take a breath because he could picture the excitement on Oliver’s face. Fuck, was he just waiting around for Victor to message him?
He had a sudden realization that he had power in this situation. That it wasn’t just his heart on the line. He could hurt this man. He had to take care.
Victor: I’m sure we’ll see otters. But I’d like to discuss your rate and payment before you say yes.
Oliver: Okay. We can do that. I usually accept payment over Venmo but I can do cash if you’re worried about a paper trail. I’m assuming you don’t want sex on the table, so my rates are fifteen hundred for a full work day.
Victor: This is not an insult to your profession, but I don’t pay for that sort of thing. Sex is important to me.
Oliver: I’m not offended. :)
Victor: I can pay over Venmo. Do you want me to sign a contract?
Oliver: To drive you around and look at otters? No, honey. I trust you.
Victor: I’m a stranger.
Oliver: Statement stands. Unless you’d be more comfortable.
Victor wouldn’t. He wasn’t running for politics, and frankly, something like this would be the least scandalous thing that could go public with one of the company’s CEOs. Not that he wanted to broadcast it, but he didn’t feel compelled to hide.
Victor: I’ll text you my address. You know the city better than I do, so you can figure out what time I need to be ready. The tour starts at eleven.
