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A shrewd look crossed Lucas’s face. “Oh,babe.” It carried fond exasperation. Immediately after, Lucas touched Eric’s arm, then threw his head back as if Eric had said the funniest thing ever. Shit. Eric took half a step back and twisted to catch Max’s eyes because he wasn’t making a move, honestly.
Max winked at him, easy as you please.
Adrian, though? Adrian was frowning at the glass in his hand as though it had committed a great offence.
“See?” Lucas said from next to Eric, a hint smug. “That is the face of someone who’s jealous, and not just a little.”
Maybe.
“You did that on purpose?” Eric asked, and Lucas raised a brow.
“Of course I did. Feel free to thank me.”
Adrian was jealous. Maybe, quite possibly. The idea lit a giddy kind of hope in Eric’s chest. “Thank you,” he told Lucas.
A surprised smile curved Lucas’s lips. “You’re very welcome.”
“Thank you for coming, too. I appreciate your being willing to help.”
“Again, you’re welcome.” Lucas let his gaze sweep around the room, still smiling. “I can see why you fell in love with this place.”
“Not just the place,” Eric said softly.
Lucas’s attention returned to him, eyes bright. “I can see that, too.”
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Then Eric shot another glance at the bar, where Max and Adrian were talking. WhileAdrian looked interested, it was in the general sense, not in the I-fancy-the-pants-off-you sense.
“If I showed Max a song”—Eric kept his voice low, meant for Lucas’s ears only—“do you think he might want to collaborate again?”
Lucas grinned. “Not gonna lie—for a while there, he didn’t like you very much.”
“It wasn’tmybloody fault he didn’t stake a claim,” Eric protested. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have made a move.”
“I know. He does, too.” Lucas shook his head. “And for what it’s worth, I think he mostly blames himself for not getting his head out of his arse sooner. But he still didn’t love seeing us together even if it served him right.”
“We made a mess, didn’t we?” Eric asked with a huff of laughter.
“Mostly him,” Lucas said with a wry smile. “In his defence, he’d agree. And I think he’s at the point now where he’s… You know. Not that he had any right to feel resentful towards you, but I’m pretty sure he’s over it. And when you reached out, he mentioned that his collaborations with you were the most fun he’s had with anyone.”
It went both ways. Eric tended to write alone these days, but he’d enjoyed bouncing ideas with Max. There’d been a playful quality to it that felt liberating, taking away some of the pressure.
“I kind of miss writing with him,” he admitted.
Lucas’s face went soft. “He misses writing with you too. Not that he’d ever say it because, you know—it’s Max.”
“I know.” Eric inhaled. “I’m glad things worked out for you, Lucas. I probably couldn’t have said and meant it half a year ago, or even three months—but I really am.”
“What changed?” Lucas sounded like he already knew the answer.
Eric smiled at him. “I guess I fell in love for real.”
“Welcome to the club,” Lucas said. “We meet every Tuesday for a game of cards and some eggnog.”
“Save me a seat?”
“Done.”
Eric’s grin took no effort, and when Lucas bumped their fists together, it felt right. Like a shadow Eric was finally ready to release.
