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“So…” Adrian’s eyes narrowed, voice slow. “Even if you never write another song, there’s an income stream that won’t dry up anytime soon.”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“And Max wants to do more together, and you’ve got several other projects going on too.”
Where was Adrian going with this? Eric gave a small nod, watching Adrian’s face for any clues.
“You really don’t actually need to be in London to do this. Do you?” Adrian sounded like he hadn’t truly believed it until now, and oh.That’swhat it was about.
“No, I don’t.” Eric wrapped an arm around Adrian’s back to pull him closer. “There are a couple of events I should attend, and once in a while, it might be good to meet people in person—virtual isn’t quite the same. But that’s just a trip here and there, nothing that requires me to live anywhere other than here.”
“You’ve thought about this. Like, staying. For real.” Adrian’s tone carried surprise, and Eric levelled him with a look.
“Which part of ‘I’m in love with you’ do you need me to repeat?”
“I don’t want you to wake up one day and feel trapped.”
“Adrian.” Eric let his voice go low and serious. “I told you this feels like home. There is nothing in London that I miss.”
Adrian’s mouth relaxed slightly. “What if Kojo leaves?”
“What if we get Kat here so he’s more likely to stay?” Eric countered. “She’s a legit dessert queen, and she could be in charge of a simpler menu for guests on a cheaper package. Plus there’s enough space outside that we could set up a bistro for the warmer months, for hikers and cyclists who want to stop for a bite or a drink.”
“We?” Adrian repeated quietly. His eyes were hopeful.
“Well.” Eric paused. “Yeah. I know it’s your family place, so I’m not trying to encroach or anything. But it’s not just you I fell in love with. Mostly you. But also this place, a little.”
“I—” Adrian broke off and ducked his head. Laughed, almost shyly. “Fuck. You’re kind of perfect, aren’t you?”
Adrian didn’t mean it like that. It wasn’t a precursor to a breakup, wasn’t leading up to ‘it’s me, not you’. Eric knew that. And yet.
“I’m really not,” he said tightly, and Adrian’s whole stance changed as he leaned further into Eric.
“Of course you’re not.” His voice gained a teasing edge. “You get so lost in your head sometimes that I feel like sending a rescue mission. And I honestly don’t understand how you manage to burn even toast.”
“That was once,” Eric protested, and it was absurd how he felt lighter for Adrian playfully insulting him.
“Because I don’t leave you unsupervised in the kitchen anymore. Seriously, with a best mate who’s a great chef, you’d think there’s something you would have picked up.”
“No, see,” Eric said. “It’s precisely because my best mate is a great chef that I can get away with being useless.”
“You’re not useless.” Adrian glanced at the doorway before he drew Eric in for a quick, sweet kiss, then pulled back to say, “I just meant—with the whole you-being-perfect thing. I know you’re not. But to me, you kind of are.”
Eric would have responded. Really, he would have. He was a lyricist who prided himself on his ability to find the right words—and so he would. Just as soon as his heart stopped performing stupid somersaults in his chest.
But whatever showed on his face must have done the trick because a wide smile took over Adrian’s face. Eric smiled back, and he was still smiling when the first guests arrived to be seated.
Hi! I’m Eric, your co-host this evening. Welcome to my home.
There was a tiny,insecure part of Adrian that worried about Eric pulling back once news of Adrian’s past made the rounds.
It sure was a test. Adrian hadn’t designed it that way—when he’d told Eric he didn’t care who knew, it was before they’d labelled things and so it simply hadn’t occurred to him that Eric could be impacted. But now they’d been publicly linked by Max, and Eric was a private person, and what if he didn’t want that kind of scrutiny and judgement? Many wouldn’t.
“He told hismum,” Martin said when Adrian brought it up. “So I don’t think he scares easy. Plus this will blow over soon—the gossip rags will only care about whether you fucked Max Fina. He says no, you say no, Eric and Lucas say no, and things will get boring very quickly.”
Martin made it sound simple. Adrian suspected that reality would be rather more complex, but then it always was, and he could only control so much. Like the business plan he’d pitch to the bank, for instance.
But of course, of fuckingcoursethe news of his past leaked the morning of the meeting.
