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The winking smiley face sent Canaan off to bed happy. Maybe things really could work out with Renzo. And he was still happy Tuesday morning as he did some homework and prepped for work. Happy right up until late afternoon when Renzo came in and a herd of doubting bison started stalking around Canaan’s stomach.
He was in uniform, which Canaan should have expected and yet somehow hadn’t. And he wasn’t alone, bringing along Curly and Bacon. That too, he should have anticipated. His team seemed to always come in clumps, and if Renzo was on duty, it wasn’t like he could sneak away for some time with Canaan. But still, Canaan’s heart started thumping as he helped one of the customers ahead of them in line.
What was he supposed to say? Did the guys even know he and Renzo were friends? Should he play it totally chill, like Renzo was just another customer? He’d come up with a drink for him, but now he wasn’t so sure about sharing it. Somehow, seeing Renzo back in uniform made him seem much more unattainable and unapproachable. Someone to crush on, but not the complicated, slightly vulnerable guy who’d been in Canaan’s bed and on his mind all day. Watching Renzo laugh and joke with his buddies made Canaan feel a little silly for thinking they could have anything real.
By the time Renzo’s group reached the register, he’d decided on the chill approach and gave them his professional smile, nothing more.
“Man, I hope you’ve got free smoothies for life for Rooster,” Bacon said before Canaan could ask him his order.
“And the senior chief,” Curly added. “Dude, he was pissed. We almost thought he was going to make the LT round up the team, send us to get you.”
“Uh-huh.” Bacon nodded emphatically. “He’s gonna have crap jobs for Rooster for a month just to cover how worried he was. So you better have something to make it better for him.”
Canaan’s real smile came out at that. Friends riding him he could totally deal with, and this was so much better than Renzo ghosting him, even if Renzo was turning rather red standing there next to his friends.
“Oh, I do,” Canaan assured Bacon. “Trust me on that.”
“He says you climbed out of that slot canyon faster than a lot of recruits. Not bad.” Curly’s tone had some grudging respect to it that made Canaan’s chest lift. Renzo had bragged about him? Dude totally was getting free smoothies as long as he wanted. And anything else he wanted.
“It was mainly adrenaline,” Canaan admitted. “Re—Rooster was the real hero.”
“Can Spencer—that’s my reporter boyfriend—contact you about a story? Naval PR’s not going to let Rooster go on record about the rescue, but Spencer smells a story about Kirby’s Revenge and the ordeal.” Bacon’s obvious pride in his boyfriend was cute.
“Sure. Give him my deets. But I’m not in the band anymore. He’ll want to talk more to the guys who are actually sorta famous.”
“Canaan. The line’s building up,” Sage called out.
“Oh. Right. Orders?” He went back to the business at hand, getting Curly his usual Strong Arm Strawberry and Bacon that week’s special of an Energy Berry Blast.
“And you?” He gave Renzo a wider, more intimate smile, trying to convey how pleased he was that Renzo’s friends evidently knew something about him and the weekend.
“Surprise me.” Renzo rubbed the back of his neck. His face was tense, and Canaan desperately wanted to relax him in some way.
“Will do. It’s on me,” he said when Renzo tried to pay. “I’ll make your friends pay but not you.”
“Sorry about them. They insisted on coming with me.” Renzo continued to look about as comfortable as if he were about to get his teeth drilled by a newbie dentist.
“They’re fine. Just being good friends.” Canaan sobered some as he remembered the other information they’d shared. “And I’m sorry if I got you in hot water with your senior chief.”
“Nah.” Renzo shrugged as Canaan started his drink, trading places with Sage, who moved to the register. “They’re exaggerating. The senior chief was worried, but he’s not gonna dock me. Don’t go feeling guilty.”
Too late. Canaan already did and he wished he knew how to make Renzo feel more comfortable with his friends being there. He finished up the drink he’d invented for Renzo—cold brew coffee, hazelnut, dark chocolate, chocolate protein powder, and milk.
“You on duty the rest of the night?” he asked, keeping his voice light and not too suggestive as he handed the drink over.
“We have a late meeting, but I’ll see what I can do about texting.” Voice low, Renzo glanced away at where Bacon and Curly were waiting. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’ll be up late studying, so whenever is fine,” Canaan reassured him, but it didn’t do much to bring the smile out for Renzo. Maybe Renzo was far less happy than Canaan that his friends knew, and that lovely thought made Canaan’s doubting bison return again to kick up his anxiety.
