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“Just don’t screw this one up,” Manny ordered.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that you can be a lot sometimes and—”
“What the…? I am not—”
“I wasn’t done.” Manny doubled down. “You’re bullheaded, possessive, controlling, and stuck in your own way. Your tender Rayne guy looks pretty spoiled. Did you see what he wore to the gym?”
“I saw it,” Mike droned.
“Just be ready to wine and dine him. He looks like the type.”
Aww, fuck, Mike thought. “You know I hate eating out. What if he’s one of those crazy, vegan, gluten-free, farm-to-table-eating motherfuckers?”
“I know… that’ll suck ass. Maybe you should try to cook more, Mike. Buy some goddamn groceries. That’s why you kept getting dumped.”
Mike huffed, “No chick’s ever walked out on me because my pantry wasn’t well-stocked.”
“Just don’t make him your poor man’s surprise.”
Mike held back his grin. “Spam, noodles, and pork-n-beans is a good meal, and it covers all the major food groups.”
“What?” Manny frowned. “Do you even know what the food groups are?”
“It’s not important anyway. I don’t cook, and I doubt he does. Rayne is most likely used to eating out at fancy restaurants.”
“I bet he is,” Manny agreed.
Mike growled. “Ugh. The kinds of restaurants that don’t even have the prices next to the food… all it says is market price. How the hell am I supposed to know what the market’s doing?”
“He probably orders appetizers too,” Manny retorted easily, his eyes still on the game.
True, Mike thought. He looks like the type.
Mike set his beer down a little harder than he’d intended. “I can handle being with someone like him.”
Manny shot him a worried expression. “Yeah, but can your wallet handle it?”
Mike blinked. “I mean, I’m not rich or anything, but I’m comfortable. Hell, all of my bills are on autopay. I’m mature as shit now.”
Manny laughed and elbowed Mike hard enough to almost push him off the stool.
“If I’m gonna make this work, Manny, then he needs to see and know the real me, not someone I’m pretending to be. I don’t cook, and I don’t dress up and go to fancy restaurants. I won’t pretend to like it either. I have a feeling Rayne will be all right with that. A relationship ain’t nothing but finding someone who’s compatible with your bullshit.”
Manny took a deep breath. “Wow, that’s real deep, Mike.”
“Rayne’s not interested in phony. He only wants the real me, and that’s what he’s going to get.”
Manny pulled out his wallet and put a few more bills on the bar to close out their tab. “If you want him, you’re gonna have to go all in, my friend. No holding back like you did with the others. The only person that ever got close to you was Slick. And I think you know why.”
“Yeah… I know why.” Mike finished his beer. Manny was one of the few people who knew the truth about his and Jameson’s closeted affair. Mike hadn’t been ready to give himself over to that kind of love back then, but that wasn’t the case now.
“I got your back, bro. Always.”
“I know it.” Mike gave his friend a fist bump, glad to have that talk out of the way.
His phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he cursed, hoping it wasn’t Bishop. He still had to have the same talk with his boys, and already Mike was annoyed with the coming out shit. Why did he even have to do this? He woke up his cell and read the text from Trent complaining about the kitchen sink being broken. Ordinarily he’d be annoyed to have to make an impromptu stop at the trailer on his way home, but tonight, he was happy for the opportunity. He hadn’t seen Rayne since Monday, and he wanted to… needed to, if only for a few minutes.
