Gray?”
He seems pissed off. The date must not be going so well. Looking at Max, I can kind of see why.
“Gray,” Kai snaps.
I shake my head. There’s no need for us to be rude to Max by leaving him here alone. It’s not his fault he’s so… annoying.
“I’m good. I’m sure whatever it is, we can talk about it later at home.”
Cee whirls toward me. “At home?” she repeats.
“Kai’s living with me,” I say distractedly. “So what do you do for a living, Max?” I continue.
“I’m doing my PhD in sports medicine,” the guy says. “But I dabble in photography on the side. I actually offered to take some photos of Kai’s art once he has more pieces ready.”
“Photographer,” I repeat. “The real kind or the I-own-a-smartphone kind?” It’s important to know those things. I wouldn’t want Kai to end up going out with some asshole who only wants to take advantage of him.
Now both Cee and Kai are glaring at me.
“Gray!” Cee says loudly.
“What?” I raise my brow at her.
“Maybe tone it down?” she suggests through clenched teeth.
“Oh. Was I being rude?” I raise my hands in the air. “Sorry, sorry. My sense of humor is not for everybody.”
“It’s fine,” Max says, but he scoots his chair back a bit and gives me a weird look. People these days. So sensitive to some light teasing. I don’t think this guy is going to fit our dynamic.
“And to answer your question,” Max continues, “I’m not a professional. I just enjoy capturing beautiful things and moments of life.”
“That’s fascinating.” Cee jumps on that topic with a desperation of a shipwreck survivor who sees a lifeboat. “I’ve always been interested in photography!”
“Since when?” I ask.
“Since always,” Cee says through her teeth. “Remember we went to that gallery opening last year?”
I roll my eyes. Kai gives me a warning look before he turns his attention back to the conversation.
“Max’s travel photos are incredible,” he says. “We were actually in Spain at the same time, it turns out. You should hear some of his stories.”
“I’ve only scratched the surface,” Max says with a laugh.
Show-off.
I down the rest of my whiskey. I don’t get it. That’s who Kai finds attractive? I mean, objectively speaking, I guess Max isn’t totally off-putting, but he doesn’t seem like Kai’s type. Not that I really know what Kai’s type is. He’s never introduced me to any of his boyfriends, and he’s been single for as long as I’ve known him. This is the first time I’m seeing him with a date.
It’s possible I just don’t know what Kai’s type is. I look at Max again. He’s in the middle of some kind of a story about the time he got robbed by a gang of monkeys when he was in Indonesia.
I guess he and Kai have at least one thing in common. They both love to travel, but I mean, so do I. I’m adventurous. There was that time I went to London. On that patent law conference. That was one crazy week… of nonstop lectures and networking. Maybe that’s not the best example of my carefree, devil-may-care attitude that I definitely excel at and that fits so well with Kai’s personality.
Still, that doesn’t prove anything. I could be adventurous and crazy. I probably have it in me. I just haven’t had the time to test out that side of my very interesting and multifaceted character yet, what with all the long days and nights spent in the office. My point is, I’m interesting, too! I’ve got a lot to offer to Ka—I mean, to a potential date.
Unlike Max. He’s definitely one of those people who’s all bells and whistles. No substance to be found here.
“Have you had the chance to stop by Kai’s workshop? He has those old dining room chairs he’s restoring. It’s fascinating to watch him fix up something that somebody else deemed worthy of a trash can,” Max tells Cee. “I almost felt compelled to steal those. I just moved into a new apartment, and the place is empty.”
What the hell?
“He’s been to the workshop?” I whip my head toward Kai.
Kai gives me another one of those strained smiles he seems to have reserved just for me tonight. “Max needs a bookcase. He stopped by to see my work.”
“Doesn’t he know how to use a computer and look at photos?” I ask.
“Some people like the in-person approach,” Kai grits out.
“Taking him out to dinner to make a sale seems a tad excessive.”
Kai pushes himself up