him would have to be patient and understanding, and they’d have to find a way to love him in spite of the fact that half his heart belonged to his job. Ilan didn’t deserve to settle for someone who would do no more than tolerate the person he was, but he also knew it meant waiting—maybe forever, and it was a crushing thought because his best friend deserved the world.
“For now,” Ilan said after a sigh, taking another sip of his drink, “there’s great sex and shopping trips with you. I can live with that.”
Julian smiled at him, then dug into the food that was delivered a few minutes later. It was a nice evening—and it was soothing. It took the edge off the anxiety he felt every time he thought about the escort and the trip, and every single small thing that could—and probably would—go wrong.
“Have you heard from, um…”
“Your new friend?” Ilan asked with a grin.
Julian rolled his eyes. “His name, or anything at all?”
“I told you Chuck showed me his picture. Tall, muscular, dark hair, great smile. You won’t be disappointed.”
Julian raised his brow. “Mhm. But that’s not what I asked.”
Ilan sighed. “He seemed a little cagey today, but he said he’d see you tomorrow afternoon.”
“When we leave,” Julian said flatly.
Ilan’s cheeks flushed. “He’s busy. He gets a lot of work.”
Julian swallowed thickly and turned his gaze out toward the horizon. “What if he saw me, and…? You sent him pics, right?”
“Yes,” Ilan said slowly.
“What if he saw me and doesn’t know how to reject me politely. I mean, I’m sure a man like him needs to maintain a reputation.”
Ilan’s face hardened. “That’s not how it works.”
“Isn’t it, though?” Julian asked. “He might just ghost me.”
“I’d kill him,” Ilan said. “If he even thinks about it, I’ll…”
“You won’t.” Julian reached over and laid his hand on his friend’s arm. “You can’t hate people for being themselves.”
“Watch me,” Ilan grumbled, and Julian smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine anyway. If he’s superficial enough he won’t go out with a hot guy just because he’s not a fucking super-model…”
Julian waved him off. “People have turned me down for a lot less and a lot worse. My situation is pathetic, Ilan. You just asked a sex worker to spend a week pretending to be in love with me as we attend the wedding festivities of my ex-husband who is marrying my first cousin.”
Ilan’s lips twitched like he was trying to hold back a smile, and Julian couldn’t keep down his laugh.
“It’s absurd, and I wouldn’t blame the guy for running away.”
Ilan chuckled along with him and shook his head. “If he tells you no, I’m going with.”
Julian shook his head. “You can’t…”
“I will beg and bribe and get my shifts covered and lie to your family’s face and tell them that watching you with Bryce broke my heart because I realized I didn’t want to live without you.”
He knew Ilan was being serious, but he also knew he’d never put him in that position. “If this guy turns me down, I’m going to look Bryce in the eye and tell him I don’t need to marry the first man with eight figures to pay me attention, because I am and always will be worth more than him.”
Ilan softened and he shifted his arm back so he could link their fingers together. “You’re braver than I am.”
It didn’t sound like the lie Julian knew it had to be. Because he wasn’t. But it was nice to feel like that every once in a while.
Chapter 7
“So, you’re going to tell him never mind,” Shen said.
Archer didn’t look up from where his gaze was fixed on the tall, foggy tank where his new chameleon clung to the end of a faux tree branch. The glass was warm under his finger as he dragged it, watching Cassini’s eyes twitch from right to left. On his bed, an open suitcase sat half full, a couple pairs of shoes lying on top of his clothes. Rex would probably have an aneurysm from the way he packed, but he didn’t care.
“I mean, I have to, right?”
Shen laughed softly, flopping onto the bed. He turned onto his side, propping his head up with one hand, the other reaching for one of his shoes. He hung it by his thin, delicate finger and rocked it back and forth. “Do you?”
“Rex will murder me,” Archer said. He opened the top of Cassini’s terrarium and dragged a hand down his back,