Fairy Tales and Cappuccinos (Everyday Love #1) - Taylor Rylan Page 0,72
Sawyer said. I could see why. It was dessert on its own. And Sawyer had brought an apple pie that had Fireball in it. I couldn’t wait.
We were pretty much wrapping up our first Christmas dinner with new friends. Only, they felt like more than friends. Sawyer and Chris were more like family. Even if I wasn’t romantically involved with Sawyer, I could still see myself as being close friends with him. He was just a good person.
And with Sawyer came Chris. They were a package deal much like Ford and I were. Because Chris and Sawyer were more than just friends. They were a lot like brothers.
“Dishwasher?” Chris said as he jumped up from the table, grabbing plates as he went.
“I’ll get them later,” I said, trying to keep him from feeling the need to do dishes.
“No. I’m not going to leave a mess for you and Sawyer. If we do them now, it will take minutes.”
I couldn’t argue. He was right. And when I looked at Sawyer, he shook his head as he got up and took his plate and glass with him to the kitchen. Ford was hiding his face, and when the other two left, I finally got him to look at me. His face was red because he’d been trying to keep from laughing.
“You make no sense,” I said.
“Probably not. But I think it’s funny that he simply said nope and you gave in that fast. Usually you argue a few times at least.”
“He’s not wrong, you know,” I said.
“I do. And the faster we get everything cleaned up, the sooner we can open presents.”
I started piling dirty dishes on top of each other and took an equally large stack to the kitchen where Sawyer was rinsing them and Chris was loading the dishwasher. They seemed to have a system going, so Ford and I both simply dropped off our stacks and got out of the way.
“You going to ask him about it?” Ford asked quietly after we settled in the living room on the couch.
“Yeah. Maybe. Last time he kind of freaked a bit. I don’t want that again. But I want something a little more permanent.” Sawyer didn’t have to accept a partnership when it came to Cappuccinos, but I did want him to sign an employment contract. For his protection. I didn’t want him to ever feel that I was taking advantage of him in any way.
“You ready to open gifts?” Chris asked as he walked over, a box in his hands.
“I guess,” Ford said. I looked at Sawyer, who shrugged before he came and sat on the couch, close to me.
“Seriously? You’re going to make me sit by myself?” Chris asked.
“Yep. I’m sitting with my boyfriend. You can fit between me and Ford,” Sawyer said. I watched Chris contemplate too hard about it before he sat down between Ford and Sawyer.
“He doesn’t bite, you know,” I said.
“Says who?” Ford teased.
Sawyer laughed loudly when Chris gasped and moved a scant centimeter away from my cousin.
“Oh my god. Just pass out the gifts, Chris,” Sawyer said and grabbed the box.
“Well, fine. What’s wrong with not wanting to be bitten?”
“Some men like it. You should try it,” Ford said as he leaned in closer to Chris. Chris, on the other hand, just stared back before he shoved the box into Ford’s lap.
“Here. Hold this.” After the box was on Ford’s lap, Chris reached in and started pulling out packages. There were definitely more than expected, and when I went to say something, Sawyer shushed me while shaking his head.
“Okay, so I know the agreement was one gift. And you have one. Kind of. Open the green one first.”
I noticed that our green packages were all the same size, and Sawyer and I shrugged before tearing into the packages. I laughed when I saw what was in it. When Sawyer showed me what was in his, I laughed harder.
“You know this shit tastes terrible, right?” Sawyer asked as he held up flavored lube.
“What flavor did you get? I have coconut,” Ford asked.
“Umm, banana,” I said.
“I have strawberry,” Sawyer said and gave Chris a scowl. “You know I don’t like strawberry anything except actual strawberries.”
“I know. But maybe Hudson does. Get it though. Strawberry and banana? Open the red gift now.”
We did and we all found condoms. “Are you expecting us to fuck like bunnies?” Sawyer asked.
“Don’t you?” Chris asked.
I shook my head, Ford snorted, and Sawyer shoved Chris into Ford.