buddy! How long ago did you get here?”
Jordan turned to find his friend Axel standing behind him and reaching for the beer he’d ordered.
“Not long. Where are the others?”
“At the booth we found,” Axel said. “Come on.”
He reached for the other two drinks that the bartender had placed on the counter and Jordan took one to help him carry them over to the booth. His other friends greeted him with boisterous hellos.
“Hey, Jay! Man, you look whacked!”
Bart was arguably the thinnest man that Jordan knew. And yet, if you were blind and listened to his voice you’d think he was a giant. It was deep and booming and imposing.
“It’s always exhausting going back after the holidays,” he said. “But I’m better now.”
“Missing your boy, though, right, Jay?” Brad, Bart’s twin, remarked with a smirk. “You shoulda tapped that while you had the chance.”
Brad wasn’t quite as thin as his brother, but his voice was equally as booming. Jordan rolled his eyes at his friend, punching him lightly on the arm.
“Shut up! You know that was never ever gonna be a thing!”
“Too pretty for your ugly ass?” Axel teased.
Jordan thought about that for a moment. Why hadn’t he gone after Mac way back when they’d first met? Well, aside from the fact that it would have been frowned upon by the college and that there was zero chemistry between them, Mac was way too young for him, and Jordan had always seen him as his little brother. That connection meant more to him than any possible hookup would have done. He had no blood relations…Mac was the only family for him. Mac and his siblings, Mrs. Salvietti and her son Rod, and the men he was out drinking with.
“You’re just jealous because I’m prettier than you,” Jordan answered, shooting his friend the bird. “Don’t even lie about it.”
General laughter met his reply and then they all sipped deeply from their drinks. The camaraderie was warm and comforting to Jordan.
“So, how’s the newlywed?” Axel asked. “Are we ever gonna see him again?
Jordan chuckled. “Why are you all so damned dramatic? Of course we’ll see him again! But he’s busy right now with meetings and such. New year, new projects, new clients…it’ll be a bit before he can come hang out with us. Remember they were away for a while. Work backs up.”
They drank in silence again until Brad said, “Whoa! That’s there’s a serious beauty!”
Jordan smiled. “Trolling before you’ve finished your first drink, Brad?”
“No man, I’m serious! He’s a beaut! Pity he’s with someone!”
His friend sounded so disappointed that Jordan had to turn to see who had caused such a reaction. The photographer from Mac’s wedding — what was his name again? Ben…Bennett — Bennett Kincaid — walked toward the bar talking to a slightly taller, older guy. The man was smiling and nodding at whatever Bennett was saying. They reached the bar and Jordan found himself unable to resist taking in the sexy photographer’s slender but fit frame.
“Well, well, well! Will you look at that!”
Axel’s teasing voice brought Jordan’s eyes back to the table. “Look at what?” he asked, puzzled.
His friends were all watching him with smirks on their faces. He frowned, unsure of himself. What was so funny about him all of a sudden?
“What?”
He tried not to snap at them. They always messed with each other every chance they got, so he knew he’d find out soon enough what he’d done to amuse them.
“It’s been…forever? Yeah, forever since you’ve spared anyone a second glance, buddy,” Axel said. “But for some reason, you can’t seem to take your eyes off the hottie at the bar.”
Fuck! That’s why they were taking the piss out of him…he’d been caught staring. He explained quickly. He didn’t want them getting the wrong idea.
“I know who he is, that’s all,” he said. “He was the photographer at Mac’s wedding. He’s Mac’s husband’s best friend.”
All eyes turned back in time to see Bennett and his companion walking toward the other side of the bar where there were still a couple of empty booths. Brad sighed dramatically.
“Well, I guess he’s off limits, anyway, so it doesn’t matter whether or not any of us wants to tap that fine ass.”
Jordan squelched the unexpected burst of anger in his chest at his friend’s words. What the hell? He didn’t know the guy, and even if he did harbor an almost prurient interest in his sexy body and beautiful face, he wasn’t going to allow any of that to show. They