got here.”
“Thanks.” I accepted the glass and took a long swallow. Man, that felt good.
“So, what’s the sitch?”
There it was…the digging. I took another long draw from my glass. “This is great. You know, most days, I think I love you, man.”
“Aww.” Tori laughed, the sound like bells tinkling.
He’d make a great catch for any guy. Hell, if I was into twinks, he’d probably be first on my list. But I wasn’t…so he wasn’t.
“I mean, that’s cute, but we all know you couldn’t handle this much adorable.” Tori shimmied in his seat, and I chuckled.
“Probably not.” I shook my head in mock ruefulness.
“Which leads me right back around to my original question. What’s going on that we’re both sitting, dateless, in Hot Toddy’s?” He spun his glass in an idle circle, looking completely distracted, but I knew him better than that.
I covered my face with my hands. “Ugh. I mean, I had my intern interview today with Saint.”
Tori raised his eyebrows. “That all? Man, you’re a shoo-in. If nothing else, family loyalty counts, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “No, family loyalty doesn’t count right now—not if I’m serious at starting out.” I sighed. “Besides, Nico—”
“Nico?” Tori screeched. “Nico Holton? Be still my beating heart.” He fanned his face.
“Yeah. I haven’t seen him for years.”
“Wait…” Tori switched his focus from his beer and his laser gaze bored into me. His eyes gleamed. “Didn’t you used to have just a teensy, eensy crush on Nico back in the day?” He brought his thumb and forefinger fractions of an inch apart to illustrate something very small indeed.
I reached out and made the gap between his digits bigger. “It was pretty big, honestly.”
“And?” He leaned across the table, his eyes still shining with interest. “Is he still as hot as he used to be?”
“Oh my God…” I slumped back in my chair. “He is so hot. Hotter than ever.”
A grin widened on Tori’s lips. “Now, that’s what I like to hear.”
“But it isn’t. It isn’t going to work.” I shook my head. “I don’t think I can accept a position with them, even if they offer it.”
His eyes grew serious. “Don’t be so dumb, Jamie. If they offer you an internship at Caldwell & Holton, you’d be an idiot not to take it. Look at their reputation. Look at all you could learn.” He dropped his voice. “You’re a grown-ass man, now, not some stupid teenager. You can control a crush.” He almost hissed the last part. “Don’t toss your future in the dumpster because you have…feelings.” He glanced up. “I mean it. Even if that man does happen to be Adonis in a suit.”
“Huh? Adonis in a suit? What are you talking about, Tor?” I followed his gaze and landed right on where Nico and Saint had both walked into the bar. Fabulous.
“Of all the gay bars in Lakeshore…” Tori murmured. Then he turned back to me, excitement dancing in his eyes. “And don’t they both look delicious?”
I groaned. “The ‘no friends dating my brothers’ rule is still very much in effect.”
Tori shifted in his seat then undulated his shoulders as a low bass beat thrummed through the bar as it shifted into nighttime mode. “And just who invented that dumbass rule?”
I grimaced. “Saint, of course.”
Tori rolled his eyes. “Of course.”
Family loyalty lodged in my chest, and I hurried to explain. “But it was for good reasons.”
“Sure it was.”
“No, really. He worried brothers dating friends would lead to complications if hearts got broken, and no one wants to be torn between a brother and a friend, right?” I shrugged.
It all sounded very logical, and it was what it was. Saint’s very logical rule was the reason I’d never declared my crush on Nico when I was a teenager.
And it was exactly the reason I couldn’t act on it now.
Tori glanced at his watch. “Oh, snap. Hey, you know what? I just remembered I have other plans. I have to run, but I hate to just abandon you here, so—” He stood and waved his arms. “Saint, Nico, come join Jamie.”
Heat flamed over my whole body, and I’d never wished a cringe could make me evaporate before. I grabbed Tori’s forearm. “What are you doing?”
He smiled at me, the saccharine expression puke-inducing. “Getting you some company.”
“I hope you fail all of your exams,” I hissed.
He gasped and clutched his chest before dropping back into his seat. “With lines like those, maybe I do need to stay. You clearly have no game.”
I watched Nico as he