shoulder as we met in the middle of the parking lot.
“Wow, you look gorgeous.”
They smiled, and their shoulders relaxed. “Thanks. You look nice too. Do you want to go in?”
“May I?”
My hand hovered over the small of their back to guide them forward. I didn’t want to offend them by touching them without my permission or worse to have them take my touch the wrong way.
For all their agreement to get something to eat together, I didn’t get the sense they wanted more than someone to talk to, which was fine by me. I didn’t believe in dating someone else while my mind was stuck elsewhere. That would be doing them a disservice.
The interior of the steak house was rustic with lots of wood and gleaming copper, giving it a warm atmosphere. We took a seat at a table for two against the far wall. A waiter promptly attended to us by taking our drink orders and slipping us menus.
“Wow, this place looks great,” Jackie said, scoping out the wall paintings.
“You haven’t been here before?”
“Not at all. I actually haven’t lived here that long. Just a year.”
“Where did you move from?”
“A little place no one’s heard of.”
“Try me.”
Their eyes flickered back toward me. “Charm.”
“Okay, you got me there.”
They laughed, the sound pleasant and easygoing. “I told you. Cincinnati seems like Las Vegas in comparison to Charm. Not that I’ve been to Vegas or anything.”
Talking to them outside of the munch was different. They hadn’t been personal at all on that day, not sharing tidbits about themselves. Tonight was different as we kept up the chatter about big cities.
They had a pleasant personality that made communication easy. If they’d seemed a little skittish at first, they gradually relaxed until we were laughing and talking like old friends who were catching up after a long separation.
“You know, I almost didn’t call you,” they said as we waited on dessert to arrive.
“Why not?”
Their eyes dropped to the table. “I was afraid you’d take it the wrong way.”
“Wrong way?”
“Yeah, like a date date.”
My eyes widened, and I smiled in amusement. “Oh.”
Their cheeks turned red. “Not that you’re not a great guy and all,” they rushed to say. “You are and hot too, but I’m afraid I really just need a friend at this time.”
I reached across the table and patted their slender hand. “Don’t worry. I’m good with just being a friend.”
They looked relieved. “You already have someone?”
Charles immediately came to mind, a thought which was nothing but trouble. Charles and I would never be a thing. If only my dick would catch up with my brain.
“No, no one, but I’m perfectly willing to wait for the right person to cross my path.”
They smiled at me, and with that little bit of information, the last vestiges of worry slipped.
“Still no luck job hunting?”
Our dessert arrived, and as soon as the waiter left, I replied. “Nope, but I’m sure something will come up soon.”
“I hope so.”
“Want to grab a nightcap?” I didn’t care that my voice sounded a bit too hopeful. Like them, I could also do with a friend without benefits. “I don’t think I’m ready to go back to an empty house right now.”
“Why not? Sounds like fun if you know a place.”
I knew a place all right.
Chapter 27
Charles
“I still can’t believe you went through with it, man. You’re crazy.”
I shook my head at Winston and immediately regretted it. It was as if a stampede of buffalo had taken residence. Slowly, I sat up on the sofa and frowned at the concerned face of my best friend, who sat across from me. I hated the way he darted his gaze from the bottle of scotch on the table, then at me.
Next to the bottle stood only one glass, so I assumed I’d been the only one drinking, but I couldn’t be sure. I hadn’t really paid much attention. Earlier—how long ago I didn’t even know—I’d come home. As soon as I’d closed the door behind me, the emptiness of my house had crashed down on me. I missed Miranda. I missed August.
Fuck, I didn’t know what I wanted. Declan was already back at the office, and I didn’t even know if I was needed there anymore. Was it so wrong to want to feel needed? To be seen?
“It was the right thing to do.”
“Have you told Declan yet?”
“No, it’s none of his business.”
“Shit. He’s going to be livid. Why didn’t you wait for him to come home before you signed the agreement? I’m