“Anyway, I can’t think of many employees who wouldn’t get pissed about the boss taking off during a huge opening like this, but Sam was adamant that Jack work on his own shit and that he’d make sure things went smoothly here. Then again, that was foolish on his part because he’s been running himself into the ground. He needs someone to force him to slow down or he’s going to burn out before he graduates college.”
Fuck. I knew Sam was young, but I wasn’t sure I was up for someone who hadn’t even started living yet. And I knew perfectly well that saying something like that would piss off most college kids, but it was the truth. He was still at the age where he thought he was grown up and knew what he wanted, but I’d been around long enough to know that what people wanted in their early twenties was rarely the same as when they’d had time to get to know themselves.
“Single?” The question was out before I could stop myself. So much for not being interested in someone that much younger than me.
“As far as I know.” Doug looked past me, as if trying to catch a glimpse of Sam. He rubbed a hand over his closely trimmed beard. “But, then again, I don’t make a point of gossiping about people’s love lives with my brother. You should talk to Sam if you want to get to know him.”
“Gee, if only I’d thought of that,” I quipped, thumping my palm against my forehead. “Best case, he’s too busy to chat, worst, he’s icing me out.”
“Then try again when he’s not dealing with all this shit,” Doug suggested, his gaze roaming over the crowded bar. “Now, I need to get back to it. Jack owes me big for stepping in tonight.”
“Thanks.” I spun around on my stool, leaning back as I rested my elbows on the edge of the bar. Watching. That was safe enough.
I felt old. Even the Daddies looked like babies for the most part. That was possibly due to the fact our area was getting a reputation as being a gay-friendly city for people of all ages, but it could just as easily be that I was getting old. Most of the friends I used to hang out with were now settled and not into the bar scene. Hell, even Tom had found himself a boy—the lucky sonuvabitch. Maybe I should have asked if they wanted to come out with me tonight, but they were still in the sickeningly sweet phase of their relationship.
One beer turned into two, and then another for good measure. At this rate, I’d have to use a rideshare to get home and then back in the morning to pick up my car.
“I wanted to thank you for the help earlier.” Sam’s melodic voice was like a needle scratching across a vinyl record, abruptly ending my pity party. It was a baby step, but he’d come to find me.
Yeah, because it’s tough to find someone who’s rooted to their barstool.
“It was my pleasure,” I assured him, cringing when I realized how prim that sounded. Calling it a pleasure to pick up after bratty littles who needed to learn manners, was a bit of a stretch. “Feeling any better now that you see everyone having fun?”
I hooked my foot around the bottom rung of the stool next to me, pulling it out and nodding, silently instructing Sam to sit. Even employees needed a break sometimes. I held my breath as I waited to see how he would react, fully expecting him to refuse. I offered him a soft smile when he ducked his chin and slid his butt onto the seat.
I had to bite back the urge to praise him and tell him he was a good boy. It wasn’t my place, probably never would be.
“A little. Now, we just need a few months of people using the space and I might quit waiting for it to fail.” Sam rolled his head to one side and then the other. I reached out to massage his shoulders, stopping before I touched him. I wouldn’t, no matter how badly I wanted to, unless he gave permission. He rested his forearms on the bar and tucked his chin to his chest. When I still didn’t move, he looked over and smiled. I took that as permission and began softly kneading the muscles. He was tense as hell. My dick woke right the hell