Wood (A True Lover's Story #2) - A.E. Via Page 0,75

sounded too formal, like he was a prom date or something.

Wood: You gonna be wearing something sexy for me?

Trent scoffed. This guy has a one-track mind. Then he quickly typed.

Trent: Maybe

That was a stupid reply. He was so caught up in their flirting he didn’t stop to think that he didn’t have any hot clothes. Shit.

Wood: Doesn’t matter what clothes you wear. You won’t be in them for long. I gotta go. The meeting is about to start.

Trent: K.

He stared at the last sentence, praying that was true. He’d been using his own hand for too long, and Wood’s big, thick fingers fit so perfectly around his hard—

“Trent!” Edison banged on the window causing Trent to jerk his head up. “I’ve been waving at you. What are you doing?”

Fuck! “Damnit, Edison!” He scowled. “Didn’t Bishop tell you not to sneak up on us?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t sneaking.” Edison stood by his truck door staring at him as if he was sick. “I waved when I rode by, and then I was trying to get your attention when I got out my car. Are you gonna come in or what?”

Trent got out of the truck and followed Edison through his fence to enter the house through the patio. The landscape in the backyard looked like something out of a Home & Garden photo shoot. Bishop had gone all out when he’d remodeled Edison’s backyard in hopes of getting a date. Trent shook his head at the fire pit and outdoor grilling station thinking maybe his best friend had overshot.

“You hungry?” Edison asked as soon as they came through the door.

“No, I um… I already got plans for dinner,” Trent said as he watched Edison remove his suit jacket, then drape it over one of the breakfast bar stools.

“Really? So that’s the reason for the haircut?” Edison smiled.

“I guess,” Trent muttered.

“Either that or you need advice.”

Trent was taken off guard that Edison had picked up on that so quickly.

“My father used to tell me there’s only two reasons a man comes looking for a barber. Because he wants to look sharp… or he wants good advice.” Edison cocked his head to the side. “So which one brings you here today?”

Trent couldn’t help but laugh. “Both, I guess.” Edison really was the coolest guy Trent had ever met. He seemed as if he didn’t fit in with a bunch of ex-cons, but he had no problem holding his own when he was around them. If Trent had to pick someone for Bishop to desert him for… it’d be this guy.

“Come on back to my bedroom.”

Trent followed him through his nice home and again noticed how dapper Edison was dressed. His suit was black pinstriped and fit his thick body perfectly, and his shirt and tie didn’t appear to match, but somehow did. Trent didn’t get it. His shoes were midnight-black suede with a gold emblem on the tongue. “Nice shoes. What are those?”

“Gucci,” Edison replied easily.

Trent watched him disappear into a huge walk-in closet and come out a few minutes later in a Virginia Wesleyan sweatshirt and pair of loose-knit pants.

“Let’s get started. I don’t want you to be late.” Edison nodded toward another door, and Trent assumed it was his bathroom.

He’d expected it to be a normal master bath with a shower over the tub, sink, and a toilet. But when Edison opened the door, it was as if he’d literally stepped into a barber shop. The bathtub and separate shower were on the far side of the room and a quarter bath for the toilet. Holy shit. Edison’s home appeared so quaint and modest on the outside, but on the inside it was tailor-made to him. How did Trent not know that his friend was living like this?

“This was a normal-size bathroom. But I had a wall knocked out to make room for the counters and mirrors,” Edison said as he directed Trent to a large basin sink. “I need to wash your hair first.”

“I washed it last night.”

“Like I said.” Edison pointed at the sink. “I need to wash your hair.”

“Fine,” Trent grunted. He yanked his sweater over his head and tossed it on the floor beside him. “I hope I’m not stinking up the place. I had to come right from work.”

“Well, you are gonna shower before your date, right?” Edison laughed. He helped guide Trent’s head beneath the hot water and asked him, “So what’s your date like?”

Trent didn’t say anything until he was sitting in the soft,