If It Flies (Market Garden, #3)(28)

Only problem was, he’d come to rely on Nick for his sanity after each stressful week, especially now that the firm’s big merger deal was heating up again, with lots of musical chairs being fought over in the various practices, and he itched to try to intercept him on the way to the airport. Except that would be far too clingy. That, and trying to guess the right airport between Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted, and Luton would be a desperate bid with no chance of success.

He slid his phone into his pocket, feeling abandoned, bereft, disappointed in Nick and in himself for how much he relied on this.

What had Percy said? I do like some variety.

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Thing was, this was much deeper than punching a hole.

This pain/pleasure thing was so much more complex than the sex, and on that count, he’d been completely honest with Nick. He trusted him. And Nick had made a commitment— to teach him, train him, and above al , to be worthy of that trust.It was why he could charge pretty much whatever he wanted. He wasn’t just a prostitute. He wasn’t even just a top. He was, quite literally, during the scenes, the centre of Spencer’s world.

Stop being so melodramatic, he admonished himself. Let him be young and irresponsible. Hell, he might really just need a holiday. He’s probably realised he’s lost himself in work—just like you tend to—and is taking a week off to decompress.

Mere coincidence, Spencer silently insisted, that the urgent need for a decompression holiday was a week on the heels of that night.

He forced himself not to think about where Nick wouldn’t be tonight, or who he would be with instead. Now Spencer had to find a way to deal with a suddenly empty Friday night.

The whole weekend was gaping empty, for that matter, since Saturday and Sunday would no longer be reserved for letting aches and bruises fade.

On his way back into the office from lunch, he glanced at Percy’s door. Could always go have drinks with him. Or, it being Friday night, the Market Garden was an option.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a sick feeling squeezed Spencer’s stomach. He wasn’t committed to Nick or anything, and was completely free to see or f*ck any man in London or beyond, but he was too uneasy for that. He was still tripping over too much mental debris to consider fooling around with someone else. He wouldn’t be able to relax and 93

enjoy it, so what was the point? Push came to shove, he’d have a wank in the shower to relieve some tension and call it a night.

Drinks, though. Drinks with Percy. That would be a distraction, if nothing else, which would keep his attention off the fact that his primary distraction was off cavorting in Spain.

He tapped on Percy’s door.

“Come on in.”

As Spencer pushed open the door, Percy held up a finger and gestured at the phone cradled on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and made a blah blah blah gesture, which made Spencer laugh.

He eased himself into one of the chairs in front of Percy’s desk and waited for the man to get off the phone. That didn’t take long; apparently the conversation was already close to wrapping up, because within two minutes, Percy had slammed the receiver down with a bark of “Thank f*ck.”

Spencer chuckled. “Having a good day, are we?”

His friend groaned and leaned back in his chair. “I swear on all that’s holy, these motherf*ckers are trying to make this merger more difficult.”

“Isn’t that the name of the game with a merger?” Spencer laughed, thankful for the first time in his life to be discussing a damned merger. “Make it as difficult as humanly possible so all the faint of heart jump ship?”

Percy sniffed and rolled his eyes again. “You aren’t kidding.

You know they’re talking about reducing headcount in Tax by half? After the merger?” He slammed a palm onto his blotter.

“It’s already a goddamned skeleton crew down there!”

Spencer grimaced. “Really? Has it dawned on anyone in charge that there’s a reason that department exists? Like, we need them?”

94

“Tell that to the bean counters,” Percy muttered, waving a hand. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Just wanted to come by and see if you were booked for the evening. I could stand to go out and drink away the week.”

Percy grinned. “Ah, there’s my lad! I was starting to worry you’d become a weekend hermit.” The grin broadened and his eyes narrowed, and Spencer cringed inwardly as that accusing eyebrow rose. “Or maybe there was a man in your—”

“Perceval.” Spencer glared at him, gesturing sharply at the door. “Do you mind? Walls are thin here.”

“Right, right.” Percy winked. “Okay, so I was thinking maybe there was ‘someone special’ in your life who you were keeping a secret.”

“No, nothing like that. Just . . .” Just what, Spencer?

Percy was tuned in too well into Spencer’s inner voice, because his face asked the same question.

“The merger really drains me.” A merger is like the marriage of two companies, right? One entity can deal quite well on its own. Shit gets complicated when a second entity gets involved. How ironic. “I was fal ing asleep over my files these past weeks.”

“Months, Spencer. I thought I’d liberated you from that existence . . .”

“You certainly gave it a good try.” Spencer inhaled and exhaled deeply, lifted his shoulders in a what-can-you-do gesture. “So . . . liberate me again?”