Proving Paul's Promise(10)

I let Sam up, and he swipes the hair back from his brow. He’s sweating. I’m not. But I also wasn’t the one trying to scramble up from the floor.

“Looks like my kind of party,” the guy says. He grins at Friday, and I hate him immediately.

Friday rolls her eyes at us and walks inside. “Are we too early?” she asks.

“Too early for what?” I reply. I don’t like it at all that she brought this f*cker to my house. Not one bit.

“Too early to move in.”

I look from her to him and back. “Beg your pardon?” I say.

She points to the dickwad and then to me. “Garrett, you remember Paul. Paul, Garrett. The one who got pinned is Sam. Sam’s a *, but he can’t help it because he’s never been loved enough.” She laughs, and the tinkle of it hits me in the gut.

Garrett sticks out his hand to shake. I take it and squeeze it hard enough that he winces. I can’t believe he came to my house. “Good to see you again,” I say.

“You, too.” He twists his hand out of my grip.

“How long are you staying?” I blurt out. I can’t help it. I’m a guy.

He grins and looks down at Friday. “We’re having dinner, right?” he asks.

She nods. “Come and help me put my stuff away,” she says.

I get the feeling she’s talking to him since he follows her into her new room and they close the door. Then she sticks her head back out and asks, “Will you call us when the pizzas get here?”

I nod because I can’t get any words past the fist she just shoved into my gut.

“That’s f*cked up,” Sam grunts.

Yeah, I know.

I flop into my lazy chair and flip through the channels until another knock sounds at the door.





Friday

“Damn, he’s smoking hot,” Garrett whispers vehemently. “Just wait till Cody meets him. I’ll get laid because he’ll be fantasizing about your man.”

I snort. “He is so not my man.”

I motion for him to lug my suitcase onto the bed, and I unzip it, then start hanging up my clothes. I really don’t have much, because I don’t need much. But one thing I do have is clothes. With my love for all things vintage, I buy stuff at secondhand shops most of the time. It’s pretty much all I wear.

“Oh, honey,” Garrett says as he flops back onto my bed and fans his face. “He so has the hots for you.”

I keep hanging up clothes. Garrett snags a thong from my suitcase and twirls it in the air on his index finger. “Someone has a kinky side.”

“Thongs are not kinky,” I scold.

“Mmm hmm,” he hums. He laughs. “I bet Paul is one kinky motherf*cker.”

My face flushes.

He sits up suddenly. “When you finally find out, will you give me all the details?” He looks like a puppy that’s sitting up begging for a treat. He even pants like one.

“Shut up,” I say, but I laugh, too.

“So, how’s this thing going down tonight?” he asks, sobering suddenly.

“When will Cody be here?” I ask.

“He’s stopping to get the beer and pizza, and then he’ll be here. Do you want me to lay one on him when he walks in the door or wait?”

I shrug. “Do what comes naturally.” It’s not like Paul’s not going to know immediately when he sees Cody and Garrett together that they’re a couple. A happy couple that has been together for a really long time.

Someone knocks on my door. “Come in,” I call.

Garrett sits up on his elbow as the door opens. Sam sticks his head in. He scowls at Garrett. “Your pizza’s here,” he says.

“Showtime,” Garrett says, and he rubs his hands together¸ excited. He gets to his feet and follows me into the kitchen.

Paul is watching TV, and he doesn’t bother to get up. I go sit on the couch as Garrett lets Cody in. The two of them stand in the doorway and whisper to each other for a moment. Cody scowls at Garrett and shakes his head. Garrett reaches for him, but he dodges and walks toward us, lowering the pizzas to the end table.

Cody bends over and kisses me on the forehead.

Paul makes a noise that sounds a lot like a growl. He picks up the remote and flips the TV off. “I’m going to bed,” he says. “Good night.”

“Don’t go,” I say. I really, really need for him to meet Garrett and Cody so he’ll understand.

“I’m tired,” he says. He gets up and fakes a stretch, but a strip of his belly shows under his shirt. Garrett makes a noise, and Cody elbows him in the side.

“You didn’t meet Cody,” I say.

“I don’t need to meet anyone else.” He’s kind of cute when he pouts. And kind of annoying.

Cody sticks out his hand, and Paul takes it reluctantly. Cody holds out a beer next. Paul shakes his head. “No, thanks. You guys have fun.”

He goes to his room and shuts the door.

“Well, f*ck,” I say.

Garrett talks around a mouthful of pizza. “You should go get him.” He waggles his brows at me. “Bring him back so he can play with us.”

I walk down the hallway past Sam’s room and stick my head in. “There’s pizza,” I say. He nods at me. He’s on the phone.