Lance wasn’t easily deterred. “Too bad. We’re going out,” he replied. “Go put on one of those fancy suits you own and meet me here in ten minutes. I have a perfect place.”
Tonight had definitely taken a different turn, but I was excited. I was actually looking forward to a night with both Lance and Decker. Since we got back from Chicago, we’d all kind of separated to do our own things. Decker and I were so focused on keeping our relationship a secret, that we had inadvertently kept our distance from Lance in the process. I decided that this would be very good for us.
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed readily.
Lance took us to a high-rise restaurant at the top of a five-star hotel. It was fine dining at its best. The waiters put a napkin in my lap and held the chair out for me. It was a five-course meal, and by the third course, Lance and Decker were giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls as they drank wine.
“Do you remember that girl you dated in high school?” Lance asked while taking another sip. “You had me break up with her because you were too scared to.”
Decker stuttered, his voice a little too loud for the fancy setting. I had a feeling that they often got like this when they were together. Boisterous. Loud. Lost in their own world and memories. It was beautiful to watch. “She told me she practiced witchcraft. I didn’t want her placing a curse on me,” Decker explained in rapid-fire.
“Well, we both know how well it worked out for me,” Lance said while rolling his eyes. I took another bite of salad before resting my chin on my fist. I found myself feeling a little jealous of their long-lasting friendship. Would we have had stories like this if I knew Lance sooner?
“Don’t remind me. She set your hair on fire in Mrs. Anderson’s English class!” They both roared with laughter, and I joined in.
As if remembering that I was still there, Lance turned to me. “What is the worst date you ever went on?” he asked with a mischievous chuckle.
I actually wasn’t willing to divulge the details of the worst date I had ever been on. And because it was a lighthearted dinner, I decided to tell them the story that was easier to swallow. “I once dated the quarterback of our football team, and if you know anything about Texas football, you’d know that being on his arm was a huge deal in our tiny town,” I began. I could still remember Kenneth. He was handsome and smart. Kind, but a little odd.
“Oh my gosh, I bet he was hot,” Lance joked.
Beside him, Decker looked like he wanted to punch something. I was enjoying his jealousy just a little too much. “He was very hot.” I made sure to draw my words out for emphasis. Decker rolled his eyes at my antics before slyly rubbing my calf with his foot. I stiffened.
“So,” A cough escaped my chest. “He told me to meet him at his house one time, and I didn’t think anything of it. I knocked on his door, and it was his mother who answered. We hadn’t met before, but we had been going out for a few weeks, so the timing was appropriate. I figured he just wanted me to meet his parents.”
“Why does this sound like it’s going to take a bad turn?” Lance asked. Decker’s foot drifted up, and I parted my legs, but he never touched me there, he kept his exploration of my body limited to my knees.
“Because it is,” I answered Lance. “His parents were lovely. They sat me down at the kitchen table and started talking about their son’s goals for his life. And then,” I began with a long, dramatic, drawn-out sigh. Lance was on the edge of his seat, and Decker was staring intently at me. “They started to give me the talk. The sex talk.”
“No!” Lance said while cackling. Decker had a wide grin on his face as he shook his head. His foot retreated.
“Yup. They wanted to make sure we were safe, and he just sat there the entire time, letting them tell me how a penis worked and how to track my ovulation to prevent pregnancy.”
Both men were bent over and laughing so hard that even Lance had tears streaming down his face. It had been one of the most mortifying moments of my entire life, but now I could look back on it and smile. “You officially win the competition for the worst date ever,” Decker said in a bright voice.
I leaned back in the soft chair while crossing my arms over my chest. I unintentionally pressed my breast up and blushed when I saw Decker drop his fork. “What can I say? I’m a winner.”
“But did you have sex with that guy?” Lance asked with a laugh. “Wait. Don’t answer that. Gross,” Lance quickly added with more chuckles. My eyes flickered to Decker, and I realized how awkward this was. We hadn’t exactly had the conversation about past relationships, and it felt weird to talk about it now.
“Nah. I eventually got tired of his parents asking me if I took birth control regularly and when my next cycle was. They were way too involved in their son’s sex life.”
After chatting a bit more, I got up and excused myself for the restroom and made my way across the swanky restaurant while thinking how perfect this night had turned out. I loved watching the two of them interact. Their friendship was strong and intimate. It was beautiful to watch but heartbreaking, too. I felt terrible knowing Decker and I were harboring this secret that could tear them apart.
After freshening up, I exited the bathroom and stopped when I saw Decker standing in the hallway. The moment our eyes connected, he pushed me back through the threshold and slammed the door shut, locking us both inside. “I’m sorry we couldn’t finish things back at the loft,” he rasped before kissing me.
I could’ve gotten drunk on the taste of wine on his lips. It was intoxicating; I never wanted it to stop. He cupped my neck and squeezed lightly before sucking on my collarbone. If he didn’t stop soon, I’d emerge from this bathroom with a dark, obvious hickey. “I’m having fun,” I said with a smile while guiding his face back up and away from my neck.
Decker kissed my forehead before speaking again. “I’m glad. Damn you look so good in this dress. I want you for dessert.”
It felt wrong, clinging to Decker in a fancy bathroom while Lance was sitting alone at the table. We were being too risky once again, and yet, I held him. I smiled at the perfectness of the night. I kissed his wrist and tugged on the waistband of his suit pants. He palmed my breast and grabbed my ass. We were two seconds from fucking in the bathroom. “Lance is waiting,” he whispered, though he sounded pained to say it.
“Lance is waiting,” I affirmed. And we went back out to the dinner table separately but feeling an intense longing for one another. Dinner was perfect.
28
Blakely
We slipped into a comfortable routine of secrets.
Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and somehow, we managed to survive two months of secret rendezvous, lingering stares, and brief touches that meant more than we could ever say. There was an intense yet hollow sort of happiness between us. We connected so deeply, so profoundly, so beautifully that it almost felt too good to be true, but then there was the added weight of secrecy beating us up. If hiding could leave me battered and blue, I’d have two black eyes, cracked ribs, and bruises. We were always too close to getting caught. Too open with the blinding affection and tension between us.