“You’re freezing, and you need a minute,” he said as an explanation, regretting his impulsive action. For a minute he imagined Ben’s sweet face looking up at him shyly the first time he had done nearly the same. It had been outside of a coffee shop, and Ben was trying to get in as Jacob was trying to get out, and he nearly knocked him over. It was raining hard, and because Ben was soaked, Jacob had insisted on buying him a coffee as an apology. His jacket had followed a moment later when Ben hadn’t stopped shivering.
It had been the best three years of his life, even the last horrific one.
“I’m not normally so clumsy,” Lucas muttered. “I don’t think I’ll be a very good server.”
Jacob frowned. Feeling out of his depth, he wasn’t sure what to say. Surely, he was too old to have a first job. “I’m sure you’ll pick it up.”
Lucas flushed a little but didn’t meet Jacob’s eyes. Lucas stood up. “I’d better get back to work.” Jacob nodded and accepted his jacket back. He was ready to leave, or had been before he had come in here, but now he was concerned that Lucas might get upset again.
It’s none of my business. And it wasn’t. In any shape or form. He had six weeks to get the house ready for the Realtor, and then he would get on that plane and leave all this behind. He was just concerned over a sub. Jacob shrugged. Perfectly understandable. He was a Dom, and just because he wouldn’t ever get involved in the lifestyle again didn’t mean he could always turn it off. At least Lucas being older didn’t remind him of Ben. Ben had been a blond-haired, blue-eyed dynamo when they met. The only time he’d ever seen him cry was when he’d had to shave his head because his hair had started coming out in chunks.
Lucas was—well, nothing like Ben.
He walked back to Patrick, who looked up in concern as he let himself back into the club. Charlie—he noticed—was gone. “Where’s Charlie?”
“He’s gone in there.” Patrick nodded to the little room. “His friend Dash has just come, so he went in there with Dash and Jensen. Adrian doesn’t mind as long as I’m out here.”
Jacob nodded, his eyes straying to where Lucas was clearing the empty glasses from a table where a group had just left. The man who had gotten a glassful of water dumped on him seemed to have gone anyway.
“Good to see you, Jacob.”
Jacob looked up to see Adrian and stood, clasping the outstretched hand. “Good to see you,” Jacob parroted, not really meaning it. He had nothing against Adrian. He ran a good club, it just wasn’t for him. Not anymore. “How’s the family?”
Adrian grinned. “Posy’s excited for Santa coming, and Melanie is organizing everything perfectly as usual.” He shrugged. “I just have to turn up.”
“You’re a lucky bastard,” Patrick teased.
Adrian grinned and sat down. Jacob’s eyes strayed back to Lucas. “Lucas is new.” Jacob glanced back at Adrian, who must have noticed Jacob watching him.
“Is he a sub?” Patrick asked, and Jacob was glad he hadn’t needed to.
“I think so,” Adrian answered. “But he’s here because my mom knew his mom and he needs a job. I’m just not sure where to put him. He’s incredibly shy, and I think he’s struggling with a lot of peopling.”
“Knew?” Patrick pressed.
“Lucas looked after his mom for the past seven years. Early onset dementia. From what I understand, she remarried not too long before she got sick, and as soon as she became dependent, the new husband left her and Lucas had to move in. She died three months ago, and according to Mom, the hubby got everything, and Lucas needs a job pretty quick.”
Patrick frowned. “Does he have any work experience?”
“Not according to his resume,” Adrian said. “But he had glowing personal references, and it is his first day.”
“But you don’t know if he will suit this place?” Patrick sympathized. “I know people. I can ask.”
Jacob would love to repeat the offer, but he couldn’t ask favors of people he had shunned since Ben’s death. He doubted any of his friends wished to talk to him. He hadn’t even seen his older brother in years, although that had been because Keith couldn’t accept Jacob’s lifestyle choices. He remembered one bitter argument after Keith had looked at his online search history while he still lived at home. Even in college Jacob had known what he was looking for, and Keith had called him a pervert. To be fair he’d come to Ben’s memorial and tried to talk to Jacob, but Jacob had been so deeply mired in utter misery he barely remembered anything about that day and many others after.
The only person who had helped was Isaac, one of Ben’s nurses who had become more like a friend, but in the end, Jacob had distanced himself from Isaac as well, unable to face another constant reminder of what he’d lost.
A crash brought Jacob out of his thoughts, and Adrian jumped up. Lucas stood frozen in the middle of the floor, gazing in horror at the tray of glasses he’d dropped and were scattered in sharp pieces all over the room. “Any subs in bare feet, please stay exactly where you are,” Adrian ordered and shot behind the bar for things to clear the mess up.
Lucas made a sound of utter disgust and bent down immediately, picking pieces of broken glass up. Patrick and Jacob rushed over to help. “I can—” Lucas grabbed a piece of glass hurriedly as if to clear up before anyone else had the chance to, but he hissed and brought his hand to his chest quickly.
“What did you do?” Patrick asked.
Lucas shook his head but unclenched his hand, and Jacob could see the nasty cut bleeding from his finger. “Clumsy,” he muttered and reached for the cloth he had been wiping the tables with.
“Oh no you don’t,” Patrick pronounced and held his wrist to stop his hand going near the cloth.
“I’ll get the first aid box,” Jacob said and went to the box on the wall next to the bar. He unhooked it and walked to where they had been sitting. Patrick had Lucas sitting down, and Adrian and two subs were clearing the floor. Jacob sat next to them. “What do you need?”
“Open the pad and put it over Lucas’s knee while I just make sure there’s no glass in it,” Patrick instructed.
“I’m sorry. I can go and get this done at home.”
“No need,” Patrick smiled. “This is my job.”
“He’s a doctor,” Jacob explained. “Trust him.”
The cut didn’t look too bad, and in no time Patrick had a bandage and a plastic glove covering the cut. Adrian came over. “Lucas, how are you getting home?”
“Oh, the bus, sir,” Lucas answered hurriedly. “I live close by. I’ll be fine. It’s only my finger.” Jacob almost smiled as Lucas’s words nearly tripped over themselves to escape his throat.
“I was just leaving,” Jacob said. “I can drop Lucas at home.” He expected some sort of shy reply, maybe a polite refusal, but not the look of horror that immediately crossed Lucas’s face.
“Adrian, please tell Lucas I’m not an axe murderer,” Jacob said solemnly.
Adrian chuckled. “Lucas, I can absolutely guarantee you will be safe with Jacob. He hasn’t lost a sub yet.”