“Did Avery leaving mess with him that much?” I asked, having not thought about it too much.
“It did. Those two were closer than him and I ever were. Avery already treated him like his kid with the age difference.”
I nodded like I understood, but I didn’t. I’d never had a bond like that with anyone. When the foster homes I’d lived in had other kids it was a rivalry, not a team. There was always affection and food to be competed for. Even the best socks were a point of contention in the places I’d been. I couldn’t imagine the closeness I’d witnessed in the Adler house even seeing it firsthand. It seemed like a concept out of my grasp.
“He’s sensitive is all I’m saying.”
“I know,” I said, and I did to some extent.
“I’ve got to get to work. See you later, ya?”
I nodded and was left with my thoughts. Was it best to stop things before they started? Not put Aiden through the possibility of me leaving? I didn’t want to do that. I wasn’t going to cheat on him or ghost him. Or get sick of him for that matter. But was that enough? Would he believe me? There were a lot of maybes involved in all of this.
I wasn’t going to borrow trouble. There was no point in bringing an issue into a new relationship when it would turn out to be nothing. If I got the job, I’d tell him and we’d talk about what it meant for us. I’d give him a choice all along the way. It was the best I could do.
I showed up for dinner in my best button-down. One of the two I owned. I didn’t have much use for fancy shit, but this seemed like one of the situations I should be in one. I wore the sleeves rolled, exposing my forearms and the top two buttons undone. Jeans and boots finished off the look. People here were too sensible in the snow to do more than this. Unless they were crossing over and going to the bars near the resort.
I sloshed through puddles, the heavy snow turning into a right muck as cars went through it all day. It would turn into a deadly sheet of black ice as it refroze tonight. Light snow started as I walked into the bar, to coat the whole mess with a pretty white cover. Lots of accidents for the sheriff to deal with tomorrow. More reason for me to take Aiden home with me. I knew my driving skills and I didn’t need to worry about the rest.
A blast of heat hit me when I pulled open the door. Adam had both fireplaces going, and the bar was packed. A fair amount of people taking in the last few nights before the resort filled for the holidays and we all had to work.
Adam was sunshine behind the bar. The epitome of lumbersexual. Big and burley and bear-like but well, like a ray of sunshine. He never seemed to be in a bad mood. I think it was part of the reason the bar was so successful. Since he’d started working there, there was a crowd of men and women who came just to bask in his glow.
Adam had been like that as long as I'd known him. It was one of the reasons I’d been drawn to him in the first place, but it wasn’t me who’d chose Adam, it was the other way around. I’d been sitting at lunch on my first day of school in the new town, sure this would be like every other place I’d lived. I was used to being a loner at that point.
My mom had given me some Pokémon cards and they were a treasure. I’d always liked Pokémon but could never afford the cards. I’d still been in awe, flipping through them when Adam had walked over. I’d quickly shoved them into my pocket, expecting someone Adam’s size to demand them of me.
But he hadn’t. He’d sat next to me and asked me if I liked Pokémon. I told him I did and the floodgates had opened and didn’t stop. Adam had talked about Pokémon for the rest of the day and told me we were going to be best friends.
I set a card on the bar when I sat down. He narrowed his eyes when he saw it and finished serving the customer he was making a drink for before coming over.
“What’s this?” He picked up the card.
“Hey!” yelled a voice from down the bar. “I was next.”
“Shut your mouth, Craig. I’ll get to you when I feel like it or you’ll be banned from the bar for a week.” Adam didn’t look away from the card as he spoke. He was good for it, too. Adam regularly banned people from the bar for all sorts of reasons. He even had a whiteboard on the wall behind the bar with grievances and how long his staff was to keep someone out. And instead of driving people away, it made people want to be in the bar more. They liked the environment he cultivated and it amped up the popularity with the locals.
“I was going to give it to you this morning but after you walked in on me with my dick out, I forgot.”
He studied it. “I don’t know where you found this. This is rare as hell.” His eyes got bigger by the second and he kept looking from the card to me and back.
“Picked it up a few weeks ago in an auction. Just came in. Merry Christmas.”
Adam was beaming before I’d finished speaking. He hopped over the bar top and wrapped me in a massive hug. I laughed and hugged him back.
“Thank you. If I didn’t already approve of you and my brother, this would have tipped the scale.”
“Are you saying you’d sell your brother for Pokémon cards?” I asked when he released me.
“I wouldn’t word it that way, but yes, every man has his price.” He hopped back over the bar like it was nothing.
“Damn vaulting giant. I hope you know you look like a grizzly bear at the circus doing tricks,” Aiden said as he came over and took a seat beside me the bulge in his pants evident and it made mine throb. It was going to be hard to wait to unwrap that present.
“And you look like a bean pole but I’m not making fun of you.” Adam made us both drinks.
“It’s not my fault you got all the brawn and I got the brains,” Aiden retorted.
Adam rolled his eyes. “You try running this place and then tell me I got no brains.”
It was true. Adam did everything for the bar, from the taxes to the payroll to advertising and supplies. He was good at what he did.
“I’m teasing you. Calm yourself before you go into a frenzy and steal some honey.”
“You better be, and it’s not my fault I’m obsessed with honey nor that I’m a bear.” Adam leaned in and poked Aiden in the chest. “You better up your Christmas game, because your boyfriend gave me the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten. And I’m telling you right now I like your boyfriend more than I like you.”
Aiden scoffed. “Like there was any chance of me besting Jensen. But I have something up my sleeve and I think it will shock you how thoughtful I am, and then you’re going to feel bad about this.”
“Doubtful.” Adam slapped the bar and walked away to serve Craig who was giving us the stink eye.
“He’d better be careful. He’s up for a month ban if Adam catches him doing that,” I said.
Aiden glanced up, seeing Craig. “Some people never learn. Remember when he was banned for a week last year? Dude cried outside the bar for two nights, complaining how bad the tourist bar was. He claims he still has flashbacks when he sees UGGS.”
We laughed and took our drinks to the table his parents were sitting at. We chatted and Adam came over to take our order when his two evening bartenders came in. He sat with us to eat but then claimed he had work in the back to get done.