“It’ll be a short talk. This pie is really good,” Saul said with his mouth full.
“Of course it is,” Geoff said. “I didn’t make it. The pros did.”
“Troy’s is better though. You might have to let him do your desserts too.” He gave Troy a sideways grin and a wink.
Troy rolled his eyes dramatically, shook his head like he was wagging an invisible beard. “Go back to work, don’t go back, go back and do more. Make up your mind, man.”
As if he didn’t know Troy wanted to accept Carter’s offer. “Right. We’re going to talk it over. I’m just trying to sweeten the deal.” Oh, good one. He sat up. “Pun intended.”
They all groaned. All of them.
“That was wonderful,” Carter started, but Geoff just shook his head.
“Awful, he meant.”
He ran a hand over Troy’s thigh, suddenly so ready to send everyone home so they could pick up where they left off before their company arrived. “You’re the tie-breaker, lover. Yay or nay?”
“I’m always on your side. Always.”
36
Troy was nervous, which was stupid as fuck. Carter had been his friend for twenty some odd years, had seen him at his worst, and had been his boss for a damn long time. Troy trusted the man with his life.
Still, last night had rocked him a little, shed light on things that he wasn’t sure he’d been ready to look on. Still, the horse had bolted, no putting him back in the box now.
He smoothed his good button-down and headed in, feeling like a newborn foal.
The diner was busy with breakfast shift well under way. It smelled about the same as ever, sounded the same. He was greeted by everyone with cheers and hugs and warm smiles, so that by the time he made it to the office it was well past eight-thirty.
Carter was leaning on the desk and glanced up as he came in. He got a once over and then Carter smiled, levered off the desk, and pulled him into a hug. “Glad you’re here. Take a deep breath, you look like you’re going to pass out.”
“I feel like it.” He hugged Carter back, letting it bring him to rights. “It’s been a strange few months, hasn’t it?”
“It’s been quite the ride. Have a seat. Coke?” Carter tugged a chair out for him and opened the mini-fridge.
“Please. Dr Pepper if you have it. It looks busy in there. How are the new cooks doing?” Are we okay? I don’t know what to do, not exactly.
“Butch caught on quick, he has some experience from another diner outside of town, he’s a team player, he does everything right.” The words were complimentary, but the energy behind them wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic. “He’s… fine.” Carter handed him a Dr Pepper and leaned on the desk again. “I’ve missed you around here. I’ve missed you… period.”
“I missed you too. Life is weird without my daily dose of you.” It seemed like saying those words was a different now, bigger, heavier.
“It took the possibility of not having you around here again to make me understand… it’s not even the cooking. It’s you. And I haven’t had a chance to tell you. Not really.”
“It’s a little weird, isn’t it?” He smiled at Carter, who smiled back at him. “More wonderful than weird.”
“We spent a lot of years just knowing something in here…” Carter tapped the center of a broad chest. “What’s wonderful is that your lover made it seem like it’s as normal as breathing. I’m not sure I feel that way yet, not entirely, but how lucky are we that you found him? Of all people?”
“He’s special.” And honestly, Carter had found Saul and brought Saul here to meet him, so… “So what do you think? Seriously. I want to come back, but with a purpose, you know?”
“I told you what I thought last night. I want to know what you think.”
“I think that I’m in. I can’t invest, though. I mean, you know that, right?” Not if he was going down to half time.
“Actually, you can, if you don’t mind pumping about half your pension back into the business.”
“I—” God. Breathe. Breathe, Troy. You can do this. “I—Would you think less of me if I told you I was a little scared? I’m in, just a little wigged.”
“No. You’re buying half a business. That’s not a light decision.” Carter pulled up a chair and sat closer. “How about this. You work here with me for six months as if you’ve bought in. If it works out, we draw up something legal. If it doesn’t, no harm no foul.”
“No. No, I want to do it right. I’ve been thinking about it all night.” He had already pulled the trigger in his heart; his mind was just slower.
Carter’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Yeah? You sure?”
“I am. I’m sure. I want to do this.” Troy met Carter’s eyes, took a deep, deep breath. “With you.”
“Thank you.” Carter watched him, then took a deep breath himself. “You belong here. I know you’re going to rock this, Troy. And I admit, Geoff wants me around more so this will be a good thing for everybody.”
“I do belong here. This is home, right? Has been for decades.”
“God, don’t say decades, it makes me feel old.” Carter reached out and gave his knee a squeeze, then got up. “Geoff is doing that enough these days.”
“Poor old man,” he teased. “You’re going to be creaking and cracking around.”
“Watch it, pup. I have a few years on you. And a few more on Geoff. We can’t all be all namaste and keeping up with a jailbait lover.” Carter grinned wide, eyes twinkling as he teased.
“Some of us are tough enough to deal with three men without zoning out.” A heart attack, sure. Zoning, not a bit.
“I give you credit. We’re not the easiest three men.” Carter dug around in a drawer. “You were pretty shook up last night, how do you feel today?”
“I don’t know. Worried, excited, a little buzzed, like something just woke up.”
Carter nodded. “Yes. Don’t you feel a little like… this might sound ridiculous, but like you’re dating again? I feel like I’m looking at you and Saul, even Geoff just a little differently. Like something is new.”
“Yeah. It makes me feel a little old, because Saul is so comfortable with everything. He lives in no-guilt land.” It was amazing and a little unnerving, and he was trying to catch up.
“Guilt? Are you kidding? He’s a twenty-five-year-old Dom who hits people—you—with floggers until they scream. And his friends do too. That’s a lot of open-minded thinking.” Carter laughed. “When did he get his start?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only met one of his friends. He seems to be happy to just walk away from them.” Which sounded so mean, didn’t it? Shit. “I mean…” Shit.
“Oh. Well? You don’t want a bunch of frat boys in your house anyway.” Carter took his hand and put a key ring in it. “Your keys to the kingdom.”
Whoa. This wasn’t the keys to the back door so he could open. He’d had those for years. These were all the keys.