Vann peeked out the bathroom door and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. He had about an hour before Drayton showed up at the house tonight. He rubbed the towel in his wet hair, smiling at his quickening pulse at the mere thought of the man. He was surprised at how quickly a hint of a smile came considering how fucked up the day had been. He walked over to the bathroom sink and stood in front of the mirror. He twisted the towel on the counter and fisted his hands in the damp cotton.

He closed his eyes and exhaled a deep, cleansing breath, hoping to settle the anger that had lingered since this afternoon, waiting to take hold of his body and mind. He’d lost their weekend together. And while he hadn’t done something to merit what had happened, there was nothing he could do to fix things or make them right.

He pushed off his tense stance and grabbed the towel, hanging it on the rack to dry. He scowled as he glanced at his reflection, taking in the scar cutting through his eyebrow that served as a constant reminder of the night when he’d almost lost everything. A lost weekend was definitely an easier hit to take than losing Drayton. Three more weeks of foreplay torture. He’d just have to deal with his blue balls turning a really nice shade of plum. He missed the way Drayton felt, the sounds he made, the way they always moved in sync. They might not have known much about what to do growing up, but they sure as shit figured it out along the way and explored new things.

He shifted his junk in his underwear and groaned.

This was far more foreplay than any sane man should endure. Luckily, Drayton was worth it.

He walked into his room and dressed, then made his way downstairs. He slowed his steps, trying to make out the voices, stopping at the base of the stairwell when he recognized Bill’s voice coming from the kitchen.

Vann took a deep breath and continued, never being one to back away from his commitments. He hadn’t had a chance to say “thank you” or “bye” after what had happened, and he hadn’t felt entirely comfortable leaving things the way they were with just the phone call to Cam earlier and a message to Lucy and Bill with a simple “I’m sorry” because they were out at the time he’d called.

Bill, Matt, and Julian dug into several bags set on the dining room table, pulling out sandwiches and boxed salads while Ryan and Ben set out napkins and poured drinks.

Julian grabbed the container of cookies before Bill stopped him. “Those are for the guys. Lucy sent you your own goodies,” Bill said, handing him a smaller bag.

A huge grin spread across Julian’s face as he opened the bag and took a whiff of the contents. Bill chuckled, turning to face Vann when Julian did a chin-up gesture in his direction.

“Hi,” Vann said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Hi, yourself.” Bill sauntered over toward him, stopping and crossing his arms when he stood in front of him. “Lucy wanted to be here but her legs swelled up too much so she stayed home. She sends her love.”

“Thanks.”

“What happened today wasn’t your fault. I wanted to make sure you knew that.”

Vann nodded. “I’m sorry I left you hanging, waiting on me for the supplies. I gave Julian the money and list.”

Bill nodded, planting a hand on Vann’s shoulder. “You didn’t ‘leave me hanging,’ son. Julian told me you insisted he bring me the supplies. And he did. The lunchtime rush lasted a heck of a lot longer than usual so it all worked out.”

Vann glanced up at Julian and snorted a chuckle when Matt snatched the bag of cookies from Julian’s hand.

“You’ll ruin your dinner,” Matt said, re-sealing the bag.

“It’s going to take a lot more than two cookies to ruin my appetite,” Julian said, with a mouth full of chocolate chip. He slowed his chewing. “One cookie. It’ll take more than one.”

Matt shook his head as he walked away to stash the bag.

Julian looked over to them and stilled, finally swallowing the mouthful of treats. There were definitely more than two being devoured.

“Thanks,” Vann said to him. “For making sure Bill got his stuff. I didn’t realize you had gone back into the bodega to get them in time for lunch.”

“I didn’t,” Julian said, wiping his mouth. “That fucker called the cops the second you walked in.” He shook his head and frowned. “I went to the grocery store instead.”

Ryan and Ben each took a sandwich and sat while Matt and Julian set the rest of the table. “Aren’t you staying?” Vann asked Bill when he saw him grab his car keys.

Bill shook his head. “I’m heading home to check on Lucy. I brought enough so you guys would have plenty of leftovers.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Vann said. He waited until Bill said his goodbyes to the group then accompanied him down the hall and out the back door. Bill halted and abruptly turned as soon as he stepped onto the back porch, forcing Vann to stop mid-step to avoid running into him.

“You’re a good kid.”

Vann nodded once in acknowledgment, ducking his head to stare at his boot tip.

“No, Shaw. I mean it. We only had you in the diner for two weeks, but during that time, I saw how you were with the customers and us.” He paused for a moment and hooked his hand on Vann’s shoulder. “And don’t let one customer who was an asshat stop you from reaching your potential. Nothing is ever perfect or flawless. You know that firsthand.”

He nodded. No shit.

“And you’re not going to get along with every person you meet. You’re good with people and you want to interact with them. Don’t deny yourself that because of your past. And don’t let one jerk stop you.”

Vann chewed his lip, absorbing every word. He loved observing people, figuring out what motivated them to say and do things. But people usually avoided him. He hadn’t quite figured out yet if it was his somewhat harsh appearance or his overall demeanor that steered people away. Or maybe it was his past always shadowing him a bit too closely for his comfort.

“You’re a smart kid. You’ll figure it out.”

Vann glanced up. His laser focus pinned on Bill.

“You are smart. And you’re strong.” Bill straightened and chuckled, poking Vann’s biceps. “And I’m not talking about this.”

A small smile tugged at Vann’s lips.

“I’m talking about this.” Bill tapped his own temple. “You’re resilient and tough. And most people wouldn’t be able to survive what you have.”

Vann shoved his hands in his pockets, not able to utter a word. Aside from Drayton, no one had ever voiced so many positives about him. He sure as shit didn’t want it to stop.

“Learn from your past and everything that happened. Use what you’ve learned to change things. You adapt quickly.” Bill leaned in closer, pinning Vann with an intense gaze. “I know you’re tough enough to handle anything that comes with it.”

Vann lowered his brow, memorizing each of Bill’s words. He was sure as hell going to miss this old man and working with him every day. He might appear grumpy to most people, but he was a big teddy bear wrapped in a hissing cobra’s body. And every now and then, he’d get protective and paternal with Cam and preach words of wisdom. The same way he had with Vann just now.

“Thank you,” Vann finally whispered through his tight throat.

They both looked to the parking area when a car door slammed shut. A flutter in his chest awakened. Funny how that never seemed to go away whenever Drayton was near.

“Please tell Lucy I said thank you.”

Bill gave him one of his rare, lopsided grins. “Will do. You don’t work there anymore, but you can still stop by for lunch.”

Vann nodded and smiled, fighting an odd burning in his eyes and tightness in his chest.

“Hey,” Drayton said, walking up to them.

“Don’t you let this guy put a cap on his potential,” Bill said to Drayton in a reprimanding tone.

Drayton smiled proudly. “Trying not to. But he can be a little stubborn sometimes.”

Bill laughed as he walked over to his small car. “Sometimes?” He gave them a knowing smile before closing his car door and driving away with a wave in the air.

Vann quickly wrapped his arms around Drayton when he stepped onto the porch. He sighed, welcoming the comforting heat and strength as Drayton slid his arm around his back. “You’re here early.”

“I wanted to beat traffic and go over these employment papers with Matt.”

Vann separated from the embrace and pressed a quick kiss to Drayton’s lips. He pulled him by the hand into the house and worked his way to the kitchen. “We’ve got sandwiches. Come on.”

“Hi, Drayton,” Matt greeted when they stepped into the kitchen, taking the manila envelope Drayton handed him. “Grab a sandwich and a seat.”

They sat at the table, quietly eating their casual dinner as the other members of the household talked over each other. Vann remained pensive, processing everything from the day again—what had happened and what Bill had said. He glanced around the table, enjoying the teasing and jokes, and how Julian caught Ryan in a lie and feigned anger. He didn’t yell, he didn’t hit, he didn’t send him to his room or toss him outside the house. Instead, he reached out and tousled his hair then told him he couldn’t have dessert afterward.

Knowing Julian, he probably wasn’t punishing Ryan, but rewarding himself for coming up with a sneaky way to steal another cookie.

He wondered if this was how family dinners played out in normal homes—a table overflowing with food options and enough laughter to fill the house.

Drayton leaned over to him and whispered in his ear. “You okay?”

Vann quickly nodded and was immediately rewarded with a kiss to his temple. He glanced up, and there was Ben, staring. Vann narrowed his eyes and clearly mouthed, “You’re staring,” then hid a smile when Ben’s cheeks reddened.

Bill was right. Vann did want to interact with people. He just wished more people wanted to interact with him.

 

 

∞ ♥ ∞

 

 

“Pick something else,” Drayton said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“No.”

They were coming up on almost an hour now, sitting on the back porch bench, arguing about the job list and possible placement. Damn, he hated when Vann limited himself. Vann had enough with the world constantly kicking his ass. He didn’t need to compound things by doing it to himself.

Drayton ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

“I’m not taking someone’s job,” Vann said with a deep scowl.

“You won’t.”

“Are you telling me you’re going to pay two people to do the same job?”

“Companies do that all the time.”

“But you won’t. Your mind is always on efficiency and streamlining. Figuring out what works and breaking it down to put it back together again to make it work better. There’s no way in hell you’re going to have me believe you would have two people doing the same job.”

Drayton quieted. Fuck. He sometimes hated how well Vann knew him. And how the hell did he know that was exactly why he didn’t think it made sense to employ entire departments of people doing the same tasks? He believed in team synergy to yield quality, not quantity. “I would set it up as a junior position. Think of it as ‘in training.’”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t do that.”

“I would if the junior person had potential.”

“Bullshit. You’d want the junior person to jump in and not be limited by what someone else teaches them.”

“For fuck’s sake, Vann. Pick something in the design department.”

“No. I’ll take the mailroom. You have an opening there.”

Drayton leaned forward, screwing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose so hard he was going to leave a permanent dent on his face. Vann had a creative gift, and there was no way in hell he’d let him shortchange himself. He was eventually going to be at Drayton’s side, helping him run the business, period. That was non-negotiable. Besides, he obviously already knew how Drayton thought and ran his business. But it appeared it would take a bit longer than he had hoped to convince Vann.

“Mail is important, Dray.”

“But—”

“Are you going to tell me the last ten years’ worth of letters weren’t important?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Drayton buried his face in his hands. “Do not work guilt into this equation. It’s a basic formula with a simple solution. You’re scared. You’re worried because you know it’s your design that was used for the first model release. And you’re worried I’ve got something up my sleeve.”

“Well…yeah. I know you. You have a plan. You always have a plan.”

Drayton dropped his hands and turned toward him. “I don’t have a secret agenda. It’s crystal fucking clear. I want you in the design department. And I want you to get comfortable there. And what I ultimately want is you running that department.”

“You’re out of your damn mind. There’s no way in hell I can do that.”

“Now I call bullshit. I know you can. That department is yours. Period. It’s your design that launched the company—”

“No, your motor did that.”

“It’s both. The motor I invented and the model you designed. We’re a team and this is our creation.”

Vann crossed his arms and scowled. “I want to work in the mailroom.”

“Fuck, you’re stubborn.”

“And yet, you want me to run an entire department. I barely fucking finished high school!”

Drayton jerked up from the porch bench. “Stand up.”

“What?”

“Stand the fuck up right now.”

Vann slowly stood, his movements cautious and hesitant.

Drayton planted his forearm across Vann’s chest and shoved him against the back wall of the house, pinning his body in place. “Don’t you ever fucking go there again. I don’t give a shit what everyone has told you your entire life. You. Are. Smart. And you can read people better than most. You read them as if they’re walking around with their life stories tattooed on their foreheads. You’re creative and you have more talent than the guy running the department right now. No one can teach that level of talent. So I don’t care how far a piece of paper says you went in school.”

“Don’t be mad at me,” Vann said in a quiet but level tone.

“Stop putting yourself down.”

“I’m taking the mailroom job. I have my reasons, and I need you to respect that.”

Drayton sighed, the fight leaving his body. Sometimes, he wished he could see into Vann’s mind. “What are your reasons?”

“Does it matter?”

“Do you want me to slam you against the wall again?”

“Actually, I kinda liked that. So go ahead.” A hint of something wicked sparked in those amber eyes.

Drayton groaned. “I’ve already got blue balls, so don’t torture me anymore. And don’t change the damn subject.”

Vann reached out and cupped Drayton’s face. He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. “I’m sure you keep your design team a bit isolated so they can work. Right?”

Drayton nodded.

“I’ve been isolated for a while already.” He sighed and lowered his brow as if trying to find the right words.

Realization finally dawned on him. “You want to be able to interact with more people.”

Vann nodded. “Everyone gets mail. So I’ll get to meet with more people if I’m in that department. It’s stu…silly, right?”

Drayton scowled, not missing the word that had almost slipped from Vann’s lips. “It’s not silly. And I get it.” He fucking hated a sensible argument he couldn’t anticipate. “Next time, lead the conversation with your reasoning.”

“Then I don’t get to see this pushy, dominant side of you I’ve missed.”

“I think you gave me another gray hair.”

“I’m kinda liking those too.”

Drayton planted his hands on his hips with a grunt.

Vann grabbed Drayton by the waistband of his slacks and tugged him closer. “You want things your way and so do I. We’re both just as stubborn as we were when we were kids. But I’ve changed.”

“You haven’t.”

A pained look crossed Vann’s expression. “I have. You might not see it but I feel it. Something in me broke, and I’m trying to figure out how to fix it. So I need you to be patient with me.”

“And I need you to not put yourself down. You’ve always been able to ignore what people say about you or turn it around.”

“I know.” Vann rested his head on Drayton’s shoulder and slid his arms around his waist. “I wish you could take me apart and figure out what’s wrong. Then put me back together and make me better.”

Drayton wrapped his arms around Vann’s shoulders and rubbed his nose in Vann’s hair. “And I know you well enough to know that’s one formula you need to solve on your own.” He held him close, reveling in the comfort and ease of just sharing the same space. “Whatever you need from me, just say the word and it’s yours.”

“I know. I just need some time to figure this out.”

“I’m not giving up. On you or us. So don’t you dare quit.”

“I won’t.”

“And you’re still going to head up the department someday. You have enough talent to do it. And we can always hire an assistant if needed.”

Vann scoffed.

“What?”

“You’re stubborn.”

“See? We’re a perfect match.” Drayton brushed his cheek against Vann, enjoying every second of intimacy he could steal.

“So I’ll take the mailroom job and you won’t argue with me about it anymore?”

Drayton sighed. “Yes…for now.”

“Thank you.”

Something had shifted in Vann that seemed to raise his guard and unsettle him. But as Drayton tightened his hold, he breathed a sigh of relief, confident that Vann was smart and determined enough to dissect things until he solved that equation on his own terms. And if he needed any help, Drayton would be right there standing guard at his side.