Chapter Eighteen

“AT this point, I consider the matter settled as long as no further bullying occurs. However—and I want this made very clear—if any further bullying does occur, I will consider it an escalation of events and will take measures to see the perpetrators removed from the campus and remanded to the alternative school for the rest of the year,” Blake declared.

Thane swallowed hard in his seat next to Kit and Phillip. Blake had called a meeting of all the students and parents involved in the bullying, and Thane had never found him as desirable as he did in that moment. Who’d have thought that standing up for his nephews would be what it took to make him weak in the knees?

“Are there any questions?”

None of the other parents or students raised any, so Blake stood. “Thank you all for your time. Boys, see Ms. Wright for passes back to class.”

The boys filed out of the room, Kit and Phillip included. The other parents shook Blake’s hand each in turn and left as well, until only Blake and Thane remained in the conference room.

“Thank you for coming too,” Blake said.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Thane said. “Even if I didn’t have anything to add or learn from it, Kit and Phillip needed me here.”

“Yes, they did. They may not have known how to say it, but having you here made them feel safe.”

“They don’t need me for that,” Thane replied. “They have you in their corner. They’re the safest kids in the building.”

“Now you’re flattering me,” Blake protested.

“I’m really not,” Thane said. “I know I said a lot of nasty things when we first met, and I believed most of them when I said them, but I’ve learned a thing or two since then. You won’t let anything happen to my boys any more than I would. And that’s incredibly precious to me. I hope you know that.”

“They’re very special to me,” Blake said. “I try to treat all my students the same. I want them all to feel like I’m in their corner, but every year there are a few who worm their way a little deeper into my heart than the rest. I’d still throw the book at them if they did something stupid, but they’re my kids, and I do everything I can to help them.”

“You’re a pretty amazing man, Blake Barnes. I just thought I should say that.” Thane moved around Blake’s desk so he stood within arm’s reach. “Is the case officially closed?”

Blake’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Thane wanted to bend down and kiss it, but that would have to wait until after Blake had agreed to go out with him. And until they were somewhere with a little more privacy.

“Yes, the parents all signed off on the referrals, and the bullies have completed their time in ISS. As long as they don’t pick back up where they left off, the case is over.”

“Good.”

Adrenaline pumped through Thane with every beat of his heart. He didn’t think Blake would turn him down a third time. Last week he’d said they had to wait until the disciplinary proceedings were finished, but now they were. “That means you can have dinner with me this weekend.”

“Not even going to ask me this time?” Blake’s cheeks flushed adorably as he replied. Damn, Thane wanted to lean in and kiss him, but he’d imagined their first kiss more than once, and it didn’t take place in a conference room next to Blake’s office, where they could be interrupted at any moment.

“Will you do me the honor of dining with me on Saturday?” Thane infused his voice with as much haughtiness as he could muster.

Blake sputtered out a laugh. “I think I’ll take the first one. At least it was honest.”

Thane grinned. “I’m never going to be more than a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. I don’t do fancy well. I mean, I’ve learned which fork goes with which course if I have to go to a fancy dinner, but I’m just as happy with a thick steak off a grill as I am with any five-star restaurant.” He said it nonchalantly, but he waited for Blake’s reaction with bated breath.

“I don’t need white tablecloths and bone china to enjoy a date,” Blake replied. “I just need the person I’m with to want to be there with me.”

“Not something you ever need to worry about,” Thane said immediately. “We could get McDonald’s and I’d be happy because you said yes.”

“Let’s make it a little nicer than McDonald’s, shall we?” He shot Thane a mischievous grin. “We could splurge and at least go to Panera.”

Thane laughed, the sound coming all the way from his belly. “Just for that, I’m taking you somewhere super fancy. Coat and tie required.”

Blake eyed him up and down. “Don’t expect me to turn down the chance to see you in a suit.”

Hell, if Blake was going to look at him like that, Thane would wear a monkey suit all the time. “I’ll make reservations for seven, if that suits you. That way the worst of the dinner crowd will be cleared and we’ll be able to enjoy our dinner.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Thane’s phone buzzed on his belt. He glanced down to see the name of his current client and pain in the ass. “I’m sorry. I have to take this. I’m not sure I’ll be at stage crew today.”

“See you tomorrow,” Blake said.

Thane answered the phone and waved as he left Blake’s office.

“KIT, Phillip, can you come in here for a few minutes?”

Kit and Phillip looked at each other nervously. “Did we leave dirty dishes in the sink?” Kit whispered.

“I don’t think so,” Phillip whispered back. “I can’t think of anything we’ve done.”

Kit grimaced. “I guess he’ll tell us.”

“Maybe it’s not a bad thing,” Phillip said. “We’ve been doing good in school and in stage crew.”

“Maybe.”

They squared their shoulders and walked into the kitchen. For a moment, Phillip thought Uncle Thane looked almost nervous too.

“Have a seat,” he said.

Phillip and Kit took their usual seats on either side of the table and waited to see what Uncle Thane had to say.

“I have a date on Saturday,” he told them.

Phillip exchanged a glance with Kit. A date? This was too good to be true. They’d have something to tease him about in return for all the teasing he’d done about Darcy. “Nice,” Phillip drawled. “Anyone we know?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“It’s Mr. B., isn’t it?” Kit blurted out. “You brought him hot chocolate, and you’re always hanging around where he is even when he doesn’t need your help.”

Uncle Thane blushed beneath his beard. Phillip grinned. “It is, isn’t it? You’ve got a crush on Mr. B.”

“I’m thirty-eight years old. I don’t have a ‘crush’ on anyone.”

Phillip snorted. “What do you call it, then?”

“I have a date,” Uncle Thane repeated. “But yes, you’re right. It’s with Mr. Barnes. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Why would it be a problem?” Phillip asked. “We like him, but even if we didn’t, it’s your life.”

“I don’t want to make things weird for you at school if I’m dating your stage crew advisor,” Uncle Thane said.

“Oh no, you’re not going to put that on us,” Kit said. “If you like him, go for it. Don’t use us as an excuse.”

“What he said,” Phillip agreed. “We won’t be in high school forever.”

Uncle Thane’s shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you, boys.”

BLAKE still didn’t know where Thane was taking him for dinner as he got ready on Saturday. Thane had come to help with stage crew on both Thursday and Friday, and Blake had given Thane his address and cell number. Thane had said only that he would pick Blake up at six thirty and to wear a coat and tie. Blake had joked that he wore a coat and tie every day. Thane had laughed at him and told him not to wear a school suit.

That didn’t leave him with many options. He had three types of clothes in his closet: stage crew clothes, school clothes, and club clothes. He had workout clothes in his drawer, but those would be even less appropriate than anything in his closet. He dug in the back of his closet to see if he could find the suit he’d bought for his cousin’s wedding a few years ago. His parents had insisted he needed something nicer than what he wore to school, so he’d splurged and bought a bespoke suit instead of something off the rack. He’d worn it to the wedding, hung it up, and hadn’t touched it since. He’d thought about wearing it to his parents’ funeral, but they wouldn’t have wanted him to associate those memories with it.

He found the suit bag pushed all the way to the back of the closet. He pulled it out and unzipped it, hoping the suit wasn’t too wrinkled or musty to wear—and that it still fit. He tried to stay healthy, but he couldn’t swear he hadn’t put on a few pounds in the past couple of years. It was worth a try anyway.

The black wool didn’t look wrinkled or smell stale when he pulled it out. Now for the moment of truth. He stripped off the jeans he’d worn all day and stepped into the suit pants. He’d forgotten how nice the fabric felt compared to the suits he usually wore. To his relief, he was able to button them with no problem. They were maybe a little snugger around his butt than they’d been when he bought them, but he was wearing them on a date with a man who had shown a propensity for staring at his ass. It couldn’t hurt to show it off a little.

The nice thing about a black suit was that he could pair it with almost any shirt and tie he owned, except maybe the navy blue one. He debated between a simple white shirt or a brighter one. He didn’t know where they were going, so he didn’t know if he could get away with something more flamboyant. He’d love to wear the bright pink one, just to get back at Thane for his teasing, but that might not be the best idea, depending on where they were going for dinner. He’d settle for a white one tonight and see if he couldn’t convince Thane to give him more details next time.

That assumed there would be a next time, but after the way Thane had pursued him the past few weeks, Blake didn’t think that would be a problem unless their first date ended up being a disaster.

He finished getting dressed and made a cup of hot chocolate—peppermint, of course—to help pass the time while he waited for Thane to pick him up. His heart rabbited against his sternum. He hoped he wasn’t making a colossal mistake by agreeing to go out with Thane, but he couldn’t say no anymore. He’d just have to hope for the best.

The doorbell rang at precisely six thirty. At least Thane was punctual. Blake set his mug in the sink and answered the door. Thane leaned against the railing of his apartment landing, looking positively sinful in a dark suit and shirt. Blake couldn’t tell if they were navy or black in the porch light, but they made him drool with the way they stretched across Thane’s broad shoulders. Blake could have stood there for hours, drinking in the sight of him. The slim trousers highlighted the miles of Thane’s legs, reminding Blake of just how tall he was. Best of all, Thane had left his hair loose instead of pulling it back like he did at stage crew. Blake itched to run his fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked, but that was a liberty he didn’t have permission to take just yet.

“You look very nice tonight,” Thane said, his rumble of a voice causing Blake’s stomach to flip.

“So do you.”

“Shall we go?”

Blake locked up and followed Thane down to his truck. It didn’t look especially new, but it did look freshly washed, a thought that charmed Blake. Thane had made an effort to make a good impression too.

Thane held the door for Blake, not quite crowding him but close enough that Blake could feel the heat from his body in the chilly March air. The interior of the cab was warm, though, so Blake was glad he hadn’t bothered with his winter coat. Thane came around to the other side and climbed in.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Thane said as he headed back down toward Tates Creek and then onto New Circle Road.

Blake tapped his fingers against the leather of the bucket seat. It was probably a good thing the gearshift separated them. Blake couldn’t scoot closer, no matter how tempting the thought was. “You do realize I’m in the car with you. I’m not backing out at this point.”

“That’s not it,” Thane said. “I just want to surprise you.”

Blake settled back against the seat and told himself to be patient a little longer. When they turned out Leestown Road away from town rather than going toward town, he looked at Thane again—not that he could see more than his profile outlined in the headlights of oncoming cars.

“Now I’m really curious. There’s nothing out this way.”

“There is if you drive far enough.”

I-64 was out that way, but that didn’t make sense. Unless…. “Are you taking me to Louisville for dinner?”

Thane laughed. “Not quite that far, although we could do that another time, if you want. The Oakroom is a dining extravaganza.”

“It’s a bit far to go for dinner, isn’t it?” Blake said.

“So we get a room at the Seelbach and stay the night. But it’s only a little over an hour.”

Blake shivered at the thought of spending the night with Thane. He needed to focus on dinner, not sex, or he’d end up embarrassing himself for sure.

Blake wasn’t convinced Thane was telling the truth about not going to Louisville because the interstate was right there, but he turned into Midway instead. “Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Thane stopped in front of a little storefront restaurant on Main Street. “There,” he said. Blake read Heirloom on the awning.