Page 22 of The Princess

“I don’t want extra bacon, though.”

“I do. Now go order me some bacon.” Nash motioned to the door that led to the kitchen. “You’re running out of time.”

Damon looked over his shoulder, noting Ethan’s location at the other end of the diner. He was talking to a group of guys who looked to be like they were from the fire department. Before he lost his chance, or his nerve, he got to his feet and ducked into the kitchen.

Taylor was at the grill, of course. Damon watched him work for half a minute. He was insanely talented, making eggs and bacon at the same time as toast and pancakes and half a dozen other things.

“Hey,” Damon said, for lack of anything else to say. Now that he was back here, he didn’t know what he wanted to say to Taylor.

Taylor turned and smiled so big and bright he damn near glowed. “Hey, yourself. Couldn’t stay away, huh?”

Damon cleared his throat. “I—um. I’m here with Nash. For breakfast. I wanted to say good morning. And that I had a good time.”

Taylor’s smile softened. “I had a great time too.” Taylor went back to flipping bacon and scrambling eggs. “Which one is your order?”

Damon rattled off what they’d ordered. “But I’m supposed to ask for extra bacon on my order. Nash wants to steal it, I think.”

Taylor laughed. “Tell him that I’ll make him his own bacon.” Taylor turned again, this time abandoning his grill to glide across the room to where Damon stood. “Are you free next weekend?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’d like to go out with you again. If that’s something you want.”

Damon did. He wanted that more than almost anything. “Yeah. I want.”

Taylor stepped in and brushed a quick kiss against the corner of Damon’s mouth. “Good. Now go sit with your boyfriend and tell him he’s getting his own bacon.”

Taylor went back to his grill, humming and dancing, and Damon had to use every bit of his willpower to pull himself away and go back to Nash.

Damon dropped into his seat. “Taylor said you get your own bacon,” he said as Ethan walked past them. When he was out of earshot, Damon leaned closer. “And he asked me to go out with him next weekend.”

Nash smiled at Damon, looking pleased as punch about it. Damon tilted his head. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“What’s not to enjoy? You’re happy. Taylor’s happy. I’m happy.”

The diner might not be the best location to hash this out, but Damon was going insane with all his tangled thoughts and feelings about the sudden shift in his love life. “We are. And it’s not weird-bad, but still weird, that you’re so okay with this.”

“Are you not okay with it?” Nash asked him, nudging his foot against Damon’s under the table.

“I—” Damon closed his mouth when Ethan appeared with their orders. “Thanks, Dad. It looks delicious as always,” Damon told him. He wondered how much of their conversation Ethan had heard, which was why it was stupid to talk about this at the diner.

Ethan, if he had heard anything, gave no indication of it. He left them to eat and went to take care of other customers. Damon was glad it was busy and Ethan didn’t have time for chitchat.

“I’m okay with it. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Neither have I. And neither has Taylor. You’re not alone in this, Damon.”

“But you’re so calm about everything.”

“On the outside. On the inside, I’ve thought of a thousand different ways this can all go wrong. Adding another person to a relationship is a big deal. I want it to work.” Nash’s statement kicked the legs out from under Damon’s stomach and it dropped. But then Nash gave him a soft smile and leaned in closer. “Because I’ve also thought of a million different ways that it can go right.”

“Oh…” Damon exhaled.

“Yeah, oh.” Nash pointed at Damon’s plate. “Eat up, or you’re going to be late for work.”

Damon did as he was told, shoveling a bite of perfectly scrambled eggs into his mouth.

If Nash believed that this could work, then maybe it could. Damon would have to trust that Nash and Taylor knew what they were doing because he didn’t have a single fucking clue.

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