Page 20 of Complete Me

I relax into my chair. “Who says I beg your pardon besides old people? And technically, I didn’t say you are old, I said you sound old. But since you brought it up, how old are you?”

He side-eyes me. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-four.”

A bit of color drains from Xander’s face. “Christ, you’re a baby.”

“Really. That’s your response? You must be really old, then.” I doubt it. He doesn’t look that much older than me. But after a response like that he deserves a little shit.

“He’s forty-one, if I’m doing the math properly. I’m thirty-eight.” Bjorn sets three mugs down on the low table between our seats and drops into an empty chair. “How old’s the baby?” He looks at me.

With a snort, I reach for my espresso. “I’m not even going to be insulted that you remember how old Xander is but not how old I am. And it’s thirty-four, by the way. Hardly a baby.”

Bjorn nods. “Hardly. Four-year gap.” He gestures between us. “And three.” He gestures between himself and Xander. “And seven between the two of you. That’s not huge.”

Xander reaches for his dalgona. “It’s not insignificant, either.”

“But it is irrelevant.”

Xander rolls his eyes. “Says every young person, ever.”

“Do you want me to call you gramps?” Why is he so hung up on how old I am? I turn to Bjorn, who is watching us with amusement. “As if forty-one is old.”

Bjorn leans in, grinning. “Speaking of old, what did the grownup cow say to the baby cow?” He doesn’t even wait for us to reply. “It’s pasture bedtime.”

He looks at us expectantly, and I groan. “That’s awful.”

“It is not!” But he’s laughing, like he knows it really is. “So, Kaino, what’s new?”

One hundred percent of his attention is on me, and if Bjorn hadn’t just spoken to him, I’d swear he forgot Xander’s here. Oh, the headiness of being Bjorn’s sole focus. I’m pulled into his gaze, and I don’t fight it. “Nothing, really. It sounds ridiculous, given that it’s been four years, but my routine has been pretty steady.”

Bjorn shakes his head. “Nothing? No new hobbies?”

I glance at Xander, then back to Bjorn. “Nothing I care to discuss at the moment.” Xander makes an indignant squawk, and I turn to him, eyebrow raised. “You have a problem with that?”

“I thought we were becoming friends. But I suppose we don’t really know each other. Still, rude.” He waves me off and crosses his arms over his chest.

Xander, without a doubt, is a brat. A very needy one, if I’m not mistaken. And likely to continue this line of behavior unless he’s dealt with. I turn to Bjorn. “Please excuse me for a moment.” I physically turn my entire body to give Xander my full attention. “Xander, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Which is exactly the answer I expected. “It’s not polite to mention secrets, look right at me, and then say you’ll discuss it later. That’s juvenile behavior.”

I don’t mention that his behavior at the moment is juvenile. Mostly because his point is well taken, and I’m feeling a bit guilty and chastised. I tilt my head to the side, considering. “Is it my attention you want? Or Bjorn’s?” I can feel Bjorn’s gaze on me, but I focus on Xander.

Xander bristles, mouth opening and closing a few times before he finds his words. “I don’t appreciate being treated as if I’m a child.”

“Then don’t act like one.” My tone is firm but unheated, and I don’t look away, wondering if this is typical behavior for him. “If you can be patient for ten minutes, we can discuss expectations, boundaries, limits, and what you hope to get out of this dynamic.” Once again, he opens and closes his mouth several times, but nothing comes out. I don’t really expect him to follow through on my suggestion, and I only made it to shock him out of his little tantrum.

Bjorn’s laughter booms through the cafe, and several heads turn our way, but he doesn’t seem to care. “Oh, my god, I’ve never seen Xander speechless before.” Bjorn wipes at his eyes. I suppress the smile tugging at my lips. If I’m reading Xander properly, laughing will only make him act out more.

I let Bjorn settle, then answer his question as if we hadn’t been interrupted. “Now that I’m staying around the western part of the state, I can get into more permanent hobbies. I’m thinking about volunteering at a local animal rescue center, and hiking is still a favorite.” I can almost feel Xander’s prickliness fading.

“You like animals?” His tone is slightly defensive, but it’s a peace offering of sorts, so I accept.

“I do. Dogs and cats, mostly. Though I’ve been known to play with the odd ferret or two. I’m not much into reptiles or arachnids. Basically, if it has four legs and is usually furry and friendly, I’m game.”

Xander smirks. “What about hairless cats?”

I raise one eyebrow. “If they’re affectionate, then they are fine in my book.”

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