Page 66 of For the Cameras

“I’m not even going to ask,” Charlie said, grinning at us.

The rest of the car ride went by in a flash. Charlie took control of the wireless sound system in the back of the car, and the three of us took turns putting on different songs to get us hyped up for the night. We were driven down the mountain and into Denver, heading right into downtown as the sun was setting.

When we pulled up outside the restaurant and the driver opened the door for us, Adam’s shirt and tie had dried off like nothing had happened.

“How do I look?” he asked me as he stepped onto the street, standing in the glow of the restaurant’s awning.

“Like a movie star,” I said. “Like you always do.”

“You’re too nice to me, Chase.”

“How do I look?” I asked him, smoothing out my hair one last time.

Adam leaned in close to my ear, right as Charlie started to walk away toward the restaurant.

“You look like I want to fuck you,” he whispered low in my ear. “On camera. For everyone to see.”

My cock throbbed. “Not fair,” I said, cutting him a glance. “I just got control of myself and now you’re the one teasing me?”

“Told you,” he said, a glint in his eye. “You’re rubbing off on me.”

“Damn right I am,” I said, and as he walked in front of me into the restaurant, I was able to catch his ass in my hand and give it a squeeze without anyone else seeing.

As we stepped inside, I had a brief flash of disorientation. After being in the back of a car for a while, walking into this place felt like entering another world.

“This restaurant isn’t just fancy, it’s like a fucking Victorianpalace,” I said, looking all around.

The ceilings towered above us, and chandeliers were hanging all throughout the space. The lighting was dim and intimate, with candles at every table, casting the dark purple walls and leather booths in a flickering glow. There was a pianist at the corner of the room playing classy jazz music on a glossy black baby grand piano.

“Everybody here is a millionaire, I think,” Charlie said, gawking at it as much as I was. “I have never felt more like a construction worker in my life.”

“There he is,” Emmett said as he caught sight of us. “The star of the hour, and the talent behind him. Hi, Adam. Hey, Chase and Charlie.”

Emmett started to lead us over toward a long table, immediately working his way into a conversation with Adam about how much he loved the finishes he chose for his kitchen counters.

“The one millionaire in here that we actually know,” I said to Charlie. “I didn’t expect that Emmett could potentially be theleastwealthy person in here.”

“Well, he’s not the only millionaire we know,” Charlie told me, gesturing over toward Kace, who was over at the big table already sitting next to Nathan and Shawn.

“Okay, true. Kace is a pro football player,” I said, “but he’s just as much of an inappropriate goofball as I am, so he’s an exception.”

Nathan had been with Kace Tomlin for as long as I’d known them both. It was a cute pairing, with Nathan being a humble, single dad construction owner, and Kace being one of the biggest hotshot pro football players in the nation.

But they worked. And it was always cool to see Kace Tomlin in Jade Brewery or around the Fixer Brothers offices.

We got to the table and took the last available seats. Adam took a seat right next to Emmett, and I was placed across the table, a couple of seats down from them. I was next to Kace and one of his football teammates, and I knew I’d have a great time talking with them—but Adam was sandwiched between Emmett and another professional-looking guy from the marketing firm, and directly across from Nathan.

A protective instinct came over me.

For Adam, being sat down there might have felt like he’d been thrown right into a den of lions. He was likely in for a long dinner full of conversations to navigate that even the most socially savvy people could struggle with.

But soon, everyone ordered their first round of drinks, and by the time it came out, I knew I had a different night ahead of me.

Adam wasn’t just doing fine in conversation with Emmett and the other guy from the firm—he was fucking knocking it out of the park.

Emmett didn’t seem to have any awareness that Adam was socially anxious to begin with. He treated Adam like he’d treat anybody else, and Adam rose to the occasion like a total badass. Emmett introduced him to his colleague and the two of them quickly got into a conversation about statistical methods whileKace got our side of the table in a conversation about electrolyte drinks.

It was like a little microcosm of so many different personalities, all at one table.

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