Page 10 of Archer

I entered through my studio and put away all my equipment, and then started down the hallway to the bar. I passed by the yoga studio on the way, and I was both relieved and disappointed to see the blinds were closed this evening.

Crispin. I’d never met anyone named Crispin before, but the name suited him somehow. I was tempted to go inside and see if he was there, which was silly. What would I say if he was there? The boy had been on my mind ever since I’d watched him twisting himself into what looked like impossible positions the other night. Just thinking about the possibilities with a partner that flexible had me half-hard, and then there was the way he’d looked at me when he delivered my food.

The slight intake of breath as the back of his hand brushed against my bare chest, and the way his cheeks went pink when he realized what he’d done. I would love to see that expression on his face again. It had been a while since I’d met anyone I thought was worth pursuing. I had a good thing going here at the Windsor, so it would take someone special for me to disrupt the flow. And Crispin would be a disruption, no doubt about it.

Of course, I was getting ahead of myself. It wasn’t like I knew anything about him. Well, other than the short synopsis of his life he’d given me at my door. It appeared Crispin babbled when he was nervous. Something some people might find annoying, but I found it kind of charming. He’d reminded me of Danny, the little boy with the toy from the photo shoot the other day, but allgrown up. He still had that same boyish enthusiasm, but for life instead of for make-believe dinosaurs.

When I reached the bar, I was relieved to see that Hitch and Bram were both there. That was part of the magic of what Hitch was creating here. We each had our own unit, which gave us the privacy we needed, but the bar was kind of like the living room of a big, shared house. It was a nice place to hang out and watch a game or chat with friends.

“Hey, guys.” I sat in my normal spot at the bar, and before my ass was in the seat, Quincy had placed a glass in my spot that had a small amount of amber liquid in it.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned. “I got a new whiskey in, and I know you’ll want to taste it. It’s pegged to take all kinds of awards this year.”

“Awesome. Let’s give it a try.”

I wasn’t a whiskey connoisseur by any means, but I knew what I liked, and I was a little picky. This one had a sweet, spicy aroma that was really nice. I took a sip and savored the taste. It was spicier than what I normally drank, with hints of nutmeg and pepper, but it had a smooth finish.

“It’s good, Quincy. Really good. I still prefer theUncle Nearest, but I think this is almost as good.”

“Why don’t you ever share the good stuff with us, Quince?” Bram asked.

“Because you two wouldn’t know a good whiskey if you tasted it. How could you, when you always insist on adding something to it? Archer over here understands whiskey in its purest form.”

Hitch rolled his eyes. “You know you work for me, right?”

“I’m well aware.” Quincy grinned and added more to my glass now that he knew I liked it.

“So, how was your day?” I asked, looking at my two friends.

“Good, same old, same old. Had to let Elton into his condo twice. I swear I don’t know how the guy manages to function. Other than that, nothing worth mentioning.”

Elton Warner was one of the residents here at Windsor Place, and he’d been driving Hitch crazy from day one. He was an author and seemed to live in a world of his own creation instead of the real one the rest of us occupied.

“How about you, Bram?” I asked. Bram was a good guy. He owned a bakery that was on the bottom floor next to Luxe. Hitch and I had known each other since college, but we’d both met Bram when he opened his shop here.

“Good, nothing new. How about you, Archer?”

“I had a good day. Took a bunch of pictures for Living Chic that I think came out great.”

“So no roaring dinosaurs or brawling brides today, then?” Bram chuckled.

“Nope, not today. I have a question for you two, though. What do you know about the guy at the yoga studio here in the building?”

“Not much,” Hitch said with a shrug. “When Aziza told me she was moving to Florida, she mentioned that he’d be taking over. I think she’s looking to sell the place to him if he can make a go of it. Why? Did you have a problem with him?”

“No, not at all. I’d just seen him around, and then I decided to order out the other night, and he was the one who delivered it.”

“He’s delivering food?” Hitch asked. “I don’t know when. I swear he’s in that studio first thing in the morning, and half the time, he has classes late in the evening.”

“Nothing wrong with working hard for what you want,” Bram said.

“Right.” Hitch nodded. “But there’s such a thing as working too hard. Something you still need to figure out, my friend.”

“So, what else do you know about him?” I asked, steering the conversation back to Crispin before Hitch got Bram wound up about how important hard work was and how seriously he took his business.

“Not much? Why? Are you interested?”

I should’ve known Hitch would see right through my attempt at sounding casual. He’d known me too long for that.

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