Page 32 of Drift

Heads were starting to turn his way.

Chapter 10

NOTICED

Jan sorted through for his wallet as the cashier placed a tray with a large cappuccino and tall hot chocolate on the counter, and a smile came his way.

“With lunch, that’s thirty pounds, please,” said the woman.

He resisted sighing. Sat back by the restaurant windows, Monique was to blame for the extras at dinner today. Forget the main course of cod and chips, she’d added a mountain of cream and marshmallows to her second hot chocolate, not to mention the empty plate that called out a gluten-free pancake that had been topped with cacao nibs, jam, and cocoa shavings.

Not that he minded. It was his turn to pay, and boy did she grin over, knowing it.

“Here, put Mr Richard’s bill on my tab, Clare.”

Buffeted slightly, Jan frowned to his left. The downside with this place was that they couldn’t escape some of the work crowd that raided the café and its fine mix of restaurant. London barely saw a tree or greenery for miles, and this place had thatescape to the countryfeel with everything they offered.

But MC staff also meant… Chris.

Chris and the grinning baboon behind him.

“Ben.” Jan gave the man a nod. He got a wink back, then Jan glanced at Chris before he handed over his own card. “We’re all good, thanks.” Jan looked at Clare. “But you can add whatever these two have had onto mine.”

Chris hardened his look, and Jan hated how good it looked on him. He had that wilder, Keanu Reeves cut to his hair: long, with matching black beard, although behind his sunglasses, blue eyes always seemed to smirk. He wore a charcoal grey Brioni Vanquish Ii suit, one of only one-hundred and fifty made. Gray had five of them amongst other designs, but Chris always seemed confined to just two, this and a blue one, showing the difference in pay grades. Jan wore a Vivienne Westwood, one of many as well. His choice, but they were Jack’s, sometimes Gray’s gifts over the years. Chris’s long look at him seemed to size wage packets up and call out just who had paid for Jan’s, then threw on top how Jan was now offering to pay for Chris and Ben’s meals too.

“So long as you’re sure?” said Chris, still holding out his card to Clare. “We’ve had steak.”

Christ. They would have done. Jan nodded at Clare. “It’s fine.” He winked at Chris. “Working lunch. It all goes on the tax breaks, right?”

Chris snorted. “Yeah, yeah they do.” A smile. “But thanks. The offer’s… sweet of you.”

Didn’t that just ooze withmail boycondescension? Jan ignored it as Ben tugged the tray over to Jan now Chris slipped his card and wallet away and Clare rang up the bill.

“Hot chocolate, hm?” Ben tilted his head, seemingly taken with the tall glass as he cocked a brow. He was a little bulkier, more round at the shoulders, enough his suit never really lookedlike it fit over his bouncer body type. “Nice marshmallows there, Jan. Cream and cheap fluffy bits before bedtime. That a council thing? Classy.”

Chris shot Ben a look. “Ease off. Jan’s one of us. Don’t matter where he came from.” Jan got a look. “Right, kid?”

The chocolate was Monique’s and the dig not entirely meant just for Jan. That pissed him off. “Apparently so,” he said as he turned away. “I mean, all that private London schooling you two had, and here you are, going head-to-head with two council wallers.” He glanced back at Chris, more Ben. “Gotta bite at your so-called posh-boy balls that. Or maybe they just don’t grow as tough on your side of the fence. Afterall, this is you and your piss-taking over—” He snorted at his drink. “—a hot chocolate. That as ballsy as you get?”

Chris lost his smile along with Ben as Clare snorted a small grin, and Jan left them to it as he went over to Monique. He’d long since gotten over beating around the bush when it came to verbal foreplay. That or he’d been around Jack far too much. But most suits did back off when talk got rough and… unofficelike.

Head down in her iPad and the test Jan had set for her, Monique didn’t even look up as Jan put the tray down on their table.

“Dick and his trick giving you grief?”

Jan sat down and pulled her iPad over to see where she was on the test. “I’ve dealt with worse.” He snorted a smile. “Much worse, believe me.”

“Hm. Maybe.” Monique took her hot chocolate and rested an elbow on the table before putting her chin on her hand as she looked him over. “You thought of having a word with Gray and Jack? Fit Chris and Ben up in a scene? A few pictures of Chrisin a BDSM swing, all his wares on display and ass all—” She lowered her tone. “—wanton with Ben pushing the swing from the side, because Christ knows he always stands around with no clue how to find the glory hole despite all the signs in front of him.”

Jan nearly choked on his coffee. “And do what with the evidence?”

Monique shrugged. “Keep it.” A slow smirk came over her spoon as she licked at the cream stolen from her hot chocolate. “Sometimes the threat of it is enough, right?”

“You been taking notes from Gray?”

Monique grinned, then spooned at her cream and winked at Chris as he passed by. He gave her mouth a glance, and she slipped the spoon in with the longest, seductive. “Hmmm.”

Chris snorted and looked away. Four times he’d tried his luck with her, failing to notice Monique’s smile only softened when she spoke Andrea’s name. Her lover’s.

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