Page 96 of Where There's Smoke

“Eric. Grove.” He nodded toward the door. “Now open up. Slade’s thirsty.”

I pulled open the door, and as he walked past me, I said, “How the hell did you hook up with him? Isn’t he—”

“Straight?” Yep, he was gloating. Like no man on this planet, Slade Ralston could gloat. “Well, that’s whathethought. Apparently he was mistaken.”

“Apparently so.” I followed Slade into the bar, and we took seats at a high table beside the heavily tinted window. “Dare I ask how he was enlightened?”

“I have my ways.” He inspected his nails before polishing them on his shirt. Anyone else would have appeared insufferably arrogant, but Slade, while indisputably cocky, was good-natured about it.

Before I could ask any further, a waiter showed up and took our drink order. I ordered a beer, and since I was buying, Slade insisted on a top-shelf martini. I didn’t mind. Whenever he bought, I went for the cognac. Sooner or later, we’d probably come out even.

Once we had our drinks in hand, I took a long swallow of beer. Then I shook my head. “Man, if I had known way back when that Eric played for our team…”

“You wouldn’t have had a chance with me around.”

I rolled my eyes. “Uh-huh. Can’t compete with Mr. Humility.”

“No. No, you can’t. But enough about that.” He threw me a sidelong glance. “Your old friend, huh? Do I embarrass you that much?”

“What? No, you don’t embarrass me. I’m not out, remember? I’d just as soon Jesse didn’t know.”

“Uh-huh.” The corner of his mouth pulled up. “I think he knows very well.”

“Hedoesn’t.” Before he could insinuate any further about my alleged but totally real relationship with Jesse, I said, “He’s very straight and married, Slade. That, and I don’t date candidates.”

“You’re not going to date anyone at all if you stay in that damned closet, my friend.”

I gritted my teeth. Slade was unabashedly out to anyone and everyone and refused to apologize for that. I envied him, but sometimes he forgot some of us had reasons for not being out. He knew full well that working in politics, not to mention having a family like mine, meant I wasn’t in any hurry to come flying out of the closet for the whole world to see.

“Okay, so you’re not involved with him,” he said. “And that is such a pity, my God. But are you seeing anyone these days?”

Ooh yeah.

I rested my chin on my clasped hands. “Yeah, I’m…sort of…”

“Well.” He cocked his head and shot me his trademark “I see through you” smirk. “Are you or aren’t you? I didn’t ask if it was serious.”

The heat rushing into my face undoubtedly turned my skin red, and there was no getting anything past Slade anyway.

I dropped my gaze and watched my fingers curl and uncurl the corner of a napkin. “Okay, yes. I’m seeing someone.”

“So,” Slade said with a grin. “Tell me about him. What’s he like?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You really want to know about my love life?”

He shrugged. “Well, we talked about mine. And besides,someone’staking you to bed. I’m curious about the lucky man.”

I laughed, pretending my face wasn’t on fire.

“Is he cute?”

I snorted. “Please. When have I ever dated a man who wasn’t fucking stunning?”

Slade grinned. “Well, I certainly won’t argue withthat.” He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Come on, tell me. Details, Anthony. Details! How’d you meet him?”

“We met—” I paused, thinking quickly. “Through a friend. He introduced us. Thought we had a lot in common and would, you know, get along.” Damn. I really had been in politics too long. There was nothing I couldn’t spin into a vague half-truth.

“And? Was he right?” Slade gestured with his glass. “Do you have a lot in common and, you know, get along?”

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