Page 67 of Recon Rendezvous

I stand there, incensed at the gall of this guy to not only approach me but to speak down on London. London, by all accounts,isperfect. Maybe not to someone with the pea size brain, and what I imagine a similar dick size, but to me she's flirty and dirty all wrapped in one and I want nothing more than to have her wrapped around me.

Footsteps alert me to someone approaching and I square up, ready to fuck this guy up if he comes at me again, but my shoulders drop as I meet amused eyes.

“Nicely done. I never really liked that guy, and I’ve struggled to keep my mouth shut, but you've always had a way with words.” Ty pauses as he holds my gaze, searching for something. “From what I just heard, you have it bad for my cousin?”

“Yeah, man. Let's head to the bar. It's time we talked.”

“Fine, sure, lead the way.” We grab the last two stools at the end of the bar and take a seat. I signal to the bartenders, but seeing how busy it is, I know it’ll be a while. So, I might as well get this over with and jump into this conversation.

Meeting Ty’s gaze, I say, “I've come to the realization that I want to pursue things with London and I’m coming to you as a man to let you know my intentions.”

He holds up a hand. “While I appreciate the thought behind this conversation, it is completely unnecessary.”

“Wa—”

“Let me finish. You’ve been my A1 since day one and you’re one of the best men I know. You’re fucking family. Besides, you're both adults. I trust you and I trust her to make her own decisions, but this one I have no concerns about. I’ve always thought that when you grew the fuck up and got serious, and it sounds like you have, you will give whoever you’re withthe world.” He chuckles before continuing. “I'm happy that it's London. She deserves nothing but the best and I’m confident you’ll give it to her. I said all that to say, I have no worries and what you both do is none of my business. Well, besides the fact that she is coming out of that horrible fucking relationship. I hope this is a good time for both of you, and that you're not diving into something that neither of you are ready for.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Dude, really? I have been sweating bullets about this and thinking that you would hate the idea of me and London. You’re right, you’re my day one and you’ve seen the good and the grimey. You’ve been there for all my bullshit. You could easily see me as that dickhead…”

“Never that. We wouldn't be friends if I thought you were a piece of shit. Of course, you've had your fun, we all have, but when it comes to being a standup guy, I put you at the top of my list. So, if this is you thinking you need my blessing, you don't because you've always had it.”

Nodding, I clear my throat. His words mean more to me than I could have imagined. “Whoa, you’ve never sounded smarter. Thanks, man. I haven't completely shot my shot yet, but I did tell her I'm interested, and I want to spend more time with her when we get back to the city, but we'll see how that goes.”

The bartender approaches then, and I cock my head toward Ty. “I'll have whatever the big guy’s having.”

Ty offers me a nod and tells the bartender, “Two doubles of your best tequila. Chilled, please.”

“Hell yeah. It's gonna be that kind of night, huh?”

“Absofuckinglutely. You dragged us all here after all.”

“Draggedis a bit of an overstatement. You didn’t really put up a fight when I suggested we fly to Seattle to surprise the girls.”

He shrugs. “What can I say? It was a little test to see how long I could stay away from the wifey. But once you said it was time to go, I was too weak to resist. You know how it is, apparently.”

“Yeah, once you told me London was gone, something just clicked, you know?”

“I fucking do.”

The bartender brings our shots, interrupting whatever he's about to say and I'm thankful for the reprieve. I still need some time to sort out my feelings, process my own damn thoughts because this is not where I thought we'd be night one of this trip.

Did I charter a jet the second Ty told me London had left and run off to Seattle? I absolutely did. For some reason I was gripped with the thought that we were at a turning point, and I was going to lose her. The fact that she fled and ended up here makes me think she’s searching for something. I had to come, to help her figure it out and show her that whatever she’s looking for, she can find it in Chicago—with me.

Sliding a drink over to Ty, I pick mine up and we give a little salute before we toss them back. Warmth flows through me as does determination. I'm not going to give up until I say my part, convey what's been plaguing me since she left. I need her to understand just how serious I am about her.

Sliding his shot glass across the bar, Ty turns to me. “Are you gonna tell her you ran into him?”

I look over at him rubbing my thumb along the rim of my glass. “I don't know. Should I?”

“You should. Because knowing that asshole he's probably already called her to talk shit about you. He’s that type of dude.”

I snort. “He was happy to tell me they were done. Why does he give a fuck?”

“You know why. He can say whatever he wants. Especially since he’s under the impression that he’s moved on and she hadn't, but from what I gathered, he saw you guys together?”

“Yeah, apparently he watched us walk in and then he was waiting outside the restroom when I came out.”

“Sounds like him. Maybe seeing her with someone else and I can only imagine she was smiling or laughing or some shit. Something she never did around him and that probably twisted something deep in his gut. No matter how much he doesn't want to admit it. He can say he’s done, but that shit will never feel good.”

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