Page 2 of Rico

Evan shook hands with Alex. “Nice to meet you. Wait a minute. Scout Turner, as in Turner Continental? As in the hotel across the street?”

Both Scout and Alex nodded, and Rico held his breath. Usually, people freaked out and made fools of themselves when they realized they were sitting next to a multi-millionaire—a hotel magnate—but Evan surprised him. “My nephew, Billy, juststarted working for you—well, for the restaurant there. He’s a busboy.”

Scout smiled. “Blond hair, tall as hell for a seventeen-year-old?”

Evan’s face lit up when he realized the wealthy man beside him knew who a lowly busboy was. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“He’s a good kid and doing a great job.”

Sapphire’s was the upscale restaurant off the hotel lobby, and there was rarely a night when it wasn’t filled to capacity.

“Thanks. My sister told him that if he wants a car, she’ll help him get it, but he has to pay for the gas and insurance. My son, Brian, almost had a heart attack when Billy told him Magnus Keller—you know, the movie star?” When Scout and Alex just smiled and nodded, Evan continued, “Well, he was there for dinner, and Billy said his hands shook anytime he had to refill the guy’s water or a breadbasket.”

“Mag’s a nice guy,” Alex said. “But I don’t blame your nephew for being starstruck around him. The first time I met him, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him until Scout made me down a few shots of whiskey. Then I couldn’t shut up.” His cheeks reddened as his fiancé laughed at him. “It was very embarrassing. Scout doesn’t let me forget it, but Mag was cool about it. I’m used to him living across the hall from us now.”

While the three men continued to chat about different things, Rico covertly studied Evan. It hadn’t escaped his attention that Evan had a son, which made Rico wonder if the man was married or divorced. There was no ring on his left hand and no sign that one was usually worn but had been removed for the night. As he often did on Wednesday evenings, Rico tried to pick up more details Evan might drop about himself. But a small crowd of businessmen and women walked over from a late meeting at the Paradox, crowding around the bar, and Rico needed to focus on helping Austin fill the drink orders.

About an hour later, things were under control again. Most patrons had left for the night, needing a few hours of sleep before tomorrow’s workday began. Austin could close up without any problems with the help of Reggie, one of the bar-backs. The kitchen was shut down, and only a few tables lingered, so one waitress and a busboy would stick around until they left.

Scout and Alex stood from their stools as Rico approached them. “Done for the night?”

“Yeah,” Scout responded as he left a large tip, which would go into Austin’s jar. As the owner of the Cock & Bull, Rico never kept any tips while tending the bar, leaving them for his staff. They worked hard and deserved every penny. “We’re flying up to Washington tomorrow to check on things, and we’ll be back Friday.”

Last year, Paradox North opened in Seattle and was as successful as Turner Continental’s other properties. Scout had the golden touch regarding hotels and other business ventures.

“Have fun. I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Don’t forget it’s black-tie.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

Scout chuckled. “Didn’t you read the invite?”

“Just the date and time. Crap, you know I hate wearing freaking ties.” Jeans and a sports jacket over a T-shirt were as dressed up as Rico liked to get, even though both men and women told him numerous times over the years that he rocked a suit or tux.

Alex laughed. “You can easily pull off a Frank Sinatra and leave the tie hanging with the top button of your shirt open.”

“He does look really fucking sexy when he’s being the rebel, doesn’t he?” Scout joked to his fiancé, causing Rico to roll his eyes. They didn’t have to worry about Alex’s reaction to Scout calling Rico sexy. The man knew his future husband was madlyin love with him, and even though Rico and Scout both figured out they were gay in high school, they never experimented with each other. It would’ve been like kissing a brother, and just the thought of it grossed them out. That didn’t mean teasing each other wasn’t done all the time.

Rico pointed at the door. “Out. Get out. Alex, take him home.”

The two men laughed at his expense as they strode toward the door, and Rico just stood there shaking his head. When Evan threw money down on the bar to cover his bill, along with a generous tip, and got to his feet to leave, too, Rico tried to fight back his disappointment. Now he’d have to wait another week to see him again—not that he did anything other than silently lust after the man.

“Well, I’m out of here too. Have a good night, Rico.”

“’Night, Evan.”

Rico was about to turn away when he noticed the other man hesitate after taking a few steps toward the door. He seemed to have a small battle with himself, and Rico swore he heard him mutter, “Just fucking do it already,” before returning to the bar. Rico lifted his brow and waited to hear what the man wanted.

Evan took a deep breath, then asked, “Would you like to ... I don’t know ... go somewhere for a cup of coffee or something?”

That was the last thing Rico expected the man to say, and he just stared at him for a moment. No one else was at that end of the bar, so their conversation would be just between them. As Rico tried to formulate an appropriate response, Evan ran a hand down his face. “You know what? Never mind. Sorry. I’m not good at this.”

Before Evan could turn away, Rico reached across the bar and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. It took him a few seconds to weigh his words, but the longer he pondered what he wanted to say, the more annoyed he got. Physically, hedefinitely wanted the other man, but he doubted they were on the same page. “Look, I don’t date anyone in the closet, and I refuse to be someone’s experiment, so if that’s what’s going on here, I’ll pass.”

There was a long pause, and then Evan nodded. “And if it’s not? Because I’ve been out for over a year, and I’ve already done enough experimenting with guys who didn’t mean a thing. I’m done with that. What I meant by not being good at this is I’ve never asked a guy on a date before.” A wry smile ghosted his face. “Hell, I haven’t asked anyone out on a date in about twenty-five years. My ex-wife and I were high school sweethearts.”

“You’re bi?” Rico had nothing against anyone who was bisexual, but he was only into guys and didn’t like dating someone who might want to bring a woman into the mix. He held his breath as he waited for a response.

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