Page 75 of The Main Event

“I kind of like the idea of having a secret,” I admitted.

He grinned. “I do, too. You’re going to have to be careful at work, though. Now that you’ve seen all of this, you’re going to want to touch me on the job.” He ran his hands over his chest.

Our server, a woman named Molly who had been a couple of years ahead of me in high school, picked that moment to deliver our food. She gave him an odd look before glancing at me.

“He’s reenacting what he thinks the teenage girls are going to do to the Kens at the Barbie party I’m hosting in a few weeks,” I explained, making up the lie on the spot. “I don’t think he understands how teenagers interact.”

“A Barbie party?” Molly’s eyes went wide. “That sounds awesome.”

“We’ll see. Mr. Stick to the Budget here has some interesting ideas that don’t include anything pink.”

“Oh, that’s not good.” Molly clucked her tongue as she shook her head. “Go with what Daisy says. She knows what she’s doing. Do you need more coffee?”

Thankfully, the restaurant was busy, so Molly didn’t have time to hang around and dissect our interaction. She just took what I’d said as the truth. She wasn’t overly nosy or anything, so that was good for us.

“I’m good,” I replied.

“Me, too.” Jax shot her a charming smile before she toddled off to check on her other tables. When his gaze landed on me, I found amusement reflected back. “You’re quick on your feet. I’mbeing serious, though. You have to keep your hands to yourself at work.”

I made a scoffing noise. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to be the one struggling at work.”

“You’re probably right. It will be interesting, though.” He mixed his eggs with his corned beef hash, mashing it all together. “What about Levi, though?”

I’d been expecting the question. “You let me handle Levi. I owe him after what he told my parents. Do you know he texts with my father and gossips with him, too?”

Jax chuckled. “You guys have been friends for a long time. You’re almost like siblings.”

“Well, I’m mad. I’m looking forward to keeping a secret from him.”

“Do you really think you’ll be able to?”

“Are you worried that Levi will blackmail you or something? Because—and he is a pain—he would never do that.”

“No.” Jax was solemn. “I actually like Levi a great deal. If he knows the truth, though, everybody will know it within a few days. He’ll tell one person, who will tell another person. I’m just worried you might feel guilty about keeping the truth from him.”

“Except he’s been keeping the fact that he’s dating Corey to himself,” I replied. “I don’t feel guilty about anything.”

“He’s definitely dating Corey. They might think they’re hiding it from everybody, but they’re not.”

“Did you see anything of interest when you were with them last night?”

“Just a few errant touches. I’m curious why he doesn’t want you to know, though. They seem like a good match.”

“It’s because Lux and I tried setting them up months ago and they were both annoyed,” I explained. “They thought it was a case of ‘hey I know a gay person and you know a gay person solet’s hook them up’. I knew they were compatible. He just doesn’t want to admit that I was right.”

Jax nodded. “Okay, well, as long as you’re comfortable with it, I’m comfortable with it. We’ll just be normal at work—maybe not as cold as we have been with one another the past few days—and keep our dates to ourselves.”

I smiled. “I think that sounds like a fabulous idea. No hanky-panky on the job, though.”

“Please. I can hold out longer on the job than you can.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“Take it however you want. In my family, compartmentalizing for work is part of our genetic makeup. I’ve got this.”

“I do, too.”

We grinned at one another.

---