Page 44 of Baby Boy

“Let me call Grant then,” Jace said. “I know he took you to the club last weekend.”

“He did.” Mitch smiled. “Threatened to carry me out in my boxers if I refused to go.”

“Did it help?” Jace asked. Grant had said that while Mitch hadn’t hooked up with anyone, there had been a new addition who had caught Mitch’s attention.

Mitch blushed. “It didn’t hurt but I’m too exhausted to go tonight.”

“That’s fine,” Jace said. “But Grant could hang with you. Or reconsider coming to my house. It’s going to be a quiet night. Avery is working insane hours and needs to relax. Bath and movies are all we’re doing.”

“That…that’s nice of you. I bet your boy will enjoy that.”

“I think he will,” Jace said. “But that doesn’t mean that you are not welcome. Avery needs to meet more people in the lifestyle.”

“Not tonight,” Mitch said.

“How about hitting the club tomorrow then?” Jace asked. “Avery has to work so maybe we can meet up for a few drinks.”

“Yeah,” Mitch said. “I think that would be fine. I’m taking the weekend off, hopefully, so I can meet you. You’ll call Grant?”

“Sure, I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. That last case really fucked with him.”

If he couldn’t spend time with his boy he’d catch up with his friends. That didn’t mean he’d stop worrying about his boy.

“So, tell me what had you frowning,” Mitch said. “I need to hear someone else’s problems.”

As Jace laid out his concerns for Avery, Mitch nodded along. The waiter came and they both ordered then Jace finished his story.

“You need to step in,” Mitch stated. “He’s not going to be able to keep going at this rate. What does he want to do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think he does either. He loves going to school and that’s why he works so much. To afford tuition. But then he gets sucked into working so much he forgets to do his schoolwork and sign up for classes.”

“You need to let him just go to school. If he didn’t have to work, he could concentrate on finding his passion.”

“It’s not that simple,” Jace argued. “He won’t even let me see where he lives. It’s too soon to ask him to move in and let me pay for school.”

“But that’s what you want.”

“Of course it is,” Jace said. “Avery shines when he talks about school. The only other time I see him so happy is when he is a little.”

“You’re going to have to talk to him. You know a relationship in the lifestyle moves faster than a normal vanilla one.”

“I know that, but Avery’s still new to it all. I don’t want to scare him off,” Jace confessed.

Mitch nodded. The waiter returned with their plates and Jace looked down at his. He couldn’t even remember what he ordered. Luckily, the steak looked good. His mind was a mess and he needed to see his boy.

“I don’t know what to say other than talk to him,” Mitch said. He stabbed at his salad with his fork.

“You need more protein than that,” Jace admonished.

Mitch laughed. “Worry about your boy. I can take care of myself.”

Jace snorted. Mitch needed a Daddy and if he didn’t start taking care of himself, Jace was going to step in. He might have his hands full with Avery but he wouldn’t abandon his best friend. “Just eat your food,” Jace ordered.

“Yes, sir, Daddy sir,” Mitch teased.

“You’re a brat,” Jace declared.

“Which is why you’ll never be my Daddy.”

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