Page 21 of In Plain Sight

“Yup.”

“I’ve got to go,” she said apologetically. “We’re driving to Mark’s sister’s tomorrow, and we have to leave super early.” She made a disgruntled sound. “Like in the car at six early.”

“Ew. Why?”

“Because Mark and his entire family are morning people and forget that weekends are for sleeping in.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Thanks. Don’t forget dinner on Sunday.”

“I’ll be there at sixish with beer,” I promised.

“Have a good night.”

“You too.”

She ended the call, and I leaned over to plug my phone into the jack next to my bed.

Time to take another shower. I might have wiped up after my call with Sinbin, but the shirt hadn’t gotten everything, and the dried cum on my chest was getting uncomfortable.

Then I just had to find something to do that would occupy my brain for the next few hours so I could unwind and hopefully get to bed at a decent time and avoid being exhausted at work tomorrow.

4

LUKA

“Drink!”Dean slammed a pint glass in front of me, spilling beer all over the table.

I shot him a flat look. Drunk Dean was out in full force tonight, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his antics right now.

“What?” He grinned. “You’re being boring. I’m just tryna be a good friend and get you to loosen the fuck up.”

“And a beer puddle is going to do that?” I eyed the table and the beer that was inching closer to the edge.

He snickered. “It will if you use a straw.”

I grabbed a pile of napkins off the table and pressed them into the mess, but the flimsy napkins were no match for the spill. “Move your ass.” I elbowed Dean in the side. “I need to get something to clean this up with.”

“Okay, Mom.” He rolled his eyes like I’d just told him to do his homework and stop using his phone at the dinner table.

I waited as Elle slid out of the booth, then gave Dean a little shove to remind him to move too. He managed to get out of the booth but swayed on his feet a few times and had to grab the table so he didn’t fall over.

“You should be cleaning it since it’s your mess,” I said pointedly.

“Your fault.” He shook his head. “You should suck it up off the table.”

Erick and Scott, who were sitting across from us on the bench with their girlfriends, guffawed at Dean’s joke.

“Bet Luka’s a pro at sucking,” Erick quipped when I was standing next to the table. “All those years in the locker room taught you a few tricks, huh?”

I flipped him off and headed toward the bar to get a cloth or something from the bartender.

I’d met Erick and Scott at the same time as Dean when we’d all worked on the same crew together. I liked them, and I considered them good friends, but the mildly homophobic digs about my hockey days were getting old.

Those barbs were one of the main reasons I kept my sexuality a secret from my friends. I had no idea how they’d react if they found out I was bi, and I wasn’t itching to find out.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked as I came up to the bar, a smile on his handsome face.

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