Page 59 of Trade Deadline

“Really?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’ve had some ideas where I could take you.”

It's my turn to grin. “Oh yeah? Where are you gonna romance me up then?”

He tips his head back and laughs. “Depending on the weather, I thought we could go to the zoo.”

Elliot would be over the moon.

“I’ve never been to the zoo in Chicago…” I admit.

His eyebrows lift. “How long have you been here?”

“Six years.” I grimace.

“Blaine Olsen, I am disappointed.” He chuckles, shaking his head.

I’m about to open my mouth when the sound of Elliot singing—off-key—at the top of his lungs interrupts me. My eyes go wide at his awful rendition of “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

Alex rolls his lips, trying to stop himself from laughing, no doubt. “Who’s that?”

“Elliot.” I answer as Elliot sing-shouts the iconic chorus. “Fucking hell!” I drop my head into my palm and laugh.

Alex bursts into laughter, wiping his eyes with his hand. “Your brother's just Rick-rolled you.”

“He’s doing it on purpose.”

“Your hotel must have really thin walls.”

“True, but it doesn’t matter where we are—if Elliot’s singing, everyone will hear it. It's been like that since we were kids.”

“He sounds like a lot of fun.”

“He’d love the fact you’re thinking about the zoo.”

Alex’s eyes sparkle. “Yeah?”

I nod. “He was talking about it on our way to the hotel. He really likes otters.” I chuckle. “How’s your day been anyway? What are you making?”

Alex looks down at the cupcakes in front of him. He’s holding a piping bag filled with pink frosting. “We had someone cancel their order last minute, so they’ve lost their deposit, but we had these cupcakes baked ready for decorating, so I’m going to do it and take them to Nate’s gym for their receptionist’s birthday.”

“That sucks. I hope they gave a valid reason.”

He nods. “Yeah, they did. These things happen, it can’t be helped, it just sucks that it’s money we lose, you know?”

There’s a tug at my heart at the defeated look on his face. If I were home, I would go in and buy everything. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if there’s any way I can help when he speaks.

“Nate’s lined up some freelance graphic design work for me, though, so there’s always that.”

“Tell me more about that. Do you want to start your own business?”

He nods and begins to decorate the top of the cupcakes with delicate frosting swirls as he speaks. “Yeah, that’s the plan. I got a degree in business because I wanted to help Jacob out, but I’ve always loved graphic art. I used to create my own comics and stuff, so now I do the occasional job for Nate’s gym friends, like designing their website and ads.”

I’m absolutely fascinated when he lifts the frosting bag, his fingers tightly wrapping around as he squeezes with such precision. All I can think about is those fingers wrapped around my shaft, working it deliciously. My cock starts to thicken in my briefs, tenting the material. I don’t realize I’m staring until he clears his throat. When I look back at his face, his lips are tilting up in amusement.

“See something you like?”

I swallow, trying to wet my suddenly dry mouth. “Your hands are sexy.”

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