Page 28 of One Wild Omega

“Hadn’t thought about it? First impressions, babe! You have to knock their socks off,” Tanner said as he pulled the door shut and locked it behind them. “I’m sure we can find something perfect in my closet.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Bellamy said, his voice low.

“Say yes, of course. I won’t steer you wrong.”

About an hour later, Tanner’s cell phone rang as they sat at a table in a new restaurant he’d heard about downtown. As soon as he saw the caller id, he cringed.Oh fuck.

“Heeeeeey, Raimy…”

“Where. Are. You? I went to your apartment. No Tanner. Now I’m at your studio. No Tanner.”

“Umm… so it’s like this… I bumped into an old acquaintance today who was in a jam. I’m putting him up in my apartment for a while… and then… well… I kinda lost track of time and space and…”

“You forgot me,” Raimy said flatly.

Tanner cringed. “Noooooo.”

“Tanner… I can hear the sound of plates in the background. Are youseriouslyat a restaurant without me?”

Tanner dropped his head into his hand. “Can you ever, ever,everforgive me? I forgot. I didn’t mean to, but I forgot.” He paused and when Raimy didn’t answer, he continued. “Come… come have dinner with Bellamy and I. We just started, and it’s not that far.”

“No thanks, Tanner. Maybe another time.”

Click.

Tanner lifted his stare to Bellamy’s, feeling like a total asshole. Which he was, obviously.

“Please tell me I’m not the cause of you missing out on something important,” Bellamy murmured.

“No. It’s not your fault. I forgot a dinner date with a friend, and it’s my fault entirely. He’s really mad and has every right to be.”

“Well, how about this? You blameme. Tell him I begged you to come out and I was such a mess, you couldn’t say no.” Bellamy waved the waiter over. “Can we have the dessert menu?”

“I’d love dessert, but I really should go check in on Raimy.”

The waiter paused, unsure if he should get one or not.

“You absolutelyshouldgo see Raimy. With some dessert. No one can say no to a big piece of cake when it shows up at their door.” Bellamy turned to the waiter. “The dessert menu, please.”

The waiter nodded and left them.

“I won’t throw you under the bus,” Tanner said. “But the dessert idea isgenius.”

“Well, when I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to sleep at night, my brain does this amazing thing and actually works,” Bellamy said with a chuckle. “Sometimes.”

“Are you going to be okay tonight?” Tanner asked, worried. Bellamy hadn’t been in good shape earlier that day and with good reason. “I mean… if I head over and check on him?”

“To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to call my folks and let them know I’m going to be okay… so I can go back to your place and do that. I can talk some other things over with them while I’m at it. So I’ll be fine.”

Tanner took Bellamy’s hand and squeezed it. “I think you living with me is going to be amazing. And right now, it’s not my place. It’sourplace.”

Bellamy grinned. “Thank you.”

A little over an hour later, Tanner was standing in front of Raimy’s door with two boxes in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

When Raimy opened the door, he glared before eyeing the wine and the dessert box. “I get to be the afterthought?”

“There truly was a friend in need… who will be staying on my couch for a while… and if you let me in with this luscious chocolate cake and vino, I can tell you all about it.”

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