Page 41 of New Year
“Our first date?”
Nat’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest with joy. “Yes.”
Zack beamed like a student praised by his favorite teacher, and the expression was endearing as hell. “Great. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay.” Nat disliked being reduced to single-word responses, but he felt like a kid about to sit on Santa’s lap for the first time. Full of excitement and wonderment. He wasn’t a helpless child being poisoned by his own mother. He wasn’t a naïve college student being manipulated and tormented by a supposed lover.
He was a young man making a conscious decision to date a much-older, established, serious man who was willing to go at Nat’s pace. Maybe whatever was brewing between Nat and Zack wasn’t a forever thing. But Nat was certain that, for right now, it could be a wonderful thing.
* * *
Zack was a flaming hot mess inside over this new thing with Nat, and he did his best to keep it tucked away, so it didn’t affect his job. The patriarch and wife of one of the wealthiest families in Reynolds had booked a one o’clock lunch in the Parisian room, and Zack was the consummate host for his guests. Fortunately, they were only slightly grating and tipped well, when so many of their wealthiest guests were stingy as hell with tips.
But Zack must not have done as good a job hiding his distracted state as he thought, because around three o’clock, while he was taking a quick break in the office for a look at the books, Chase walked in, slightly out of breath from the stairs and leaning heavily on his cane.
“What are you doing here?” Zack hurried to stand and help Chase to an empty chair. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me, I’m fine.” Chase accepted a bottled water from the mini-fridge he kept upstairs for drinks and snacks. “I called Marie about tonight’s bookings, since I was feeling up to an evening here, and she made a comment that you seemed…I believe she used the word scattered.”
“Scattered?” On any other day, Zack would have been insulted by that. He prided himself on his professionalism and attention to detail.
“I don’t think she wanted to insult the big boss by saying you’re distracted. When we talked this morning, you said you and Nat had a great night. Were you lying?”
“Not at all. We had a fantastic time.” He and Nat hadn’t discussed telling anyone they were going on a date, but he also didn’t want to lie to his best friend. “Nat and I talked more this morning. He told me some personal things. About the ex he’s scared of.”
“Ah. Plotting your revenge?”
“Definitely thinking some creatively vengeful thoughts, but I only got a first name.” Nat hadn’t admitted to any real details, but hearing that Nat had been manipulated into group sex he didn’t want was enraging. Even with just a first name, Zack knew enough people to figure out what Austin’s last name was, if he asked the right people. Especially at Tim’s.
“We can find out a last name,” Chase said, mirroring his thoughts.
“I know, but I’m not going to do that. Nat trusts me, and I need to build on that trust, Chase. He’s been betrayed too many times already.” Nat would tell him more when he was ready, and Zack knew how to be patient.
“I understand.” Chase twisted the top off his bottle of water with a slightly shaky hand. He put the cap on his thigh, and then used both hands to tilt the bottle up for a sip. Zack silently cursed the disease for reducing his once strong, powerful friend to this. “Young Nathaniel is getting to you, Zack. I can hear it in your voice when you say his name.”
“He is. A lot. We’re, ah, going out for dinner tonight when my shift is over.”
“Are you?” His wide, amused smile made Chase look ten years younger. “Who asked who?”
“I asked him.”
Chase waggled his eyebrows. “So, is this dinner as just friends, or is it a date?”
Heat rose in Zack’s cheeks and neck. “A date.”
“A date with your much younger, incredibly gorgeous roommate? You dog.”
“Chase. What?”
“What what?” Chase carefully put his bottle on the corner of the desk. “The boy has no idea how good-looking he is, and before you bristle like a jealous boyfriend, I have never once said or done anything inappropriate with Nat. I promise. Not only would it be unprofessional, as he’s my employee, but I have nothing to offer anyone now, so why bother flirting with intent?”
Chase’s rare flash of vulnerability drew Zack to squat in front of his friend. He squeezed both of Chase’s hands, until Chase met his gaze. The depth of grief in Chase’s eyes nearly sent Zack’s knees out from under him. “You listen to me, Chase Andrew Sampson. Your body might be slowly failing you, but you are still the smart, sassy, talented man I first met twenty years ago. You have so much to offer, you stubborn jackass, and don’t you forget it.”
“How many more years do I have to offer it, though? One? Three? Five, if I’m lucky? And please, don’t give me the ‘well, Chase, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and it’ll all be over for me’ speech, because I’ve heard thirty different variations since my diagnosis. It’s trite and it’s boring.”
“Trite and boring can still be the truth.” Zack leaned up and kissed Chase’s forehead. “You’re allowed to get maudlin, and you’re allowed to have bad days. But what you aren’t allowed to do is actively shit on my best friend. I mean, look at this restaurant we’re in! You built this. It’s your dream, and it’s real. And successful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Chase freed one hand and patted Zack’s cheek. “This is why I called you and asked for your help. Of all the people I’ve met in my life, you know how to snap me out of it and help me steer the course.”
