Page 5 of No Reservations

Chapter 3

Matthew

“Why did Cole Gilliam call you baby?” Wes pounced on me the moment I walked in the cabin door. “What the flippin’ doodle was that?” His voice rose to a near shriek and Dee put a hand on his arm. They sat staring at me as if this were some wild type of intervention.

The whole bizarre situation in the restaurant didn’t make any sense to me either. I just wanted to get around those guys blocking the way so I could go eat with my friends, and Cole Gilliam called me baby, pretended like we were a couple, and bought me dinner. He managed to hide it pretty well, but underneath the broad smile and casual conversation, he looked absolutely freaked out.

I sank down onto the couch and tossed my head back. “I have no clue what that was.”

Wes tucked his knee up and turned toward me. He shot me a totalare-you-kidding-melook. “Cole Gilliam called you baby and bought you dinner. You called him handsome and gave him that male model magazine smile you have.” He waved his hand around at my face until I batted his hand away.

“Why did you pretend you didn’t know who he was when Wes pointed him out to you at the lake?” Dee shook his head. “I mean, if I was hooking up with someone like him, I guess I wouldn’t make it public, but we’re us. I mean… we’re your friends, Matthew.”

I shook my head and looked from one to the other. “I’m not hooking up with him. I never spoke to him before tonight.” They didn’t look like they believed me, so I barreled on. “Those two guys were accusing him of pretending to be gay. Like all the rumors you mentioned, Wes. Then, he pretended like he knew me and mouthedpleaseat me with this wild look in his eyes, so I sat down.” I shrugged. “I thought maybe I could help him out of a tough spot. Those guys were being total jerks, asking him all these personal questions.”

Deandre stared for a long moment before he started to laugh and shook his head. “You’re a darling, you know that? But kinda dumb, too.”

“Hey!” I sat up and scowled at my friend.

“Those men took pictures of you and Cole together. How long do you think it’ll take before they’re viral online?” Dee ran a hand over his close-cropped hair and shook his head.

The thought hadn’t occurred to me. It seemed like such a simple thing, sharing a meal and a chat with a good-looking man. It hadn’t meant anything. I looked from Dee to Wes. “Do you really think they’d post it online?”

Wes barked out a laugh and grabbed his phone. “Dee is right. You are kinda dumb. Let’s take a look.”

My gut churned as Wes scrolled through the top social media pages that posted about Eclipse 6 and other pop culture news. Apparently, he had them all bookmarked.

“Here we go.” He read from the screen. “Cole Gilliam, popular Eclipse 6 manager, destroys ‘fake gay’ rumors when he appears having an intimate meal with a ruggedly handsome paramour at an exclusive lakeside resort.” Wes turned to peer at me. “Ruggedly handsome. Yeah, I can see it.” He holds up his fingers in a rectangle like he’s framing my face for a photo.

Dee snatched the phone from his lap. “The sighting by fans could put to rest the damaging whispers that Cole isn’t as gay as he claims. But who is his mysterious lunch partner? Subscribe for… blah blah.”

“You’re famous, Matthew.” All smiles, Wes practically jumped on me and gave me a squeeze. “Just think, we’ll get to say we knew you when.”

I batted at his arm and pushed him away. “This is bad, right?”

“Are you kidding? Cole’s rich, famous, and hot. You could totally have some fun with this. Live a little!”

“Wes, shut up.” Dee shook his head and cast a serious look in my direction. “You need to figure out what’s going on. It really wasn’t fair for him to use you like that.” When Wes opened his mouth to protest, Dee put up his hand to stop him. “I’m not saying he planned it or even thought about the consequences at all, but this could be serious, Matthew. People will want to know who the man is that Cole snuck off to a lakeside resort to meet.”

At last, Wes calmed down enough to look a bit less gleeful. My friend may get overexcited at times, but he had a good heart and mind underneath it all. “He’s right. I think you need to talk to Cole in person and sort this out.”

***

A soft knock startled me out of a near doze on the couch a couple of hours later. I blinked into the darkness of the cabin and looked around. The person knocked again, and I got up, set my forgotten phone on the coffee table, and padded to the door to open it and peer out. The low lights on the porch pillars cast a dim glow over the two men standing there.

The first one I didn’t recognize. The second was Cole Gilliam.

“Matthew West? I’m Carter Bennett, one of the Halcyon Inn owners.” He tipped his head toward Cole. “Mr. Gilliam brought the unusual situation to my attention and thought it best to include you in any conversations going forward.”

It was the most professional statement about the weird mealtime mess that I could imagine. It reminded me of the faux legal, corporate-speak writing I had to do for my job sometimes. I scratched my fingertips through my messy hair. “That’s probably a good idea. I mean, I have some questions.”

Carter waved a hand toward a four-seater golf cart on the paved path leading to the cabin. “Shall we go talk in my office? Are you free right now?”

Cole still hadn’t looked at me or moved a muscle, and it made me nervous. The man must’ve had big regrets about the impulsive invitation in the restaurant. He probably worried that I’d make a big deal about it or want something in return.

I snapped out of my rambling thoughts and nodded. “Um, yeah. Let me grab my shoes.” It took me three seconds to slip into my flip-flops and follow them back to the cart. I climbed onto the back seat and tried not to stare at Cole’s thick, dark hair all the way back to the inn.

Carter parked and led us through a door into a short hallway and then the office. He took the chair behind the desk, and Coleand I settled into ones in front of it. He didn’t leave us much time for things to get awkward, something I was very grateful for.

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