Page 12 of Numbers Boy
“Dude, strip me.”
“Babe, we’re in public,” Stu teases, turning a mock-outraged look my way.
“I meant give me the chicken strips, you ass,” I laugh while pointing to what I want.
“Ohh,” he says, exaggerating the word as he piles a few strips in front of me. “Silly me.”
We grin at each other and then both lean back as we tune in to the various conversations going on around us. Henry and Mark are discussing what questions we should talk about first when we finally get around to the book club portion of brunch. Chad, Leighton, and Greg are talking about how Greg’s brother, Ethan, has been doing with his college hockey team. Andrew is sitting back and taking it all in, like Stu and I are. Only he’s probably a little bit more overwhelmed than we are. We both soak up the commotion, having witnessed it a lot longer. Sometimes I can’t believe we lucked into this group and that we’ve only gotten stronger since that first semester in college.
When there’s a lull, I take my opening to ask about why I’m so worried about Noah finding out about Eve, knowing they’ll all be willing to help me work through it.
“I actually have a question for you all.”
“What’s up?” Greg asks from the other end of the table, Andrew sitting next to him.
“How inappropriate would it be for me to ask my dog walker out on a date?”
Okay, that’s not quite the question I had in mind, but I guess that’s where we’re going first.
Henry’s eyes light up, and I’m pretty sure I just activated his meddling function. “I knew there was something going on there!Your voice when you mentioned him before got all dreamy,” he crows and pours more champagne in his glass, apparently giving up on the illusion of mimosas as the orange juice sits untouched by his elbow. “Now, tell us more.”
“And is there anything in his company policies about him dating a client?” Andrew chimes in, making us all swivel to look at him. I’m glad he’s being a little more pragmatic about it. Most of the rest of us probably would have followed Henry’s lead and focused on the happy side, not the realistic one. I should have figured the man who is known for his work ethic and business sense would be a big help, especially since he and Greg are coworkers in a serious relationship. “For instance, Greg and I just had to make sure we disclosed our relationship, and I can’t be directly overseeing anything that he is assigned to.”
I think about it for a second as I take another sip of water. “Well, I’m not sure if there is a policy about it since it’s just him and his best friend who run the business.”
“Then you could test the waters, flirt a little, and if anything starts to get more serious, make sure both of them are okay with it,” Greg suggests, and there are a lot of nods and sounds of agreement around the table.
“Alright, boring, practical stuff is out of the way,” Henry cuts in from beside me, but as he reaches for another sausage link, I catch him winking at Andrew so he knows he’s teasing. “Now, tell me more before I have to ask again. Because I’m warning you now, if it comes to that, I’m doing it ‘Summer Nights’ style, complete with dancing.”
I burst into laughter and am a little bit tempted to see just how far he would take his threat. Knowing Henry, it would be the whole song, and Stu would probably duet with him just to mess with me, with Henry doing a very convincing Pink Lady impression.
“Alright, so Noah is…” I take a moment to think about what I want to say about the man. Do I tell them about how good-looking he is, with his handsome face and tattooed skin? Or should I lead with his soft spot for animals and how sweet he is with Stacy? I decide to just start and let myself ramble. “He’s gorgeous and so nice, and I get a little bit jealous every time Stacy gets to lick him, and I have to keep my tongue in my mouth. He’s a bit intimidating at first glance, but once you look closer or see him smile, you realize that he’s just a big softy. His hands are calloused and tattooed, and I swear a bolt ofsomethingpasses through me when we touch. And I’m extra conflicted about how I feel about him because I haven’t told him about Eve yet, even though he’s literally covering my doggy duties so I can rehearse each week.”
Everyone but Stu kind of just stares at me for a moment, and I think back through what I just spewed out. Nothing too embarrassing, although most of them probably didn’t need to know I want to lick my dog walker. I mentally shrug and go back to eating. I’ll let them process a bit longer while I get my fill of food, and then they can help me start working through everything. It’s one of the reasons I love this group so much.
One heaping serving of hash browns, a handful of strawberries, and one slice of avocado toast later, Henry finally breaks out of his thoughts.
“Alright, Stevie-boy, let’s tackle this in two different waves. First wave –” He holds up one perfectly manicured finger and then points the pink-painted tip at me. “– just how mad should I be that you were keeping quiet about not just a cute boy, but a cute boy with tattoos and a soft side? Because in that regard, I’d say you deserve to go for it and see what happens. And if you had told me about him earlier, I would’ve told you the same thing then, and you could’ve been giving us a status report right nowinstead of still wondering about whether to start something or not.”
Leighton leans closer and grabs a few more slices of bacon off the serving plate, saying, “I agree that Steve deserves to be with someone who’s going to make him happy, but what about the whole Eve situation? Steve wasn’t himself when he wasn’t performing, so we’re not letting Eve go away again just because some random guy has a problem with Steve being a drag queen.”
My chest feels tight, but I can’t tell if it’s guilt that I did let some guy make me not perform or happiness at the support of my friends. Leighton must see some of those emotions on my face because he gives me a soft smile and continues. “And it’s not that we don’t want you to find love, Steve. Of course we do. But you deserve to find it with someone who will love all of you. That includes when you’re Eve.”
Henry nods and holds up a second finger. “Which leads us nicely into wave two. Is the hiding leftover worries from Adam, or is it something that is Noah-centered?”
Noah’s warm brown eyes flash in my mind, full of happiness when he sees Stacy and heat when he sees me. The few times we’ve crossed paths since we’ve met, I’ve noticed he always looks extra-long whenever I’m wearing something a little softer and more feminine, and his gaze never fails to make me feel beautiful and wanted. If he feels that way about my everyday looks, I don’t think he’ll react poorly to finding out that I do drag. It’s still scary to think about telling him though.
“It’s definitely a leftover hang-up from Adam.”
Stu bumps his shoulder into mine, and I smile over at him.
“Then I think you take things slow until you’re ready to tell him,” my best friend suggests. “Get to know him better as you continue to get your life where you want it. Then, if he earns the right to meet Eve, you introduce them.”
“You make it sound like I have a wife locked up in my spare room or a secret child or something,” I say, snorting a laugh. “But I get what you’re saying. I think I could really like him, so I guess I’m just worried that this could ruin things before we get a chance to explore what’s there. But you’re also right about not letting Eve go again. I don’t want to lose parts of myself to please someone else.”
“I think you’ll only know if you try,” Mark says.
“All in favor of Steve going for it with the cute dog walker?” Henry poses to the table while he snags a piece of fruit from Chad’s plate. There’s a chorus of “ayes” and a few raised hands from all around me. I can’t fight the massive grin on my face, and while everyone starts talking about the book we all read, I’m busy thinking of ways I can flirt with Noah and come up with excuses to see him.
