Page 144 of Clean Slade
Not that I hadn’t known that already…
“Keep talking like that, and I may just kiss you,” he whispered back to me before we both jumped.
“Hey, Slade,” Joey shouted. “Is your boyfriend available for pot washing full time? I could use a man like him.”
I glared at my best friend, but he flipped a burger nonchalantly.
“You’ve already got a man. Leave mine alone.”
King glared at me and coughed.
“Um…I’m not your man. Why would you say that?” He offered Joey an awkward smile and wiped his hands on a dishtowel.
Joey wasn’t having it.
“Are you still pretending nothing’s going on between you two? Because that’s the world’s worst kept secret.”
I nudged King and laughed out loud. Joey had a point. And I wasn’t even sure why we kept in on the DL anyway. Obviously for Mac’s benefit, but there was no point denying it to our friends.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” King continued the ruse.
“Babycakes, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, why is this man still staying in your house? Or are you still trying to convince us he’s just the nanny-slash-bodyguard?”
Autumn came through the doors with another two dishes and looked at all of us.
“What nanny-slash-bodyguard?” she asked.
“Slade. King is still denying there’s anything going on between them.”
Autumn laughed out loud, clutching her stomach.
“Are they still on that? Oh God. Poor things, thinking they can hide it.”
“Hide what?” King frowned.
Autumn glanced at Joey before she turned to King and grimaced.
“The raw sexual chemistry? Duh!”
I put my hands up and watched my boyfriend. The ball was definitely in his court.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, fine.”
“There. Was that so hard?” Joey asked.
“That’s what he said!” Autumn added, and they both laughed again.
“Oh, shut up, both of you. It’s not like we were hiding it. It’s just…”
“Mac? Yeah, we know. Who you better feed soon, by the way, before she Hulks out.” Autumn nodded toward the door, and King gasped as if he’d just remembered his daughter.
“Well, I will as soon as you give us our table. I thought we’d made reservations. And not to wash dishes.”
Autumn rolled her eyes and smirked.
“Come on. After what you did for us, I’ll give you the full VIP treatment.”
“Ew. What does that entail?” King mocked her, but we followed her out.
