Page 44 of The Devil's Detail
He’s annoyed, but he’s also being annoying. Mentioning Gary is low. But I hold fast and keep plowing on. I won’t go down without a fight.
“If you went to an event with a woman, would you hold her hand? I don’t see the difference.” Clearly he thinks there is one.
“Kell and Xan don’t feel the need to publicly display their love between each other. If you didn’t know otherwise, you’d never know they are all together.” He’s arguing with logic. Not a bad tactic. Clearly handholding and public displays of affection are an issue for him.
“That was an arrangement from way back. Their decision. That’s not me. It’s not who I am. I’m a gay man, and I want a boyfriend who is proud to be with me, not hiding in the fuckin’ shadows in case someone says somethin’ to him.” This is something I am fully confident in. I will not do that, and he needs to know.
“It’s not that, Carter. I’m not bothered by what anyone will say. It’s the tearing down of people. Look what’s happened to Gary. Fair enough, the man’s a moron, but he’s been dragged through the mud.”
Jeez, he’s back to using Gary now.
“He was slingin’ the mud, sugar. If you can’t take it, don't dish it. Gary wanted to be famous, he wanted everything. He didn’t like it when that faded for him. You are not in that position, Jackson. It’s totally different. Like comparing aHyundai to a Ferrari.” I sigh, I feel like we’re going around in circles. And there are no winners down that road. “So are you sayin’ no just because I’m an actor? And a fuckin’ good one. You’re sayin’ no, because of my job.”
He sits across the table looking at me. His eyes burning into mine. His intensity is fuckin’ electrifying. Plug me in sugar, and turn that dial up to eleven.
“No, I’m not saying no. I’m saying I need to think about it. It’s a lot. You’re asking a lot, for the promise of things unknown.”
He looks grumpy now, and I think it’s adorable. My grumpy bear. But I’m still trying to cajole him.
“I’m hardly an unknown.” I roll my eyes as if I’m offended, touching my chest dramatically. Then I point to him. “You know me, Jackson. Hell, we’ve done yoga together. You get to know people when you do yoga with them. You know the shape of my ass cheeks better than I do. And I certainly know yours. I’ve stared at ‘em enough.”
Thank fuck he grins at me, his beautiful lips turning upwards into a full-on smile. My breath stutters. And if he carries on doing that, I might say fuck it to the date. Let’s just seriously fuck.
But it’s a road I've been down before. It’s well-travelled. And I want more.
My momma always said I was a princess, and she was always right. Now I’m looking for my prince, and he’s sitting at my table having dinner with me. I’ve had the horror story, slain the dragon. Now, I want the fairy tale.
28
Jackson
I’m savedby the bell.
“Hello, anyone home?” Ash calls through the house.
“Ash, no way.” I stand and shake the man by the hand, offering a tentative back slap and looking him over. “They let you out? Hope you’re feeling good?”
“I’m fine, Jackson. I thought I’d come back to work. Carter will surely be missing me.” He turns to Carter, who tries to look happy, but fails miserably. Ash raises a brow at him. “You haven’t thrown me over for Jackson, have you, Carter?” He’s joking, but I can see him side-eyeing me. Trying to read the situation.
Well good luck there. I think I’ve just been proposed to, not even propositioned. And him turning up is the best distraction. I can extricate myself with ease. Carter can’t throw him out, and we can’t get together. This buys me thinking time.
Who am I kidding? It gives me an out, and I’m taking it. I can see Carter drooping minute by minute, and I feel a littleashamed of my behaviour. But I just didn’t expect him to be so full on and forward thinking. It’s a total shock.
We get drinks and play up the small talk as I watch Carter disappear behind his facade of fun and flirty. But in the silences between, he looks like he’s sinking.
I’m mulling it over, running different scenarios in my mind. What the hell do I do now?
I thought when he finally pulled up the courage to say something, he’d be all about the fun, the frivolous, the sex. He spouts off enough about it. But no, he’s blindsided me. Because he’s had enough of that, is looking for something else. Really wants a full-blown fucking relationship. An exclusive one at that.
I need counsel and decide to retire to bed and ring Jonno.
I shower off the day, and as I’m getting changed, my phone rings. CAshO lights up on the screen. Hell. No way!
“Hi, Mr Stone.” My heart rate picks up at the name. I know it’s the administrator from CAshO. His voice is a recognisable squeaky one. Oh my God, it’s Bonney. That’s the only time I was Mr Stone. If it wasn’t about him, they’d have called me Greystone. They know who I am.
“It is,” I state, playing along, but curt and to the point.
“We’ve been contacted by Mr Jameson Bonney. He’s requested a meeting. AtTwentyOneHotel in Westchester.”
