Page 13 of Aaron
SEVEN
Only the fact that this was California made what Aaron was wearing okay. In most other cities in the world, a restaurant this fancy would have a dress code that made Aaron’s dark jeans and casual shirt completely unacceptable, and Aaron hung back by the entrance, sure that he had the wrong address.
But when he checked his texts, he saw that he was in the right place. When Brad had suggested a dinner meeting, somehow Aaron had expected something quite a bit less refined than this place, with all of its gilding and enormous, clean paned windows.
Aaron hovered outside, sure that he wasn’t meant to go in there. He was as out of place there as wings would be on a fish, and there had to be some explanation for this. Brad had another meeting there after, wasn’t that a possibility?
This was just supposed to be an official signing of what they’d already agreed to, after all. It would only take a second, but Aaron couldn’t help but wish that Brad had been willing just to do this in his office.
Though that office had some incredibly fun associations now, Aaron had to admit. Though they could never do what they’d done there ever again, he knew he would remember it as the single craziest, most impulsive thing he had ever allowed himself to do.
“Excuse me?” A well-bred young lady in a fancy dress and impeccable makeup touched Aaron’s shoulder, pulling his attention from his thoughts. “I was sent to see if you were waiting outside. Please, follow me.”
Aaron frowned, his brows knitting, but he was stunned enough that he did follow. She had to have the wrong person, right? But how many young men with hair dyed his brilliant, fire engine red would even come to a place like this?
And then he saw Brad, sitting at a table already, with a glass of wine the color of garnets already in front of him. Damned if Aaron hadn’t forgotten just how handsome the guy was. He had made himself forget because otherwise, it would be impossible for him to forget the effect Brad had on him, too.
He had never seen a human being as gorgeous as this one in his life. It hit him with an impact that was almost physical, and no matter what Aaron had told Brad, them sleeping together had not helped at all.
Not that there had been much, or any, sleeping involved in what they had done.
But Aaron had known, almost from the beginning, that this man was the one who could pull the band back up to where it needed to be. Sure, Aaron intended to leave, but he wanted the men who had become something like friends to have their jobs secure, and he needed the money that Brad could make them. So he couldn’t let him leave, and if that meant Aaron needed to keep his hands to himself, he could do that.
“Can I get you a drink?” the young woman asked, with a professional smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. Aaron shook his head. He wasn’t going to be staying long, after all, just long enough to sign a contract.
“Sit. Stay a while,” Brad invited, a little smirk of amusement on his face that only deepened his dark good looks. “There’s no need for us to be uncivil about this. Let’s have dinner, and we’ll sign after.”
Aaron frowned, looking deep into Brad’s eyes, which were darkened by the dim, romantic lighting of the expensive restaurant. Actually, the whole place was romantic, and half filled with couples who were obviously out on dates.
Slowly, Aaron sat, though he peered suspiciously at Brad.
“Why here?” he demanded. He hadn’t been agreeing to a date or hadn’t thought that he was. Brad laughed and sipped from his wine, and he seemed far more at place here than Aaron felt.
“I wanted to try out this restaurant.” Brad’s smile was disarming, and even Aaron felt his shoulders relax. “And get to know you a little bit, since we’re going to be working together.”
Aaron wanted to snort softly. Ken, Lance, and even Jamie could tell Brad how easy Aaron made it to get to know him. He was quite deliberate about keeping his distance, as he had already mentioned to Brad. So why was he relaxing into his seat, obviously intending to stay for a while?
For a moment, there was silence, and then Brad spoke again.
“Do you mind if I ask why you’re so hell-bent on a six-month contract?”
Aaron frowned, searching Brad’s face, and then shrugged. There didn’t seem to be any harm in telling him, and maybe it would even help Brad know that any lingering hope that Aaron would change his mind was without merit.
“I have a sister. She’s having a hard time,” Aaron admitted. “She needs me. So I’m going to quit the band after the tour to be home with her.”
There was no pity in Brad’s eyes, as Aaron had half feared would happen if he told anyone. That actually relaxed him a bit, because what he saw was understanding. Like this was somehow a familiar story to Brad. Maybe Aaron was imagining it, but he didn’t think so.
“Is she at Julie’s?” Brad asked, and Aaron tilted his head to look thoughtfully at Brad. Hard to believe that this man, so together, so successful, had once been at a group home for troubled teenagers, but Aaron knew it was true. He nodded, and Brad continued. “Why isn’t she with your parents?”
This. This right here was the difficulty with being around other people, with letting them in. The more Aaron said, the more curious Brad got, and the really weird thing was how much Aaron found that he didn’t actually mind that much.
Still, the way he said the next words, the very blunt force of them, was done quite deliberately, to see if Brad would shy away and change the subject.
“They’re dead.”
Whatever response he was looking to get, he didn’t. Brad frowned, but he didn’t awkwardly talk about how sorry he was, as so many people had done before Aaron had learned to keep it to himself. There was no pity, which was good because pity was something that Aaron just could not handle.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Brad told him, and it seemed sincere, but not patronizing. “How did it happen?”
