Page 22 of Stay A Little Longer
“Me, jackass.” Shane pushed off the hood of the car.
Lance rolled his eyes, “Not who am I doing the favor for. Who’s Lemon’s friend?”
Shane shuffled his feet, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Lance bit the inside of his cheek to hide a smile. He knew well enough to know Shane was trying to figure out the best way to tell him the guy he’d just asked him to look after was none other than Trent Thorne, the country music superstar that had just been outted as gay. The same man Lance could still smell on his skin. It wasn’t funny. Not really. So he bit off the slice of inappropriate humor and cleared his throat.
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
Shane winced, answer enough.
“The one they’re talking about all over the radio?”
“Yeah.” Shane finally met his eyes again, “Trent. His name is Trent.”
“Trent Thorne?” Lance couldn’t help but raise a skeptical eyebrow, “The same guy that got handsy with Lemon a while back? The one you said you’d gut if you ever saw him in person? And you’re asking me to look after him instead?”
“Oh, fuck off Nichols.”
Lance snorted when Shane laughed, “Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
“Yes. Okay? He’s Lemon’s friend and he’s having a rough time right now so I’m cutting him a break.”
“Because the rumors are true?”
“No. I mean, yes. I mean… Yes, the rumors are true. No, that’s not why I’m cutting him a break. He’s a good guy from what Lemon tells me and as much as I hate what he did, I don’t hate him. He was scared and he reacted. It’s over and done. They’re friends which means he’s my friend and since you’re my friend too I’m asking you to keep an eye on him while he’s here.”
Lance grinned, “Aww, you’re gonna make me tear up, Lowry. We’re friends? Should we braid each other’s hair and make bracelets too?”
Shane flipped him off good-naturedly. Lance laughed. Damn, it felt good to know that Shane considered him a friend. Felt even better to simply joke around with the guy. He didn’t have many close friends these days. Any close friends really. He was too scared of being found out to let anyone get too close. But Shane was his friend so even if he wasn’t lusting after the guy in that trailer he would have said yes.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll keep an eye on him.” Lance lied, because the truth was he hadn’t been able to take both eyes off Trent from the moment they met. He doubted that was going to change. Even if he needed it to so that nobody guessed his secret.
“Thanks man.” Shane offered a hand and Lance shook it to seal the deal.
He was officially Trent’s babysitter. Weird. And how the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? Oh yeah, he’d come outside looking for his phone. No, that wasn’t right. He was in this situation because he’d gotten a taste of Trent Thorne and he wanted more, any way he could get it.
Because he was a fucking idiot.
He rubbed his chest, which was aching again, “You uh… you don’t actually think he’s gonna get in trouble do you?”
“Nah. Like I said. He’s gonna lay low.” Shane shook his head, “We’re going to take him and show him around town today too. Let the locals get a look, get their fill of the gossip, and they should leave him be.”
Lance smirked and nodded his understanding. It was a good plan. Smart. Show the town the superstar, let him charm their socks off, and they’d start to think of him as one of their own. They’d protect him from the outsiders. And anyone in town that would’ve thought about giving him a hard time for being gay, well seeing him with Shane would shut that down too. Nobody in Fate was dumb enough to mess with the FSD boys because if you took on one, you got them all.
“Good call.”
“Hope so.”
“He’ll be fine.”
Shane blew out a rough breath, “Well, come on then and I’ll introduce you.”
Lance instantly balked, “What?”
“I’ll introduce you.” Shane eyed him as if he were an idiot, which he’d already conceded he was.
He couldn’t go walking up to Trent and hold out his hand to shake and pretend he didn’t still have the taste of him on his lips. He wouldn’t be able to play it off as nothing and there were spectators. Lemon and Shane would be watching their interaction. Besides, he wasn’t even dressed yet.
“I uh… no need. I’ll catch him later.”
