Page 14 of Due Dilligence (Takeover)
“I broke up with my girlfriend a month ago.” He tried not to sound bitter.
“Bad breakup?”
“No.” Fazil balled up his napkin. “Mutual. We liked each other. Got along fine. But...” He shouldn’t tell Todd this. Should shrug and shut up. “When I thought about the future, like ten years down the line, she wasn’t part of that.”
“You didn’t love her.”
God, that sounded cold. “We cared for each other, but it wasn’t that heart-stopping love. It wasn’t like with...” He met Todd’s gaze, those clear blue eyes, and his throat closed.It wasn’t like it was with you.
Todd shifted in his seat, his smile fading just enough that Fazil saw the concern and the wonder.
“Anyway, like I said. It was mutual. Turned out she didn’t see a future with me either. She moved on.” Faster than he had. “Dating another guy.”
Todd nodded, but Fazil would have laid odds that he wasn’t thinking about the present. Again, words left his mouth that shouldn’t have. “We should talk. About what happened.”
Todd barely moved, but the intensity in his stare, the line of his mouth and jaw, made breathing hard. “Yeah, we should. Because I’m betting what you think happened and what I think happened are very different things.”
Fazil tingled to his toes. No hostility, but the way Todd spoke—with finality—played with his nerves in ways that required a darker room and a whole lot more privacy. “Maybe over the weekend?”
“Yes.” Same voice, but with a very sly grin.
Same effect. Fazil’s balls tightened.We’re going to do this, aren’t we?Such a bad idea. God, he wanted Todd, wanted to know everything about him now. If they had to rake over the past to get there? Sure. After all, he was only here for two weeks. How bad could it be? He swallowed.
Todd looked at his watch. “We should get going.”
As if on cue, Ozan arrived with their packed leftovers and another little box for the remaining baklava. “It’s on the house.”
Todd huffed. “Don’t be silly.” He pulled out his wallet and dropped two twenties onto the table.
“Wait, I can...” Fazil reached for his own wallet.
“Nope. I’ve got this. Some other time.” Todd collected the bag of leftovers and stood.
Ozan looked amused. “I hope you enjoyed everything.”
It was all he could do to stammer out the traditional Turkish reply as he rose.“Elenize saglik.”Health to your hands.
“Have a good one, Ozan,” Todd said.
“You too.” He grinned at Fazil.“Iyi sanslar.”
Good luck.Fazil could only swallow and nod.
He was going to need it.
***
Todd didn’t know what to make of Fazil. He did, however, know what he wanted to do to him, but it was Tuesday, and three days lay in between him and that possibility. Taking him to lunch today to start airing out their past hadn’t been the brightest idea.
That little glimpse of a contrite Fazil had sent his body temperature skyward with every maddening blush. He knew what else used to make Fazil that red. Probably still did, too. How deep would Fazil’s groans be now when he came?
Fazil strolled next to him as they headed behind the little strip mall, but his eyes were focused on the ground, brows furrowed and his lips turned into that pout he used to get when his mind whirled too fast.
Same old Z, but also a different one. He was far more interested in the grown-up Fazil, though. He’d had it up to his eyeballs with the high school version. This Fazil had better not try to pull any ofthatcrap now.
“Is there a reason you parked back here and not out front?” Fazil surveyed the mostly empty lot.
A quick press of the car fob unlocked the doors, and Todd put the leftovers in the backseat. “Yup. Plenty of coworkers drive this way to lunch.”
