Page 41 of Fractured Souls
“Come, let me introduce you.” He grabs Bowen’s hand, leading him to the table. I watch the way their fingers interconnect, and it’s like the ghost of the things I know they did just keep haunting me. Which is so stupid. I know nothing happened, so why am I so jealous?
“Puck Daddy.” He points to a White man in the booth with dark brown hair and a beard. “This is our birthday baddie, Hunter.”
The man closes his eyes, shaking his head. “Happy birthday.” I shake his hand.
“This is Bowen’s best friend, Gym Daddy.”
“Please feel free to never call me that. My name is Cam, or Camden. Either is fine.”
“Oh, you get a name too?” Hunter, oruh, Puck Daddy shakes his head. “Fun.”
“That gorgeous sexy man right there is my boyfriend, Jamie.”
“Hey.” The tall Asian man who had his arm around Noah when we first walked in waves. He has the outline of a flower tattoo on his neck. Fucking ouch. His hoodie sleeves are rolled up, revealing full sleeves of tattoos, and his red-tinged eyes are half closed.Is he high?“Wait. Why don’t I get a Daddy name?”
“Oh, sweetie.” Noah pats his cheek. “No.”
Jamie shakes his head. “I’m really sorry.”
Is he talking to me? “For what?”
“For . . . anything. Everything. The rest of this night probably.”
Noah slides into the booth, leaning into Jamie’s body, and Jamie puts his arm around Noah, tucking him against his side. “Um, hello.” The other White man with blond hair waves.
“What?” Noah cocks his brow.
“Are we going to introduce me?”
“Why are you so needy?” Noah shakes his head. “That’s Mark.”
The man rolls his blue eyes and reaches for my hand. “I’m that psychopath’s best friend.”
“I told you, at anytime we can cut him off,” Hunter says to Mark. “Just say the word, baby, and they’ll never hear from us again.”
We slide into the other side of the wrap-around booth as a server comes to the table for our drinks. I order a mojito. “Your sodas are gluten free, right?” Bo asks. The waitress nods and he orders a cola. Most sodas are, and I think again about letting him drink, but I know he has to work tomorrow. Jamie just orders a water, Hunter and Mark order a draft, and Noah orders a mocktail. Then Noah’s gaze drops to the open book on the table.
“Come on.” Jamie nudges him.
“Hold on, I was almost done with this chapter when GD and Bobo walked in.”
“GD?”
“Gym Daddy,” Noah says simply, going back to his page. “Ugh! Just getting to the sexy bits.” He closes the book after putting in his bookmark.
“Can I see?” Mark goes to grab it from him.
Noah pulls it back in a fury. “Hell no.”
“Why are you such an ass?”
“You know what you did!”
“I dog-earred one page of one of your books like four years ago. Get over it.” Mark folds his arms glaring at Noah.
“Never.” Noah jabs a finger toward him. “I’ll never forget.”
“Happy birthday to me.” Hunter sighs deeply. “What kind of evil are you having us commit tonight, Noah?” Our server comes over with a tray of drinks. I thank her as she hands me mine, and I watch Bo take a sip, giving her back the straws.
