Page 15 of Knot That Serious

“I could do it. I’m a charmer,” Beckett said.

“Oh, I can see that,” Jack teased.

Beckett rolled his eyes, spun his straw around his drink again.

This rich, attractive, earnest guy was interested in Jack. Clearly, or else he wouldn’t be asking all these questions.

This alpha was seriously interested. Like, asking about Jack’s future interested.

He drew in a silent breath, suddenly aware of the quickly beating pace of his heart.

Oh, he was freaking out. This was a full-on gay panic.

“Would you, uh, excuse me, for a moment?” Jack asked.

When Beckett nodded, brows dipping in worry, Jack pushed back from the table and followed the arrows to the bathroom.

The lights were stupidly dim—who needed mood lighting in a bathroom? After making sure the stalls were empty, he braced himself on the vanity and sighed.

In a crisis like this, there was only one person who could talk him down. His best friend.

With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and dialed Eli.

“Jack?” Eli answered.

Jack tried to level his breathing into calmness. “Hey,” he said casually.

“What’s wrong?”

He heard shuffling over the line, as if she’d sat up suddenly.

Okay, so maybe not so casual.

“I’m freaking out,” he admitted.

“Why?” she asked. “Do I need to come hide a body?”

Despite the panic creeping up on him, he chuckled. “No, no. He’s being perfectly polite and sweet.”

“Okay… so why are you calling me from what I hope is a bathroom and not from the table?” Damn, she was good.

“He’s asking about us,” Jack blurted.

“Okay. Is that… not okay?”

“I don’t know! I usually don’t get this far!”

“Wow, you are slutty,” Eli drawled.

Jack groaned, and Eli backtracked. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Why is it a problem that he’s asking about us? There’s nothing to ask about.”

He released a breath. “I know. I know. But I guess that means he… like, cares, or something.”

“Oh, no,” Eli drawled, sarcasm dripping. “Whatever will you do?”

“Ugh, you know what I mean!” he urged. “If he wants to make sure he’s not a home wrecker, that means…”

“He’s a decent person?” Eli guessed.

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