Page 10 of A Cold Hard Truth

“Don’t tell him I told you,” Jace said, pulling into a parking lot and putting the car in park in front of a valet stand.

Remington couldn’t help the expression that landed on his face, and Jace punched him in the shoulder.

“Don’t judge. Sebastian picked the place.”

“Not surprised.” Remington moved to open the door, but found it snatched out of his hand by a waiting attendant. He sighed and unfolded himself from the car, stretching as he stood. “It’s a whole new life for you these days.”

“It’s weird,” Jace grumbled, taking the valet ticket and guiding Remington toward a patio around the back of the restaurant.

“You seem to be acclimating.”

Jace’s steps faltered, and he squinted at him. “What’s that one mean?”

“Adjusting to new conditions,” Remington answered.

Jace made an agreeable noise in his throat and nodded. “I’m acclimating.”

“Oh!” Sebastian’s voice rang out from across the patio, the wavering baritone filtering over the dull noises of the other diners. “We have company.”

Remington’s gaze shifted from Jace toward the sound of Sebastian’s voice, and he found Sebastian and Callahan sitting at a small rectangular table, a pitcher of something red between them and a half-drank bottle of champagne in front of Sebastian.

“Did you drink my mimosas?” Jace said in greeting, sliding into the empty seat beside Callahan and leaving the one beside Sebastian for Remington.

“I drank your champagne,” Sebastian said with a sloppy grin. “While I was waiting for my vodka.”

“Are you drunk?” Remington asked, looking down at his watch. “It’s barely eleven.”

“Well, hello there, Remington,” Sebastian said, words slurred together. “Are you here to judge me or to have brunch?”

Remington pushed the bottle of champagne toward Jace and slid a full glass of water toward Sebastian.

“I’m here for brunch,” he answered, “not babysitting.”

Sebastian eyed him quietly, then hooked his fingers around the stem of the water goblet and raised it to his mouth. He drank half the contents in one go, his stare locked on Remington the entire time.

Remington had seen the look Sebastian was giving him before. But he’d seen it on hungry men, men who were eager to be any place but in public. It was definitely not the look a straight man gave another man. Remington chalked it up to the alcohol and a stubborn streak that ran a mile wide, right through Sebastian St. George.

“Is that better?” Sebastian asked as a waitress appeared with a tumbler full of clear liquid and a lime wedge. Remington hedged a guess it wasn’t water. “Ah, thank you.”

Sebastian spun the thin black straw out of the way and took a drink, smacking his lips together and leaning back in his chair.

“You’re petulant,” Remington muttered under his breath, turning his attention to Callahan and Jace. “How’s your new business going, Callahan?”

“It’s…” Callahan started to answer, but Sebastian cut him off.

“I’m not a child.”

“You’re acting like it,” he said.

Callahan scratched his temple and cast a quick glance in Jace’s direction before speaking again, “I’m working with Roland and some other artists from that part of town who are interested in marketing to a wider audience. Things are going well so far, but it’s the early stages.”

Shortly after things had gotten serious with Callahan and Jace, Callahan had made the decision to hand over control of the marketing firm that had been in his family for years and branch out onto his own. He’d decided to take the things he was good at and apply them to the things Jace was good at, which were art and photography. He’d started offering basic marketing services to local indie artists, helping get their names out into places where they’d get noticed.

“That’s great. I’m glad to hear it.” Remington smiled sincerely. “And Jace has those new shows coming up. So, exciting times for the two of you.”

He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from commenting about what was definitely Jace’s impending move. Jace had asked him not to bring it up, so he wouldn’t, but something in Callahan’s eyes let Remington know he knew, and Remington knew that Callahan had been waiting for an answer longer than Jace had let on.

“Are you two going to be moving in together?” he asked, after watching Callahan dust tender kisses across the tops of Jace’s bare knuckles.