Page 2 of Finley
“I didn’t believe her when she said she was coming to pick you up, so I volunteered. So you better start being nice to me or you and your hundred-and-fifty-dollar haircut will be walking your fine ass home.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
“Thought you’d see things my way.”
“Well, at least make yourself useful,” Daniel said as he picked his backpack up and threw it at Derek.
He caught it with anompfhand then slung it over his shoulder. “What the hell is in this? Your cuff link collection?”
“I don’t wear cuff links on vacation. Where’d you park anyway?”
As they walked down to the crosswalk, Derek glanced over at him. “I’m up in parking lot C. Think you can make it that far?”
“Don’t let the suit fool you. I could still out-clubyou and look fucking fantastic the next morning.”
“Sure you could. You don’t look like you’ve seen a club since you left. More likefancydinner parties withimportantclientele,” Derek mocked.
“Important clientele who line my pockets with cash, my friend. While you… Hang on a second. What is it you do again? Oh, that’s right—tell people how to work out.”
Derek narrowed his eyes, then smirked. “Iownthe gym where I tell people how to work out, thank you very much, you smug fuck. I’m stunned to see you standing here is all. You know my emotional default is sarcasm.”
Laughing good-naturedly, they crossed the road and then stepped over the curb and into the parking lot. Then as they walked up the ramp, Derek spoke again. “Okay, so let’s cut the bullshit. He contacted you, didn’t he?”
Daniel didn’t ask whom. Derek knew all about his past and the reason he’d left to study his final two years of law school in Chicago. So Daniel simply said, “Yes.”
They wound their way up the second ramp, and as he followed behind, dragging his suitcase, he waited for Derek to say something more. When nothing came, he grumbled as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
“Why aren’t we taking the elevator?”
Derek looked back at him and shrugged. “I wanted to piss you off.”
“Of course you did,” Daniel said when they finally reached level C.
They passed several rows of parked cars, and when they stopped beside a black, beat-up Jeep Wrangler, Derek tossed his backpack in the back seat and leaned a shoulder up against the passenger-side door.
He crossed his arms and studied Daniel with a pensive stare. “You deserve it, you know. Leaving and never visiting. I mean, Jesus, Danny. You’ve been gone nearly a decade. I have fucking wrinkles around my eyes that weren’t there when you left.”
Daniel scoffed at that. Derek Pearson was still hot as hell, even with the laugh lines around his eyes. Men flocked to the guy no matter where he went. It was like bees to honey. The bad boy with the attitude of fuck-you-if-you-don’t-like-who-I-am never lacked a bed companion if he wanted one—or two.
Daniel soon sobered, though. He deserved Derek’s irritation, and probably a whole lot more, because hehadleft. He’d packed his bags, gotten on a plane, and never looked back. Sure, he’d called once or twice, and he’d emailed, but it wasn’t the same as sitting down and knocking shots back with your friend. Your friend who looked like he wanted to kick your ass into next week—and probably would, too. Yeah, this was going to be harder than he’d thought.
“So, what’s your plan?”
When Derek’s eyebrow arched expectantly, Daniel realized that…Fuck, he didn’t have one. He frowned, and Derek let out an obnoxious laugh as he nodded toward the suitcase.
“Let’s start with that. Give it to me, would ya?”
Daniel pushed the handle on his carry-on down and then passed it to his friend. Once it was in the back seat, he ran a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing here, Derek.”
Derek patted him on the shoulder and winked. “You’re here to see what he wants. Right? And to finally get whatyouwant…”
As Derek opened the door for him, Daniel smirked. “I don’t evenknowwhat I want.”
The truth was that he’d never felt more unsure in his life, and that was saying something. Not that he’d ever let anyone know that.
Derek chuckled. “No? Well, that doesn’t matter. He’s gonna fucking die when he sees you.”