Page 2

CHAPTER 2

Grayson

The air smelled like stale nuts and beer, and I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose. I didn’t much care for bars in general, but bars like M’s Place were below even my lowest standards.

I didn’t begrudge anyone for owning their own business, but the place could have most certainly used a more sophisticated Queer Eye to spruce the place up and make it more comfortable.

It didn’t take long to find my sister and her wedding party, being as her laugh was like a dolphin call all on its own.

I made my way through the sea of folks, hot, sweaty bodies clamored together to watch one another drone out tone-deaf songs on stage.

I swear to god if someone sings Taylor Swift, I will lose my shit.

Casually, I strolled over to their two high tables pushed together.

“Grayson, so glad you could make it!” Mia said, coming over to give me a hug. While Giselle and I may not have run in the same circles, we spent a ton of time together outside of those circles, which meant sometimes there was overlap.

I hugged Mia, my gaze settling on the remainder of the party around the tables. Giselle’s neighbor, Julie, and her friend slash florist, Taylor, her fiancé Aaron, the best man, Riley, and the most nauseating couple I’d ever met, Lacey and Lane.

Mia’s earthy brown eyes sparkled in the low light as she smiled, pulling away.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t really have much of a choice, now did I?” I whined, and everyone chuckled.

Giselle rolled her eyes, just as our server came to our table with a platter full of waters. My eyes widened as I recognized the man, if only from passing events.

“Hey, Henry! I’m so glad you could wait on us tonight!” Mia said as she squealed with excitement at her brother.

Henry smiled affectionately, the corners of his lips turning up with, no doubt, practiced politeness.

His chocolate brown hair fell haphazardly into his amber eyes, his hand placed delicately on his hip as he greeted us.

I didn’t know the man well, and the last time I’d truly seen him was at Giselle and Aaron’s engagement party nearly four months ago.

He looked different, dressed down in a pair of jeans and a black M’s Place shirt with an apron tied around his waist.

For some reason, my cock stirred as my gaze settled on said waist, on the slender, toned muscles of his arms that his tight uniform shirt only drew attention to.

“Henry,” I drawled as his gaze caught mine.

“It’s Grayson, right?” he asked as he tapped his pen against his book.

“It is,” I said, shaking my head and dispelling all the weirdness that had somehow managed to set between us.

“What, uh, what it’ll be?” he asked, his tone casual, all business and no play.

“I’ll have a gin martini, with extra olives, please,” I said, leaning against the table, if only to try and stifle the erection that was forming in my pants from the sheer sight of this man.

The last time I’d seen him, he’d been dressed in a basic blue blazer and dress pants, dark hair slicked back like he was going to a school dance or something.

I’d thought he was cute then, like a little fish out water. He stood out like a sore thumb among the rest of the three hundred and fifty guests at the engagement party, but he’d also hung back.

I, of all people, understood being anti-social. Especially when you were being dragged to a wedding event against your will. So, I’d done the most noble thing I could do, and left him alone to his devices. I knew I much preferred if someone left me alone, but alas, being the brother of the bride and part of the wedding party had its disadvantages too.

“Coming...” he said, his voice cracking for a moment as he pulled at his collar. “...right up,” he said, turning away from me, but not before I could see the flush of pink in his cheeks.

My gaze fell to his perfectly shaped ass in those tight blue jeans, and I had to admit, it looked divine walking away from me.

I broke away from the preferred sight, if only because I didn’t want to seem like a total creeper.

Mia threw her arm around me, forcing me to look up, noting Giselle caught my gaze, and raised an eyebrow at me.

“Tonight is going to be the best night ever!” Mia drawled as Lacey, Julie, and Giselle raised their water glasses in salute, and I was remiss to raise my own.

But when in Rome, one should do as the Romans do, right?