Page 92 of Seer

Cal smiled. “You’re a good friend.”

Ruben and Karla came back outside. Karla collapsed into her chair and told Cal, “I am so sorry. I—he treated me so well. I guess I took it for the real thing.”

“It’s okay, Karla. In school he always had the teachers convinced he could do no wrong. You couldn’t have known.”

Fantine got up and went around the table to hug her friend.

“Thank you for dealing with him,” Ruben told Cal. “I’m sorry you were insulted in my home. That’s not how I want my guests to be treated.”

He smiled. “No worries. It was important for Karla to see Butch for who he really is, and I’m glad I could make it happen.”

I eyed Ruben thoughtfully. “We should look into his car dealerships. Make sure everything’s on the up and up. My friend Malcolm used to be a forensic accountant with the FBI.”

Ruben grinned. “We’ll talk later. For now, let’s finish our meal.”

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Karla was a little subdued, but she seemed more angry than sad. She’d be fine after some time had passed.

Cal and I left around 9pm. On the way to the car he walked several feet to one side of me. I was getting a kind of antsy indecision through the connection.

We got in the SUV, and I asked, “What’s the matter?”

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Fuck, this connection thing will take some getting used to.”

I laughed and started the engine. “It’ll happen, I promise.” I hesitated. “But you’re... conflicted?”

He huffed. “Fine. I don’t really want to go home yet, but I’m also not ready to go to your place and fuck.”

I paused, unable to stop myself from picturing Cal fucking me. My brain tried to go into combat mode again. What the hell? That’d never happened before when I was turned on. I shook it off with an effort.

I cleared my throat. “First of all, it wouldn’t be just fucking. But I respect your wanting to take things slow.” I shook my head, smiling a little. “Hell, it’s only been five days since we met.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

We hadn’t even kissed yet. That would definitely get rectified before our night was over.

I said, “I’m not really keen on hitting a bar or a club.”

He made a face. “Yeah, nothing loud.”

“How about... would you like to see my new house?”

His eyebrows flew up. “Sure. Do you have the keys already? I mean, seeing the outside would be fine.”

At the thought of having Cal in my new place—the nest I’d bought for him—my combat mode threatened to return. I shifted in my seat. “Yes. The inspection was this morning. The place has been empty so long, the seller’s agent just let me have the keys.”

Cal blinked at me in surprise. “That’s trusting.”

I shrugged as I pulled the car out onto the street. “It’s Bent Oak, and I’m a business owner, so they know where to find me.” I glanced over at him. “It’s a little dated inside, and the décor is awful, so it triggers my anxiety a bit. I won’t move in until Ruben’s done with the renovations.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

I grimaced. “Right. I keep reminding myself that at midnight when my neighbors in the apartment next door have their gaming parties.”

Would Cal be willing to move into the house with me at some point?

Silvia had mentioned it at TWIST, but I reminded Cal how Silvia and Lloyd, as well as Craig and Foster, lived on the same street as my new house.

“But I bought it because of the big game room upstairs and the back yard. I’ve always wanted a dog, but apartments are so inconvenient when the dog needs to go outside.”