Page 77 of Sharing Shadow Secrets (High Five Novella #6)
W aiting for Brandon outside the Asian-American fusion spot, I’m standing on this bustling North Halsted sidewalk.
I spot a few couples holding hands—men with men, women with women.
When I first moved to Chicago, this neighborhood was called Boystown, but thankfully that name’s changed.
It was never just for the boys. It’s for all of us.
It hits me just how fast your life can change.
On Tuesday, I was on a playful, casual date with Taylor.
Now, I’m about to go on a date with her boyfriend.
Who could be my boyfriend soon if this all continues to go well.
She also could become my girlfriend. The three of us … This scenario still feels surreal.
When Brandon asked me where I’d always wanted to go for dinner, I gave him this place, not expecting him to jump at it. But he did. It feels significant, him choosing somewhere public. Maybe this neighborhood helps him exhale the same way it does for me.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low and a little breathless. I turn and see him striding toward me, wearing a hunter green utility jacket over a white shirt, black jeans, and Chelsea boots. His effort is obvious, and damn—he looks good.
“You got dressed up for me?” I tease.
He shrugs, dropping his gaze for a second. “Were your pants this tight on your date with Taylor?”
I laugh, remembering the long bike ride along the lake path. We talked about social media for hours—what it gives, what it takes.
Then Brandon surprises me, reaching for my hand.
“Look at you,” I say, genuinely impressed, no sarcasm in sight.
“When I like someone, I like to hold their hand.”
My chest warms. This soft side of him is new to me. He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. It’s quick but charged.
I blink, not because I’m shocked by the kiss, but by the fact he did it here . In public.
“That felt appropriate, given everything,” he says.
“Because we’ve fucked?” I arch my brow. “Or because we’re dating the same woman?”
He chuckles, intertwining our fingers. “All of the above. And because you look really good tonight.”
“Swoon,” I say as we walk into the restaurant together.
At the host stand, he says, “Two, under Brandon.”
“Your favorite,” I whisper, and he elbows me as the host picks up menus.
“I have too much sass in my life,” Brandon mutters with a wink. I like this playful rhythm between us.
Walking deeper into the restaurant, booths line the walls. Each one has a unique, red abstract painting above it. The host gestures for us to sit at a booth in the middle of the restaurant. Nice. Cozy. A chance for Brandon and I to really connect. As we take our seats, I stare into his blue eyes.
“I never really come to this neighborhood,” Brandon says, studying the menu.
“It was more fun before the apps,” I say, then take a sip of water.
“Why’s that?” he asks, flicking his eyes up from the menu.
“They changed the dynamic … People scan you, swipe past you, vet you all before saying hi. It made something that used to feel organic … transactional.”
He shifts his fork on the table, then says, “I’ve always been too afraid to download any of the exclusively gay ones.”
“Afraid?” I ask, curious about that word.
“That someone I know might see me there.”
I hum, finding irony in this. “But not too afraid to hook up with a stranger in a bar bathroom.” I cock a brow and sip my water.
“You know it’s hard for me to believe that you’ve been telling yourself that you’re straight all this time.
I mean …” My cheeks flush, thinking about the night we met.
We were so drunk, messed up. “I squeezed your ass, then you grabbed my wrist so tight and pulled me into a bathroom stall, and next thing you know I was blowing you,” I whisper.
He smirks, then takes a sip of his water. “We were drunk sluts. But now …”
“We’re classy bitches.”
Brandon chuckles then grabs for my hand. “You’re the only guy who’s ever gotten a call back.”
I rest my chin on my other hand, feeling special. “So there have been other guys?” I ask, wanting to know more about that.
He nods.
“I mean, I always assumed so because …” I trail off because Brandon has always been great in bed, especially when it’s just the two of us. Commanding. Rough. Leaving me wanting more.
“I’m just starting to not feel bad about it.
I used to beat myself up after each hook up.
I had so much swirling in my head about what I should and should not be doing.
Like, if hooking up with guys was actually good for me or not …
but I finally have accepted that it’s who I am, and there’s nothing wrong with being attracted to guys. ”
I squeeze his hand, then interlace our fingers. His thumb grazes mine, and I softly smile.
Our server arrives, giving me a once-over. “We’ve got a celebrity in the house,” he says in that bitchy-compliment voice I know too well.
I smile faintly. He must follow me.
His eyes flit between us, then back to the handheld ordering device. “What can I get you to drink?”
Brandon gestures for me to go first.
“Green tea,” I say.
“Just water for me.”
“And we’ll start with the mini egg rolls,” I add as the server turns away.
“This is why you wanted to come here,” Brandon teases.
“For the mini egg rolls?” I playfully narrow my eyes.
“For guys fanning over you.”
“No … I just want one guy to be fawning over me.”
He smiles warmly, then looks deep in thought.
“What?” I ask.
“Have you ever dated like this?”
Like this?
“Like a throuple?” I ask, and he nods. “I’ve dated multiple people at the same time, but they’ve never also been dating.” I squeeze his hand, then release it. “So far, I like you both a lot. I’m having fun, so I’m happy to keep exploring this.”
Brandon rests his finger on his lip, softly saying, “Halloween was very fun.”
It was. I think back to it, all of the moments and memories. “You should wear more leather.”
“Yeah?” he asks, low.
Before I can answer, the teapot lands on our table with a clatter. “Let it steep,” the server says. “Ready to order?”
“We need a few more minutes,” I immediately say because I don’t want this date to end. I want to talk for hours.
Once he’s gone, Brandon murmurs, “I thought you liked it when I was in control?”
“Oh, I do. But that doesn’t mean I never take control.”
I stare at his chest, already fantasizing about him wearing a leather harness. Then my mind shifts to Taylor. How she took both of us. “You know, Taylor’s going to keep us on our toes.”
Brandon chuckles, nodding. “She’s really the one in charge.”
I laugh, agreeing. “I can’t believe ... I was not expecting her to want, let alone take, both of us.”
“She had been thinking about that for a while,” Brandon says, his hand reaching back for mine. His fingers trace lazy lines over mine, and I bite my lip, enjoying that he wants to hold hands so much. After a few moments, he says, “If we all keep liking this, I know she’ll want to do more of that.”
I smirk. “Whenever you two are down, I am.” I pour the tea into the cup, reliving how fun that night was, especially the bath. All of us touching and kissing. “I like your energy with her,” I share. “It feels more like this guy sitting across from me.”
“This is me,” he says with a shrug. “So … it’s not weird to talk about my girlfriend on dates? I was thinking we wouldn’t really talk about her tonight.”
“Why would it be?” I cock my brow. “I like both of you and want to spend time with you both together and individually.”
The server returns, sliding the mini egg rolls between us, then gives us a sassy look, like are you going to order or what?
“I’m distracting him,” I say into the silence. “Once we’re done with these, we’ll be ready to order.”
Deciding to flirt, I lift one of the egg rolls slowly, deliberately licking the edge. Brandon’s foot taps mine under the table. Then he snatches his and takes a dramatic bite.
My mind wanders, thinking about what could happen after this date. Our attraction has always been there. That’s never been a question.
“I’m happy you’re an easy date. I’m trying not to compare our hookups with this, but you’ve always been so quiet.”
He gives me a look. “Are you saying you want me to talk more during sex?”
“I’m saying I want more of this . Chit chatting with you.”
I want to really get to know Brandon Dubois.