Page 21 of The Bro Date (Best Bros Forever #2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SHANE

S chool and work actually fly by when I have something to look forward to each day.

Someone special to come home to. Another week passes, and it’s already Saturday again.

The day of our first real date. Unlike Raúl, Glenn was happy to give me the night off and even hooked me up with a restaurant reservation.

“Rise and shine, sleepy head,” I whisper to a sleeping Toby. “Breakfast is ready.” I kiss the hollow beneath his ear, making him shiver.

“ Mmm. ” He smiles with his eyes still closed. “Spoon me first?”

Always desperate for a cuddle.

“Can’t. Hashbrowns will burn. Come on.” I slap his ass through the comforter, unable to resist the rounded bubble beneath the blanket.

I’m obsessed.

Toby yelps, finally opening his eyes. “Leave my ass alone,” he faux-pouts before wiggling it under the covers.

“I’ll never leave your ass alone. I haven’t even gotten started with it yet,” I growl, leaving him gaping behind me while I head downstairs to the kitchen.

I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.

Toby’s ass, that is. And by a lot, I mean multiple times a day, every day.

It’s even featured in my dreams. I watched some gay porn clips so I could get an idea of what it’s like, and the thought of doing that to Toby got me so fucking hot, I jerked off into a sock like I’m still living in my mother’s house.

I want to try everything with him. I’m embracing my newfound sexuality, and I’m embracing it with Toby.

After breakfast, we split off and do our own thing.

Toby heads to the music department to practice, and I head into the catering kitchen to fill ten dozen cannoli.

I guess there’s some sort of Italian family reunion happening tonight, and we were booked for the desserts.

As soon as I finish the cannoli and portion out the tiramisu, Glenn said I’m free to take off.

No one’s here to distract me, so I finish in half the time I expected and grab a small cake box, placing an extra serving of tiramisu and two cannoli inside. This will make the perfect shareable dessert after our date tonight.

I rush home, hiding the dessert in the back of the fridge behind a big bag of salad so Jake doesn’t eat it while we’re gone. After he was a dick the other night, I’m just looking for a reason to punch him in the face.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I hurry upstairs to get ready for our date. I’ve never tried this hard or even cared when it came to dating girls. But with Toby, everything needs to be perfect. I won’t settle for anything less.

Huge oak trees draped in Spanish moss fill the park, casting dark shadows over everything, even though the sun hasn’t set. The fog is thick and heavy, settling along the ground after this afternoon’s rain showers and hovering there like a meddlesome ghost watching the living.

“Okay, this is kinda creepy. Where exactly are we going, Shane?” Toby wonders out loud.

A large, brown horse comes trotting down the road, pulling a carriage steered by an old man with a curly white mustache and a top hat.

“Is that for us?” Toby asks in awe when it comes to a stop in front of us.

“ Toot! Toot! All aboard the Crescent Bay Express!” the old man bellows, chuckling as he climbs down to open the tiny carriage door.

“Hi, I’m Toby, and this is Shane,” Toby says for both of us. I hold his hand as he steps up into the carriage and takes the far seat.

“Good afternoon. The name’s Cormac, and it’s a pleasure to meet ya. This beautiful boy here is Chestnut,” he says, patting the horse’s hindquarters.

I give Cormac a respectful nod, stepping up and taking my spot next to Toby on the plush bench seat.

He shuts the door, locking us in before he takes his seat up front behind the reins. “Are we ready?!” Cormac hollers, and Toby once again answers for both of us.

“ Yeah! ”

“Off we go!” He shakes the reins and makes Chestnut start off at a slow trot through Crescent Bay’s historic park.

“This is so cool,” Toby says over the rattling of the wheels and clomping of hooves on the uneven cobblestones. A few small children stop and stare, pointing in wonder at the giant horse and carriage. “I wish I had candy to throw out, I feel like we’re at a parade,” Toby laughs.

Making a full loop around the park, Cormac drops us off right where he picked us up. I slip the old man a nice tip, and then we head toward downtown, where all the shops and restaurants are.

It’s romantic here, walking around the cobblestone streets together, hand in hand and completely unbothered. No one’s watching, no one’s looking, and no one cares. We can be ourselves. Whoever that may be.

We come to a gate with a quaint outside patio draped in string lights and mostly hidden by tall hedges and flowing green vines.

“ Whoa. This is magical,” Toby whispers in awe, staring up at the giant, wrought-iron gate with an elaborate golden E in the center.

The Esquire is a stunning, seven-story-tall, historic hotel with a Michelin Star restaurant on the first floor. They’re usually booked out for three weeks, but my boss, Glenn, has the hookup, and he was especially happy to call in a favor when I told him I was taking Toby.

“This is such an amazing surprise. How’d you even get us a table so fast?” Toby asks.

“Let’s just say, I know the right people,” I reply with a wink, making him blush.

After our delicious dinner, we go for a walk next to the waterway, enjoying the scenery before the sun sets. As we’re strolling down the sidewalk holding hands, the familiar sound of violin strings fills the air, beckoning us over.

When the person playing comes into view, Toby’s eyes light up in excitement. He tugs me toward the music, crossing the street carefully. “Oh my God, this is so cool!” Toby whisper- shouts. His long, lithe fingers dance in the air like he’s playing his own invisible strings.

The street performer finishes his set and takes a bow. Toby claps excessively, dropping a twenty into his open case. “That was amazing! Your technique is so smooth and clean. I’m Toby, and this is Shane. What’s your name?”

“Thank you, Toby. My name is Jules. You look like you know a thing or two about playing violin, care to join me?” Jules nods to a second violin case sitting on the sidewalk.

Toby looks at me, and I just shrug. It’s up to him. I don’t know violin etiquette.

“You sure you don’t mind if I use it?” he asks.

“Nope. Here’s an alcohol wipe for the chin rest.” Jules winks, getting back into position. “Any requests from the love birds?”

Toby smiles at me, then leans over, whispering into Jules’s ear and making him grin.

“I’ll follow your lead, young man.”

Toby nods, getting into position.

Slow, seductive notes harmonize with each other, and it takes me a moment to recognize the song as “Pony” by Genuine.

They draw a crowd, and before I know it, people start tossing in fives and tens.

Toby really gets into it, dancing around like he does out on the dock when no one’s watching. The crowd cheers, wanting more, but Toby hands the violin back to Jules.

“Thank you. I had a blast.”

“No, thank you, son. You made this old man’s day in more ways than one,” he chuckles, picking up his violin case and laughing at all the money inside.

“You deserve it, Jules. Have a wonderful day.”

As soon as we walk away, Toby explodes with creative energy.

“That was so much fun! I could?—”

“No,” I answer his question before he even asks it.

“Huh?” His nose scrunches up in confusion, and it’s so cute that I boop it.

“You’re not playing violin on the street for money. Don’t even get any ideas about it,” I warn him before he wastes any time.

Toby gets a mischievous look in his eyes. “Why not? I bet I could make a lot of money. Like tons, ” he teases, trying to egg me on.

“Because you’re too pretty, and I don’t wanna have to fight every guy that looks at you wrong.”

Toby giggles, “But you’re my bodyguard. It’s your job.”

“Exactly. That’s why I can’t go to jail. Who’d be around to catch you when you trip and fall?”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” Toby deadpans with a hint of a smile. “I’ve actually had a pretty good safe streak recently.” Just as Toby says it, the toe of his shoe gets caught on an uneven cobblestone, and he lurches forward.

My arm whips out lightning fast, grabbing hold of his bicep and stopping him from face-planting into two-hundred-year-old stones.

We’re not having any skinned knees tonight.

Nothing is ruining our first date.

Toby quickly rights himself, brushing the invisible dirt off the front of his shirt.

“You completely freaking jinxed me, Shane!” he whines, glancing around to see if anyone saw that and turning beet red when he makes eye contact with a pretty girl across the street.

“ Oh God. How embarrassing,” he mumbles, ducking his head in shame. “Let’s go.”

I chuckle, looping Toby’s arm through mine and escorting him the rest of the way back to the truck. My phone vibrates in my pocket on the walk back, but I wait until we’re buckled in to check it.

It’s my mom.

I haven’t heard from her in a couple months. She usually only reaches out when she’s going through a breakup or needs money. Wonder which one I’ll get today?

Hey Shaney. I hate to ask, but can you send me some money? Buck and I broke up last night, and he took off with all my cash.

Sighing loudly, I pinch the bridge of my nose.

Looks like I got both this time.

You okay? He didn’t hurt you?

My mom doesn’t have the best track record with picking guys, including my father and her latest boyfriend, Buck.

I’m fine, honey. Don’t worry.

I take a deep breath.

You didn’t answer the question.

It’s just a small sprain, Shaney. I’m the one who tripped and fell. Can you send me some money or not? Electric’s due.

With an over-the-top sigh, I open my bank app, sending her a hundred bucks for now. I glance over at Toby, seeing the concern written all over his face.

“Is everything okay?” he asks.

“No. I need to make a pit stop at my mom’s place on the way home.”