Page 86 of Worth the Wait

“Jack,” Aaron interjected.

Jack turned his body toward Aaron, giving him a hug and a pat on the back. “Good to see you,” he said. “Let me get you a drink.”

Aaron agreed and Callum slid them both bottles of beer. Another customer flagged him for a drink so he left Jack and Aaron together at the bar, picking up words and bits of their conversation as he passed by between customers.

He knew they were talking about Verity. He knew Aaron wanted to see Verity, and he knew Jack had some inside information about whatever was going on. Verity had tried to be discreet about whatever was transpiring between themself and Aaron, but even Callum had noticed the stares that lasted far too long for only friendship whenever Aaron was at the bar.

Aaron clinked his bottle against Jack’s and stepped away from the bar, pushing through the crowd toward the office. Callum made his way back to Jack who was watching Aaron’s retreating back.

“Everything okay?” Callum asked, sliding another beer toward Jack.

“It will be,” Jack said, pushing out his bottom lip with a nod before turning his attention fully back to Callum. “What about you, kitten? Everything okay?”

Callum narrowed his eyes. “You know the answer.”

Jack leaned over the bar conspiratorially. “How much does it hurt?”

“You know,” he whined.

“Did you want me to lock you back up?” Jack licked his lips, eyes glinting under the glittering lights of Rapture.

Callum shook his head.

“You want lots of things, though. Don’t you, kitten?” Jack pressed, leaning over the bar so he was only inches from his face.

“Everything,” Callum replied.

“I feel like my whole life has devolved into stopping my friends from fucking each other in terrible places.” Verity’s voice rang out across the bar and Jack leaned back with a knowing smile.

“There’s no bacon here, Verity.”

Callum scrunched his face in confusion.

“We weren’t close to fucking,” he protested, looking to his left as Verity approached. Their hair was a little messier than normal, strands tangled through the short hairs of their undercut. Verity adjusted the waist of their skirt and quirked a brow in his direction.

“Jack was eye-fucking your brains out,” Verity disagreed.

Callum’s cheeks heated and he glanced away just in time to see Aaron sneaking out, not inconspicuously, from the office. Callum looked to Jack, then back to Verity and smirked.

“What?” Verity questioned.

Callum smiled and shook his head, taking a step back. “Nothing, boss.”

“You,” Verity said, pointing a finger at Jack, “leave my bartender alone and let him work.”

Jack held up his hands in surrender and stepped back from the bar. “I just came by to see how he was holding up.”

Callum glared, his cock pulsing against his thigh.

“He’s a big boy,” Verity assured Jack.

Jack waggled his eyebrows. “I know.”

“Jesus.” Verity shook their head.

“You walked right into that one,” Jack said with a laugh. He dropped a twenty on the bar and blew Callum a kiss. “I’ll see you at home.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Callum confirmed, sliding the bill of the counter and dropping it into the tip jar.