Reservations

Julian had a quick mouth, the patience of Job, and wouldn’t back down, not even with all the hostility Thane had been putting out into the world over the last forty-eight hours. Yeah, Thane was well aware how his constant barking out orders made most of the staff fearful of their jobs, but not Julian. Nope, not in the least. He always stood his ground, even laughing right in his face. The guy seriously had no trouble waving him off when he started picking apart the inadequacies he’d found over the last few days, and man, had those been plentiful, but Julian paid him no mind and straight out told him to get himself and his bad attitude out of the club.

Even when Thane went into a fiery explanation that he owned this club, Julian launched right back in a dramatic fashion, snapping his fingers, and reminding him he’d asked Julian to run this club not the other way around. Then he told him to go jack off or something because he was tired of all the testosterone-driven episodes.

“Are you done brooding?” Julian’s smug tone was beginning to grate on Thane's nerves. He continued to stare down at the floor below, watching Levi Silva, refusing to speak to Julian. “Everybody gets shot down. He isn’t like most of the guys who work here, Thane. He just reinforces the fact that not every person in the world can be bought. Build a fucking bridge; get the fuck over it. You’re a damn buzz kill.”

Thane heard Julian’s message, but in the world he grew up in, someone on a full scholarship, who worked two jobs, could most definitely have enough money thrown their way to cave. He wondered why Levi was so different. There wasn’t a boyfriend waiting in the wings, no committed relationship that he could find, and you’d better bet he’d asked around.

“He’s smart, Thane. He’s focused, and he knows what he wants.”

“What’s he doing here?” Thane turned to Julian who had pushed aside his laptop on the desk and laid his own paperwork on top of Thane’s. Julian was bold. Too bold if you asked Thane. He could feel his scowl intensify as he stared at the disruption of his organized paperwork. He had no idea what he’d been working on but was certain it shouldn’t be scattered around like that.

“Seriously?” Julian’s disgruntled voice grabbed his attention. “Are you kidding me?”

“What?” he asked defensively.

“Didn’t you hear me? The waiter you keep pretending not to watch down there is just as distracted and testy as you are. What else happened with you two that you’re both so freaked out like this?” Julian asked.

That caught Thane’s full attention. “What’re you saying?”

“I just had this same thing happen. I speak, and you don’t hear a damn word I say. Stop asking me questions if you’re not listening to the answers.” Julian yanked open his laptop and placed it on the desk.

“You know you work for me?” Thane stated in an attempt to clarify his position.

“Stop saying that. It’s demeaning.” Julian sighed dramatically then went back to what he’d been working on. Thane just blinked a couple of times. There were no words. And, by God, if Julian didn’t have him by the balls. He wasn’t going to fire him. If for no other reason than he’d spent too much money on training the guy. He was as much ingrained in this set-up as Thane himself. More so, even. Thane turned back to the window, and just like before, he zeroed in on Levi. He knew exactly where he was without having to look or search, zeroing straight in on him and watching everything he did.

He rested his palm on the glass as he leaned against it and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Go talk to him. He’s into you. Just don’t offer him any money.”

He slowly turned his head until he met Julian’s stop-being-such-a-dumb-ass gaze. “I don’t have sex without some sort of agreement. It’s a lot less messy that way. No one gets hurt, and we both benefit, so I prefer money to exchange hands.” Thane furrowed his brow and wondered why in the hell he’d phrased it like that to Julian. Julian knew the deal. Of course, he preferred a business relationship in all aspects of his life.

“Well then, you’re gonna have to focus your attention elsewhere.” Leave it to Julian to be so informative.

Thane was thankful Julian was done speaking. He’d been trying for two days to tell himself to focus his energies anywhere else—

“If you’re gonna fuck him, then you’ll have to stop your usual shit, and just put yourself out there. Save the money and buy him something nice if it makes you feel better.”

Yeah, Mr. Bright-Ideas, he wasn’t going to do that either. He risked the chance of Levi getting attached. To be honest, men like Levi—those seemingly honorable ones—were more prone to latch on like a stage-five clinger. Guys like Levi, if Julian’s take on him was correct, usually harbored some unrealistic vision that a relationship meant security and trust. Hell, most guys their age seemed to have this idealistic view of love, marriage, and happily ever after. No. His parents’ entire relationship proved a huge reminder of how fucked up two smart, reasonable people could truly be when they let emotions control a relationship.