Reservations

“He does. He’s put me in that box several times.” Levi pushed send and dropped back on the bed, sprawling out across the mattress. He tried hard to center himself back into the sex he and Thane had shared, let those moments of completion tide his heart over. In those few minutes of being so intimately connected to Thane, his world had opened and peace settled over him. Not one single burden caused him worry or grief. It was just him and Thane. Levi’s eyelids slid closed, reliving their time together, the connection so intense he had to fight the ache as his hands fisted to keep from reaching out to the vivid image he’d created in his mind.

Levi bolted up. Holy hell, he hadn’t ever experienced anything like this before. He had over-the-top feelings for Thane. His heart stuttered at the realization and panic set in. Shit. He had to stay away from Thane at all cost. Thane held too much power over him.

With his phone completely forgotten, Levi looked at the alarm clock. One fifteen in the morning. A twinge of jealousy rippled across his already erratic heart. Visions of the different waiters he worked with came to mind. Levi wondered who Thane had managed to get to spend the night with him tonight. Anger flared, then quickly fizzled as he was hit with the sudden overwhelming feeling of loss. How had he never considered any of this before? How could he possibly face any of those men tomorrow night, wondering which one had taken his place?

He wrinkled his brow, shaking free all the unwanted thoughts. No more of this. He ignored the notification alert on his phone. He had to be done with all this uncertainty. He had to hang on for six months, then he could quit the job and they’d be gone.

Levi pushed out of his shorts and crawled under the covers. He huddled under the blankets, tucking his arm under his pillow, staring into the darkness. “Please give me the strength to be done. Please.”

Chapter 19

Sunday morning

Any bit of the lingering positivity Thane had managed to hang on to came to a crashing halt when he spotted his father, Walt Walker, strolling through the front doors of the Baltimore Iron Maya, a grin growing as he stepped up to the hostess stand. Thane hadn’t seen his father in so long, and he wasn’t prepared for the gray streaking his dark hair or that he’d grown out a bit of a beard. As he continued to stare, he saw a reflection of himself in twenty years.

Always the charmer, his father had the young hostess immediately smiling as she extended a hand, pointing as they both turned Thane’s direction. He’d chosen a corner of the closed bar, away from all the customers, and decided to be his own waiter. Honestly, he hadn’t anticipated anything good coming from this meeting and didn’t need any of his staff intimately witnessing their inevitable dark exchange.

Like normal, his father’s manufactured easygoing nature grated on his nerves. His dad strolled across the restaurant like he didn’t have a care in the world, when Thane knew firsthand that the man was wound tighter than a clock. His casual gait as he took the steps up to the bar had Thane’s own anxiety spiking.

Standing at the head of the table, Thane paused when his dad extended a hand his direction. His fist balled with how badly he didn’t want to shake his old man’s outstretched hand. Ingrained manners were the only thing that had him giving a deep sigh while reaching out to shake the other man’s hand. “I have us up here.”

His father looked down at the booth and his gaze lifted back to Thane. “Your mom’s joining us, son. I told her to come in about thirty minutes to give me some time to explain.”

Every word had the effect of little warning bombs thrown his way, proving his theory on his dad’s leisurely stroll through his restaurant. Part of his youthful protective measures rushed forward, walls dropping in place, shielding him as he tried to understand how in the world his mother and his father planned to sit in the same restaurant together, let alone at the same table with him. He could feel his brows sliding together as he fought the urge to take a step backward, needing space to contemplate his next actions.

“Why’s she coming? What’s going on?”

“Can we sit first? Maybe get a glass of water?” his father asked, extending a hand toward the table. Thane saw the move as intended to redefine the real boss between the two of them. “I’ve been giving lectures. My throat’s dry. I don’t seem to bounce back like I once did.”

More than anything, Thane wanted to refuse the request and demand his father lay it all out, say what he needed to say so Thane could throw his ass out, but instead, he nodded like any good little boy might do. He left his father standing beside the booth and walked behind the mahogany bar not more than a few feet away, frustrated because he always felt like that same small, insignificant burden of a child when his father was around.