Reservations

Thane would do or say whatever was needed in order to get his way. The guy loved the fight. Levi decided his best course of action was to refuse to even acknowledge such a ludicrous suggestion, so he began toeing on his sandals, ignoring Thane altogether. With a glance at the clock on the wall, he saw he had a little over twenty minutes to walk about a quarter of a mile to the bar. He needed to get going soon.

“So now I’m gonna have to cancel all my plans and spend the next four or five hours in that club, watching all those men ogling you,” Thane said.

“You ogle me.”

“Guilty as charged.” Thane flashed him a sheepish you-caught-me smile then narrowed his eyes. “Well, do you know how much money I lose by sitting at a table all night?” Thane questioned, changing his tactic.

“I tell you not to tip me.” Levi reached for his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and left Thane pouting as he went for the door. Thane followed, right on his heels. Levi took some of the blame for Thane’s attendance at the club every night. When they’d first started doing this, Levi had encouraged Thane to come spend time with him in his section. Just like with everything they did, that seemed to become every night really quickly. Now, Thane was a standard fixture at one of his tables while he worked. Levi liked Thane there. Enjoyed being able to look at him anytime he wanted, and when things got slow, he always spent the free time at Thane’s table, talking.

“Levi, that’s not it. Every time you work, I lose the money for that table I’m sitting at. Julian’s pissed off and wants to charge me to sit in my own damn club. The fucker presented me with a bill this afternoon. You’re a top earner. You make money for us, and I’m messing that up by occupying a table. Just imagine what they’ll miss with me taking a table tonight.” At the front door, Levi turned back, looking at the beautiful Thane Walker who was still nude and only a foot or so away.

“You don’t have to come, Thane.”

“It’s the only way I get to see you.” Now, Thane looked like he didn’t have a friend in the world.

Yeah, he looked sad because he wasn’t getting his way.

“That’s not true. I’m here now, aren’t I?” Levi asked, gripping the doorknob.

“A quickie doesn’t count. Besides, that Marlboro Man has his eye on you. I gotta protect my territory.”

Levi laughed right in Thane’s face. Like Thane had anything to worry about. Levi knew the Marlboro Man was more interested in his manager than him. Besides, Levi was so hung up on Thane that no one else existed. The realization immediately caused a sense of fear to start to edge in, but he squashed that right there. He refused to consider how closely he’d tied himself to Thane in such a short period of time.

They stood there, staring at one another, neither saying a word. Great, they were in a standoff.

After a second, Levi decided to change his tactic. He dropped his backpack and went straight back to the bedroom.

Thane couldn’t possibly be serious about the Marlboro Man who was a late thirties, early fortyish, drop dead gorgeous cowboy who had made his money in oil. The guy was about as comfortable being gay as Levi was being the father figure to his brothers. Walking into the club had been a big step, and Levi was certain the only reason he’d become a fixture in his section—much like Thane—was because Levi didn’t hit on the clientele like the other waiters. He kept it friendly, but that was as far as it went. It also hadn’t escaped his attention that the Marlboro Man had a thing for Julian—a quiet attraction from afar. Levi only knew because of the long stares and absolute silence the man went through anytime Julian was around. He’d also noticed that fiery spark in his manager’s eyes when Julian caught the Marlboro Man watching him.

Thane was way off base if he truly believed that about the guy and needed to get over that fixation. Besides, Levi wasn’t buying any of Thane’s excuses. He knew the true reason Thane wanted Levi alone tonight, and it had to do with the contents of the special drawer in Thane’s dresser. Levi went for Thane’s room and opened the newest addition, a drawer dedicated to sex toys. Levi wasn’t so naive that he didn’t understand all the different devices, but he also hadn’t used any of them before. Some actually made him a little nervous. Under lots of heavy and hard carnal persuasion this afternoon, he had agreed to use them all, but only after Thane tried each one first. Now seemed as good a time as any.