When the table was righted and the dishes were stacked in the sink, Quick finally spoke again. “I’ll just take care of these few dishes.”
Why that annoyed Cayson a little, he wasn’t sure but it was lame. Dishes. Whatever.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Quick
He didn’t want to go. Cayson was clearly upset and Quick didn’t want to go. Every fiber in his body was telling him to stay, because he had a bad feeling about Cayson’s so-called friend with benefits. The guy was a spoiled, over-achieving, self-righteous bastard, but he was a desperate bastard. Desperate, and with one helluva secret that Quick now knew. How was this Dr. Joe going to react? Actually, Quick already knew. He was in the desperate-acting-people business.
Just when Quick was begrudgingly heading towards the front door with a dawdling Dr. Chauncey behind him, his best friend’s voice slapped him in the back of the head. Then do whatever you have to do to stay with him. Make up anything. Improvise. Damn, he didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t want to come off as a pig like probably most of the men Cayson had been with. Insisting to stay the night was basically the same as begging to get a little taste. At least that’s what it used to mean. And this was their first date. Shit. Quick rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to make this sound honorable? He really wasn’t trying to sleep with the doc. He had some YouTubing to do first. He wanted to make it good for Cayson, of course.
As soon as he reached the door, Quick turned, snapping his fingers. “You know what. I think it’s probably best if I just stay the night.” Quick placed a couple fingers over Cayson’s lips as soon as he opened them to object. “Not stay the night, like that, but stay and make sure you’re alright.”
Cayson moved around Quick and unlocked the door. “Really, Rome. I’m good.”
Now what? “Um. Um.” Quick was at a loss. He really wasn’t a good liar. “I think I’m real low on gas and it’s dangerous to pump gas so late at night, ya know? I think they mentioned that on the news a while back.” Quick could’ve kicked himself. How in the hell would a brilliant man like Cayson believe that he was cautious about being out late? Didn’t he hunt down society’s dangerous people for a living?
“It’s only a little after eight, Rome. I think you’ll be just fine at the gas station.” Cayson smiled, handing Quick his heavy leather coat. When he cracked open the door, the cool night air burst in completely uninvited. Quick refused to go out into it.
“It’s still dark, though. Bad things happen at night. Especially at shady gas stations. You can’t trust those people who loiter around there all the time.” Argh! What the fuck am I saying?
Cayson was wearing a full-on smile now and it was hard for Quick not to smile, too. “I don’t think anyone will try to start trouble with a big man like you, Rome. Day or night. Now, good night.”
Cayson was inching Quick further and further out the door and he wasn’t putting up a fight. He liked Cayson’s expert hands pushing on his pecs. But when he was almost on the porch, he dug his heels in. “Seriously, Cays.”
Cayson sighed wearily. One palm was still lightly pushing on Quick’s chest, the other propped against the doorjamb. He looked so sweet and tired, and Quick just wanted to hold him close. Protect him from all the bad in the world, the shit that Quick saw on a regular basis. Protect him from the bad that had been on Cayson’s porch when they arrived. He needed to stay.
Cayson said good night for the second time and was gearing up to close the door, but Quick stopped him again. Only the truth would work. He held Cayson’s wrist, careful not to apply any real pressure. “Okay. Truth, Cays. I want to stay because I don’t like the situation that happened earlier.”
Cayson scoffed. “Are you talking about Joe? Please. Joe is harmless.”
“Cays look at me.” He tilted Cayson’s face up to his, hoping he could see that he wasn’t joking around, but was dead serious. “What I saw in that man’s eyes was not harmless.”
“I think that look was directed at you, not me.”
“I think it was, too, but I don’t question men with motives. Any man with a secret that big, one that could possibly devastate him if it got out, is going to do all he can to protect his future by any means necessary.”
“You really have seen some terrible stuff, I’m sure. But, what is it you think Joe’s going to do? Come back in the middle of the night and staple my mouth shut while I sleep?”