Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“Yeah, she’s all about puking.” Gretchen winced. “I hope it passes soon. She can barely hold anything down.”
I knew Ivy. She was also very kind and welcoming. And she was pregnant.
My food and Sprite Zero were next, and my stomach snarled with hunger. I should’ve ordered the fries, but at least I got this cheeseburger. They were awesome!
“That looks fantastic.” Santiago leaned close and inspected the burger.
“So do your sandwich and fries.” I grinned.
He remained close and raised a brow, almost conspiratorially. “You wanna go halfsies?”
He was being playful with me! It filled me with so much…gah…that I wanted to bounce in my seat. But I was a grown man. I did not bounce.
“I won’t say no.” I bit my lip and scooted an inch closer to him, and it pressed my thigh against his.
My stomach fluttered and tightened when he narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer, then pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Tempting boy,” he murmured.
He was a million times more tempting!
I couldn’t freaking speak, because if I did, I felt like a bunch of gibberish would fall out, so I kept grinning like a loon, and I sort of squeezed his arm. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know what to do with all this exuberance in my body. I wasn’t used to it.
“I c-can’t talk,” I managed to stammer out. I just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea—like, maybe I didn’t have anything to say or…I didn’t know.
“You don’t have to.” He switched gears, and something gentled in his gaze. He put his arm around me. “You overwhelmed?”
“A little or a lot.” I nodded.
He chuckled. “A little or a lot. Got it. We’ll focus on getting some food in us.” He pushed his plate closer to mine, and he kind of closed us in. He turned toward me, and he shifted me toward him, and I liked that very much. “Let’s test the crunch in these fries. They need a perfect crunch.”
I accepted two fries from him, and I merely mimicked his movement. When he bit into one, I did the same.
“Oh yeah, we can count on Macklin.” He nodded in approval.
I chewed and stuck the rest into my mouth, and they were so amazing. Either they were battered or they were double-fried, and they were dusted with herbs and spices.
“Delicious, right?”
I nodded again. “Super delicious.”
He didn’t seem to mind I was a total spaz, and that relaxed me some. I picked up my burger as he did the same with his sandwich, and for the first time since I’d arrived, I didn’t wanna be anywhere else on the planet.
“There’s Dean.” Santiago looked up from our bubble and raised a hand. “Dean!”
Gosh darn it.
I busied myself with my burger and probably looked like an idiot with condiments and cheese everywhere, mouth full, and cheeks puffed out when Professor Aavik sat down across from us with his…oh. Plain chicken with wild rice and a salad.
He was frowning to himself. “Next time, you will have to order for me, Joshua.”
Santiago swallowed what was in his mouth and eyed the professor’s food. “What the fuck is that? That’s so unlike you.”
“It appears my troublemaking little brother-in-law has blacklisted my name from the regular menu,” Professor Aavik grumbled. “The staff was apologetic about it, so I didn’t make a fuss, but this is too much. He’ll be hearing from me. Maybe Walker can tan his hide or somethin’.”
I didn’t understand. Was Macklin not allowing Professor Aavik to order whatever he wanted?
Wait, brother-in-law? Ohhh, so that was their connection. Now I had the full picture—and it made sense. I’d heard Macklin say something about his husband’s brother, but I hadn’t connected the dots. Doh, it was Dean. Professor Aavik was Master Walker’s older brother.
I was so slow sometimes.
“He’s just concerned, Sir.” Tate threw in his two cents.
Concerned about what?
“I understand, but I have limits,” Professor Aavik replied patiently.
I could tell he was holding back his annoyance, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I’m buying pizza on the way home,” he muttered to himself.
“You should try the savory waffles at Gael’s place,” Santiago said. “They’re fucking amazing.”
Oh no, the spotlight should not be on me.
Professor Aavik stabbed some lettuce and chicken with his fork and glanced up, first at Santiago, then at me, then back to Santiago. “Tell me more.”
“I’m listenin’ too,” Kingsley said.
“He runs Waffled over in Georgetown,” Santiago divulged. “They make savory waffles with shit like eggs and bacon, hot chicken, and a beef stir-fry. I’ve tried some, and they’re next level.”
Tate perked up. “That has to be the place Franklin’s always raving about. He didn’t tell me it was where you worked, Gael.”
“He probably doesn’t recognize me.” I shrugged. Truth was, I hadn’t been sure it’d been Franklin—and his partner, for that matter—who came in sometimes, though I’d had my guesses.