“Last?” Drew couldn’t help but pry. “What’s that mean?”
Alex lowered his voice. “You didn’t hear this from me, but Jillian received a warning for it.” After a glance toward the breakroom door, confirming that it was closed, he continued, “If she does it again, she’s out.”
“Damn,” Drew murmured. While he didn’t wish ill on anyone, he wondered if that might not be for the best. “I, uh, I don’t know what to hope for in this case. Training someone new would suck, after all.”
Snorting, Alex told him, “Nice save.”
Drew winked. “Thanks.” His phone’s ring saved him from having to come up with some other platitude. He pulled the device from his belt. “Speak of the devil.” Taking in Alex’s grin, Drew answered. “Hello, Jillian.”
“Hey, Drew,” she greeted in a chipper voice. “Your four o’clock is here. Should I tell him you’ll be out soon?”
“Yes, tell them I’ll be right out,” Drew instructed. “Thank you.” Then he hung up without waiting for a response. “See you later, Mister Mindrid.”
Even as the man nodded, he called, “When are you going to call me Alex?”
Drew grinned as he headed toward the exit. “Maybe when I’ve officially been part of this practice for more than a couple of years,” he told him.
Alex shook his head, but there was a smile on his face.
Good enough.
Striding down the hallway, Drew felt his heart race and his palms sweat. He rubbed them on his jeans as he breathed deeply, trying to get himself under control. Reminding himself that he was at his place of work, he knew he needed to remain professional.
“Hey, Drew,” Jillian called as soon as she spotted him. She held up a file, but when Drew reached for it, she pulled it away playfully. “Your legs look fantastic in those jeans. Are they new?”
Drew did his best not to growl under his throat. The pair was one of his nicer ones, a little tighter than what he usually sported at work, and he’d worn them for Will. He should have realized Jillian would comment on them.
Whipping out his hand, Drew snatched Pete’s file from Jillian’s hand. He had no idea why that made her laugh.
Women are so weird.
“No,” Drew told her. “They’re not new.”
“She is right, though.” Will’s soft comment came from Drew’s left. “Your legs do look fantastic in them.”
Unable to help himself, as Drew met Will’s gaze, he grinned. “Thank you, Will.”
Pete snorted where he stood on his crutches to Will’s left. “Did you dress up for Will?” he asked with all the candor of a teenager. “On our way home Friday, I told Will that you were checking out his ass.” Pete snickered as he swept his gaze over Drew. “Guess you’re pretty fine for an old guy.”
Drew barked a laugh. “Old guy?” Leveling a mock scowl on his client, he stated, “I’ll have you know, I’m only twenty-seven. That’s hardly old.”
“Eh.” The kid didn’t seem impressed—with Drew’s age or his scowl. Smirking, he glanced between them. “Soooo”—he narrowed his eyes—”did you have the kahunas to really call him and set up a coffee date?”
When Will frowned at Pete, scolding him by saying his name in a warning tone, he ruined the effect by allowing his cheeks to pinken.
God, that’s sexy.
Pete snickered as he glanced between them, grinning. “He did? Awesome.” Lifting his fist toward Drew, he cried, “Way to go, Drew! I didn’t think ya had it in ya.”
“You little shit,” Will grumbled, although he seemed pleased that his little brother appeared to like the idea of them together.
On Sunday, they’d moved from the coffee shop to a nearby diner, extending their coffee date to include lunch. There, Will had explained who Pete was to him, his little brother in the Big Brother program. While Will hadn’t told him what the orphan had done to end up in the program, he’d shared that he lived in a group home in Will’s school district, which had brought the young man into his orbit.
Drew thought it was damn admirable that Will would give of his time like that. He’d even mentioned it to Jake when his buddy had called him the prior evening to ask about his date. Nosy best friend. Jake had hummed and said he would look into it, thinking it was a really good deed.
“Wait a minute. You’re a fag?”
Jillian’s scandalized tone yanked Drew back to reality.
Frowning, Drew peered back at Jillian. He took in her flushed face and disbelieving expression. Her lip was curled up ever-so-slightly in a small sneer as she swept her gaze over them all.
“Wow, lady.” Pete was the first to recover. “Didn’t your momma teach you any manners?” He scoffed, then rolled his eyes before refocusing on Drew. “So, Drew. How do we get this started?”
Drew cleared his throat and nodded. “Let’s head back to—”
“Hey, you never answered my question,” Jillian cut in rudely. She even reached over her reception desk and grabbed his shirt sleeve. “I wanna know if you’re a faggot?”
“Jillian, that’s not appropriate behavior at the office,” Alex stated, announcing his presence as he rounded the corner. “Return to your duties. We’ll talk about your language later.”
While Jillian released Drew’s sleeve and her cheeks darkened, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think this is something we should know?” she demanded. She even waved at Pete. “I mean, he’s working with impressionable young men. What if he—”
“Do not finish that sentence, Jillian,” Alex ordered, scowling at her. “A person’s sexual orientation has no bearing on whether or not they can do the job they are hired for.”
Jillian reared back as if slapped. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. She appeared beyond shocked.
“Oh my god,” Jillian gasped. “Drew is a faggot, and you knew!” Lifting her hand to her chest as if she were preparing to faint. “Does Mister Litman know? Surely you both can’t condone his deviant behavior.”
Narrowing his deep blue eyes, Alex ordered, “Jillian, I would like you to leave for the day. I’ll discuss this situation with Mister Litman before contacting you this evening.”
“You’re sending me home?” Jillian’s expression held a wealth of disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“Obviously, I am,” Alex stated. “Please gather your things and go. Now.”
Even as she shook her head and obeyed, Jillian mumbled under her breath about the absurdity of it all. She scowled at Drew, Will, and even Pete as she stalked to the front door. Casting one more look of disgust over her shoulder at them all, Jillian left the office.
“Well, that was dramatic, even for a Monday morning,” Alex commented. He smiled blandly as he turned his attention to Pete and Will. “I’m Mister Alex Mindrid. Please call me Alex, and I offer my deepest apologies for the actions of our receptionist.”
Will lifted his hand, waving away his apology. “That’s not necessary, Alex,” he stated with a shake of his head. “Her actions are her own, not yours.”
Alex dipped his chin in thanks. “I’ll let you get on with your appointment.” When he focused on Drew, his smile appeared pinched. “And I apologize to you, too, Drew. Please know her views are not shared by myself and Rafe.”
Drew offered his fellow therapist a reassuring smile. “I know, Alex,” he said, using his name for the first time, hoping to convey the depths of his understanding. Then Drew left Alex to what appeared to be calling in a temporary receptionist and headed toward the back. “This way, please.” Drew spotted the gym bag over Will’s shoulder and pointed out the locker room. “On the other side of that room, it opens into the weight room.” He indicated a nearby door with the plaque weight room on it. “I’ll meet you in there when you’re ready.” Giving the youngster an amused look, Drew asked, “Should I get a wheelchair for you?”
As Drew had expected, Pete rolled his eyes. “No,” he grumbled before taking the bag from Will and disappearing through the doorway.
Drew t
urned and focused on Will. “It’s nice to see you again,” he murmured. He wanted to reach out and touch, but he was standing in the hallway of his work. “Are you staying or going?”
Will hesitated, then asked, “Is it okay if I watch the first couple of sessions?” He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “That way I can help Pete or correct him with his exercises if he needs it.”
“Of course,” Drew assured. “Probably a good idea.”
Plus, Drew loved the idea of having Will around a little while longer. He led the way into the weight room and began setting up what he needed. As they waited, Drew fidgeted with his clipboard.
After a couple of moments, Will rested his hand on Drew’s upper arm. “Are you going to get into trouble because of the receptionist?”
Drew immediately shook his head. “Naw. Don’t say anythin’, but she was already under review for something completely unrelated.”
Will appeared relieved. “Good.” He removed his hand and took off his coat. “So, would you be interested in joining me for dinner Friday night?”
Even as Drew opened his mouth, he hesitated.
Evidently, Will noticed. “Um, too soon?”
Drew quickly shook his head. “Not at all. It’s just... I normally head to Jake and Devon’s for dinner on Friday nights.” Chuckling, he admitted, “Dad thinks it’s date night, so he never asks me over.” Drew saw the disappointment in Will’s gorgeous green eyes, and he blurted out, “Will you go with me?”
Will’s jaw sagged open. “Really?” He sounded as shocked as he looked. “You want me to meet your friends?”
Nodding quickly, Drew grinned. “Yeah. I do.”
“O-Okay. Where? When?”
Even though Will appeared uncertain, Drew told him he would pick him up before adding his new boyfriend’s address to his phone’s contact information.
Excitement thrumming through him, Drew had a hell of a time focusing on his client, but he did it.
Chapter Six
Excitement mixed with nerves as Drew drove to Will’s house. He wondered if introducing his new boyfriend to his friends already was jumping the gun. Having never dated before, he didn’t know if he was overwhelming the other man or pushing too hard or moving too fast.
I don’t know anything about this shit.
Still, when Drew had told Jake that he planned to bring Will to their weekly grill night, he’d been excited. He figured if he was doing something wrong, his not-shy buddy would have told him. Hell, Jake was the one who got them together, after all.
Pulling into the driveway the GPS indicated, Drew took in the small home tucked between the trees. The neighborhood was an older one, so the home was surrounded by plenty of old-growth trees. His place had a decent-sized porch where a couple of rocking chairs were situated. As Drew climbed out of his truck, he thought it would be a nice place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee.
Drew strode up the walk and onto the porch. After a deep breath, he lifted his hand and rang the bell. Faintly, he could hear the chime ringing through the house.
In less than a minute, the door opened.
Seeing Will standing on the other side, Drew felt his breath catch. His date’s dark-blue jeans fitted his body, accentuating his long, toned legs. He already had his thigh-length black coat on, but he hadn’t buttoned it, allowing Drew to see the medium-green polo shirt he wore beneath.
“Damn,” Drew whispered, unable to help himself. Forcing his gaze to Will’s eyes, he murmured, “You look amazing.”
To Drew’s relief, Will’s worried expression morphed into one of pleasure. He smiled and blew out a relieved breath. “I wasn’t certain what the dress code would be for a weekly guys grilling gathering.” Will’s brows furrowed, his expression turned a little vacant, and he began mouthing a few words. A second later, Will snapped back to attention, and his smile turned sheepish. “That sounded odd, huh?”
Drew chuckled as he held out his hand. “Yeah, but cool.” Wiggling his fingers, he added, “And you could have worn a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and you’d somehow have made it sexy.”
Will gave him a look Drew couldn’t quite interpret, but he started forward. Then he paused and grabbed something from a table in the foyer. Stepping on the porch, Will turned and locked the door behind him.
Spotting the brown paper bag with a definite cylindrical shape inside, Drew asked, “What’s that?”
Holding it up, Will told him, “A gift of wine for the hosts.” Drew must have had a questioning look on his face, for he added, “My mom said never go to another’s house for a meal empty-handed.”
Drew wrapped his arm around Will’s waist, telling him, “While that’s not necessary, I know Jake and Devon will appreciate it. They prefer wine over beer.”
That earned him a small, relieved-looking smile from his date.
As Drew guided Will off the porch, Will asked, “Are you always this touchy-feely?”
Stiffening, Drew began to pull away. “I’m sorry. Am I being too forward?”
“No!” Will cried, easing closer to him, so Drew retightened his hold. “I like it. I just—” He sighed as he shook his head. “You said you’d never dated before, so I didn’t think you’d be so demonstrative.”
Drew relaxed, and he grinned widely while moving Will to the passenger side of his pick-up. As he opened the door and guided his date inside, he revealed, “Well, I may not have dated, but Jake and Devon have been together for years. Another guy in our group is Devon’s younger brother, Carmen, who’s been with his man, Tyler, for almost a decade.” As Drew leaned in and buckled Will’s seatbelt, he winked at the man. “I’ve seen plenty of interaction between strong couples, so I know how to treat you right.”
Then Drew shut the door and jogged around the front to his own side. After he’d jumped behind the wheel and fired up the engine, he pulled on his own belt. When Will hadn’t responded by the time Drew had left his neighborhood, he glanced the man’s way in concern.
“Everything okay?”
Will nodded. “Yeah.” Chuckling softly, he added, “Never had anyone buckle my seatbelt for me before.”
Drew arched one brow and asked, “Not your thing? Or should I keep doing it?”
“I... I’m not sure,” Will admitted with another laugh. He grinned at him. “Maybe do it a few more times and I’ll be able to figure it out.”
“I can do that.” Drew reached for the radio and turned it on. “Probably the only thing on right now is Christmas carols, but is that okay?” He pointed at his phone resting in a cup holder. “I can hook up my phone, and you can scroll through my playlists.”
As the sounds of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer filled the cab of the truck, Will laughed and waggled his brows. “Oh, you’d let me check out your playlists?” With a smirk, he claimed, “That can tell a guy a lot about someone else.”
Drew snorted as he indicated his phone again. “Have at it,” he offered even as he tried to remember if he had any songs on there that he could possibly be embarrassed about. He couldn’t think of any, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any.
Oh, well.
As Will grabbed Drew’s phone, he began to sing under his breath to the silly song on the radio.
Grinning, Drew enjoyed the sound of Will’s voice. He liked it even better when Will continued to sing along to the carols, one after another. His pulse pounded oddly knowing his date felt so comfortable with him.
Drew slowed his truck and turned it into the driveway of the home shared by Jake and Devon. At that point, Will fell silent. After parking his vehicle, Drew focused on his date. He saw the flickers of uncertainty on his face and the way he nibbled his bottom lip.
What would it be like for me to nibble there?
“You okay?” Drew asked softly, doing his best to banish the thought. It had been so long since he’d kissed, and he really wanted to. Reaching over, Drew placed his hand over Will’s where it was clenched on his thigh. “The guys will love you, babe.”
/> Will snapped his attention to Drew’s face. His eyebrows shot up as the corners of his lips curved a smidge. “Babe?”
Huh.
Drew hadn’t even realized he’d said it. “Um.” He felt his cheeks heat a little, and it was his turn to nibble his bottom lip. When Drew saw Will’s focus flick to his mouth and back again, he blurted out, “I wanna kiss you, too.” An idea formed. “Would that settle your nerves?”
Groaning, Will turned the hand under Drew’s and gripped it. “No,” he replied with a short laugh. “Walking into your friend’s house with a boner from making out in your truck would definitely not make me more comfortable.”
Sucking in a harsh gasp at the idea of his kiss making Will bone up, Drew dropped his gaze to the other man’s groin. Good thing there was a thick coat covering his lap. He couldn’t even make out an outline of... anything. That didn’t stop Drew’s blood from heating in his veins and his dick from plumping in his jeans.
“Eyes up here, big guy,” Will teased, snapping the fingers of his free hand before crooking them to urge him to lift his gaze.
Drew swallowed hard, but he did as instructed. Seeing Will’s eyes twinkling, he grinned. While he was now a little uncomfortable, Drew would take it since the exchange had caused Will’s unease to lessen a little.
“Come on,” Drew urged. “If one of the guys spots us in the truck, we’ll be ribbed for making out even when we haven’t been.”
Will’s eyes widened a little, but he nodded and unbuckled his belt.
Once Drew had released his own clasp, he turned off the truck. He opened the door, eased out, and closed it behind him. As he moved to the front of his pick-up, he spotted Will joining him.
Drew rested his hand on the small of Will’s back, wishing it was summer so he could feel the curve of his spine under his palm.
Maybe in the house.
Guiding Will up to the house, Drew told him, “Jake makes the best steaks, and Devon bakes these garlic potato wedges that are amazing. Oh, that reminds me.”
The Drum Major’s Passion Page 4
