by Bru Baker
Pretty much the complete opposite of what was happening now.
“We’ve indulged you in this ridiculous experiment for too long,” she said, looking around like she expected to find a crack spoon or a cockroach at any second.
The office was a little rough. But that was because he preferred to put as much money into resources for the kids as possible. He didn’t have the funds to rent fancy office furniture. He hardly had the money for the rent at all.
He’d spent days scouring secondhand shops to furnish the three-room office that sat on top of the small community center the foundation ran. The biggest portion of his office-furnishing budget had gone to outfitting the community center with squishy couches, video-game consoles, and a giant television for the movie marathons he held on Saturday nights for the kids. It cost him an arm and a leg to feed the dozen or so kids who showed up for it, but it was worth it to see them excited over pizza and snack food. These kids struggled every day to get by, and the center provided an environment where they could let their guard down. His goal was to give them a place to be kids. It wasn’t all running around at the full moon or doing other supernatural things—sometimes kids needed a safe space to sprout fangs when they were losing on Xbox or a group who wouldn’t freak out if a movie made them laugh so hard their fingertips sparked.
“The foundation isn’t an experiment, Mother,” he said with more patience than he felt. He had a million calls to make today if he was to have any chance of raising money to replace the gifts. “I appreciate your concern, but things are fine here.”
She leveled a glare at him. “Sloane told us your apartment was robbed. You could have been killed. Think of what that would do to your father. His only child killed in a slum.”
Ah, so it wasn’t the threat to his safety that was the cause for concern. That was so typical. She was here on an errand for his father.
“We both know you’d tell your friends I was killed in a boating accident on St. Croix or something,” he muttered. He rolled his eyes when his mother bristled. “I don’t care that I’m bad for your image, Mother. The foundation is doing important work. Necessary work. I’m not going to let kids suffer because you think anything below Fifth Avenue is a Third World country.”
Her lips thinned, and for a moment real emotion showed through her mask.
“We care about your safety, Daniel.” Her voice broke, and Danny was reminded that she was a messenger for his father. He’d never really talked to her about the foundation because his father forbade it. She was as much under his father’s thumb as Danny had been. “Being isolated from your family—from the Pack—it isn’t healthy.”
It wasn’t. But even when he’d lived at home, it wasn’t as if he’d been immersed in Pack. The Cresswells were members of the Connoll Pack, but it was practically in name only. They’d only attended mandatory Pack functions when he’d lived at home, and he felt so different from the rest of the Pack that he’d continued that once he was on his own.
It was so bad that even spending the evening with another Pack had helped—this morning was the first time in months he’d woken up without aches and pains. Max and his family stayed for a few hours, eating and chatting. Even though the burglary had been a terrible blow, it had been the best day he could remember having in a long time.
Max was right when he’d said Danny was scent-starved. The way he’d reacted to all Max’s little touches had been proof enough of that. But Max had been a gentleman and hadn’t taken advantage even when Danny pushed into his space. He kind of wished Max had responded, though that could be the loneliness talking. He didn’t want a pity hookup, especially since he really liked Max and his family. He hoped he’d have the chance to see them again.
“I’ll go to more Pack events, okay? I’ll start taking better care of myself. But this isn’t about me moving away from the Upper East Side. You and Father have made it perfectly clear that you don’t support my career. I appreciate you coming all the way out here, Mother, but I’m not moving back to Manhattan, and I’m certainly not closing down the foundation.”
“You don’t have to live with us. We’ve been thinking of buying an apartment for Sloane to use while she’s in school. You could stay there. It’s close to the agency—”
And there it was. The ever-present guilt trip over not going into real estate with his father.
“I don’t want to work for Father.”
She made an exasperated noise. “You wouldn’t be working for him. You’d be working with him. He wants to retire soon, Daniel. You need to be there to take the agency over. You’ve wasted enough time, don’t you think? You had your fun, and now it’s time to grow up.”
They both looked up when someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Danny stood up when he saw it who it was.
“Max! Did you need something? Was there a problem with the police report?”
Max ducked his head a bit. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. I wanted to drop by and give you a copy of the report in case you needed it for insurance. It has the numbers for the officers who are taking over the case.”
He held a sheaf of papers out, and Danny took them and dropped them in the inbox on his desk.
“I don’t have renters’ insurance, and it wouldn’t be covered by the foundation’s policy. It’s just a liability rider in case anything happens to the kids while they’re here.”
“That’s a shame,” Max said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He held the bills out to Danny.
“Ray and Theo wanted you to have this. I’m sure my Pack will kick in more. Yours probably would too.”
Danny’s mother sniffed and frowned. “Daniel has better manners than to solicit the Pack for money.”
Max ignored her. “My sisters said they’d be willing to help with a fundraiser or something. Maybe a BBQ or a bake sale.”
“You will not be having a bake sale like some preadolescent girl, Daniel,” his mother said, her cheeks coloring.
Danny closed his eyes and sighed. “Mother, you owe Detective Torres an apology for that.”
Her eyes flashed amber. “I certainly do not. I don’t know why you have a stranger meddling in family business—”
“Oh, I hadn’t realized the foundation was a family business,” Max said, eyes crinkling as he smiled. “That’s so wonderful. I was just telling Danny yesterday that it has such admirable goals.”
“It is not a family business,” Danny said quickly, cutting off whatever retort his mother was about to fling at Max. “And my mother was just leaving.”
“I most certainly was not. I’m not leaving until you come to your senses and agree to move back to Manhattan. That slum you live in isn’t safe.”
“Max lives in the building across the street. It isn’t a slum, Mother.”
Max squinted at him. “Your apartment building is pretty run down. It’s a safe enough area, but I can’t say I like the lack of a security door downstairs.”
“You’re not helping,” Danny mouthed at him.
Max shrugged. “I’m not saying you need to move out of the borough. I’m just saying you could do better apartment-wise.”
“See? Even this policeman thinks you shouldn’t live there. It’s not becoming for someone of your station to live like that. It puts a lot of pressure on your father.”
Max quirked an eyebrow at Danny, and Danny gave up on propriety and started pacing the small room. “That’s not what he said, Mother.”
“I’ll have Stanley come by your apartment this evening. That gives you the afternoon to pack up what you want to bring with you. You won’t need any of the furniture, just your clothes and personal belongings.”
He’d had enough.
“I’m not moving back to Manhattan, Mother! You and Father made it perfectly clear I wasn’t welcome as long as I was committed to social work, and I have no intention of closing the foundation down. Nothing has changed. I was stupid, and I left things I shouldn’t have at my apartment instead of getting a
safety deposit box or something. Because of that bad decision, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me and not a lot of time, so I’d appreciate it if you left.”
His mother held a hand up to her heart. “And what happens if you get robbed again?”
“Actually, he wasn’t robbed. His apartment was burglarized. Robbery means thieves entering while someone is home,” Max said with a shit-eating grin.
“You stay out of this. It doesn’t have anything to do with you.” Her nostrils flared, and she turned to Danny, eyes wide. “Daniel! Are you and this police officer in a relationship? You two reek of each other.”
“I—”
Max stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders before he could say anything else. Danny leaned into it, his nose bumping against the column of warm skin above Max’s collar. He smelled good, like sun-warmed grass with a hint of woodsmoke. He also smelled angry, which was puzzling. Why would he be angry that Danny’s mom thought they were dating? Especially if his response to it was to basically give Danny a hug?
“It’s pretty new,” Max said, and Danny’s heart skipped. “But I’m just across the street from him. I won’t let anything happen to him, Mrs. Cresswell.”
Was Max pretending they were dating to get Danny’s mother off his back? Max must have some sort of white-knight complex. First he fixed Danny’s door and brought his family over to feed him, and now he’s standing up to Danny’s mom?
His mother sat back in her chair. “Well.”
Danny had never seen his mother speechless before. It made him a bit giddy. “If you don’t need anything else, Mother, I’m afraid I have things to do.”
“Where have your manners gone, Daniel? I swear, it’s like you went savage when you moved out. Introduce me to your boyfriend. I want to get to know him.”
Shit, he had to nip this in the bud before it got out of control. “This is Detective Max Torres, Mother. Max, this is my mother, Veronica Cresswell.”
“Torres,” she said, wrinkling her brow. “Are you related to Mayor Torres, Max?”
Fuck. Danny hated when his parents did this. They had to establish social dominance over everyone they met.
“Mother—”
“Yes, actually,” Max said, flashing a million-watt smile at her. “He’s my uncle.”
What? Danny whipped a look over at Max, who seemed unruffled.
“How wonderful,” his mother said. Danny didn’t care for the calculating look on her face one bit. “He’s certainly a credit to your Pack.”
“We’re pretty fond of him,” Max said, his cheeks dimpling.
God, could this guy be any more perfect?
Danny nestled closer, and Max adjusted his grip, pulling Danny in tighter.
She gave them both a calculating look.
“You know, Daniel, perhaps I could talk to your father and arrange to replace the stolen items. Detective Torres is right. Your Pack should support the foundation. We could have a gala fundraiser. The mayor would come, don’t you think, Max?”
Danny didn’t know anything about Max aside from his name and that he was from a big family. And apparently his uncle was the mayor. His Pack must be powerful if his mother was acting like this. Why hadn’t Max said something yesterday? Though Danny hadn’t said anything about being one of those Cresswells either. So they were even. Kind of.
“Oh, I’m sure he would if I asked,” Max said pleasantly. “The foundation does such great work. Uncle Albert is committed to making sure no child falls through the cracks, and Danny’s foundation is the perfect example of putting the kinds of policies my uncle fights for into practice.”
Danny barely held back his snort. His parents didn’t give two shits about his foundation. They thought it was a waste of time and money. But apparently it was worth their while if it meant an in with the mayor.
His mother stood and smoothed her skirt, careful not to let her handbag touch the floor of his office.
“Wonderful, it’s settled, then. Daniel, I’ll expect you both for dinner at seven tomorrow so we can begin planning the gala. Your father will have a check cut for you for however much you need to replace what was stolen. Just email his secretary the amount. Max, it was lovely to meet you. Please give my regards to your uncle the next time you see him.”
She blew air kisses to both of them and swept out of the room in a breeze of rosewater-scented air.
“What just happened?”
Danny rested his head on Max’s shoulder. “You just got co-opted into the Cresswell family. I’m so sorry. I’ll go tomorrow and let them know we’re not actually dating. That will get you off the hook.”
At least he hoped it would. A connection like Mayor Torres would be very good for his father’s business, so he had a nagging suspicion that his mother wouldn’t let something like the fact that they weren’t actually dating get in the way of planning their wedding.
“No, it’s okay.” Max gave him a tight hug and released him. “If getting my uncle to come to a fundraiser means you can replace all those things for the kids, then we’ll get my uncle to come to a fundraiser. He’d be happy to.”
It wouldn’t be a normal fundraiser. It would be a way for his parents to up their social influence and gain favor with investors in the city. Still, the foundation could use the money. Danny could suffer through this, but he wasn’t going to drag Max down with him.
“I really appreciate that. But you don’t know my parents. They’ll squeeze you dry for every ounce of influence they can. You don’t want to be involved in this.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “So a Filipino cop from Brooklyn isn’t good enough to mingle with your family?”
“What? No!” Danny pushed his hair back from his face in frustration. “Your family is awesome. They actually care about you, and they’re interested in the things you do. My family is completely different. Dinner will be two hours of subtle digs at my career, my life, and the way I’ve ‘frittered away’ my inheritance. My father will harp on my decision to get a ‘useless’ degree, and my mother will bemoan the fact that I’ll never meet a decent guy until I cut my hair/wear better clothes/get a more prestigious job/move back to Manhattan or whatever else she can come up with. It will be torture. I don’t want to subject you to that.”
Max’s face softened and he ran his fingers through Danny’s hair, coaxing it to lie flat after Danny had spiked it up.
“Your hair is perfect. I like a little something to hold on to on a guy,” Max said with a grin. “Your job is awesome, and you didn’t pick the best building in Brooklyn to live in, but it’ll do. Your fashion sense is crap, though, and I’m going to have to side with your mother on that one. But that’s an easy fix.”
Danny laughed and looked down at the foundation polo shirt he had grabbed off the top of the laundry pile and the ripped cargo shorts he was wearing. His socks didn’t match, but his shoes did, so he was better off than he’d been three days ago when he’d worn two different sneakers.
“I dress up when I’m going out to see donors,” he said with a shrug. “The kids don’t care what I’m wearing.”
Max shook his head. “It should be a crime to hide that ass under baggy shorts.”
Danny’s couldn’t help but preen a little at the backhanded compliment. “You should see me in a tux.”
“Sounds like I will, assuming this gala your parents are planning is a black tie affair. So, I’ll pick you up tomorrow at what, six? How long does it take to drive to your parents’ house?”
“You’re really going to go through with that? Are we going to pretend to be dating?”
Max’s eyes sparkled when he laughed. Danny’s stomach swooped. He was going to have to be careful or he’d fall head over heels for this guy.
“What if it’s not pretend?” Max asked, his expression turning serious.
“You actually want to date me?”
“Will dating me get your parents off your back for a bit?”
“About finding a partner, yes. Proba
bly not about anything else. Though they might be on better behavior with you there.”
They’d be focused on getting in on Mayor Torres’s good side, and treating his nephew’s boyfriend like shit would probably hurt their chances.
“Then it can be our first date.”
Danny wrinkled his nose. “No way. First dates are supposed to be awkward because you’re getting to know each other and you’re afraid to order something messy to eat. I think people usually save abject parental humiliation until at least the third or fourth date.”
Max winked. “Then how about you come to lunch with me? We can’t count last night as our first date because I was on the job for part of it and my family crashed later. We can go get lunch and get the first date jitters out of the way. I’m not off till eight tonight, but if you don’t mind a late dinner that can be date number two. I’ll pick up takeout on the way back, and you can come over to my place. That way dinner tomorrow at your parents’ is date three.”
Was Max actually asking him out? Danny wasn’t sure if he was teasing or being serious.
“I was supposed to have lunch with Sloane today,” he said, his heart kicking up a notch when disappointment flitted across Max’s face. “But her break isn’t until two, so I can make it back before that.”
“Are you sure? Because Sloane was pretty pissed off yesterday about me taking advantage—”
“You could take advantage of me any way you wanted,” Danny blurted. “Shit. That sounded kinkier than I meant.”
Danny grabbed his phone off the desk and shot off a text to Sloane letting her know he’d meet her at her favorite coffee shop on campus after class.
“How about we take things slow and see where they go?” Max said. “I’ll be honest—you’re not my usual type. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you ran out into traffic yesterday trying to chase me down.”
