Night Shift: A Gay Lovers Romance (The Neon Glass Club Book 2)

by Alex Roberts

  Epilogue

  “The landlord said we can paint the walls whatever we want – within reason.” The sun bouncing off the bare, white walls of the empty space hurt my eyes a little and made me squint.

  “Within reason, huh?” Jamie scratched at his chin. “Bright pink is totally reasonable for a little girl’s room.” He pitched his voice several decibels higher. “Hey, babe, you want your room pink?”

  Allyson zipped out of the empty bedroom she already claimed as her own. “Can I have princesses on the wall? And frogs? And kittens?”

  “Completely within reason,” Jamie assured her.

  “You going to paint those on, yourself?” I asked.

  “Dude. Decals. I’ll order them online. Disney everything.”

  She whipped back down the hall, darting in and out of bedrooms. Disney everything. Allyson had been spending more time with us over at my apartment. I liked the kid, and I think the affection was mutual. She was opening up, at least, allowing me to kiss Froggy after tucking her into her bed on the couch at night. Jamie said it was good sign. No one got to touch Froggy. She was a little bit of a tyrant about it.

  The living area flowed into the kitchen with a countertop island separating the two. Jamie wondered that way, opening doors and drawers and appliances. “This place is nice. The stove looks new.”

  It did look nice. New, plush carpet. Clean. Twice as big as my place. A little balcony big enough to set up a grill. “It’s the best one we’ve looked at so far. Walking distance of the gym.”

  “Did you notice Allyson’s preschool is on the way? We could walk with her in the morning.” Jamie lit up. He loved mentioning his daughter and we in the same sentence.

  “That would be nice, Jamie. I’d like that.”

  “Me too.”

  I grazed my fingers over the laminate counter. “Think we can afford this place?”

  Jamie bent and peered into the oven – as if expecting cookies to pop out. “We? Sure.” He straightened. “But it’s me who’s going to be paying for this place. I can afford it.”

  “I thought this was a we thing.” I crossed my arms. We’d talked this over multiple times. “I don’t need taking care of, big boy.”

  “That’s not it.” He pointed right at me. “You’re staying in school this time around. You’re doing great at the gym, and those classes will really help. Next semester’s tuition is due in a month, and you need save up, then there’s the books and God knows what. I don’t want you to have to take out loans. I can pay for the apartment. I know you don’t need me to. I want to.”

  Our discussion always came back to school. I knew I had to. The small business stuff was really sticking. I liked the family atmosphere the gym fostered, and I could see myself there for years to come. But the price tag on the economics books at the community college? Christ. I needed to start writing textbooks. I knew I was just being stubborn.

  “Alright, but I can help with rent in the summer months.”

  “Or, you can take summer classes and finish school before you’re forty.”

  I gave him my best squinty-eyed, don’t-tell-me-what-to-do look, but he wasn’t going for it.

  “Look, Bran, you kicked ass with the contract negotiations. And the signing bonus you arranged? That alone’ll pay for the deposit and first month’s rent. Heck, I bet we can even go shopping for some real furniture.”

  “Real furniture?”

  “Yes. Like, something that wasn’t picked up off the side of the road or Craigslist.”

  I placed my hands on my sides and tried for my best pout. “You don’t like my couch? We have a lot of good memories on that couch.”

  He reached out to me, grabbing my belt buckle and drawing me in. I was quickly coming to the realization that when this man pressed me to his body, I was done. His hands snaked around my waist and into my back pockets. His bulge pushed into mine. Those lips were so close.

  He knew he had me. “I know you can take care of yourself. Let me do this, please. It’s not just for you, Bran. It’s for us.”

  Us. I like the way that sounded. “Are you turning into a sugar daddy?”

  God, I loved that lopsided grin of his. “I hope so.”

  Jamie pulled on my ass and leaned in. It was the sweet, gentle kiss – the one I was becoming addicted to.

  The patter of child-sized shoes on hardwood sounded down the hall and into the living room, and then there was that singsong voice. “Daddy kiss his boyfriend. Daddy kiss his boyfriend.”

  A little body collided against my leg, and little hands wrapped around my thigh. “Can we?”

  I relinquished Jamie and bent down to Allyson’s level. “Maybe. Your dad and I will have to talk about it.”

  “But Daddy said up to you.”

  “Did he, now?”

  Her excitement got the best of her, and she began to spring. She reached her arms around my neck, and I stood with her, the little girl still bouncing in my arms. “Can we, Brandy?”

  Jamie barked out laughter, and I shot him my pursed-lip scowl. “I kinda like the place, sweetie. And, it’s Brandon – or Bran.”

  “Oh, no.” Jamie’s shit-eating grin couldn’t get bigger. “I think Brandy is a very pretty name.”

  A squint was added to the pursed-lip scowl. My mind raced. How to come up with a rebuttal to a Judo-practicing five-year-old girl that I don’t want a pet name because it’s a girl’s name? Son of a gun. Jamie was so good at explaining this stuff to her. I had a lot of catching up to do in that department.

  Sensing his momentary victory, Jamie strode into the center of the living space. “See? Our new couch can go right here—” his hands swept over a strip diagonal to the kitchen counter, and then he spun “—and the TV there. What do you think of a coffee table? Or maybe one of those ottomans to kick our feet up on?”

  I bounced with Allyson. “You want an ottoman?”

  Jamie inspected the ceiling and then asserted, “Yes. Yes, I do. I want an ottoman.”

  “Can I have a slide?” Allyson asked.

  Allyson clung to my neck, but she was a little bundle of energy. I had to readjust and hoist her higher on my hip. “A slide? Completely within reason. If Dad gets an ottoman, I don’t see why you can’t have a slide.”

  Jamie scratched his chin and sent his eyes searching over the apartment. He pointed to the wall between the hall and the sliding door of the little porch. “There.” He turned his back to us, spreading his hands over the expanse. “A ladder here, a bend around the corner. Perfect.”

  “Your girl gets what your girl wants, right?” I teased.

  “Damn right.”

  “Daddy!”

  “Darn right. Sorry, sweetie.” Jamie cleared his throat and strolled back to my side. “And what about my boy? What does my boy want?”

  He came close enough that Allyson was able to stretch an arm around his neck. She kissed his cheek and then darted over to kiss mine, wiggling the entire time. My heart melted. This. I want exactly this. An ottoman, a slide, and to be your man. “I want my sugar daddy to sign the lease. This is perfect.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. This could really work. I love it.”

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  More by Alex Roberts

  Runaway

  Young, inexperienced billionaire Eric Dendall is only twenty-three, but he’s lived a sheltered life, closing himself away from the world. When he gets a diagnosis and a short life expectancy, he breaks out of his shell of luxury and goes out on the hunt to find someone to give him that intimate experience. While on his journey his ‘stubble jawed hero’ comes to his rescue. But is Josiah really just being kind?

  Or does he have other motives? Eric can’t tell past those gorgeous gray eyes.

  Ex-military man and bar owner Josiah Durvoy has been through it all and has the cuts to prove it. Retired from his bodyguard gig, his old boss calls him up for a quick favor. Now he has a new mission; to protect Eric
and do so secretly. While juggling his club and watching after Eric, sparks fly, and it leads to insurmountable amounts of heat. With the scars of a past relationship still haunting him, will he be able to see Josiah for who he is without the smoke screen of old pain?

  Out free in the wild world that Eric plans to explore, he comes across many things that tease his delight and curiosity.

  But when secrets reveal themselves will Josiah really be able to protect him and return Eric to his older brother in one piece? Or will Eric leave both of them high and dry?

  Runaway is a 53k novel with and HEA, no cliffhangers and no cheating.