Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Was he ready for this? And what exactly was he thinking “this” would be?

Ford piled chicken, beans, and pico de gallo on the tortilla, rolled it up, and took a bite. This trip was important for networking and keeping up-to-date on cutting-edge procedures, but who was he kidding? He would skip any and all meetings to be with Nico.

Supposedly, there was no fool like an old fool, but sitting in that lively, vibrant restaurant with Nico woke him up from the frozen landscape he’d painted himself into. He hadn’t been out with another man since he and Lenny split. His blood ran hot, and he rolled up his last tortilla and held it out to Nico.

“Want some?”

Slow heat rose in Nico’s beautiful eyes, and his fingers curled around Ford’s wrist as he leaned forward to take a bite. “Mmm, delicious,” he hummed, and Ford shivered but decided to stop flirting. He couldn’t play games with someone as sexually sophisticated as Nico. He wasn’t in the same league.

Maybe not even the same universe.

“Are you busy for the rest of the afternoon? Maybe you can show me the sights I never got to see last time.”

“I’d love to.” Nico’s eyes twinkled. “I can take you places you’ve never been.”

Ford had little doubt of that and gulped his water. What was happening? This wasn’t Ford St. Claire, the mild-mannered dermatologist with the steady hand. The man who’d been satisfied with sex a few times a week, if that. The calm and peaceful waters he’d spent years carefully cultivating now churned in waves, threatening to drag him under, where wildness waited.

They finished their meal and walked outside to the heat and hot sun hitting them in the face like a wet blanket.

“This feels like Florida,” he remarked. “I’m spoiled by living in air-conditioning.”

“I was going to suggest Central Park, but it’s so hot… How about a boat ride? We can do a Circle Line tour—it takes you from the Hudson River to the East River, and it’ll be cooler on the water. We can sit inside where it’s air-conditioned.”

“That sounds nice.”

And it was. Of course Nico was the perfect tour guide, peppering the guide’s facts with funny stories of his own that left Ford laughing. They walked off the boat, and he couldn’t stop staring up at the towering skyscrapers as they walked toward Twelfth Avenue.

“It’s really beautiful. I can’t even imagine what it must be like in one of those apartments at night with the lights twinkling.”

“Me neither. But one day, maybe I will,” Nico said with a determined expression, and Ford admired his tenacity.

“I’m thinking you can accomplish anything you want.”

“Yeah?” Nico’s smile turned wistful, but he said nothing further, and Ford pulled out his phone to call for a car.

“What would you like to do for dinner?” he asked once they were in the Uber. Nico’s thigh pressed hard against his, and he wished he was the type who could throw caution to the wind, bring him upstairs to his room, and have wild, crazy sex.

“I chose lunch. You get to pick now.”

“That’s not fair. I only know my hotel and the places my ex used to talk about.”

“He’s from the city? What places did he mention?”

“No. Lenny and I are both from Florida.” Ford thought for a moment. “He’d talk about the Palm, Mr. Chow, Buddakan…we ate at all the ones in Miami.”

“I’ve never been to any of them.” That beautiful mouth drooped, and Nico gazed at the floor of the cab.

Ford sensed his withdrawal and didn’t like what he suspected, but again, he couldn’t say what he truly felt. That Nico deserved to be taken to the finest places and shouldn’t be self-conscious.

“Didn’t you say your family owns a restaurant? Why don’t we go there? I bet the food is better than at any of the big, hyped-up places. I never get to eat homemade.” When he was young and had to fend for himself for dinner, it was mostly boxed mac-and-cheese or whatever microwaved or canned stuff was on sale at the supermarket. His mother spent most of the money she earned from dancing at the strip club on cigarettes, booze, and bad decisions.

“It sure is.” Nico slanted him a look from under his lashes. “But it’s nothing fancy, like you’re used to. Just lettin’ you know.”

A pang hit his heart. If Nico only knew they were far more alike than they were different…Ford had grown up in one of the poorest trailer parks in Miami, and spent his childhood listening not to the waves of the ocean pounding the shores, but the sound of his mother’s boyfriends pounding her face in.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “I’m not a snob. Trust me.”

Nico lifted a shoulder. “If you wanna.”

“My conference starts tomorrow, so I don’t have any commitments tonight. I’d like you to show me the New York tourists don’t usually see. I can change, and maybe we can have a drink at the hotel, then go to eat?”

“Sounds like a plan, Doc.”

They reached the hotel, and he brought Nico up to his room. He’d been upgraded to a mini suite, and Nico lounged on the sofa, while he took out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

“I’ll be right out.”

Nico shrugged. “Mind if I turn on the television? The Mets have an afternoon game.”

“Go ahead. Of course.”

Ford shut the door behind him and stripped off his clothes. He was probably reading too much into Nico’s mood shift. After all, they barely knew each other. Wasn’t that the point of spending time with him? Although Ford had no idea why he was stressing about this. His life was in Florida, and Nico’s was here.

He checked his reflection in the mirror and decided to spray on a little cologne. Lenny had introduced him to something other than drugstore brands, and though the prices were shocking, he indulged. He left the bedroom and found Nico immersed in the game, sprawled on the sofa. Muscular thighs filled out his pants, and the white polo shirt he wore showcased his smooth, tanned skin.

Imagine coming home to a man like Nico every night… When Lenny’s infidelities had come to light, Ford’s desire had died along with their relationship, which made his reaction to Nico confusing. As much as he’d struggled to remember how much he’d once loved Lenny, now all Ford could think about was the man in front of him.

“Ready?” He put a smile on his face, attempting to act casual.

“Yeah, sure.” Nico swung his legs to the floor and rose to his feet. “You smell good.”

His face grew hot. “I, uh, put some cologne on since I didn’t have time for a shower.”

Nico’s stare grew heavy-lidded, and he moved closer. “It’s nice.”

Ford inhaled the scent of Nico. Sunshine, saltwater, and sweat. It was a mind-altering combination assailing his senses, and he ached to kiss him but forced himself to walk away. He couldn’t be so forward. “Let’s go have that drink.”

“You okay?” Nico’s dark brows drew together. “You seem kinda jumpy.”

Ford blinked. “Uh, no. I’m not. Why would I be?”

“I dunno. You tell me. Are you hungry?”

Nico licked his lips, that raspy voice going straight to his dick.

Yeah, I’m hungry, all right. I want to taste your tongue in my mouth.

“I could use a drink and then some food.”

“I thought you weren’t a big drinker.”

His equilibrium restored, Ford opened the door and let Nico pass before exiting.

“I’m not. I had one at lunch, and I’ll have one now. That’s no big deal.”

They found a seat, and their server appeared immediately. “What can I get for you gentlemen?”

“An extra-dry martini for me. Nico?”

“Macallan neat.”

“Anything to eat?”

“No, thank you.” They had a small bowl of mixed nuts between them, and he popped a few into his mouth. “So how has your summer been going?”

“Good. Been working hard.” Nico chewed his lip. “I’ve been thinking of applying for a new job.”

“Really? I thought you loved being a tour guide. And didn’t you say you wanted to own your own business, or was that my imagination?”

“Yeah, I did, but me and my friend were talkin’, and I realized it wouldn’t be possible—not a tour-bus company like where I work. So I’ve been lookin’ into management positions with them instead.”

Ford wanted to hear more about Nico’s future plans. “And you think you’d like that? You’re so good with the public, wouldn’t you miss the tours?”

Nico propped his chin in his hand. “Yeah, maybe. But it doesn’t pay enough. I could make over a hundred grand if I switched, which is a hell of a lot more than I make now. And a management job would let me save up for an apartment.”

“Where do you live now?”

A faint flush stained Nico’s cheeks. “In the basement of my mom’s house. I help her around the house and stuff since she’s alone.”

“That’s being a good son.” He paused, unsure whether to ask but feeling he had to say something. “Your father—”

“I have no clue about the bastard,” Nico cut him off and gulped his whisky. “He left my mother right before the wedding. She found out she was pregnant a month later, and he didn’t give a damn.”

Their younger years were eerily similar, although his father—whomever he was—never had any intention of marrying his mother. Ford doubted he even knew his mother’s name when they had sex in the back of his car.

“I’m assuming she had family support. It’s not easy to raise a child alone.”

“Yeah, we’re all close. We lived in my grandparents’ house, still do—my mom inherited it after they passed, God rest their souls. My aunt lives down the block, and me and my cousin help out at the restaurant.”

“It must be nice to have a tight-knit family.”

“They can be a pain in the ass sometimes, always up in my business, but yeah. They’re all right.”

Despite his words, Ford could tell there was tremendous love for the people in his life.

“Will they be at the restaurant tonight?”

“Yeah, there’s always one or two of us there. Tonight it’s my cousin Joey. I had to switch shifts with him to go out with you.”

“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

Nico winked. “I gave him no choice.”

Ford’s heart gave a happy jump. He’d never had the opportunity to flirt or have dates in high school—even if there were gay kids, no one wanted to associate with the “trailer trash” as he’d heard them whisper behind his back in the halls. After school, he spent all his free time reading in the library, which had helped him get a scholarship to college. He’d met Lenny during his first year of med school, and Ford had been eager to shed his less-than-stellar background, embracing Lenny’s attention, happy to be molded into the person Lenny wanted him to be.

“I’m glad.”

They locked gazes, and again, he had a crazy thought to say, Fuck dinner, let’s go upstairs. He wanted Nico inside him. He’d been cold and empty for so long, his heart hollow and dry from all the tears he’d shed over a failed relationship that had stolen half his life.

The server stopped by their table. “Another round, gentlemen?”

“No, we have dinner plans, thank you,” Ford replied. “I’ll charge it to my room, if you could give me the check.”

“Of course, sir.” He presented the bill, which Ford signed. He found Nico watching him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nico asked.

“What, eat dinner? Yes, I’m starving, and you promised me a home-cooked meal.” He reached into his jeans pocket for his phone. “Should we call a car?”

Nico regarded him thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess so. The train would take forever.”

“I’ve never been on the subway,” he remarked.

“No need to start now,” Nico snickered. “Seriously, if we were stayin’ in the city, I’d say go for it, but to get out to where we’re going, the R train’ll take forever. No way I’m wasting so much time.”

“I understand. But isn’t Brooklyn part of New York City?” Ford was confused. “Anyway, give me the address, and I’ll call the car.”

“Nah, I’ll do it. It’ll be faster.” He grinned. “Trust me.” He swiped a few times. “Done. They’ll be here in five, so we should hustle out. And to answer your question,” he said as they walked side by side to the street, where Ford’s eyes grew wide at the hordes of people crowding the sidewalk, “real New Yorkers call Manhattan ‘the city.’ All the other boroughs are known by their names.”

“Ahh, gotcha.”

The car arrived, and Ford watched the city pass by him as they drove over the Brooklyn Bridge and onto the highway. “This is Brooklyn? Where you live?”

“Not right here. It’s a little ways away, in an area called Bay Ridge. Lots of Italians lived there, but now it’s a big mix of Muslims, Asians, Greek, and Irish.”

“It really is a melting pot,” he mused. They continued on the highway, alongside the river.

“Here’s the exit.”

The car exited and drove through quieter streets than Manhattan—the city—Ford corrected himself. Private homes mixed with apartment buildings, but there wasn’t that frenetic hustle. He liked it as much as those high-rises by the river.

They stopped in front of an unassuming storefront with the name La Dolce Vita written in gold on the window. Half of the ten tables in the restaurant were full. The delicious smell of tomato sauce and garlic in the air had his stomach growling.

Nico nudged him. “Don’t think I didn’t hear that. C’mon. Let’s siddown.”

“Nico, whassup?” A tall, dark-haired, brown-eyed man a little older than Nico yelled from the door leading to the kitchen. They had similar features—the jaw shape, the high cheekbones—so Ford surmised this was Nico’s cousin. “I thought you weren’t gonna be here?” The two men hugged.

“Yeah, but my friend here wanted a good, homemade meal, so where else was I gonna take him? Doc, c’mere.” Nico motioned him over. “This is my cousin, Joey. Joey, this is Dr. Ford St. Claire.”

Joey’s brows shot up. “Not gonna lie, that’s a mouthful.”

“You’re right, so please just call me Ford.”

“You got it. Have a seat, and Teresa will bring you the menu.”

“Tre’s here?” Nico didn’t see Joey’s girlfriend.

“Yeah, well, when I took your shift, she decided not to go out with the girls and instead she’s here helping out.” He winked and lowered his voice. “It’s good for the future, ya know? When we get married?”

“Congratulations. When’s the wedding?” Ford asked.

“Shh. It ain’t official yet. I wanna be able to get her the ring she’s been droppin’ hints about. I almost have enough to pay for the whole thing. I don’t wanna have to pay it off.”

Nico leaned in close. “Joey and Teresa have been dating for about five years. She’s a great girl.”

A young woman approached them, her jet-black hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, big brown eyes sparkling beneath a thick fringe of lashes. “Nico, you bum, what’re you doing here after you ruined my night?” She laughed and hugged him. “I’m just kiddin’. Who’s this?” She eyed him up and down. “Well, now I see why, and I ain’t mad about it. Hi, I’m Teresa.” She held out her hand, and laughing, Ford shook it. He liked these brash people who loved hard and spoke their minds.

“I’m Ford, and it’s nice to meet you too.”

Joey put an arm over Teresa’s shoulders. “Ford’s a doctor,” he said with emphasis. “He and Nico are gonna have dinner.”

“Yeah? I’m a NICU nurse at Maimonides. What hospital do you work at? And follow me.”

Ford’s head spun at her rapid talk, but Nico took it in stride, and soon they were seated at a corner table. A busboy came by with a heaping basket of crusty bread and olive oil and filled their glasses.

“Thanks, Bobby.”

“No problem, Nico.”

Joey sauntered over. “So you gonna have red or white?”

Ford cocked his head and looked to Nico. “Up to you.”

“You planning on pasta, or you want chicken or seafood?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen the menu.”

Joey snorted. “And you ain’t gonna. Whateva you want, we can make. It’s family.”

A little stunned, Ford didn’t know what to say. “Oh, I…I honestly don’t know.”

Turquoise eyes smoldering, Nico leaned in close. “How about I order for both of us. You trust me?”

Ford’s heart beat double time, and he nodded. “Yeah, I do.”