1. Margaritas on the Balcony - Todd

The whir of the blender was so loud I didn't hear the front door open. So, when I turned it off and glanced up, I nearly jumped out of my skin, and I did scream like a screech owl. "Fuck!" Of course, Jax laughed at me, so I grabbed a lime off the counter and threw it at him. "Asshole."

"Sorry, not sorry." He laughed some more. So irritating. "What are we having?"

"Duh. Margaritas." I grabbed a straw from the glass holding them and popped off the lid of the blender. I stuck it in and covered the end with my finger to get a sample. It was good, but… "Needs a little more lime. Give that back." I held my hand out, and Jax dropped the fruit in my palm.

After slicing it up, I squeezed a healthy bit of juice into my concoction and ran the blender again for a quick mix. I tested again. "Perfect. Let's do this." I clapped my hands together, and Jax hooted loudly. Then, I unscrewed the container and poured it into the glasses, already prepared with salt, waiting on the counter. It all worked like a well-oiled machine because I'd done this a million times. It was kind of my thing, and I enjoyed sharing it with my friends. They meant the world to me, and I rarely had the chance to show them that. I could hardly ever give back to them all they'd given me over the years. They were actually more than friends to me—they were my brothers.

I handed Jax a glass and motioned toward the balcony. It was a gorgeous spring day, so we were going outside. My roommate, Levi, and I had finished our classes and officially graduated a few weeks ago. The ceremony was bland and small since it was winter term, but afterward, Jax and our other bro, Royce, took us out on one of Jax's boats. We partied our asses off. Of course, I hadn't manned the blender that night, but it was worth it for once. I normally enjoyed the party more when I was playing mixology, but my friends weren't allowing me to hide behind the blender on my big night.

The only thing that could have been better was if I'd gotten laid. But there were like zero eligible bachelors around. Well, there was one bachelor, but I didn't consider him eligible for me. He was good friends with Levi's boyfriend, and he was sexy as fuck, but he was also an asshole. He avoided me during the party, and I guess I couldn't blame him. At Levi's birthday party back in January, we were getting to know each other, but as soon as my pup-kink came up, he turned into Mr. Ohfuckno. And for me, that's a deal breaker. A big one. So fuck him. When I walked away from him, I heard Levi bitching him out, so I hoped he felt small. Like mouse-small. Like titmouse small. Because that's what he was as far as I was concerned. I tiny, itty-bitty, asshole-titmouse.

Fuck him. Fuck that. I took a long drink of my margarita and leaned back on the patio chair. "Ah…"

"Yeah. This is good. You outdid yourself on this batch." He held up his drink. "Cheers!"

I clinked his with mine and took another sip. "Fuck! Brain freeze!"

And Jax laughed again, squinting up his mix-matched eyes and opening his pretty mouth. He was certainly a cutie, but I'd never been attracted to him in that way. He'd never been anything but a friend and brother. He had been my roommate once upon a time. That was before he met Mr. Moneybags, his weird, geeky billionaire boyfriend. I didn't hold it against him, and I loved how happy he was, but deep down, I could admit I was a little jealous. I still had no one. And what a fluke for him to find the perfect man. Rich. A born handler who loved puppy play. And even though he had an annoying geeky side, Ward was super sweet to Jax.

Once my brain thawed out, I sighed loudly.

"Hey, what's up with you?"

"Ah, nothing…"

"Worried about finding a job? It'll come. Relax." He waved me off.

That was only half of my issues, though. "Yeah, I'm sure. I applied to a few internships as well as permanent entry-level roles." At least talking about my job search would both keep me from thinking of my abysmal love life and from having to tell Jax how I felt about it.

"Offer is still open for some part-time work on the boats if you want." Jax was sweet to offer, but part-time wouldn't help much. I'd take it if I got desperate, but I wasn't there yet. His company was still new, and the investment was huge. Buying yachts took a lot of capital, but what a cool business to run. He fell in love with the idea after spending time with Ward on his uncle's vessel. I couldn't blame him, but I would never have that kind of money. Jax rounded up the start-up capital with his trust fund, other investments, and Ward's help. I didn't have any of that.

Jax and Royce came from money and why they bothered with me was a mystery. I came from a lower middle-class family who tried hard but never had extra. Most of my education was paid for by loans. After my undergraduate degree, my parents were done with whatever help they could give. Going on to finish my master's was something they couldn't even comprehend. My mother was a waitress, and my father was a mechanic. Together, they raised three kids. My sister got married right out of high school and had zero interest in anything but popping out more babies. So, at least that was off their plate. My little brother was a basket case and most of the time, no one even knew where he was. But he wasn't their problem anymore. He turned eighteen and took off. Me? I needed help. I had dreams. I wanted anything but the life they had. Mom and Dad liked to blame my friends for that but to be honest, I started feeling that way in middle school. A lot of other kids had a lot of things I didn't. But I had love—always that. They supported me when I came out. And I had never doubted they would.

But it was a completely different world from the one Jax and Royce grew up in. And they would never totally understand.

The clouds grew darker as we chit-chatted and drank our margaritas. Jax gave me a few more job ideas while I debated asking for dating advice instead. But before I could actually open my mouth to ask where I could find me a pup-loving daddy, drops of rain hit my feet where I had them propped on the railing. "Shit, it's raining." My glasses steamed up a little as the humidity rose and the temperature dropped. I had to set my drink down and wipe them on my shirt.

"It's only sprinkling." Jax looked around. "We don't have to go in yet. I miss hanging out like this." We hadn't done this since he moved out nearly a year ago. "Fuck, Sunshine, we never have time to hang out anymore." It didn't surprise me at all that he used my pup-name.

"I know. But. That's life. Right?"

"I guess." He stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

"Idiot. You could invite me over to hang out at your pool now and then, you know?" Their house on Bayshore was killer, with an awesome patio and pool that I had not had nearly enough time at.

"Yeah. I should do that. Oh!" Jax's eyes lit up—one was a piercing green, the other half green and half brown. "I forgot to tell you. The purchase went through on the new yacht and the party is on for Pride!"

"Pride? We always do the parade."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be more fun to celebrate out on the water? On a big yacht—a Super Yacht? Ohmygod, Todd. This thing is a beauty. Wait until you see it." He went on and on about his big boat and exactly how big it was, and how many rooms it had, and how many party areas. The best part was that he was having it fitted for a pup playroom so we could pup-out while we were cruising. "And a big-ass bonus room for dining or recreation or whatever, and it'll hold everyone. Every guest." He was having the thing customized for exactly what he wanted. No doubt it would be the ultimate party vessel.

"Wow. Yeah. That sounds fun. Who are you inviting?" Before he could answer, the sky let loose. The little sprinkles turned into a barrage. But that was Florida in springtime. We should have expected afternoon showers. "Time for a refill, anyway. Let's go in." I could find out more about Jax's Pride cruise later.