Chapter Sixteen

Aiden Pops Will's Cocktail Cherry

Thursday December first.

The library had to be Will's favorite place on campus. The quiet, save for the sound of low chatter now and then, the smell of books, the sunlight falling in shafts through the long windows… Lately it had become his sanctuary, the one place where he could think .

Unfortunately, not all thoughts were of his studies. Aiden was there too. Not in the flesh, of course, but he might as well have been. Will had only to close his eyes to recall Aiden's strong jawline, those sparkling blue eyes, the red hair tumbling in soft waves…

Don't. Just quit, okay?

Easier said than done. Aiden was fast becoming a regular distraction. Will had tried to confine his recollections—and fantasies—to when he was alone in his bedroom, but memories of Aiden refused to be contained.

Will's dildo had never seen such frequent use, and he'd had to buy more lube.

He's an addiction.

And Will was about to go cold turkey, because this whole mess was nearly over. Hard to be addicted to someone he'd never see again, right?

Will had suggested Becca call her mom to announce they'd broken up—thus canceling the need for a cocktail party—but she'd refused.

‘That just feels wrong. This has to be a face-to-face conversation.' Then she'd given a half smile. ‘And Aunt Deborah would probably have the party anyway. She'd say it was to help drown our sorrows and cheer me up.'

That had brought on another discussion—where to lay the blame and exactly how much to reveal. Will had resigned himself to being the dumper rather than the dumpee, but he hoped Becca would use the conversation as a starting point to reveal the truth to her parents.

Except he knew that would be a discussion for another day.

He gazed at the open textbook, but the words danced on the page. All he could think about was the hug Aiden had given him when they'd said goodbye on Sunday. The smell of him. The feeling of those arms around him. The laughter they'd shared.

Those eyes that unraveled Will every fucking time.

And that one hug hadn't been nearly enough. Will wanted more . Hugs. Some kisses. Being in bed, touching each other, exploring, finding out what gave Aiden goose bumps or what made him moan. To discover things no other lover had found. To make him smile with breakfast in bed. To surprise him with impromptu trips to see the stars in some of the best stargazing places in the US. He wanted so much with Aiden, and it just wasn't going to be.

Damn it.

"Will?"

He jerked his head up. Kristen stood on the other side of the table, a pile of books under one arm.

"Hey."

She gestured to the empty chair next to him. "Is it okay if I join you?"

He had a feeling studying was not in the cards. "Sure." Will put his pen down, closed his copy of Classical Electrodynamics , and pushed his notes aside. He studied Kristen as she placed her books on the table and pulled her chair closer to his.

She looks pale. He couldn't swear to it, but he also thought she'd lost a little weight. Kristen removed her phone from her backpack and set it next to her books. He waited for her to speak, but after a minute passed with no sign of any communication, he reasoned he'd have to make the first move.

"How are you doing?"

She stared at her phone. "Okay."

Yeah right.

Will leaned in and lowered his voice. "Look, I know the rules say no food or drink in here, but…" He reached into his backpack and removed the opened bag of Hershey's. "Can I tempt you to a nugget?" He smiled. "I always find chocolate makes everything seem better."

Kristen chuckled. "Consider me tempted." She took a bronze-wrapped chocolate, disposed of the foil, and popped it into her mouth after darting a glance around the nearest tables to make sure she wasn't observed.

Will waited until she'd finished. "Okay, let's start again."

Kristen gazed at him for a moment, her teeth worrying her lip. "Can I… can I show you something?"

"As long as it's not a dead mouse or something. Because if you do that, I'll end up standing on the table squealing."

She laughed, and Will suddenly realized it had been a while since he'd heard her do that.

This business is messing up lives.

Kristen smiled. "Believe it or not, I don't go around with my pockets full of dead rodents." Her eyes twinkled. "At least, not normally. That one time didn't count."

There was nothing quite so attractive as a good sense of humor.

"And while I hate to admit," Kristen continued, "One sight of a mouse and I'd be up on the table with you." She opened the purse strung across her chest, and took out—

Will caught his breath. "Is that what I think it is?" The box was small, covered in black velvet, and in the shape of a heart, and it could only contain one thing.

She opened it, and he gasped. "Oh wow." The ring was black, a dainty twisted vine with a costume diamond at its center. It had an art deco feel to it, and Will had never seen such a ring before.

Then he realized what he was looking at, and he froze.

"You're going to propose to Becca."

She sighed. "That was the plan."

"‘Was'?"

Kristen nodded. "I was going to do it on her birthday next week, but she'll probably be busy trying on wedding dresses." A bitter note crept into her voice.

She was hiding it well, but Will knew pissed when he heard it.

"It's okay to be honest about how you're feeling," he murmured. "This is me , remember? I'm the one who introduced you to her, after all." He sighed. "So I guess I'm to blame."

Kristen stared at the ring. "How I'm feeling ? How about mad as hell ? How about frustrated ?" Her voice quavered, growing louder, and all around heads turned in their direction. "And I couldn't blame you. If it hadn't been for you…" She swallowed.

Will took the ring box from her and gazed at it. "You chose well. Becca will love this."

"I thought about buying something more traditional. You know, with a real diamond. But this… this is so her."

"I agree. And there are no rules that say it has to have a diamond." He smiled. "This is beautiful." He closed it and handed it back to her. "And so are you." With her long black hair and blue eyes, Kristen turned heads all over campus, and if Becca didn't know how freaking lucky she was to have such an awesome girl who loved her to distraction, she'd better learn it fast before some other girl stole Kristen away from her.

She flushed. "Thank you." Kristen put the box out of sight, then sagged into her chair, all her previous fire dwindled to ashes. "I didn't see this coming. The girl I love, about to marry our gay best friend."

Will rolled his eyes. "I know you study theater, but just for a minute, leave theatrics aside and think lucidly. Becca is not about to marry me . For one thing, I wouldn't have her."

Kristen gaped at him. "Why not? She's a catch."

"Yes, she is, but she also drives me crazy. We'd probably end up killing each other on the honeymoon."

She chuckled.

"And another thing. There isn't even going to be a wedding—at least, she won't be marrying me . Although it seems as if you have plans on that score." Will took Kristen's hand in his. "Now listen to me. I think the end is in sight."

She swallowed. "Really?"

He nodded. "There's something going on this weekend, and it's the perfect opportunity for Becca to come clean."

The light in Kristen's eyes…

"You're on my side?"

"Absolutely. Becca loves you. Trust me, I know. You haven't seen what I have to put up with when you go home for a weekend. In the dictionary under pining ? It says See Becca Taylor ."

That brought an even wider smile.

Then Kristen gave him a thoughtful glance. "Her parents… are they as bad as she says?"

"That's the weird part. No, they're not. And that's why I think the fallout won't be as bad as Becca anticipates."

She tilted her head to one side, her hair hanging straight in a glossy curtain. "They're nice people?"

"If that's you asking as their future daughter-in-law, then yes, they are." He smiled. "And they will love you." He inclined his head to where she'd placed the ring box. "It won't be long before that's on Becca's finger."

Kristen's fierce hug robbed him of breath, and he reasoned it had been worth missing out on some study time to bring her smile back.

You'd better not let me—or her—down, Becca.

Becca wasn't the only one who was a catch.

Saturday, December 3

"Where does your aunt live?" Will asked as the Uber sped along past single story houses set back from the road, the ground covered in snow.

"Cudahy," Becca told him. "We're almost there."

Carl twisted in the passenger seat to give them a wide smile. "Ready to be the center of attention? This party is for you, after all."

Will was about as ready as he'd be for a frontal lobotomy.

He'd worn his black suit again, which had earned him an eye-roll from Becca, not to mention the admonishment that all her family had already seen him in that suit and couldn't he have worn something different?

Will was past caring. He just wanted the evening to be over with and for him to be in an Uber speeding in the opposite direction, nursing a sore head because he'd drunk way too much in an effort to get through the torture—er, party—in as painless a manner as he could manage.

The one thing keeping him going at this point was the thought of Aiden mixing up an alcoholic storm in a metallic cocktail shaker, with more sexy moves than Tom Cruise. Not that he considered Tom Cruise to be sexy—Will wasn't into older guys—but he had to admit, he'd liked the clips of the movie he'd found on YouTube.

The car pulled up outside a house that could have been the twin of Becca's home, except the siding was all white, like a big-ass wedding cake.

I've got weddings on the brain.

Music could be heard from several feet away, and Will gave an internal groan.

This is going to be Hell, isn't it?

They got out of the car and as they climbed the steps to the front door, it opened and Louise stood there, glaring at them.

"Where have you all been?"

Will wasn't about to drop Becca in the shit: he and Carl had been twiddling their thumbs while she did her make-up. It wasn't until she was seated next to him in the back seat that Will realized why it had taken so long.

Becca was so nervous her hands were trembling.

"You don't expect them to be early, do you?" Carl quipped. "I got them here fashionably late." He winked at Will.

Yeah, Carl was a good guy.

They hurried inside out of the cold, and no sooner had Will and Becca crossed the threshold than music blared out. Will vaguely recognized the song as being from a show. A male voice was singing about getting married in the morning, and getting to the church on time.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

Deborah approached them with arms held wide. "Welcome! You must be getting so excited by now."

Becca chuckled. "Aunt Deborah. Nice outfit."

Will had never seen so many sequins. They seemed to catch every light in the room.

She preened. "I bought it especially for the occasion." She ushered them out of the hallway before they even had time to remove their coats, and Will was propelled into a living room bursting at the seams. An archway separated it from an equally full dining room, and everywhere there were familiar faces. People raised glasses to them as he and Becca wove their way through the crowd of relatives.

"Here, let me take your coats," Louise said.

"Mom, I need to talk to you," Becca began.

"Can it wait? You just got here and I'm in the middle of helping your aunt with the food." She kissed Becca on the cheek. "Later, okay? We've got all night."

Will caught Becca glancing at him, and he shrugged as if to say Hey, you tried. Louise headed out of the room, taking their coats with her, and paused to give Carl a peck on the cheek as she passed him.

"Be an angel and get me a drink?" She glanced in Deborah's direction and grinned. "A girl could die of thirst in this place. She's got me slaving away in the kitchen."

"I heard that!" Deborah hollered.

Louise pointed to the far end of the dining room. "The bar's thataway. Aiden's in charge. And while you're there, tell him I want whatever he made for Kelly. It tasted fabulous. Bring it to me in the kitchen."

Carl gave a tug on an imaginary forelock. "Right away, ma'am." He met Will's gaze, and his eyes sparkled. "I wonder what her last servant died of."

"Not following instructions fast enough!" Louise shouted from the hallway.

Will laughed. "Show me this bar. I'll get Louise a drink."

Becca tugged his hand. "This way. Prepare to be impressed."

Will followed, doing his best not to stand on people's toes or knock glasses flying. The crowd appeared at its most dense in the corner, and as he pushed through, he suddenly saw why.

Aiden was standing behind an actual bar. Shelves lined the wall, and all the bottles were illuminated. There was even a fridge filled with bottles of wine.

All it needed was a beer tap.

"You made it!" Aiden beamed.

Will leaned forward and raised his voice over the music to be heard. "I don't think the bar near my apartment building has this many bottles."

Aiden chuckled. "I think I doubled what Aunt Deborah and Uncle Warren usually have here. I sent her a list of supplies a week ago."

"I'm going to find Mom," Becca told him.

"Good luck." Will returned his attention to Aiden, peering at the card on its little stand. "These are the cocktails?" It was pretty much what he'd expected: martini, Manhattan, cosmopolitan, old fashioned, sidecar, margarita…

Aiden coughed. "Well, those are some of the cocktails."

Will scanned the room, and it wasn't long before he noticed something. All the partygoers above the age of forty had what looked like your everyday, run-of-the-mill cocktails.

The younger generation had something completely different.

He pointed to a young man holding a tall glass filled with a bright green liquid and a whole lot of ice. "That doesn't look like anything on your list."

Aiden leaned over the bar. "That's because it's from the dirty list."

Will blinked. "There's a dirty list? And what is that he's drinking?"

Aiden's eyes sparkled. "Sex on the pool table. Peach schnapps, raspberry liqueur, Midori, grapefruit juice, triple sec."

Will had a feeling his evening had just taken a turn for the better.

"Your mom wants a cocktail, by the way. Whatever Kelly was drinking." Will froze. "Oh my God. What was she drinking?"

"A concoction of peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and Crown Royal. I'm not gonna tell Mom its real name for obvious reasons." Aiden turned the list around and pointed to the first drink.

Will almost choked. He cleared his throat. "You know what? I think that's a really good idea."

Louise would probably have apoplexy if she knew she was drinking a Royal Fuck.

Aiden got busy with the cocktail shaker. "So, would you like a blow job, or do you prefer a slow comfortable screw against the wall?"

Will grasped the bar, erupting into another choking fit.

A blow job would be awesome, just not the kind you're talking about.

Aiden gazed at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

He got himself under control, taking deep breaths. "I'm so sorry. I think I just swallowed my tongue. What were you asking?"

Aiden gestured to the bar. "To drink. What would you like to drink? A blow job or a slow comfortable screw?"

Will peered once more at the dirty list. The names were wicked: oral sex on the beach, Golden Showers. Juicy screw, Rugburn, Pop my cherry, Do me now, Tropical orgasm… Then he saw what had to be the best name over. "That one," he said, pointing.

Aiden wagged a finger. "Uh-uh. You have to say it out loud. Them's the rules."

Will pushed out a sigh of resignation. "If I must. Give me a Balls Deep, please."

Aiden grinned. "A good choice."

"And what's in it?"

"Coconut rum, Blue curacao, peach schnapps—"

"That's in every cocktail, isn't it?"

"Pretty much, but there's also sweet/sour mix, a splash of Sprite, some whipped cream…" Aiden's grin widened. "And of course, a cherry. Which you have to, you know, pop in your mouth. Or something."

Breathing had never been such a chore.

"But of course."

Becca joined him. "You look perfectly at home behind a bar, bro. Maybe you should consider a change in career?"

Aiden gave her a sweet smile. "And you, sister mine, will probably end up doing this job once you've graduated, so don't knock it."

Becca glanced at Will. "You look as though you're having way too much fun. What have you two been talking about?"

Will flashed Aiden a grin. "Cocktails." Then he turned back to Becca. "Well? Did you get to speak to her?"

"Are you kidding? It would be easier to see the President."

Aiden handed Will a tall slim glass filled with blue liquid, on top of which he'd squirted whipped cream, a cherry balanced on the summit.

"What the hell is that?" Becca demanded.

"Trust me, sis, you're safer not knowing." Aiden looked over her shoulder. "Uh-oh. Something's up."

Will and Becca turned around. Louise was heading for them, her expression grim.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"Lou?" Carl appeared at her side. "What is it, honey?"

"The hotel just called."

Someone turned the music down low, and the guests shuffled closer.

"Well, if they want you to work the front desk tonight, they can whistle. It's your day off."

Louise rolled her eyes. "If only that were the reason. They were passing on a message from the caterers. There's a huge event booked in the same day as the wedding."

Carl frowned. "And? This is what happens on a daily basis, isn't it? They have three hundred seven rooms, sweetheart. I think they can cope."

"Apparently not. They're saying they've double-booked, and consequently, we have no food."

Will nudged Becca. "And there's your cue," he whispered.

Becca straightened. "Actually, Mom? There's something I need to—"

"I've got it!" Deborah shrieked. She beamed. "I have a solution to save the day!"

But we don't want the day saving, Will's mind screamed.

"What are you talking about?" Louise demanded.

"Kelly can do the catering," Deborah announced in a triumphant tone. "She can do it all at school, then we just car everything to the hotel. If we stick to a cold menu, that means we don't have to use the hotel ovens."

Louise blinked. "A cold menu… in December."

"Hey, at least I'm coming up with ideas," Deborah remonstrated.

This just gets better.

Louise turned to gaze at Becca. "What do you think?"

It seemed as if every pair of eyes in the room was focused on him and Becca, the room quiet enough to hear the proverbial pin drop.

Will nudged her. Nudged her again.

Finally, Becca took a breath, and Will heaved an internal sigh of relief.

"Sounds great," she croaked.

Deborah beamed. "Kelly? We need you." She hurried out of the room.

"And I need this." Will grabbed his glass and drank half its contents in a few gulps, spluttering as the cherry stalk went up his nostril.

Louise studied Becca in silence for what felt like several long seconds. "Then that's what we'll do." She smiled, then followed Deborah out of the dining room.

Will put his glass down on the bar, grasped Becca's upper arm, and steered her away from Aiden.

"She just handed you the perfect out," he whispered.

Becca's eyes were huge, "Sure—with everyone watching. If I'm gonna tell her, I'll do it when I'm alone with her."

And with that, she left him standing there.

Will stared after her, his gut in a twist. I am so done with this. He was seconds away from walking out of there and leaving her to deal with the whole sorry mess.

The voice at the back of his head chose that moment to pipe up.

You can't. She said she'd come clean. You have to give her more time. And her mom is pretty full-on. You've gotten this far.

The last thought to filter through his head was the clincher.

What would Aiden say?

The music resumed and voices rose as everyone started talking all at once. Will went back to the bar and leaned heavily on it.

Aiden cocked his head. "You look like you need another drink."

Will raised his glass and finished the cocktail. "That might just be the understatement of the decade, and it's only 2022."

"What'll you have?"

Will perused the list, then stabbed at it with his finger. "That one." The one that summed up how he was feeling in four little words.

Aiden glanced at the card. "One pain in the ass coming right up."