Chapter 7

7

KELLER

Icould tell from the way Oscar told me not to ask, that his time in the kitchen didn’t go as he expected. Which, in all honesty, I’m not too sure about.

Oscar and I are both too-alpha, type A men. It’s part of why we didn’t work out. Neither of us could concede control. When the topic of inviting a third in first came up, I had my doubts that it would ever be something we could pursue.

I love my best friend. Like the forever spending my life with him kind of love. But submitting wasn’t an option, and a third seemed like something you only heard about others doing. It was never something I saw for myself.

At least not until Neil walked in today.

The handsome professor caught my attention right away, and I could tell that Oscar felt the same. Comes from all the years knowing the guy. Plus, he gives me the same look when he thinks I’m not looking.

I shiver at the thought just as Neil sits down beside me in the only empty seat left. The table is long enough for us all, but with all the couples paired up, it left him having to be near me.

Knowing he’ll be close has my stomach in knots. I don’t want to fuck up with this guy.

And if Oscar was shot down, there’s no way my grumpy ass is going to stand a shot with him.

“I’m Neil. Hope you don’t mind me taking this seat.” Shaking my head, I try not to look directly into his eyes. He might see just how strong an effect his closeness has on me if I do.

“My name is Keller. Nice to formally meet you.”

“Formally? Who here has been talking? Hopefully, it’s not all bad?” Is he teasing me? Flirting even?

When I don’t answer right away, I feel a prodding from my other side. Oscar is trying to push me to talk. Guess I’m getting more from Neil that he did before.

“No, not like that. With the leg,” I motion down, “I couldn’t walk around to meet everyone. The people that came to visit told me who was who to help me out. Figured I’d get to say hi to everyone at least once before I go, but it helped out my nerves to have an early answer.”

A glass clinking from the end of the table halts the conversation. Princess Aster and his partner Charlie stand side by side with wide smiles.

“Thank you for joining us today, everyone. Today is about giving thanks for the important things in our lives. For me, that means all of you. New and old, my friends mean the world to me. I love you all and I hope you leave with full bellies.”

As Princess Aster finishes his speech, Charlie raises his glass. “To friends!”

We repeat the words as we toast with our own drinks. The room picks up in volume as conversation resumes.

With our positions, Neil is stuck between me and Pierce, a large, tattooed giant who I recognize from the times I’ve visited his shop while tagging along with Oscar. He’s a good guy, but he’s so caught up in his boy Doyle that he doesn’t pay much attention to Neil.

That’s the only explanation I can give as to why the handsome professor turns back my way after a few bites of food to continue our conversation.

“Do you always get nervous meeting new people? Or is it the injury that makes you skittish?”

I shake my head as I try to chew the bite of green bean casserole I’d just eaten.

“Both, probably. I’m a creature of habit with a strong flight instinct. When I’m uncomfortable with something, I will run the other way. I can’t do that these days, so nerves are what I get instead.”

He hums a sound of understanding. Why in the world I confessed so much to him, I’m not sure. Talking to him just feels easier. Like something I’ve done for years.

It doesn’t at all feel like he and I only just met.

“What about you? What do you do? I think someone mentioned you were a professor.” I pretend to not know as much as I do so he will open up about himself. Thankfully, my leg is a great excuse, and he takes the bait.

“I’m a professor at the local community college. That’s actually how I met Fisher. Xander and I have been friends for years through our jobs as well. When I met Fisher, then later found out the two were an item, I figured out I’d been the third wheel in their roundabout dating situation.” He laughs to himself. “Then of course, my brother Grayson winds up with Shiloh, which only further entrenches me into this group. I dragged Vaughn along today because I refuse to be the only one indoctrinated.”

By the time he finishes I’m smiling like a loon. And though he was just talking up a storm minutes ago, I can feel Oscar’s focus has shifted to eavesdropping on the conversation I’m having with Neil. He wants to know all of this information as much as I do.

“Vaughn is the one trying to loosen the buttons of his shirt, right?” I point to the man who looks similar to Neil, though he’s nowhere near as handsome. There’s a dark cloud over him that drains away some of the softness his brighter twin has.

Neil turns to look at Vaughn quickly, then grumbles under his breath. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he types out a text, then stares right at Vaughn until the other man checks his messages. When he does, he looks back at Neil with a smirk. I watch the exchange as I try to bite back a smile.

“Don’t you dare,” Neil whispers. Vaughn couldn’t have heard, but by the way he stares at Neil as he unbuttons the top of his shirt, you’d think he had.

Vaughn sets his phone face down on the table, then moves back into a conversation with Byron and Jasper, another couple I haven’t met yet.

“I fought him tooth and nail about the shirt. Then we get here, and Wade is wearing a turkey apron. I should have known he’d try to make the outfit less formal after that.”

Neil’s words have me looking down at my own appearance. I didn’t go for anything fancy since Oscar basically dragged me here. Part of me wonders what he thinks of what I chose to put on. It’s not as formal as his brother, though it’s definitely a few steps above a turkey apron.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Neil turns my way. Unfortunately, I was staring at the side of his face as he watched his brother, so my eyes catch his right away.

His gasp lets me know my emotions are clear as day on my face. Normally I can tuck them away. I’ll hold back how I really feel from others. With Neil, it’s nearly impossible.

“I didn’t know how formal we have to be. Every time I’ve seen or met Princess Aster, he’s been dressed up. Us showing up in sweatpants or hoodies, aka Vaughn’s preferred attire, would have been a disaster. Better to be a little overdressed than under.”

“Unless it’s naked. Naked time deserves to be an underdressed situation,” Doyle tosses out from his position on the other side of Pierce.

“Sweetheart, don’t just interrupt a conversation you weren’t invited in to.” He gives us an apologetic glance as he corrects his boyfriend.

Doyle merely shrugs as he turns to focus on someone else. I look over to Neil to see how he reacted to the suggestion.

Whereas before he was trying to make eye contact, he’s now decided to face his plate of food while he eats. His cheeks are a deep shade of pink, as if he’s embarrassed about the talk. That’s mild compared to some things I’ve heard here already today.

Earlier I caught the tail end of a conversation about butt plugs.

Butt plugs.

On Thanksgiving.

Granted, this is a group of friends and not family members, but still. Neil must blush a lot when he comes around.

The rest of the dinner I chat with everyone around the table about various things. Some want to know about my career choice and how I got into it. Others are curious about my rehab process.

All of the talk helps me settle enough to enjoy the visit. When it’s finally time to leave, I almost don’t want to go.

“We must do this again soon. I don’t want to go long without a friend gathering,” Princess Aster announces.

“You’ve had nearly one a month since this group started growing.” Jasper tells him as he tugs Byron behind him.

Those of us that are left laugh at the exchange. I may not have been around that long, but even I can tell that this is a regular occurrence.

There is more hugging and ribbing amongst the regulars as I sit back and wait for a chance to speak with Neil alone. He and his brothers have been off to the side talking animatedly. Watching them is truly entertaining.

They have three very different personalities. Grayson is the soft, quiet one who seems to be the most shy. Vaughn is the sarcastic loudmouth of the trio. And then Neil rounds them out by being the logical one.

You know how most groups have a mom in the group. Neil would be that person.

He’s the dad of the group.

Yet… he doesn’t exactly have that vibe when he’s not with them. When he talked to me earlier, I distinctly got the impression that he doesn’t normally take charge.

If anything, he was actually submissive in a way. It could have been the injury that made him want to help me. There’s no way for me to know without asking him. And since I don’t want to scare him, that’s definitely not an option.

As soon as they separate, Vaughn wraps an arm around Grayson and walks him away while loudly stating “Number One is a mood killer.”

Shaking my head, I move to stand. Before I can, Neil’s gaze is on me. He rolls his eyes at his brother’s antics, then makes his way over to me.

I catch Oscar looking at us past his shoulder where he stands talking to Ean and Rhett. Probably setting up another tattoo appointment. I’ve told the man time and time again that he’s running out of skin at the rate he keeps going to see his friend.

Sure, it’s sexy as hell. I shouldn’t complain. It just feels like it’s a coping mechanism of some kind and I wish he didn’t need the release like that.

Neil sits down across from me. He tilts his head down, then looks back up at me. “It was nice to meet you and talk today. Thank you for entertaining little old me.”

The way he says little has the hairs on my arms standing up. He can’t mean it the way I’m thinking of. Not in the Daddy/Little way that seems to be prevalent in this group of friends.

It was hilarious over dinner how many times Daddy was called out to either get someone’s attention or to whine about wanting more dessert.

But just because he’s here with these people, it doesn’t mean that he likes that lifestyle. He said it himself. He’s here because of his friend and his brother.

Deep down, I can feel myself questioning the excuses. Neil displayed all the signs of someone wanting to be taken care of.

I’m sure I’ll spend all evening thinking over each glance and touch as I try to decipher what they all mean. It’s just another layer to my overthinking.

“You’re not old,” I finally respond when the silence grows too loud.

Neil laughs, then shakes his head. “I’m probably close to ten years older than you. Don’t let the baby face fool you.”

“It’s a nice face.” He blushes again at the compliment, barbaric as it may be. “You look younger than Vaughn, sure. But I still wouldn’t call early forties old. Experienced, maybe? Not old.”

His smile dims at the word experienced. “You’d think, huh? Anyway, I just wanted to come and say goodbye. I need to get Vaughn home before he crashes from a food coma.”

I nod, then pull out my phone. “Can I get your number? Like you said, it was nice talking to you. I’d like to do it again. Hopefully, before another one of these chaotic events.”

He gives me a look of indecision before slowly taking my phone out of my hand. “Um… there’s a lock on it. He tries to hand it back.”

“Zero-Three-One-Two.”

Pressing the buttons, he looks mesmerized at the trust I gave him with just a simple lock screen code. He puts his number in, almost like he’s on autopilot.

“Thank you,” I tell him when he hands it back.

“You shouldn’t trust people with your code. What if I was a bad guy? I could have taken your bank information or texted everyone in your life horrible things.”

Laughing at his fervent response, I shake my head. “You wouldn’t have. You’re a little too kind for that kind of foul play.”

Again, his expression changes with the word little.

Tucking that information away, I wave goodbye, watching as he tells Vaughn it’s time to leave. The two go back and forth before Neil is able to wrangle him out the door.

I’m focused on them so strongly that I miss Oscar sneaking up on me. He taps my shoulder, startling me from my stalker moment.

“Time to hit the road. You ready?” I nod as I push to a standing position and grab my crutches.

He remains quiet as we move outside, only stopping to wave or hug people goodbye. Meanwhile, I’m bombarded with hugs and well wishes. Fisher even makes me promise to come hang out with him for some goat yoga sometime. Oscar promises he’ll help make it happen as he laughs his way out the door.

In the car, I’m barely buckled in before he turns to me. “Ok. Spill!”

Even without telling me what he wants, I know he’s asking me to tell him about Neil. I settle back and close my eyes while I tell him the absolute truth about how the sweet professor has already started wrapping me around his little finger.