“I didn’t want to leave you in the lurch,” Jax said guiltily.
Murph sighed. “We’re full up on staff. We’ll manage without the great Jax Hall for the rest of the night. Go find your fanboy and get out of my bar.”
Meekly, Jax stepped around Henry, who had arrived with a broom, and darted to the back. He found Ari hunched over the keyboard, headphones in, scribbling something in a notebook.
Jax cleared his throat, knocked on the wall, and then knocked on the keyboard.
Ari jumped. “Jax! Are you done already?”
“I’ve been sent home early for being a danger unto myself and others.” Ari arched his eyebrow, and Jax rubbed his own, somewhat sheepishly. “I, uh, broke a couple of glasses. Forgetting a pill leaves me worse than I was before medication.”
“I see.” He cocked his head and took Jax in fully. “I had hoped, if you forgave me, that you might be willing to join me again tonight.”
The thought of another night in that comfortable bed with Ari curled up nearby was so tempting, but….
“As much as I’d like to get acquainted some more,” Jax said slowly, “I’m kind of exhausted. Another side effect, unfortunately. I’ll probably be asleep within the hour.” Just thinking about bed made him yawn.
“That is understandable. Would you like a ride home?”
Jax had picked his bike up on his way home from Ari’s, but he hadn’t taken it to work today. It didn’t take a genius to realize that scatterbrainedness and motorcycles should not mix. “A ride would be great.”
Ari gathered his notebook and headphones and slid everything into his messenger bag. He finger-combed his loose, riotous curls away from his face. For a second, Jax nearly threw the plan out the window and asked Ari to take him home for another kind of ride. But his chemical-induced exhaustion was no joke, and Jax wasn’t exactly in the mood after a day spent spiraling.
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t feel differently after a full night’s rest.
“Hey, Ari?”
“Yes?”
“How about you treat me to brunch tomorrow, by way of apology.” A soft slow smile was curling Ari’s lips. “At your place.”
“For you,” Ari said with that wonderful fond look in his eyes, “that can definitely be arranged.”
Chapter Eight
ARI HADN’Texpected Jax to be so upset with him. He didn’t have experience sleeping with someone who didn’t feel romantic attachment, but he supposed ignoring text messages was rude no matter the circumstances.
But he’d finished off the first three songs now, at least, and rerecorded them for Noella. Which meant that when he dropped Jax off—with the world’s most awkward nonkiss good night because Ari couldn’t figure out if it was inappropriate—he didn’t need to go straight home to compose.
He needed to go to the twenty-four-hour grocery to shop for brunch.
Fresh fruit was a must. He debated champagne for mimosas, but Jax couldn’t drink alcohol before dinnertime, so he nixed that idea and bought fresh-squeezed orange juice—and the nicest loaf of bread he could find, farm-fresh eggs, the softest, freshest prosciutto, heavy cream for whipping, real vanilla, maple syrup, feta, cucumber, parsley, orange blossom jam…. Was he going overboard? This was an apology brunch, not a romantic one.
Shit.
On the other hand, if he bought enough food, he could justify Jax staying for dinner too, andthenthey could have champagne.
He woke up at quarter to seven, wide awake, and his brain was already in the kitchen thinking about which fruit he should cut up first when he realized his phone had woken him.
The text was from Jax.
I’m so sorry! I guess it’s my turn to be a dick. I have to cancel brunch.
Ari’s heart sank. A second text came in.
I’m really super sorry, and I would never cancel without the best of reasons! Sister needs help with the kid, though.
Tucking his hurt away, Ari wrote backThat is understandable. Brunch can wait.Besides, it would be the height of hypocrisy to complain.
