“I thought youwere going to give her a heart attack.” Carter shook his head and leaned overto prop his elbows on the counter.
Wyatt opened hiseyes. “I stopped before I said spanking.”
“There was no wayshe couldn’t guess how that sentence would end. Knowing that woman, she mighthave pictured something worse, though.” She’d looked like a kid in a candystore, and Carter knew she’d run off to talk about what happened to the gaggleof little old ladies she played cards and drank with, calling it tea like itwas something perfectly proper.
The good thingabout it was that every time Wyatt did something like that, business went upfor the next couple of days. They’d all find a reason to come visit to see ifhe’d say something outrageous again.
“I’ve been muchbetter.”
“Yes, you have.”Carter knew he sounded slightly patronizing, but he wasn’t that mad. Just alittle frustrated. What happened to privacy? “Now, tell me what you know aboutmydate?”
Wyatt must haveheard the question in Carter’s voice because his head popped up and he noddedexcitedly. “Oh, it’s a date. He’s really excited and told Garrett about theplans. I’m not supposed to know, but I was—well, you don’t need to know thatpart, but we’ll just say I was close to the phone when they were talking, so Iheard.”
Whatever Wyatt hadbeen doing was naughty, if the excitement in his eyes was any clue. “You’reright; I don’t need to know that part. Is it fancy? I was just going to wearsomething work-casual, but is that wrong?”
Clothes were thehardest part of a date. Trying to navigate the sea of options to figure out how“him” he could actually be was frustrating. He’d spent an hour picking out hisclothes that morning, and if he had to change, he’d go insane.
Wyatt thoughtabout it for a moment and sat up straighter to try to see over the counter.“What are you wearing?”
Carter came aroundthe counter and stood there awkwardly. He’d picked out his most neutral blackslacks that were technically from the women’s section, but not so obvious mostpeople would notice, and a button-down men’s white shirt that was a littleroomy on him. He’d look almost masculine, if it weren’t for his subtle makeup,and his dirty blond hair that was a little longer than most men wore.
“Well, you lookboring, but it will work.” Wyatt frowned, disappointed. “Why didn’t you wear yournew skirt, or the dress you got a few weeks ago?”
Carter thought thatwas obvious. “Because I kind of want there to be a second date. I’m not goingto do that to him.” He liked Grant. The gruff exterior camouflaged a sweet guywho’d been nothing but nice and open-minded.
Wyatt cocked hishead and looked at him like he was daft. “Why would that matter? The first timeyou guys met, you were wearing the sundress.” Wyatt bounced up from the chair,making Carter wonder for a moment if something was wrong. “Oh, the sundress,wear that one again!”
“We were at afamily get-together. That’s different.” Carter had learned that the hard way.No matter what you were wearing when you met or what you put on a profile,there was a very different standard when they were taking you out in public.
He looked down athis clothes. “And let’s get real, it’s not a total butch outfit. I’m probablypushing it as it is. Do you think the shoes are too much?”
They were women’sflats. The pants went down far enough he thought most people couldn’t tell, butsome men were into shoes and would notice right away. He had a feeling Grantwasn’t one of those men. Grant was always dressed presentably, just in a casual,almost straight-guy way. The man couldn’t even be called metrosexual, or any ofthose other trendy names straight guys got when they could show up well-manicuredand fashionably dressed to an event.
As far as he couldtell, the man only owned one suit, one T-shirt, and one pair of jeans, or else hewore the same thing over and over. Not that Carter had an issue with it; it wasjust cute. Wyatt snorted. “Like he’s going to be looking at your feet. Your asslooks great in those pants. That’s all he’ll notice.”
Carter laughed. “Thatmight be in your imagination. He flirts a little, yes, but nothing that screamshe’s dying to get into my pants—or up my skirt.”
“Then you haven’tbeen paying enough attention because—oh, not supposed to talk about the phonecall. Just ignore that.” Wyatt looked sheepish. “I’m not supposed to talk aboutit.”
“Will you getpunished if you do?” Carter smirked.
“No, even worse,he’ll be disappointed in me and that sucks. Also, disappointment does not leadto good sex.” He slouched back in the chair. “And Master is great at—”
“TMI. We’ve hadthis discussion.”
Wyatt smiled; itwas innocent and wicked all at the same time. “But you don’t mean it. You lovemy stories.”
“Not when I haveto see the man all the time and I’m possibly dating his brother. That makes itweird.” Carter shook his head. Very weird.
“That’s no fun.When did that become the rule?” Wyatt seemed honestly frustrated with the new no-TMIstandard.
“When I had to sitdown at dinner with the man who spanked you the night before, and I knew allthe details. ‘Pass the rolls and by the way, Wyatt said you’re great in bed’ iskind of strange.”
“That’s terrible.Does it mean I don’t get to hear what happens on your date?” Wyatt looked eagerfor the date, but disappointed he might not get enough information.
“I’m not surethere will be much to tell. The last couple of dates I’ve been on ended early,and a couple of them ended before dinner was over.” Carter even had a standbymeal picked out; he’d looked over the Chinese takeout menu earlier and knewwhat he was going to order if it all went to pieces. Grant was polite enoughCarter knew he probably wouldn’t ditch him before dinner even started, but hewasn’t going to plan on a night of wild, hot sex.
Wyatt shook hishead and rolled his eyes like Carter was deliberately missing the point. “I’mgoing to say I told you so.” Letting out a grin, he teased in a sing-song voice,“And then I’ll get details as a reward.”
