“I just…” He was just a friend. “I’m notsaying you misunderstood what he was thinking, but—”
“Oh no.” Austin shook his head, then stoodup and started pacing around the room. “I might have mostly just met assholesbefore Silas, but there was no way to miss the expression on his face. I canspot a good Dom when I see one, and that’s one sexy, sweet Dom who’s head-over-fucking-heelsfor you.”
I still didn’t know what to say.
“I just…” I couldn’t…Griffin was nice tome.
He never made me feel weird oruncomfortable. He’d never pressured me about anything and hadn’t made anystrange come-ons like some other people we’d hung out with had. He’d just beenGriffin.
“You are not this blind unless it’sdeliberate.” Austin crouched down in front of me and took my hands. “I’m notsaying you have to do anything. This is just dinner. It’s not even a real date,but don’t sabotage it.”
I couldn’t agree with everything else hewas saying, but I could do that. “I won’t.”
I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I’mgoing to have fun and just see what happens.”
And since nothing would happen, there wasnothing to worry about.
“Good.” Austin smiled. “Then go changeclothes because right now the image you’re projecting is sad. He needs to seehappy flirty omega and not worry about how you’re doing.”
“You think he’d worry?” I’d told him I wasdoing fine, but looking down at my clothes, maybe they didn’t say happy andfine.
“Yes.” His enthusiastic nod made me smile.“Go put on those new tight jeans you got and then a T-shirt that shows off yourmuscles.”
I must have made a face or done somethingthat caught his radar because he shook his head again. “You look great and heloved your body.”
Austin waggled his eyebrows and gave me adirty leer. “He wasn’t carrying around a sausage in his pocket, so I canguarantee he was not disappointed in what he saw.”
I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my faceheating. “Stop that. I’m not worried about what he thinks of me, but I’m notthe more delicate kind of omega like you guys.”
“Oh, honey, some Doms like a sexy, sturdyomega that they know they won’t break. I don’t think you have anything to worryabout with him.” Then the dirty grin faded and his smile was just teasing andcheerful. “Besides, he carried you off the stage and he’s even more built thanSilas. You looked fucking tiny when he carried you off.”
“He’s a firefighter. Well, he was.” Ishrugged. “They need to be strong.”
Austin groaned. “You’re missing the point.I don’t know if it’s deliberate or not, but listen to me. He thought you lookedgreat. Full stop. No question. Friends can think friends are hot so we’ll leaveit at that.”
Yeah, I got that. “Okay, yeah, friends canbe honest with that kind of stuff.”
For some reason my answer pleased him, butI wasn’t going to ask why. He beamed and nodded, pulling me up to stand. “Yougo change clothes and then you can leave. You still have plenty of time.”
Because he’d started pushing me to getready ridiculously early. If I hadn’t known how busy he was, I would havethought he was just bored and had needed something to do.
As I headed toward the bedroom, I lookedback. “It’s your night at the club, right?”
Austin nodded. “Yes, and you’re on tomorrowand then Saturday night with Dakota and Tristan.”
“Great. That’s what I have written down,but I wanted to make sure.” It wasn’t technically a job, but it was the closestthing to a career I’d had in years and I didn’t want to fuck it up.
Austin’s smile was warm but excited. “It’sbeen going great. We’ve even got several current members who’ve asked forpermission to share information about the club with a friend they know is inthe lifestyle. We’re doing some preliminary background checks and then givingthe go-ahead. But so far things look good.”
Wonderful, because none of us needed to endup on the news. “And no problems or hints at problems with the police orgovernment?”
Austin shook his head. “We’ve actually gotpeople from most city departments as members now, so we’ll know ahead of timeif something is up. So far, though, everything looks great. But you’restalling. Go get dressed.”
I wasn’t stalling. I was curious…and if Ifound several other things to ask about, that was just showing what aninteresting person I was.
****
Pushing Austin’swords out of my mind as I pulled into what should be Griffin’s driveway, Ifocused on the moment and not his rambling insanity that was starting to make anest in my head like it was planning on staying for the winter.
