z-bed.”
Mas sloshed milk over his bowl of brown healthy crap. “So you are kicking me out, then.”
“I’m giving you what you said you wanted. It’s just an option, and you don’t have to take it. I’m honestly not kicking you out. And please don’t make out to Jasper that that’s what I’ve been doing.” Lewis looked so strung out—for him, anyway, seeing as how he had an actual, honest-to-goodness frown line—that Mas took pity.
“Look, I know I can be a bit of a gossip, but I’m not into shit-stirring. Not with friends, anyway. Not much. I mean, I’ll tease and try to get a rise, but nothing nasty. I’m not going to try and come between you and Jasper. Not unless you invite me to, in which case I’ll happily come wherever and whenever you want me to.”
Lewis shook his head, but at least now he was smiling. “You know that’s not going to happen.”
“I know, but a boy’s got to dream. Nothing like an unobtainable threesome for a good wank fantasy. And what I heard through the wall last night has just gone and given me some added oomph to the soundtrack. You’re noisier than I expected. Figured you’d be all uptight and silent, but you really let go in bed, don’t you?”
“Shut up. Now, do you want me to drop this lot off anywhere?”
Just how much would Perry freak if Mas waltzed into his shop all kitted out with camping gear? Most of the time it was best to bamboozle people with a done deal and not give them space to think their way of it. But this was Perry, and he was already so easy to manipulate, Mas would feel like a total bastard taking advantage of him like that.
“Can you keep it in the van for the time being, and I’ll text you when I’m ready for it?”
Lewis looked relieved. “That’s fine. You really don’t need to move out, you know. Eventually, yes, but there’s no big hurry.”
“Oh, there is. Believe me.”
Lewis knit his eyebrows.
“If I have to listen to any more of that bumping and grinding through the bedroom wall, I swear I won’t be able to stop myself rushing in and throwing myself in the middle of the action. And much as I’d love being spitroast by the two of you, I don’t want to totally bollox up our friendship. Some things are more important than sex.” Mas clapped his hands to his cheeks. “Oh my God, I don’t believe I just said that.”
Lewis took a sip of his coffee, and when he looked up again, there was some genuine amusement in his eyes. “Okay, then maybe you had better move on soon. Just…don’t do anything rash, please? I don’t like the idea of you throwing yourself at someone you barely know. What if he turns out to be an abusive psychopath?”
“Perry? Well, I suppose there was that one time he threatened me with a fencing foil, but I disarmed him within seconds.” Now Lewis was really frowning, so Mas took pity on him. “Why don’t you find a reason to swing by the shop sometime this weekend and check him out? You could give me your professional opinion on him.”
Lewis visibly brightened. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. You’re one of the best judges of character I know.” And with any luck, Mas could enlist Lewis’s help in clearing some of the clutter out of the shop. If there was one thing Lewis loved, it was cleaning up a gnarly old mess.
The flattery obviously worked. “Okay. I think I’ll do that. You’ll be there all day today and tomorrow?”
“Yep. And maybe tonight too.” Mas conveniently neglected to mention he hadn’t officially been given the job yet. It would work out. Perry would soon be wondering how he’d ever coped without Mas in his life.
Mas saved a bus fare by cadging a lift off Lewis but made him drop him off around the corner and promise to wait until Mas had given the all clear before calling into the shop. And then he set off for his first day of his new career.
The bells tinkled as Mas pushed the heavy door open, but this time there was no need to wait around
Mas sloshed milk over his bowl of brown healthy crap. “So you are kicking me out, then.”
“I’m giving you what you said you wanted. It’s just an option, and you don’t have to take it. I’m honestly not kicking you out. And please don’t make out to Jasper that that’s what I’ve been doing.” Lewis looked so strung out—for him, anyway, seeing as how he had an actual, honest-to-goodness frown line—that Mas took pity.
“Look, I know I can be a bit of a gossip, but I’m not into shit-stirring. Not with friends, anyway. Not much. I mean, I’ll tease and try to get a rise, but nothing nasty. I’m not going to try and come between you and Jasper. Not unless you invite me to, in which case I’ll happily come wherever and whenever you want me to.”
Lewis shook his head, but at least now he was smiling. “You know that’s not going to happen.”
“I know, but a boy’s got to dream. Nothing like an unobtainable threesome for a good wank fantasy. And what I heard through the wall last night has just gone and given me some added oomph to the soundtrack. You’re noisier than I expected. Figured you’d be all uptight and silent, but you really let go in bed, don’t you?”
“Shut up. Now, do you want me to drop this lot off anywhere?”
Just how much would Perry freak if Mas waltzed into his shop all kitted out with camping gear? Most of the time it was best to bamboozle people with a done deal and not give them space to think their way of it. But this was Perry, and he was already so easy to manipulate, Mas would feel like a total bastard taking advantage of him like that.
“Can you keep it in the van for the time being, and I’ll text you when I’m ready for it?”
Lewis looked relieved. “That’s fine. You really don’t need to move out, you know. Eventually, yes, but there’s no big hurry.”
“Oh, there is. Believe me.”
Lewis knit his eyebrows.
“If I have to listen to any more of that bumping and grinding through the bedroom wall, I swear I won’t be able to stop myself rushing in and throwing myself in the middle of the action. And much as I’d love being spitroast by the two of you, I don’t want to totally bollox up our friendship. Some things are more important than sex.” Mas clapped his hands to his cheeks. “Oh my God, I don’t believe I just said that.”
Lewis took a sip of his coffee, and when he looked up again, there was some genuine amusement in his eyes. “Okay, then maybe you had better move on soon. Just…don’t do anything rash, please? I don’t like the idea of you throwing yourself at someone you barely know. What if he turns out to be an abusive psychopath?”
“Perry? Well, I suppose there was that one time he threatened me with a fencing foil, but I disarmed him within seconds.” Now Lewis was really frowning, so Mas took pity on him. “Why don’t you find a reason to swing by the shop sometime this weekend and check him out? You could give me your professional opinion on him.”
Lewis visibly brightened. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. You’re one of the best judges of character I know.” And with any luck, Mas could enlist Lewis’s help in clearing some of the clutter out of the shop. If there was one thing Lewis loved, it was cleaning up a gnarly old mess.
The flattery obviously worked. “Okay. I think I’ll do that. You’ll be there all day today and tomorrow?”
“Yep. And maybe tonight too.” Mas conveniently neglected to mention he hadn’t officially been given the job yet. It would work out. Perry would soon be wondering how he’d ever coped without Mas in his life.
Mas saved a bus fare by cadging a lift off Lewis but made him drop him off around the corner and promise to wait until Mas had given the all clear before calling into the shop. And then he set off for his first day of his new career.
The bells tinkled as Mas pushed the heavy door open, but this time there was no need to wait around
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