Cast Off by KC Burn

Author:KC Burn
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“READY to grab something to eat?” Rick needed something to soak up the beer or he just might take Ian home with him. They’d lost two games of Pandemic, but they’d enjoyed every minute. He’d been amazed how much Ian had enjoyed it. Which made him feel even worse that Ian was refusing to attend game night because of him, but the thought of telling his friends about Ian made his breath come fast and his palms sweat.

“The food here really isn’t worth it?”

“No, darling. Really, no.” When they were in university, splurging on supersalty and borderline-stale snacks while they played had been a real treat, but as soon as he’d got a real job, he’d never eaten there again.

“Where to?” Ian followed him as he put the game back on the shelf.

“Lettie’s?”

“Lettie’s? I haven’t been there in years. We always went when we were drunk. The food’s good sober?”

Rick wasn’t quite willing to attest he was one hundred percent sober, but Lettie’s was a regular for him and his friends. The diner was open twenty-four hours, making it one of the more popular spots for the drunks who got kicked out after last call and those with incipient hangovers. Since it wasn’t even ten thirty yet, the crowd would be mostly sedate.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

“I’m trusting you.”

“Darling, you’re going to love it. Home cooking like….” Rick tilted his head. “Okay, well, you’ve had an invested mother who’s been around your whole life. It’s probably home cooking like you get at home, but maybe not quite as good. But I like it.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

Forty-five minutes later, they were comfortably ensconced in another booth at a brightly lit fifties-style diner polishing off the remains of meatloaf and chicken potpie. Ian was so fucking bad for both his diet and workout schedule. They’d have to have sex before Rick ate his weight in sexual frustration.

“I admit it. That was damn good.”

“But not better than your mother makes, right?”

“You should come to family dinner night and find out.”

Adrenaline spiked at the thought of running across Mrs. O’Donnell again. “Uh, no. You know I don’t do family stuff.”

It wasn’t the first time Ian had suggested he come along to a family function, but Ian always backed off. Like hanging out with the guys, though, he wasn’t sure how long he could keep refusing. Even if he wasn’t introduced as anything more than a friend, the secrecy was going to speak volumes all on its own. He’d always refused to add married men to his roster because he didn’t want to deal with the dirty secrets. And yet he was becoming a dirty secret all of his own making, because he’d insisted Ian not tell anyone about them.

“I know, I know. One day I’ll wear you down.”

Not fucking likely.

Ian smiled at him and stroked the back of his hand. “No family stuff. You don’t need to say it again. You ready to go?”

“In a minute. I just have to hit the bathroom.”

Rick made his way through the maze of tables to the bathroom.

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