Take What You Want (30 page)

“
It's
new to him. Maybe after he gets used to it, he'll come around,”
Alex said, then shook his head. “Although, if we do follow
through and become a tripod, even the friends you thought could
understood your bi side might change their opinions when the learn
Danni is in on it, too. The lifestyle your suggesting will alienate
you from mainstream people; those that can't seem to wrap their
narrow minds around the concept, and I'm betting you won't like
that.”

“
I
know it will be a lot for some people on this island to understand or
accept,” Chase said. “And, in the end we may end up
having to move.”

“
And,
yet, you still want to present the idea to Danni?” Alex asked.

Chase slowly nodded. “Yeah,
that's how much I want this,” he said.

Alex sighed loudly and
tipped his head to rest against the back of his chair. The heels of
his hands rubbed his eyes.

“
Are
you thinking of backing out already?” Chase asked.

Alex rolled his head toward
Chase. “I'm not having second thoughts, Chase, but, you're
forgetting I've been down this road before. I know what it feels
like when things go horribly wrong and, even knowing that, I still
want to go for it with you and Danni. Glutton for punishment, I
guess, but I can't say no to you.” Alex chuckled and reached
for his beer. “This is definitely not the position I expected
to find myself in after moving here.”

A smile lifted Chase's lips.
“I can think of a few positions I'd like to put you in.”

Alex
grinned, too. “And, I have a couple for you.”

The stress and mixed
feelings Chase experienced in the days leading up to Danni's return
was eating him alive. He ached to hold Danni, feel her warmth, and
hear the sound of her voice, but the thought his days were numbered
doing the same with Alex brought him a great deal of pain.

Over the last two weeks,
he'd spent every night in Alex's bed, not even wanting to leave to go
to work in the mornings, but he did. He had too many people
depending on him to keep the jobs running smoothly and clients
expecting the very best at their summer residences. Work had offered
him a sense of reprieve. It gave him a little bit of time to be by
himself, time to breathe, time to fucking think about what he wanted
to do with Alex and Danni in the days and months ahead.

At the end of the week Alex
took Chase to dinner at the Wharf; the first restaurant where they'd
had dinner together. It seemed like it could be coming full circle
for them, possibly ending something at the place it all seemed to
start. That was not what Chase wanted for them. He wanted a future
with Alex playing a major role and he wanted Danni right there beside
him, too.

Alex ordered an imported
beer and Chase did the same. They both watched the slender waitress
walk away, then Chase's eyes went to Alex.

“
You
must have been bored today,” Chase said.

“
What
makes you say that?” Alex asked.

“
You
got rid of your goatee.”

Alex
stroked at the short whiskers on his chin where his goatee used to be
and smiled. “I fucked it up this morning while shaving and
decided to get it back down to stubble. It'll grow back fast
enough.”

“
I
like it,” Chase said. “I can see your mouth better now.”

Alex
started to say something and then stopped himself.

“
Keep
it clean, Metcalf,” Chase said. “Remember where we're
sitting.”

“
Yeah,
I know,” Alex chuckled. “I'll save that thought for
later.”

The waitress returned with
their beer and set the bottles on the table. When she turned to
leave, Jayson was standing behind her.

“
I
thought that was you,” Jayson said, looking first at Chase,
then his eyes went to Alex. “Nice to see you again, Alex.”

“
You,
too, Jayson,” Alex said.

Jayson faced Chase again.
“Can we talk for a minute?” he asked.

“
Yeah,
go ahead,” Chase said, making no move to stand up.

“
Privately?”
Jayson asked.

“
Say
it here,” Chase said. “I'm not leaving the table.”

“
It's
okay, Chase,” Alex said. “I'll order us an appetizer
while you're gone.”

Chase
rolled his eyes and stood up quickly; his chair scraped across the
wood floor. He walked outside and stood on the sidewalk. Jayson
came up beside him, dodging numerous people, as he did.

“
This
isn't exactly private,” Jayson said.

“
Close
enough,” Chase said. “Make it work, so I can get back to
my dinner.”

Jayson
shifted in place; his eyes dancing around the street and sidewalks.
“I'm sorry about the other day,” he finally said, “But,
you didn't give me a chance to say much.”

“
You
didn't have to,” Chase said. “The judgmental look on
your face said it all.”

“
I
wasn't judging. I was shocked,” Jayson said. “Look, I
don't want this to affect our friendship.”

Chase crossed his arms over
his chest and glared at Jayson. “I think you already made that
decision, didn't you?”

“
You
walked off before I had a chance to finish what I wanted to say,”
Jayson said.

“
And,
I'm about to do the same again right now,” Chase said.

Jayson gripped his arm.
“Don't go,” he said. “Let me finish. Please.”

“
Fine.
Spit it out, Jay.”

“
It's
not every day you find out your best friend; whom you know is engaged
to marry the hottest girl on the island, is …”

“
Is
… what?” Chase asked. “What am I, Jay? Last time
I checked, I was living my life.”

“
Why
didn't you tell me?” Jayson asked.

“
Are
you serious?” Chase asked. “Look at how you're reacting.
Why would I want to talk to you about something that obviously makes
you this uncomfortable.”

“
I'm
not uncomfortable you're … into dudes,” Jayson said.

Chase smiled, but the
emotion never reached his eyes. “You have trouble saying it
out loud, so how can you stand there and say you don't care who I
sleep with.”

“
What
about Danni?” Jayson asked.

“
She's
coming home sometime this weekend,” Chase said.

“
Are
you still getting married?”

“
Absolutely,”
Chase said. “Nothing has happened to change that.”

“
What
about Alex?” Jayson asked. “Is he some sort of
short-term thing?”

Chase looked down at the
sidewalk, trying to collect his thoughts. Jayson was venturing down
a path that was too personal to discuss – especially before he
had a chance to talk at length to Danni about it.

“
Alex
isn't short-term, Jay, and that's all I'll say about it,” Chase
said. “I need to get back inside.”

“
We
should go to dinner after Danni gets home,” Jayson said.

“
Sure,
that sounds like fun,” Chase said, with a hint of sarcasm, then
he started walking toward the restaurant entrance.

“
I'll
give you a call next week,” Jayson said.

Chase waved over his
shoulder and went back inside. Alex was chewing on a chicken wing,
when Chase sat back down at the table.

“
Sorry
about that,” Chase said, drinking from his beer.

“
No
worries,” Alex said. “How'd it go?”

Chase
shook his head. “He says he's cool with me being with you, but
he had trouble saying it out loud; which tells me he has a problem
with it.”

Alex reached across the
table and lightly touched Chase's hand. “It will take time for
your friends to adjust to this, Chase. You can't expect them to
instantly rally around and want to throw a party or offer to march
beside you in a gay pride parade.”

“
Yeah,
I suppose you're right,” Chase said. “Maybe I'll give
him a call next week and see if he wants to hang out for a while.”

“
Speaking
of next week,” Alex said.

Their waitress returned to
the table. Alex ordered the lobster ravioli with a garden salad and
Chase went with the steak tips and baked potato. Soon as the girl
disappeared, Chase leaned forward getting closer to Alex.

“
What
about next week?” Chase asked.

“
I
was thinking of flying back to L.A. for a few days.”

“
Why
would you leave just as Danni gets home?” Chase asked.

“
You'll
need time alone with her,” Alex said. “And I don't want
to be a distraction.”

Chase
had no response and took a chicken wing from the plate and began
eating it.

“
You
have no comment about my trip?” Alex asked.

“
Are
you coming back?” Chase asked.

“
Of
course,” Alex said.

“
She'll
want to meet you,” Chase said.

“
And,
she will,” Alex said.

Chase
ran a napkin over his mouth. “You
not
being here will be a distraction for me.” he said.

“
Believe
me. I'll miss you too,” Alex said.

“
When
are you leaving?” Chase asked.

“
Saturday
or Sunday,” Alex said. “I haven't booked the charter
service yet.”

“
Can
you at least stay long enough for me to introduce you to Danni?”

Alex slowly drew in a long
breath and released it. He didn't like the idea of leaving Chase,
even for a few days, but he had to do it. If they were meant to be
together, it would happen – after Chase had had an opportunity
to talk to Danni. Him hanging around by the pool would simply
complicate the situation, at least that's what Alex wanted to tell
himself. Truth was, he wasn't sure he was strong enough to sleep
alone in the main house, knowing Chase was snuggling up to Danni in
their cottage. Maybe that made him a jealous prick, but that's how
he felt. He'd want to be with them; pressed to the warmth of Chase's
naked back, listening to his deep breathing while he slept.

“
When
is Danni getting back to the island?” Alex asked.

“
She's
calling me tonight to confirm her flight reservations,” Chase
said.

“
Would
you like me to send a plane to pick her up?” Alex asked.

Chase smiled. “I
think she'd want to meet you before she started accepting favors from
you,” he said.

Alex nodded. “I can
understand that,” he said. “Hopefully we'll get there.”

“
Get
where?” Chase asked.