Moments of Disarray Read online

  “Shit,” Alex muttered and rested his forehead against the door.

  This wouldn’t be the first time he’d gained an admirer after what should have been a simple one-night stand, but he’d thought Luke knew the drill. Certainly the guy had been eager enough to fuck off out of there the night before without so much as a “can we cuddle?” moment, something for which Alex was grateful.

  Another knock came, and Alex groaned. He opened the door a crack, well-aware he wore only a pair of low slung jeans, no shirt, his feet bare. He was showered, but barely. He’d had coffee, but again, only what could be considered coffee by the narrowest of margins, as it had come from the hotel room’s shitty coffee maker. He was probably going to die of some mold-related disease.

  “Hey.” In one hand, Luke held up a white paper bakery bag dotted with grease and a small cardboard tray holding two large insulated cups in the other.

  Alex opened the door and stepped aside to let him in, offering the way with a small gesture. He closed the door behind Luke. “Hey.”

  Luke set the drinks and bag on the small desk that this hotel had decided made this room a “business suite.” Today he wore a pair of faded jeans, a black-and-red flannel shirt over a black Henley, and black boots. Blond bristles stood out on his chin and cheeks, and his eyes looked a little red. Like maybe he hadn’t had enough sleep, Alex thought with a small internal grin he didn’t show — he didn’t want Luke getting the wrong idea about anything.

  “I know you said last night that the worst part of living in a hotel was having to run out for coffee or order room service, so I figured you might like this,” Luke said.

  Alex’s eyebrows rose. “I said that?”

  “Yeah. At The Rusty Nail.” Luke coughed into his fist. “Before you asked me if I wanted to come home with you.”

  “Ah, man, the night’s a little blurry to be honest. I’ll gladly take that coffee, though.” Alex held out a hand. Luke pressed a hot cup into it, and Alex tipped it to his mouth with a grateful sigh.

  “I have cream and sugar, if you want it.”

  “Nah. This is good.” Alex sipped again. “Look, about last night…”

  “I get it,” Luke cut in. “I’m not trying to…umm…I mean, look, I didn’t come here to get laid again.”

  Alex sipped coffee again. Gestured at the bakery bag but said nothing. Luke opened it, pulled out a chocolate croissant and held it up with a questioning expression. Alex nodded, and it passed into his hand the way the coffee had.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I was starving.”

  Luke cleared his throat again. “I just thought you might like some breakfast.”

  “How do you know I didn’t have some already? Or that I’d be here?”

  Luke laughed, and fuck-a-doodle-doo, there was a set of dimples on each side of his mouth. Alex no longer had to wonder what had prompted him to take this guy home. The evidence was right there. Dimples.

  “You also said that you were not a morning person and that you liked chocolate croissants, because we passed the bakery on the way back here. You don’t remember any of this?”

  “Not so much.” Alex shrugged and took a bite of the croissant. Ahhh. Sugar. Caffeine. He eyed Luke as he chewed. The guy looked antsy.

  Shit. Was there going to be some kind of declaration? A confession? It was too damned early for drama. It was always too early for that.

  “Okay,” was all Luke said. He pried the other cup out of the paper tray and drank it too fast, wincing and muttering “ouch” as he burned his mouth.

  Alex said wryly, “Careful.”

  “Do you have plans for today?” Luke asked suddenly. Bluntly.

  Alex considered this, taking his time in answering by looking around the room. Sipping some coffee. He took another small bite of the croissant and washed it down with more coffee.

  “I was hoping I could just hang out with you today,” Luke said before Alex decided how he wanted to answer.

  Alex sighed. “Look, man…I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

  “It’s a terrible idea,” Luke agreed.

  “So…why do you want to do it, then?” Intrigued, Alex looked him over.

  Luke shrugged. Obviously there was a lot more going on under that blond hair, but he wasn’t going to let it out. He looked Alex in the eye, though, and his gaze was straightforward and open.

  Alex had nothing on his agenda for the day other than sending some emails to follow up on a few consulting gigs that had come his way. He owed some replies to stateside friends he’d promised he’d contact when he got here from being overseas, and although he’d been here for a while, he hadn’t yet managed. He owed Jamie at least a phone call, which he’d been putting off and still didn’t want to make.

  “Sure. Okay. Let’s hang out,” he said.

  Luke’s smile looked relieved. “Great.”

  Chapter 3

  “So…that’s the Liberty Bell.” Alex chuckled with a shake of his head. They’d waited in line for half an hour to see it, looked at it for two minutes, then moved on.

  Luke grinned. “Yep. That was it.”

  “Thanks for taking me to see it, I guess.” Alex shoved a hand in his jeans pocket as they left the building in which the bell was housed. “I was expecting something a little more impressive, not going to lie.”

  “Ain’t that the way, though? Everything you wait so long for ends up being kind of underwhelming. Kind of like cheesesteaks.”

  Alex gave Luke a sideways glance. “You shut your whore mouth. Cheesesteaks are awesome.”

  Luke laughed after a startled look, probably at Alex’s choice of admonition. “Oh, yeah, but around here, people act like Geno’s and Pat’s are the only place to get one. Truth is, I can take you to a place with a cheesesteak so good it will practically make you…”

  “Cream my jeans?” Alex prompted when Luke didn’t finish his sentence.

  Luke laughed again, this time uncomfortably. “Something like that.”

  “Not a fan of coming in my pants, to be honest. Kind of messy.” Alex turned around to walk a few steps backward while watching Luke’s face carefully for a reaction.

  They’d spent the afternoon sightseeing, and Luke had never once so much as made the effort to flirt. Didn’t try to take Alex’s hand, not that he was much for hand holding. No innuendos. His last comment had sounded offhanded, not something meant to get a rise out of Alex. It was curiouser and curiouser, as that little freak Alice was fond of saying.

  “Luke!”

  The male voice from behind them turned Alex in that direction. Luke turned too, his shoulders going stiff and straight. His jaw clenched and set.

  “Hey, buddy.” The man jogging up to them was a real bro. Long basketball shorts, a sleeveless tank, backwards baseball cap. He clapped Luke on the shoulder and rounded on Alex with a hand out. “Hey. Brent. I’m Luke’s brother.”

  “Fraternity, not sibling,” Luke said. “This is Alex.”

  “Alex, nice to meetcha.” Brent pumped Alex’s hand several times before dropping it.

  He shifted from foot to foot in the way runners did at stop lights, so they didn’t lose their momentum or whatever the fuck. Alex never ran, so he had no idea why they did that. Alex took a step back.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “What are you up to, man?” Brent asked Luke.

  “Ahh….just, umm, just showing Alex around the city.”

  Brent grinned, still jogging in place. “You from out of town, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Alex answered smoothly.

  “Cool, cool. Hey, get him to take you to Pat’s, King of Steaks, man. Don’t let him try to take you to Geno’s! Luke, see you later.” Brent shook Alex’s hand again, slapped Luke on the back hard enough to stagger him forward a step, then ran off.

  Alex said nothing for a moment, but when he looked at Luke, he couldn’t hold back the laughter. “Whoa.”

  “He’s a good guy.” Luke sounded a little defensive, but then he laughed, t