Page 54 of Full Service

“The portions are very small,” I tell Everly while Garrett and LoveJoy continue to chat. “And our waiter is high on drugs.”

Everly chuckles and runs a hand over his mouth. “Let me guess. You got a salad.”

“More like a leaf, but yes.”

“And what kind of drugs is he on? Should we ask for a hit?”

“Fuck no,” I murmur as LoveJoy takes a ribbon from his pocket and waves it around his head. Garrett claps his hands and guffaws loudly, drawing the stares of other patrons.

Oh, for shit’s sake. This is a disaster. This was supposed to be an outing to rid myself of Everly once and for all, but here he is, right next to me, looking delectable.

He holds up his menu and squints his eyes. “Kinda pricey for a leaf,” he says and glances over at me.

I roll my eyes.

“I had to take money from my retirement to afford that leaf, thank you very much.”

Everly’s eyes go to the plates surrounding LoveJoy.

“Seems you need to pay for his meals too. Since it’s a date and all.”

I glower at him, my eyes narrowed and shooting laser beams his way. Very unsexy laser beams, that will most definitely not sear his clothes right off him.

“Seems you may be working as a professor far longer than you expected,” Everly adds, and I purse my lips in frustration.

He’s right. I will have to with the way LoveJoy is putting down his meal. If he orders dessert, I’ll die still teaching, my arthritic old body collapsing in front of a sea of students.

That makes my lips soften and quirk up. How morbidly funny.

“You know what,” LoveJoy says and then stands up. “Let’s scoot our tables together.”

“Fuck yeah. Great idea, man. Plus, you smell hella good.”

I stare at Garrett, who doesn’t seem to acknowledge me. Or really notice I’m here. He shook my hand but then promptly forgot I existed. Which is fine by me. He can have LoveJoy.

I watch as Garrett stands up to help move the tables together, leaving me sitting in my chair in the middle of the room.

The waiter comes back, his pupils blown wide and blinks at us. “Is it me, or did the tables move?”

I sigh and stand, moving my chair right next to Everly.

Everly, who smells ridiculously manly and who’s leg drifts over and presses against mine.

I should not allow this. Not at all.

There is a thirteen percent chance I will stop this.

“It’s not you, mushroom-man,” I say. “We moved them together.”

Adam nods and runs a hand over his face in relief. “Thank fuck. The walls were scaring me, man. They’re not funny anymore.”

I let out a small laugh but it’s cut off when I feel Everly’s hand slip under the tablecloth and land on my thigh. I feel his touch right up my balls. If I come again, untouched, I will never live it down. I’ll have to hand my penis over to the authorities for a crime.

A crime against my manhood.

“You should not be touching me,” I grumble lowly, not wanting LoveJoy to hear. Not that he’s listening. He’s turned his body completely toward Garrett and is ignoring me completely.

“Should I stop?” Everly asks, his hand traveling a little further up my leg. I feel his touch through my clothes, feel the way it sears my skin and sets me on fire.

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