Page 40 of The Blame Game

CHAPTER SEVEN

Shea’s phone rang toward the end of his lunch break on Friday.

“What do I wear tonight?” Dom asked.

“Hi, to you too,” Shea said with a laugh.

“Sorry. Hi. Happy Birthday.” Dom sounded distracted.

Grinning, Shea shook his head. Dom could be so single-minded when he got focused on something. “So you’re trying to figure out what to wear for dinner and the game tonight?”

“Yeah. Everything I pull out looks a little …”

“Gay?” Shea teased.

“I was going to say formal, but wait, do you think the way I dress looks gay?”

Oh, Dom. “No. I was kidding. I think you do tend to have a fairly formal style though. It’s a little preppy, well-tailored, but masculine.”

“Right. Okay.”

“Do you honestly think I’d dress you in a way that would make people speculate about something I know you want to keep private?” Shea asked, gentling his tone.

Dom was silent for a few heartbeats. “No. Of course you wouldn’t. Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“You’re fine.” This was something Dom was sensitive about. Something he struggled with.

“So what do I wear?”

“Hang on, give me a minute,” Shea said, glad he’d put his earbuds in so he could peruse the app he used to keep track of Dom’s wardrobe and outfit combinations. He scrolled through a few ideas for outfits he’d previously planned for moments like this. “Here’s what I’m thinking. Dark jeans.”

“Dark blue or black?”

“That slim-fit Dior pair that’s somewhere between black and dark gray.”

“Ahh yeah. Okay. I know which ones you mean.”

“Wear them with the plain black Armani tee. And the brown leather Brunello Cucinelli bomber jacket we found you last season.”

“That caramel-colored one?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Dom said thoughtfully. “I don’t hate that look.”

“Good.” Shea laughed.

“Shoes?”

“I’d wear them, yeah,” he teased.

“Fuck off.” But Dom was laughing now too.

Shea grinned. “I’m thinking your olive suede ankle boots.”

“The Ferragamo ones? Do they go with the rest of the outfit?”

Shea could picture Dom frowning as he stared at them in his closet. “Yes. It’ll look casual, like you’re not trying too hard,” he explained.