Page 22 of Embracing James

“Good.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to risk his relationship with James. “Are you busy tonight?”

“I am. I have the chamber of commerce meeting at seven.” James groaned. “It’s a necessary evil. A few people on the board insist on running everything and don’t really know what they’re doing. They can be too pushy and brusque for their own good, but I like the support of the group and being part of the community this way. They work with us on advertising, so that helps, too.”

“Business can be tricky.” He rested his hands on his hips. “Why don’t you stop by the condo when it’s over?”

“It’ll be nine before it concludes.”

“I won’t be asleep.” He bridged the gap between them. “Maybe you could stay over.”

James’ eyes flashed. “Oh?”

“Why not?”

James nodded once. “Might be nice.”

He hoped it’d be more thannice. “Could be pretty hot.”

“Yes, it could.” James slid his hand over Paul’s sweaty chest. “I think I’ll drop Doob off before I go to the meeting.”

“Bring him to the condo. I’ll watch him.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not a bit.” Paul scrawled his address on the first appointment book page. “I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll bring him over around six-thirty.”

“I hope you do.” He kissed James again. “See you?”

“You will.” James winked. “I can’t wait.”

“Me either.” He left the salon and resumed his run. He had an extra spring in his step. He looked forward to seeing James and spend the evening together. James made him happy.

He finished his run and returned home. After rehydrating, he showered, then dressed in a simple concert T-shirt and jeans. He’d planned on taking James to a club the next night, but what if they had a nice evening in?

He could decorate the patio and they could share a bottle of wine while they danced or talked.

He liked that idea.

He stared at himself in the mirror. Why was he going with a barefaced look when he could be his true self? James seemed to like him dolled up. Besides, if he wanted James to fall for him truly, he needed to be his authentic self. That was when he felt the most like himself.

He applied the concealer and worked his magic with the powder and contouring brushes. He added shadow to enhance his eyes, then donned liner and mascara. He worked with his brows and added a bit of glitter to the upper swell of his brow line.

When he stepped back, he admired his work.Not too bad.

He smiled at himself, then filled his glass of water in the sink. He carried the glass to the living room and debated what to do while he waited for James to arrive. He couldn’t wait for time with the dog and his man. He hadn’t had a dog in years and wanted one.

As he waited and wandered around the living room, he flipped through the emails on his phone. He noticed the correspondence concerning the property considered for the LGBTQ center. The bid had been given to the seller. Now it was a waiting game. The offer was lower than the asking price, but it was the first offer in six weeks. They might not accept, but they also might be interested in moving the property and go along with the offer. He could pay cash, which helped and was eager to get the project moving forward.

He scrolled through the rest of his emails. He didn’t have anything too pressing, which helped. He wanted to be able to enjoy his evening with James.

At six-thirty, he spotted James’ car in the driveway. It wasn’t hard to see the car—James was the only person he knew who drove a roadster. His heart skipped a beat. God, he was acting like a teenager seeing his crush. But he didn’t care. He wanted to make the right impression.

James and Doob walked up to the front door.

“Hi.” He opened the screen door for them. “Hi, Doob.”

Doob surged in front of James and entered first. James grinned. “He’s excited.”

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