Page 56 of Persuaded

“Shut up.” He swiped the clothes off the bed and dumped them back into his bag.

Sean grinned. “Man, I’ve never seen you like this.” He dropped into one of the chairs by the little glass table at the window. “You were always so cool before a date.”

“Yeah, well. This isn’t a date.” It was so much more than a date; it felt like a last chance. He returned to the mirror so he didn’t have to look at Sean’s grinning face. The damp air outside had made Finn’s hair spike and he tried to flatten it down.

“Finn.” Sean had his serious voice on, and Finn met his gaze in the mirror. “You look great. You always look great. And, honestly, that’s probably the last thing you need to worry about tonight.”

“I know. But it’s the only thing I can control.”

Sean tapped his fingers on the table, eyes dipping to watch them as he said, “So you saw Quinton, huh?”

“Asshole English guy? Yeah, I saw him.”

“He, uh—” Sean glanced up at him. “He and Josh seemed friendly when I saw them together, just to give you the heads-up.”

They’d seemed friendly when Finn had seen them too and the idea coiled queasily in the pit of his stomach. Not that he had any right to be jealous after the crap he’d pulled with Liz, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help being terrified that he’d had a second chance and blown it because of his own stupid hurt pride. There’d been enough irritation in Josh’s voice when he’d mentioned Liz to make Finn worry. Josh probably thought he was an asshole, and why wouldn’t he? Decent to the core, Joshua Newton would never fuck around with someone the way Finn had with Liz.

Except that he fucked around with you...

But that little angry voice sounded churlish now. Josh had been a kid afraid of his asshole father, and with good reason it turned out. He’d deserved Finn’s sympathy, not his anger.He’d deserved his love. And, crap, but that thought knotted his stomach up tight.

“Finn?” Sean was on his feet. “He hasn’t known Quinton long, even if they’re...” He waved his hand in a vague gesture. “It doesn’t mean it’s hopeless.”

“Quinton. What the hell kinda name is that anyway?”

“A dumb one.” Sean put his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Just talk to him, man. Josh is—Well, I guess you know him better than me, but he’s a good man. He’ll listen.”

He couldn’t go into all the variables that scared the shit out of him, so he just nodded. Sean was right, the only thing hecoulddo was talk to Josh. The rest was up to him.

* * *

Noise and music spilled from All Bar None when Finn arrived a little after nine, delayed en route by three separate groups of young women wanting selfies. He wondered what they’d think if they knew he was on his way to a date—kind of a date—with another man. Would that be it, end of the road for his career as a teen idol?

He didn’t know. More than that, he didn’t know whether he cared. All he could think about right then was Josh.

As he pushed open the door, Josh saw him immediately. He sat at the bar and must have been watching the door because he smiled, lifting his hand to wave. And everything felt perfect; the connection that had bound them so close was right there in Josh’s look of delight and Finn felt his heart swoop with relief.

Suddenly, all he wanted was to touch him. No, not wanted,needed. He needed to touch him with a force he hadn’t felt in years—like he couldn’t breathe unless they were in each other’s arms, like his hands couldn’t still unless they were sliding along the smooth muscles of his back, like his chest couldn’t stopaching unless it was pressed against Josh’s, skin-to-skin. The explosion of desire made his legs shake as he pushed through the crowd.

Tell him. Just tell him.

“Hey,” Finn said as he reached him, the crush in the bar giving him reason to stand close.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.” Josh had a stranglehold on the glass he clutched. “I hoped you would.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. I, uh...”Tell him. Tell him now. “You singing tonight?”

Josh laughed, nose wrinkling. “Me? You’re kidding.”

God, he hadn’t seen that laugh in years and he couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face. “You play, I’ll sing?”

And just like that, the laughter faded. Josh parted his lips as if there were words trying to get out, then looked down at his glass. His hair fell forward and Finn couldn’t see his expression. “It’s been a while since we did that.”

“Yeah, it has.” Finn’s mouth went dry. “Too long.”

Josh looked up and Finn thought maybe he should just kiss him. Screw talking, just kiss him right there in the bar. But Josh turned his head, glanced at something past Finn’s shoulder, and with a sinking dread Finn turned to see Quinton making his way toward them. Of course. Of fucking course.

“Joshua,” Quinton purred in his English drawl. “I’m parched, darling.”

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