Page 46 of Sir Avery's Wish
“I dunno.” Eli chuckled. “Sounds valid to me.”
“You’re hilarious. But seriously…” Lenny sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m doing anymore.”
Eli sat up. Lenny’s forlorn tone had gotten his attention. “What do you mean? I thought you were planning on joining Kiss of Leather? You were pretty excited about that before everything went to shit.”
“Yeah, totally. And that thing you said about one of the owners doing a demo at Club Sensation is cool. Obviously, they’re a respectable club.” Lenny sighed, a sound Eli wasn’t used to hearing from his friend. “But I wonder if maybe I’m in a rut. Maybe I need a change of scenery or something.”
Trying to convince Lenny to leave LA when his life was potentially in danger had been impossible. Yet now that there was nothing to worry about, he didn’t care about staying.
“What’s changed? I begged you to come here, and you wouldn’t budge.”
“I guess I assumed you were in Boston because of the murder, and that you’d come back once the danger was gone.” He grunted. “It didn’t make sense for me to uproot myself, go all the way across country, only for you to turn around and come back to LA five minutes after I arrive.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that? I could’ve explained how I was planning on staying, that I was moving in with Avery.”
“Yeah… I guess.” Lenny was back to sighing.
“Hey, I have an idea. There doesn’t have to be a big uprooting. Come visit for a while, stay in the room Avery offered.” Eli thought he might be overstepping, but he didn’t think Master Zane would mind the next part. “And if you want, I bet you could work at Club Sensation’s At Your Servicerestaurant. I happen to know for a fact that a dishwasher position just opened up.” He snort-laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. For real, though. I think Zane still needs wait staff. Maybe Avery does, too. The hotel has a pricey restaurant. You could probably make bank there.”
Eli was greeted with silence, and he thought the call dropped. “Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Just thinking.” Lenny's voice carried a note that sounded like something between hope and hesitation. “You really think they’d hire me? I mean, I’ve got experience, but they don’t know me.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve been waiting tables since high school. You could probably run circles around half the staff.” Eli shifted on the couch, tucking his feet under the throw. The idea of having his bestie nearby would be the cherry on the cake of his new life. “Plus, you’ll have me to vouch for you. That’s gotta count for something.”
“Maybe.” Lenny’s tone lightened. “Man, it sure would be nice to get away from everyone mocking me about the whole murder thing. Then there’s your mom, who I’ll never, ever be able to face again.”
“Give her time. She’ll calm down.” Eli had to keep reminding himself of the same thing.
“Welp. Until that miraculous day arrives, I suppose I could come check out what’s happening in Boston.” Lenny chuckled. “Oh, wait. I want to get there before the holidays, though. Attending family gatherings isn’t something I’m ready to handle yet. Do you think that would be a problem?”
“I know it wouldn’t, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll discuss it with Avery tonight, then call you tomorrow.”
“Awesome, thanks.” The sound of Lenny chewing punctuated his statement. “Now fess up. What’s it really like having a full-time Dom?”
“Dude. It’s literally been a week. Although…” He bit his lip. No. He couldn’t tell his friend before he told Avery.
“Although what? Don’t leave a guy hanging.”
Eli plucked at the throw. “Even if he wasn’t my Dom, I’d want to be with him. I’ve never met anyone so caring, a man who made me feel so protected.”
He ran his fingers along the edge of the throw, feeling the woven texture. Was that too corny to admit to his friend?
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Lenny said. “But I want the juicy details. Is he strict? What are the rules like? Are you wearing a collar yet?”
Heat crept up Eli's neck. “Geez, man. Give me a chance to answer. Yes, he’s strict, but not in a way that’s mean. There are rules, but they’re reasonable. Things like keeping him informed of my whereabouts, eating regular meals, taking care of the house, that kind of stuff. Plus, we’re going to start working on ways to help me focus better.
Eli trailed the pads of his fingers down his bare throat. “No collar yet. That’s for someday.”
“What if you go to the club without him?”
“That’s different. We have a club collar, but I don’t really need it right now. I’m not in the space to randomly hang out there without him yet.”
“Damn.” Lenny made a low whistle. “Pretty intense, dude.”
The sound of the front door opening reached Eli’s ears, followed by the familiar jingle of Avery’s keys landing in the ceramic dish by the entryway. His heart rate quickened.
“He’s home. I should go.”
