Page 76 of The King of Halloween
There was a problem?Adam tugged on his earlobe while doing his best to catch no one’s eye. “I thought we were going classic monsters this year.”
The chorus of groans told him he had chosen poorly. “The location, Stein. We need a location.”
“What’s wrong with the VFW?”
The sound of a palm smacking a forehead was his only answer. They returned to endlessly debating whatever the problem was with the masquerade. Probably not enough fancy napkins, or the fountain should be caramel this year. Adam checked his phone, wondering if he’d have time to make a quick stop at the store before Raj arrived.
The Halloween plans, the committee, the entire world faded to nothing. All that mattered was making this date perfect.
?CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
?
“YOU’RE EARLY!” ADAM exclaimed. His face was beet red as he held open the door, sweat beading across his forehead.
“You said seven-thirty.” Raj held a bottle of wine.
“Sorry. The meeting ran long, and I couldn’t get my hair to do anything, so dinner’s a bit late. Um, please come in. Don’t mind the…mess.”
Raj didn’t know what to expect as he entered Adam’s townhouse. In his mind, he’d imagined something as stuffy and old-fashioned as a man who wore vests every day. The strike of neon green lights pulsing under a black cabinet swerved his brain into an impending collision.
“There’s the living room. Couch, with surround speakers built in. Ah, my entertainment cabinet.” He waved to one of the silver shelves with backlighting. Lined up on them were not only DVDs but VHS tapes as well.
“Physical media?” Raj asked.
“It’s the only way to get the good stuff.” Adam reached for his leather couch with a fluffy orange blanket on the cushions. At the last second, he jerked his palms away, then wiped them on his apron. The movement drew Raj from the cyberpunk aesthetic to take in the man. He’d rolled the sleeves of his olive green shirt up to his elbows and put on a nice pair of black slacks. But what hooked Raj’s attention and sunk in the barb was that apron.
There was nothing special about it—the generic kind with a pocket in the front people’d wear to pancake breakfasts or on holidays around the stove. But the coziness of it, the idea that Adam would put in so much effort for him, made Raj’s heart skip a beat.
It also tucked in his waist and framed his ass spectacularly.
“You brought wine. Does it need to be chilled?”
“I have no idea. They said it was good.”
Adam took the bottle and spun it to look at the label. “A Chablis. Yes, I think you’ll do nicely in the fridge.” He rested the wine on his hip, his hand cupped around the neck in such a suggestive way, Raj licked his lips. “So, what do you think of my place?”
“It’s…not what I expected.”
“Were you hoping for stodgy old tomes, a writing desk that came over on the Mayflower, and wicker baskets full of random balls?”
Feeling caught, Raj dipped his head down in a smile.
“Well.” Adam leaned closer until his lips brushed against Raj’s ear. “You haven’t seen my bedroom yet.”
Is that already an option?
Raj had been a mess leading up to this. He’d worried that the fire marshal incident had ruined his day. But as the hours had ticked on, leaving him alone at his post with only time to think, doubt snuck in.
What if I say something stupid?
What if we have no chemistry outside of random and hot encounters with monster themes?
What if he chews weird?
What if I chew weird?
What if I like him more than I mean to?
