Page 25 of Enticing the Elf
Smiling at him fondly, Andrew says, “But Caolan hasn’t set up the presentation.”
Caolan pushes back from the table. “Is there a television somewhere? It would only take a minute to?—”
“We don’t need the presentation,” I snap, feeling a sudden kinship with Noah. Why is everyone determined to drag this out? “Sit down, Caolan. Andrew?” He’s grinning now, which makes me suspect he did that deliberately.
“Yes, of course. As Dáithí said, we’ve put together a series of tasks, each of which is designed to highlight a strength—or lack thereof—that’s needed in a happy relationship. While the nature of each task is such that only Eoin can complete it, we encourage him to assemble a support team to help with preparation. As Caolan pointed out, having separate friendship groups as well as a shared one can be an important part of a healthy relationship.”
It’s true, and good advice, but I’m still convinced his boyfriend only said it to him to keep from being sucked into Team Bro.
“Wait, what?” Eoin straightens, frowning. “I can do this on my own. I don’t want any question of whether I only succeeded because I had help.”
Ugh! “Why are you like this? You should be offended by this whole thing, not trying to make it even harder for yourself. You’re so stubborn.”
His jaw drops. “Me, stubborn? Have you looked in a mirror lately? The only reason we’re doing this is because you can’t accept that you’re special enough to makeanyonewant to commit to you, even someone who never has before!”
“That isnot?—”
“Oh my god, shut up!” Noah yells.
The resulting silence is broken by Jared. “You two are so sweet, the way you try to defend each other from… each other.”
I’m still glaring at Eoin, so I see the exact moment my dawning sheepishness is reflected on his face. He clears his throat. “Continue.”
Andrew smirks. He’s done that a lot tonight, and it’s particularly annoying. “The existence of your support team isn’t up for debate. Dáithí has us, so you also get people. While Dáithí will have the final overall say on whether you’ve proved yourself or not, since apparently it’s not legal to force people to be in a relationship?—”
“What?” Eoin says.
I wave off his question. “I’ll explain later. Please don’t ask.” That was a whole conversation I never thought I’d have. At one point, I thought Noah was going to single-handedly rip out Alistair’s spleen.
“Ahem. As I was saying, Dáithí will have the final word, but both teams will be involved in the assessment of each task and will give feedback. He’ll take that feedback into consideration when he makes his decision.”
Eoin’s brows draw together, and I resist the urge to wring my hands. There’s a good chance he’ll object now. “Wait, whether I pass each test is going to be decided by a panel?”
“Essentially, yes.”
Ari’s nodding. “That’s good. Very fair.”
“I don’t know,” Eoin says slowly, causing his friend to groan. “I don’t want Dáithí to feel pressured into his decision.”
How—how—has he managed to stay alive for so long with so few self-preservation instincts? I bite back the urge to yell, and instead take a deep breath. “I won’t feel pressured,” I assure him, and I’m proud of how calm I sound. “This is an important decision, and it wouldn’t be fair to either of us if I let people railroad me.”
He still seems unsure, so I add, “If I can resist the pressure from Jax at Smooth as Butter to accept a thirty percent discount on services in exchange for letting them put a temporary tattoo of their business logo on my ass, then I can resist whatever pressure this lot puts on me.”
Eoin’s concern melts into a laugh, probably remembering the first time I told him about that, and I wink. It’s become an inside joke between us, him asking me every time I have an appointment if Jax is still offering the deal.
“What’s Smooth as Butter?” Niamh asks.
“And why would they want to put their business logo on your… butt?” Jared adds, perplexed.
Grinning, Eoin replies, “It’s where Dáithí goes for waxing.”
Alistair’s delighted shout almost drowns out my answer for Jared. “Advertising.”
His mouth forms a shocked O, and then his cheeks flush bright red. “For waxing… Okay. I always wanted to ask someone who got waxed down there… it hurts, right?”
Oh, that sweet little thing. I’m tempted to tease, but the fierce expression on His Majesty’s face changes my mind. “Yes. A lot.” I shrug. “I think it’s worth it, though.”
“Hmm.” Eoin leans over to murmur in my ear, “I do too.”
