Page 20 of Besties
He nudged me with his shoulder. “Same goes.”
We got to the room, and he switched to a T-shirt and blue jeans. He looked fucking edible.
“Okay, I think I’ll be ready in a minute.” He took out his phone for a moment, then put it back in his pocket. “All right, what do you want for dinner? I’m in the mood for something greasy, and I think a shake needs to be involved too.”
“How about if we hit Mazo’s for the bacon cheeseburger, then head over to Leon’s for a custard?”
He grinned. “You read my mind.” He called down to the valet to have his car brought around. When he hung up, he held out a hand. “Shall we?”
I had to keep my hand from trembling as I took his. “I believe we shall.”
If I thought he’d let go of my hand when we stepped out of the suite, I was wrong. He tugged me along behind him until we got onto the elevator, then leaned in close to me.
“I think this was a better idea than doing business tonight. What do you say, after we eat, we go out?”
“Go out?” We had an early flight. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Finally letting go of my hand, Richie scowled. “When did you become a stick in the mud? What happened to the guy who convinced me to sneak out on my sixteenth birthday for a party in the woods? We were there all night, got pretty toasted, and still went to school the next morning.”
His criticism hurt a little. “Since I found out I needed to be responsible for myself. My mom isn’t here, and you were gone, so I had to pull on my big-boy shorts and learn to be an adult.” I smirked, hoping to take the sting out of my words. “Besides, my new boss might not appreciate me partying until dawn.”
“I think he can look the other way this once.” Richie grinned as he reached out and gripped my shoulder. “We need to live a little. Once we hit Boston, it’s going to be nonstop work, and I think you’ve had enough of that over the last several years. Tonight there’s just you, me, and a Palladium Visa.”
“A… what?”
“A Palladium Visa, only one of the most exclusive credit cards in the world. It has an unlimited credit amount, and I’ve only used it three times since I got it. As soon as the courier delivered it, I used it to get a soda and a bagel, then to buy a 2007 Nissan Altima, and once for something I’m saving for the future. So, seeing as how money is no object, what do you want to do tonight?”
I’d never heard of such a thing, but to know that Richie had one? I was in awe of him. And it gave me an idea.
“Sky’s the limit?”
He squeezed my hand. “Yep. Anything you want. Name it.”
“Okay, but remember, you asked. I want to glow bowl.”
He snickered. “Bowling? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. We can see if you’re any better than when you, me, and Kerry went.”
The memory was clear as day. An errant throw, a lobbed ball that made a smooth arc, then slammed down onto the adjoining lane, landing with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the alley. Everyone turned and stared at us. Our scores sucked, but it was more about the fun than trying to win.
“Besides, since Kerry’s not here to draw attention, maybe we can get a game in.”
He snorted. “If I recall correctly, that thing with the ball was all you. And I gotta say, it got some really good air.”
He had me there. “Well, the ball got stuck on my thumb.” I tried to appear annoyed, but it had been a good time for me and couldn’t help but chuckle. Everyone in the alley turned to see where the noise had come from, and Richie and I pointed at his brother, Kerry, who squawked and shouted it wasn’t him.
“And that’s all you want? A couple games of bowling is what it will take to make you happy?”
No, to make me happy, Richie’d have to fall in love with me. But I needed to accept that wasn’t about to happen. “Sure. I’m easy.”
He nudged me with his shoulder. Something he’d been doing with more frequency. “Well, I have heard that about you.” The elevator doors opened. “Okay, bowling it is.”
As we hit the lobby, Peter, the concierge approached us. “Good evening, gentlemen.” He gave Richie a dip of his chin. “Mr. Ryland, are you enjoying your stay?”
“Very much, thank you.” He gestured to me. “Have you been introduced to our new sales director? Peter Mortensen, I’d like you to meet Max Henry. Max, this is Peter Mortensen, a fixture at the hotel.”
Peter held out his hand, and when I took it, he gave it a squeeze. “Nice to meet you. Mr. Ryland has spoken highly of you, and I’m glad you took him up on the job offer. It sounds like a great opportunity.”
