Then

"Where were you yesterday?"

Gareth stood in Phoenix's office at the mansion, huffing like an angry bull, and imitating one rather well, too, with his blotched red face, the protruding, pounding veins in his neck and forehead, and the stance of somebody ready to charge.

It was late afternoon, and Gareth had ordered Phoenix to be there when he came back from work because they needed to 'talk'. Which in Gareth terms meant yelling and/or a reprimand.

"I took a personal day. I mailed you and I did do some work. I'm not behind in any way," Phoenix said calmly, not too bothered by Gareth's anger. He knew Gareth was not actually angry; he was frustrated because Cracker undoubtedly had informed him about the new stalker gift.

"I know." Gareth sighed. "It just grinds my gears that we can't catch the fucker."

"It's harmless. Annoying, but it doesn't hurt me."

In all honesty, Phoenix felt bulletproof after the time he had spent with Jace in his apartment the day before. Jace had been perfectly content with being treated like a spoiled prince.

They had slept on the couch, which had not done wonders for Phoenix's back, but waking up with Jace, who had looked at him with trust and expectation, had been well worth it. Breakfast had been ordered because Phoenix was much handier with a phone and a credit card than with pots and pans, and he had wanted to make Jace feel good, not put him in the hospital with food poisoning. While watching some sitcom Phoenix had no idea which was, but Jace had laughed at, they had eaten in the living room.

Jace had not been pushy or needy when Phoenix had put on a movie for him and had sat down to work. All Jace had done was nuzzle his feet under Phoenix's thigh to keep them warm and simply kept quiet until lunch. The rest of the day they had spent with him holding Jace and watching movies. It had been a wonderful day, and Phoenix felt fueled like never before. Even Cracker and Gareth's constant calls and texts had not brought him down.

"Cracker will be here in a moment with the video from the delivery."

"Already here," Cracker said jovially and strode into the office, waving a cd that had the surveillance recording from Phoenix's building on it. "I've looked at this, but it's the same as all the other times. Just a delivery kid. The company and the kid check out."

"So, we're still at square one?" Gareth concluded with a grim expression, raking his fingers through his hair with frustration, though his face was not as red as before. "What did you get this time?"

"Don't know." Phoenix bent down to find the bag with the gift and stood to hand it to Cracker.

As the only one allowed to open anything Phoenix received, Cracker dumped out the present on Phoenix's desk before he pulled out a pocketknife and continued to cut the tape on the once again neatly wrapped gift. He pushed the paper aside with the tip of the knife to reveal a box of Swiss chocolate.

"There's a card as usual," he said with disgust after he had flipped the box over to look for the inevitable card. With the napkin Phoenix handed him, he lifted the card to read.

Sweets for my sweet

"Now that's inventive." Gareth rolled his eyes. "You've got yourself a poet."

Phoenix shrugged.

There was one thing the present showed them, though.

"It's obviously not somebody who knows me very well. If they had known me, they would have given me caramel bonbons and not Swiss chocolate."

Cracker thought about the information with a serious look on his face, tapping the knife to his chin, making him look scary. "I think that's good to know. And you've only received those things at home, right? Not here or at the schools where you teach?"

"Only at home. Unless the faculty has received something that hasn't reached me. Have you asked them?"

"I've informed them about it, and they've not gotten anything. I've also told them to call me instantly if any teacher, student, or you receive threats delivered there, or if random vandalism occurs."

"Damn, you're effective, mate," Phoenix said with an impressed curl of his lips and nodded at Cracker, seeing Gareth smile proudly at the way Cracker handled things.

"It's what I do." Cracker shrugged. "I'm trained in looking at every angle and thinking of the impossible to avoid the worst-case scenario."

Phoenix did not comment on the fact that Cracker was a number wizard, too. His military background had not been wasted, what Cracker knew, and how to do things, was a direct product of his time spent doing all the scary stuff the normal public never knew soldiers had to do, and probably never wished to know was done to keep them and their countries safe.

"I appreciate it either way."

"Same," Gareth chimed in. "There's dinner soon. Are you guys up for a few drinks after? Just us. I'm not in the mood for a large group tonight."

"I'm not busy." Cracker smiled, knowing it was always a good time when it was a smaller group. Gareth and Phoenix were excellent company.

"I'm game if you two dummies leave me alone until dinner." Phoenix looked at Gareth and swept out his arm at his desk and all the folders and stuff laying there. "If I'm not done with this, then I'll have you up my ass tomorrow, yelling at me again."

Gareth rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "Fine, if you put it like that. See you at 6:00 in the dining room. Come on, Cracker, we'll do pre-dinner drinks in my office."

They left arm in arm like eight-year-old girls with pocket money for ice cream. Phoenix shook his head at them. Sometimes, he wondered how adult they all were when it came down to it. He had to concede that the drinking was quite adult, but when not out doing Gareth's shady business, most of them were at the mansion, playing video games or watching sports while acting like rowdy teenagers.

It was refreshing and a whole new world to Phoenix, and he liked it the few times he joined them. If he had not felt so out of place in how to interact, it would have been great. He wished dearly he could learn, because maybe then Jace would see he was not such a stick in the mud.

Phoenix flung himself in his chair and shook his head.

What was he thinking?

Even if Jace enjoyed his company, and they worked well together as temporary Dom and sub. They might even be friends with the trust building between them. But nothing would change the fact that Jace was not gay.

Saddened by what he had to accept, Phoenix pushed Jace out of his mind and got to work.

A little more than an hour later, he was just about to shut down his computer when Vlad came into the office. "Vlad, good to see you. You've been out the other times I've been here."

Vlad's face broke into a smile, and he wiped imaginary sweat off his forehead with an exaggerated move of his arm. "Yeah, G-man's kept me busy. I sometimes feel like I could do a marathon without breaking a sweat. With all the running I do here, it should be a breeze."

"You might not be wrong there." Phoenix chuckled. "Did you want something, by the way? I was about to shut down for the day, but I have time."

"No, not at all." Vlad smiled with his usual cheery expression. "Gareth sent me to remind you of dinner, but I guess you were on your way?"

Phoenix nodded.

He liked Vlad a lot. Always helpful with work, and polite when he needed something Phoenix was working on, never demanding or stressing about it. He was a good colleague, and they had enjoyed a few dinners and lunches together where Phoenix had found himself less awkward. Vlad was like Jace, easygoing and pleasant company. Not once had Phoenix needed to remind him they had a meeting or a deadline. Vlad instinctively knew when to be relaxed and fun and when to be serious and concentrate on work.

"Give me a sec, and I'll walk with you." Quickly, Phoenix shut down his computer, and checked he had locked all his files away and his office was neat the way he liked it. He might suffer a bit from OCD tendencies when it came to tidiness. He was aware of it, but it really did not bother him. Most times, it made his life easier.

"You like art, don't you?" Vlad asked while they walked to the dining room.

"I do. I own a few marvelous pieces. Paintings and sculptures mostly."

"Would you like to accompany me to The National Gallery next month? I don't have a date, so I thought I'd bring a friend instead, but none of the guys are interested in that kind of exhibit. I figured you'd appreciate it."

Phoenix's eyebrows raised at that. It was very considerate of him, and it was something Phoenix would love to do, but like Vlad, he did not have anybody he knew who liked that kind of stuff. Not even Gareth, he only went to those kinds of things if it had a business angle for him. And he hated every minute of it.

"Sure, I'd love to. But what happened to the one you were seeing a while back?"

"Well, that was a while back," Vlad said with a laugh and winked at Phoenix. "Flavors change."

"Don't I know it. Well, if you're sure, I'll be glad to go. Thank you. Mail me the date and details, and I'll fix dinner reservations for us that day."

"I'll look forward to it. Bring the loaded credit card. I suspect there'll be some nice items in the charity auction at the event."

Phoenix knowingly patted his pocket where his wallet was. "It's been a while since I've splurged."

Vlad laughed. "Same. Doesn't stop me from wanting to."

Dinner was like most dinners at the mansion. Food aplenty, alcohol flowed like in ancient Greece, and people talked loudly and had a good time. As usual, Phoenix felt like he was on the outside and looking in. Like he did not belong there, even though he participated in some conversations.

"So, how's Jace?" Cracker asked Gareth. "He left the other day, and though he seemed ok at dinner, he had been upset."

Phoenix perked up when Jace's name got mentioned. He could not exactly let on that he had seen him, so he pretended to not know what they were talking about. Lucky for him, that was something he did a lot, and nobody thought anything of his listening to the conversation without saying anything.

Gareth sighed and looked into his glass of whiskey. "I don't know. Jace is very good at hiding his problems, and he usually disappears for a day or two when he needs it."

"Maybe we should call him or send a text, just to be sure?" Cracker suggested.

"I know him. He'll show up when he's ready, or when there's work to be done." Gareth worried about Jace, and Cracker's concern and suggestions did not make it easier for him to behave like Jace usually wanted him to. It had taken some years for Gareth to learn Jace's routines, but Jace did not like it if he checked up on him, that much he knew. "He had texted Tana because he needed a friend, and she called him during dinner. I'm sure she's taking good care of him."

Phoenix's heart plummeted.

Tana?

Jace had wanted to see Tana?

Of course, that made sense since they had been besties for years, Phoenix scolded himself.

He had just been the second choice because Jace could not get his first one? Sadness flooded Phoenix, and agony ripped at his heart. That voice of reason in his head mocked him for having thought that Jace had wanted to be taken care of by Phoenix.

It laughed mercilessly at all the effort Phoenix had put into caring for Jace. All the pampering, sweet words, and dropping everything to be there. But the voice did not stop at that. It recapped all those embarrassing times when Phoenix had enjoyed it, had allowed himself to dream and hope while having Jace in his arms.

That feeling of being bulletproof. Of thinking that the trust and connection he and Jace had built over the last weeks was something real. It was gone. And though Phoenix knew Jace was not interested in him on a romantic level, he had thought that he meant something other than being a means to an end.

Facts did not lie.

He had just been a substitute.

Like with Lady Gloria. A second choice, as opposed to having to wait.

What defined an idiot was somebody who did the same thing over and over and expected another result. And by that definition, Phoenix had to be one, because he kept helping and supporting Jace in the hopes of one day mattering to the man.

Yup, a total idiot.

Cracker thought about what Gareth had said and smiled crookedly. "Let's just pretend that you never said anything, and I have no clue about Jace's usual behavior." He found his phone in his pocket, typed a text, and sent it. "There, I just told him where we're going and asked him to join. Like always. He can take it or leave it."

"Thank you. It would have been too obvious if I had written him," Gareth said with relieved gratitude. The drink in front of him was not enough to distract his mind from the worries he had.

Everything about that mission to rescue Callie, the guilt from not helping all the captives, and not killing off at least a tiny amount of sick perverts to rid the world of some scumbags. It was not like they would be missed, and there was more than enough out there to take their places. There would always be more.

Then Jace's meltdown and the information about Levi. It weighed heavily on him that he had not known, and more so that he had not been there to understand Jace in the moment, because he had not known about Jace's past. That part was on Jace, of course, but Gareth could easily forgive that. Jace was not afraid of much, and if he was afraid, or ashamed, enough to keep that vital information from him, then it was not just small-time issues. Whatever it was, had to be a soul-wrenching torment for Jace. It was not even the disappointment of Jace not having trusted him enough to have confided in him. It was that Jace had suffered alone for years and apparently lived in constant fear of Levi.

And then there was all the shit with Phoenix's stalker. That one irked him to no end. They were the fucking Russian mafia. They had access to things and could do a lot that the official authorities could not because of bureaucratic red tape. The mafia did not care about the laws, and if threats were made before they could actively begin an investigation, they could take action at any time. But annoyingly enough, even when they had taken action, and with all the possibilities they had in terms of forensic experts, hackers to snoop into people and access security cams and whatnot, private investigators to follow suspects around, bodyguards, and in general just an army of people who would do anything, they had still come up with nothing.

Gareth rubbed his temples. If he got a freaking headache on top of everything, he would kill somebody. With frustration, he downed his drink and poured another, which went down the hatch just as fast.

"What do you guys say to us ditching this place?" Gareth looked at Phoenix and Cracker, then at Vlad, who just sat there smiling at them, like he always did. "You're welcome to join us Vlad, we're just going to Reece's for a few."

Vlad's smile broadened. "It's nice of you to offer, but I think I need to call it a night. I've just come home from a business trip, and I think my apartment and especially my couch want to know I'm still alive."

"Rain check?" Gareth asked with a chuckle at how Vlad had declined. He knew that he had been extra harsh on Vlad lately, especially while Phoenix had been busy with running the club, but also because he had groomed Vlad to take more out-of-town responsibility.

Vlad was excellent at what he did, and he was a very pleasant man at meetings, who could do what Phoenix could not. Converse and charm without looking bored, even if he was bored out of his skull. Something Gareth had difficulty with, though he could hide it better than Phoenix.

It was his intention to have Vlad and Phoenix be a sort of symbiotic entity to handle his businesses. Phoenix, the hard, ruthless negotiator, who could close the deals and be in charge of everything to make sure things got sorted to satisfaction without too many personal meetings. And Vlad the softer cushion to counter Phoenix's lack of social perception to pave the way before they brought in Phoenix. Vlad, a brilliant business mind with actual social skills to smooth things over when Phoenix stepped in it, but also with the ability to look at things from different angles and work his magic to get back on track, where both Gareth and Phoenix had a tendency to get tunnel vision to reach the end goal and rarely allowed people to not see things their way.

In the time before Gareth got Phoenix on board, Vlad had been a lifesaver. He had taken on as much as possible to lessen the burden on Gareth and had worked himself to the bone. His only fault, if Gareth could even call it a fault, was that Vlad was afraid to take charge and step in with full authority as Gareth's representative. Vlad simply had too much respect for Gareth and his own place in the hierarchy to presume to step into that position, where Phoenix did not give a crap. Probably because he did not fully understand the respect Gareth's men had grown up with toward the Adjenkov family.

Gareth felt lucky to have such competent men working with him. Those two gave him the freedom to concentrate on other things. Like his job, his mafia business, and his leisure time.

"Vlad, how about you book an evening in my calendar, and you and I go out to dinner next week?"

"Oh, I'd like that," Vlad said and nodded enthusiastically. He felt how Gareth tried to show his appreciation, and it was nice to be recognized. Not that he felt kept outside of the general socializing. They always invited him, Rotha, and the other paper pushers along, but some one-on-one time with Gareth was a privilege. "I'll look at it tomorrow, G-man."

"Do that, mate. Now, hop on home and get some rest. You deserve it."

They walked outside together after taking their leave from the rest of the guys. They waved off Vlad and got into the car Rami had waiting for them to take them to Reece's.

"You ok, mate?" Gareth asked Phoenix as they tried to find a table inside the pretty crowded bar. On the entire ride there, Phoenix had been quiet but very loud in his silence, like he seemed sorely pissed off but had no way of letting it out.

Phoenix just grumbled and threw himself in a chair when they finally found a free table.

"Somebody needs a drink," Cracker said with a laugh at Phoenix's thundercloud of a face. "Want me to arrange for a sippy cup so you can't knock it over?"

That only earned Cracker a grumble worse than the one Gareth had gotten.

"First round is on me." Cracker wisely got lost in the crowd of people in search of the bar.

Gareth studied Phoenix. He had been ok at dinner. If he had to chance it, he would have said that Phoenix had been in a jolly, awesome mood. It had changed after Vlad had declined to join them, which was weird, but maybe he felt like having Vlad there would take a bit of focus off of him? Not that he needed it. Both he and Cracker would leave him be if Phoenix was not in a talkative mood.

They were quite used to it and took it in stride when Phoenix closed off and grumbled like a pissed-off ogre.

Cracker came back with their drinks, and though Phoenix managed a grateful nod, that was all the engagement they got from him. Same in the following hours. Cracker and Gareth had talked about basically anything and left Phoenix alone. He had obviously listened to their conversation but had refrained from joining it.

"Do you know why Phoenix is acting like somebody stole his favorite blankie?" Cracker asked discretely when Phoenix went to get another round.

Gareth shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair. "Nope. I've given up on figuring him out. As long as he does his work, and he doesn't snap at me, I'm quite ok with him just switching mood like a lightbulb switches on and off."

"I hear you. It doesn't bother me either. I sort of expect him to be grumpy most of the time, but today is worse than normal."

Because there was nothing to say to Cracker's observation, Gareth just nodded.

"If it had been anybody else," Cracker continued. "I'd have invited over some of the fine ladies in here to cheer him up. But he'd probably scare them to death or just ignore them."

"True that," Gareth concurred with a laugh. "But I wouldn't stop you if you got me that blonde cutie over there." Discreetly, Gareth pointed at a group of women not far from the dart area.

Cracker followed the direction of Gareth's finger and nodded in approval. The blonde was bloody fine. So were her friends. Especially, the curvaceous brunette in a hot, pink dress beside her. The only place that dress would look any better was in a pile next to Cracker's bed.

"Let's give it a few more drinks. Maybe Phoenix has softened a bit by then."

Gareth just raised his eyebrow at Cracker. Yeah, and pigs would fly in mid-August too.

Phoenix had barely gotten back with the drinks and sat down when Jace walked to their table with his usual carefree attitude and a huge grin on his face. His hair was still wet as if he had just showered, and that was new because Jace never left his home without having blow-dried his hair as a minimum. He was dressed casually, like the rest of them. Well, Gareth was in his usual suit, and that was probably casual for him. But like the rest of them in slacks and a button-up shirt.

"Jeez, you guys were hard to find in the chaos here." Jace plopped down in the chair he without scruples took from the table beside theirs. "I had to follow the lighthouse over there to the table." He pointed at Phoenix and smiled his signature cheeky smile.

"It was my round. I'll grab you a drink. What do you want?" Phoenix asked coldly and stood up.

"Eh, just get me something refreshing," Jace replied as neutrally as he could at the tone Phoenix used. He had not expected the 'aftercare' gentle version of Phoenix, but he had maybe expected a friendlier tone after the day they had spent together.

He thought they had bonded a lot while in Phoenix's apartment. And he had convinced himself that Phoenix had felt it too.

Never had he felt that protected and cared for. That much like he mattered to somebody, and that his mental state, as well as his physical being, was a priority.

It had been the best day of his life, literally.

And it had not involved sex or something equally shallow, like what he usually turned to when he felt bad about himself or his life. It had been intimate, yes; the handjob had been awesome, but it was in everything Phoenix had done.

Jace felt that he could have asked anything of Phoenix, and Phoenix would have done it or given it to him. If Jace had wanted a piggyback ride in the nearby park, Phoenix would have relented. That was how attentive Phoenix had been to him and his needs.

Neither Gareth nor Tana could have saved his mind as Phoenix had. After he had left Phoenix's apartment, he had needed nothing else to help him keep his center. Even when Tana had finally called, she had not been needed. And he had only texted and called her because Phoenix had not responded to his initial SOS of needing help, and that had made his anxiety skyrocket. Tana normally contacted him fast, also if she was at work, but she had been on some team-building whatever, and they had not been allowed phones. Jace had needed Tana to keep him calm until Phoenix could respond. That was all he had needed her for.

For some reason, Phoenix was the one his brain had thought of, the one his body had called for to help. Tana was only a failsafe because she knew how to distract him and would gladly have done it until Phoenix had time. It had never occurred to Jace that Phoenix might have been busy or not wanted to help. It had been an absolute certainty in his mind that Phoenix would be there for him.

Jace had not had a Phoenix before in his life, and he had not known how much he needed one.

"What crawled up his ass?" Jace asked with a perplexed face when he was sure Phoenix was out of earshot.

"Who the fuck knows?" Gareth said with a shrug. "He's been rumbling like Mount Vesuvius since we left."

"Just ignore it," Cracker chimed in. "He'll come around, or leave when he's had enough."

Jace felt weird about that, but he could not really do anything to change it. Neither Gareth and Cracker's attitude nor Phoenix's behavior.

A red drink in a tall-stemmed glass with a strawberry on the rim got placed in front of Jace, and Phoenix found his chair with a huff.

"Cheers guys. Thanks for the text, Crackhead. I was out and had to run back home to shower before I came here."

If he had sat next to Phoenix, he would have gotten a smack for what he had called Cracker, but luckily, Cracker just laughed, and Phoenix was too far away. Which was probably for the best, because the waves of annoyance Phoenix sent out were enough to crush everybody from where he was.

Proximity alone was enough.

Jace had been at the gym. Beating a sandbag into submission to get his leftover frustrations out. He had spent the day on the phone with Cellmate, had a quick lunch with Tana during her lunch break, and then gone to the gym. It was like he had needed something to keep his mind preoccupied when it was not as calm as it had been with Phoenix, and where he would normally have jumped head-first into work, there had been no assignments for him.

Gareth, who knew not to pull out Jace's private issues, just smiled and lifted his glass. "Glad you could join us. It's been a while since it was just the four of us."

"Hear, hear." Cracker held up his glass and looked expectantly at Phoenix until he joined them in the toast, though reluctantly.

"So, any good gossip?" Jace put down his glass and placed his elbows on the table to lean his head in his hands, eyes sparkling, ready for some juicy stuff.

All of them just shrugged.

"Really? Nobody? Did your dicks fall off?"

And then it hit him.

That could be why Phoenix was uptight like a sixteenth-century prude. He had been über busy with the club and work, and then he had been forced to train Jace in what they could probably describe as his free time. That could not have left much room to find some entertainment for himself, and blue balls would make any man grumpy.

And Phoenix obviously even grumpier.

Phoenix had been nothing short of amazing. Jace for sure owed the man. Maybe he could show his gratitude by getting Phoenix laid? If he stopped being so demanding of Phoenix's time and allowed him to pursue some ladies to maybe get his rocks off? No amount of 'thank you's could ever make up for what Phoenix had done, but a tiny nudge to give him some pleasure of his own...

Jace did not need to get laid. Phoenix had satiated him both in intimacy and orgasms over the weeks. There was no pressing need in him, other than the need to feel Phoenix more, and since that would never happen, the least he could do was return the favor. Though it put a weight on his soul.

"Haven't you spotted any good ones tonight?" Jace looked around and took in the plethora of very fuckable women. There had to be somebody for all of them, Phoenix included.

"I know you like them with a bit of curves," he said to Cracker and turned to Gareth. "And you have some fascination with asses."

Jace paused and then focused on Phoenix. "But I don't know your flavor. Come on, what is your preference?" If Phoenix told him, he would absolutely be able to wingman for him.

"I'm not telling you," Phoenix grumbled.

"Seriously, man. I'm not asking for the pin code for that black card of yours. I'm just asking what you like. Blondes, redheads, slender, large breasts... What?"

"My business." Phoenix closed that conversation by taking his drink and turning his head to give them no attention.

Jace sighed inwardly. He had tried, but it was like smashing his head through a wall. It just hurt his head and made him more frustrated.

He was trying to help.

Damnit!

"Ok, since none of you ninnies have been able to score lately, I suggest a friendly competition," Jace proclaimed with mischief and leaned forward. "All of us get thirty minutes to get as many phone numbers from chicks as possible. No rules on tactics, but I expect a gentleman's agreement on no cheating. You can't just write numbers yourself."

"Jace..." Gareth sighed.

"What? I'm not asking you to fuck the entire bar. Just talk to some honeybees and get a few numbers for the hives. What you do with them is your business." Jace beamed at all three of them, and for once Phoenix was not the only one looking skeptical. "Jeez, guys! It'll be fun. Synchronize your phones and we'll meet up at the bar in thirty and whoever loses buys drinks the rest of the night."

"Ok, but I'm not losing," Cracker agreed with a competitive smirk.

Much to everyone's surprise, Phoenix spoke next.

"If I do this, and I win. I earn veto rights. You can't ask me about my preferences or anything until..." Phoenix thought about it. It was August, maybe New Year's would be fair? That was if he won, and that would take a miracle.

"My birthday? Come on, on my birthday, I should be allowed to say and do anything," Jace said and nodded to make Phoenix agree.

Phoenix thought about it. That only gave him two months of freedom. But it was better than nothing. If he was free from Jace's asking, then it would probably not hurt as much, because all he wanted when Jace asked was to tell him the truth.

"Deal."

Jace's jaw dropped. "For real?"

"Yeah, for real?" Gareth asked with obvious surprise. He, too, tried to pull his jaw back into position. If he had to be honest, he had expected Phoenix to either stand up and leave or clock Jace one. But then again, Phoenix was a strong negotiator, and it fell naturally to him to bargain his way out of a corner.

"I'm only agreeing to thirty minutes," Phoenix stated and looked at all of them in turn. "We don't crowd each other to listen to conversations, and at the end, whoever loses pays for drinks, and if I win. You all leave me the fuck alone."

There was silence after that.

Well, as much silence as there could be in a noisy bar where they were surrounded by loud talking, music, and the never-ending clatter of glasses, bottles, and shoes against the floor.

"Deal." Jace smiled like he had won the lottery. He had gotten the grumpy giant to play a game. That in itself was a win.

"Well, if Phoenix is game, then I'm definitely in too." Cracker nodded, and Gareth did the same with a sigh.

"Thirty minutes. Go!"

Jace looked at his watch, and then he left in the opposite direction of the others.

The thirty minutes went by fast.

Getting numbers was not as easy as Jace had expected. Not because he had lost his game and could not charm the ladies anymore, but because his concentration had been off. His eyes had constantly drifted around the room to find the tallest man there, and that shiny, dark man bun was a beacon he had to follow.

To his surprise, Phoenix had truly put in an effort. He had buzzed around the room and chatted up single ladies and groups like it was natural to him. Jace could have sworn he had seen what looked like a smile on Phoenix's face at one point.

He could only assume Phoenix really wanted to win the bet, or he really wanted to win the bet and get laid.

Either way, Jace was eager to see who had won. He felt ok with his six numbers. But being up against panty-droppers like Gareth and Cracker, he could get kicked to the curb, and Phoenix was the ultimate wild card.

"Somebody better be prepared to pay for my hangover tomorrow," Cracker boasted with a smile and leaned against the bar next to Jace.

Jace laughed. "Who says I've lost?"

"Just hoping here. But I'm sure I've not lost." Cracker smiled self-assured and patted his breast pocket.

"We'll see. You're up against Gareth. Don't forget."

Cracker rolled his eyes and scoffed. Like he did not know. Gareth was like a fucking chick magnet.

"So, are we ready to get this tallied up so we can get back to drinking? I need a whisky." Gareth joined them and smiled with confidence.

"Just waiting for the grumpy giant." Jace peeked over Gareth's shoulder, where he saw Phoenix making his way there.

"Ok, I'm done with this game," he grumbled. "Let's get this over with. Jace?"

Jace placed his tiny stack of paper snips on the bar. "Six."

"Nine," Cracker said with self-satisfaction and placed his next to Jace's.

"Damn," Gareth grumbled. "I shouldn't have spent so much time with the blonde. Five." He, too, placed his numbers on the bar.

All of them turned to Phoenix.

It was the moment they had all waited for.

Jace had to admit that Phoenix did not look comfortable, though his face did not show anything. It was more in his posture. All of a sudden, he felt bad that he had pressured Phoenix to do it. It had been to help him, not to make him lose and feel even worse.

"It's ok... It was just a silly game. I'll pay for the drinks..." Jace began to ease Phoenix.

"Seventeen," Phoenix exclaimed and put his stack next to the others. "And now you asshats leave me the fuck alone and give me a drink."

"The fuck...?" Jace once again looked for his jaw.

At least he was not crawling on the floor looking by himself. Cracker and Gareth were equally shocked.

"How in the holy hell...?" Gareth stared at Phoenix in awe. "Guess drinks are on me. Find a table, and I'll bring over some bottles and mixers."

Phoenix gave them all a smug smile, grabbed his pile, and turned on his heel. It was a great satisfaction to have won that lame game. What had Jace been thinking? Had he not crushed him enough by making him feel like shit by being a second choice? He had to up that by showing how easily he could get women for a night too?

At first, Phoenix had felt crushed, but then anger for once had flared in him when that voice in his head had mocked him again. It had fueled his resolve to win and show Jace. And it had earned him veto rights on top of it.

What a marvelous moment it had been to see their faces.

And he had not cheated. He might be awkward around people, and being gay, he had no clue how to score a woman. He had resorted to his only weapon.

The truth.

He had simply told the women about the bet. Had gently explained that he would not use their numbers for anything, because he was gay, but he needed to win because the man he had a crush on and could never get was the one forcing him to participate. The women had been so sympathetic and helpful. Had encouraged him to either find somebody worth loving or told him that everything would work out.

The first woman had been skeptical. It made sense. Any man could say he was gay and make up a story to get a number. But Phoenix had somehow convinced her, probably because he had shown no interest in her very prominent assets, which were pressed up almost under her chin, and he had not once let his eyes drift there.

She had made it her mission to help him and had basically done all the talking for him around the room to make sure he got enough numbers to win the bet.

The glory of shutting Jace up filled him as he walked away.

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading. I'm back after the hectic task it was to get Russian Roulette: Family secrets ready for The Watty Awards 2021. I hope y'all have been well and are ready for some P&J time?

Jace's good intentions did not work out quite as planned, eh? They're very good at getting the wring idea and instead of confronting each other, they just assume and act like idiots. Do you think Jace will be able to keep his promise?

If you like it, then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: October 4th, 2021. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen