Page 59 of Their Wicked Ways
“Nine? Like there are ten of you?” Wes gaped at me.
I nodded.
“Jesus H Christ.” Ez looked stunned. “I have never been so happy to be an only child. I can’t imagine having nine siblings.”
I shrugged. “Big families are kind of normal where I grew up.”
They exchanged a look.
“So what are you going to do until your appointment?” Ez asked.
“Probably go home, eat something, and doomscroll until my alarms tell me to get my ass out the door.”
“You could do that, or you could hang out with us,” Ez suggested.
I glanced between them. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Wes’s smile made my stomach flip-flop. “We could grab something to eat, then head to your appointment. It doesn’t feel right that you’re doing this big thing alone. This seems like a milestone worth celebrating.” Wes bumped my shoulder with his.
“Are you sure?”
They nodded.
“Um, okay. Thanks.” I slipped my phone into my pocket. “That sounds fun.”
“Do you need to go home and get ready first?” Wes asked.
“Yeah.” I was feeling grimy after working outside all day. I definitely needed to shower.
“Do you have a preference for where we go for dinner?” Ez asked.
“Where do you usually go?”
“Nowhere in particular. Just whatever place we feel like hitting up.”
“I’m down for whatever,” I said quickly.
“It’s okay to have opinions or to ask for what you want.” Ez’s voice was soft. “Your needs and wants matter too.”
His words were like a punch to the gut. After a lifetime of being told that my needs came second to everyone else, my default was to just go along with whatever others wanted and find a way to deal with it.
“You noticed I do that?” I leaned back against my car.
“Kinda hard not to.” Wes pressed his arm against mine for a few beats. “So, is there anything you want? We’re pretty adventurous when it comes to what we put in our mouths.”
A laugh bubbled out of my chest. “I’ve noticed that.”
Both men laughed with me.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t mean it that way, even though it’s true.” Wes grinned, his eyes shining with humor and what could be affection.
“I don’t really have a favorite kind of food or anything like that.” I crossed my arms. “We didn’t really eat out when I was a kid unless it was fast food or one of those family places that has free kids’ meals. And it wasn’t really something I did when I moved out either.” Staring down at my feet, I scuffed the toe of my shoe against the ground.
“Do you have any food allergies? Anything you don’t like?” Wes asked.
I looked up, expecting to see judgment or pity in their expressions, but warm smiles greeted me. “No allergies. I’m not picky, either. I’ll pretty much try anything once.”
“Do you trust us to pick a place?” Ez asked.