Page 2 of Archer
“Warn me next time, and I’ll make your first shot bottom shelf so you’re not wasting the good stuff.” He chuckled and poured me another shot.
“So worse, huh? What’s worse than that?” Bram asked.
“A sick kid? Did one of the rug rats throw up on you this time?”
“No, but that has happened before. This was a wedding, and I kid you not, the bride and her cousin got into a catfight.”
“No way. Did you catch it on camera?”
“Of course I did.” I smirked and took a sip of my whiskey, savoring it this time.
I gave them the rundown of what happened, and by the time I was finished, they’d both agreed I deserved a drink or three.
“How about you guys? How was your day?”
“Well, I thought it was bad until you got here.” Hitch laughed and then launched into a story about his day.
I might not be living my dream yet, but what I did have wasn’t half-bad since I had these two to complain about it with.
Crispin
Yum, yum, yummy. I hefted my yoga bag up higher on my shoulder as I passed the bar in the lobby. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding sat at the end, glaring down into his drink. What that man needed was some stress relief.Hmm. I wondered if I could find a way to entice him into taking one of my yoga classes. Then again, for him, I had some other fine ideas of how he could work out some of his tension all over my body.
Snickering to myself, I almost collided with Elton. “Sorry.”
He waved a hand in the air in acknowledgment and kept on going, which cracked me up. As long as I’d seen him around the Windsor, it had been obvious that his head was in the clouds. It made sense since rumor had it that he was a fantasy author.
I made it to my car and tossed my bag in the backseat with my mind straying back to the broody guy from the bar, which was silly. I didn’t have time to daydream about sexy times with a stranger when I needed to focus on making money. Getting the luscious man into one of my classes would benefit my wallet, and hopefully, his disposition, but it would take a lot more bodies than him to make the studio profitable. Where were all the yoga enthusiasts, and how should I draw them in?
As I drove home, a glance at the gas gauge had me groaning. I swear I had to fill this stinking thing up every time I turned around. I had this unbelievable opportunity to make my dream come true years before I expected it to happen, but it was hard not to get discouraged when money was so tight.
I could go ahead andDoorDashtonight, but I hadn’t planned on it, so I was still in yoga pants and a shirt that stopped above my belly button. I figured out pretty quickly after I started food delivery—or dashing, as I learned once I started the job—that it was safest if I dressed more like an everyday Joe in jeans and a t-shirt. The last thing I needed was some homophobic pain-in-the ass giving me a hard time. I’d even had someone withhold their tip once they got a look at me. People like that were a waste of space, in my humble opinion.
Arriving home, where I was staying in my brother Ben’s spare room, I swore. My parents were here. Why hadn’t my brother warned me? How hard was it to shoot a quick text message? I’d have been better off delivering food and making some extra money than dealing with my father’s attitude about my life’s choices. At least he didn’t care that I was gay. Deciding not to add fuel to his fire, I left my yoga bag in the car. My outfit showcased where I’d been enough and what I’d been doing, but I couldn’t do anything about that now.
As I opened the front door, I wondered if I could sneak past the living room and go straight to my bedroom, but the sounds from the show on the TV went silent as my mom called, “Crispin, is that you?”
Busted. “Yes.” Mom jumped up and enfolded me in her warm embrace as soon as I walked into the living room, and I felt like a dick for wanting to avoid her. I loved my parents, and I knew I held a special place in my mom’s heart. Listening to my dad’s lectures sucked, but really, wasn’t my mom worth it?
As I pulled back from her, I caught a glimpse of Ben’s face. He looked worried and sorry. I nodded and gave him a small smile to let him know it was okay. This was his house, and he was doing me a huge favor by letting me stay here while I worked out my life. He shouldn’t have to ostracize my parents because my dad made me uncomfortable.
“Where have you been dressed like that?” my father asked gruffly, with a tone of disdain.
Mom rolled her eyes. “Larry, how about you say hi to our son?”
Ben and I gaped at each other, shocked. That was really pushing the envelope for my mom. My parents had a fantastic relationship, and I hadn’t known my dad had it in him to be such a dick until I quit my job at the mortgage company. I’d hated it with every fiber of my being, but all he’d cared about was that it was a stable career that made me a decent income. It didn’t help that Ben had also gone to school for finance and genuinely enjoyed his job as a financial consultant and was doing quite well for himself. My decision to pursue what Dad considered a whimsical life baffled my father, and it had put us at odds.
Dad sighed loudly. I knew that sound. It meant his patience was being stretched to the limit. Hell, I’d literally just walked in.Was my mere presence enough to aggravate him now? “Hello, Crispin. It’s good to see you, son.”
“Nice to see you too, Dad,” I said, crossing to the couch where he sat with my hand outstretched.
He shook it hard enough to break bones, but that was his way. “So, have you re-thought this ridiculous idea yet?”
“Dad,” my brother said, raking a hand through his hair.
“Can’t we just put the movie back on?” my mom asked softly, which was more her normal speed. Her redirection worked about sixty-five percent of the time. Hopefully, tonight would be one of them.
Grabbing at that, I asked, “What are you guys watching?”