Page 79 of Lilacs and Leather

“Do you want me to handle this?” Rhett’s question is neutral, no judgement or bias, which I can’t help but appreciate.

“Is Lucas going to be there?” I ask back.

“He’s working the clopen at Alice’s. One of the bartenders is out, so he’s picking up the slack,” Rhett replies.

“You want to do it tonight?” I splutter, opening my eyes in shock.

“I’d do it right now, but she doesn’t get off work for another few hours,” Rhett says with a chuckle.

“If Lexi and Luc are out, then yeah, I’ll be there. She should hear it from the horse’s mouth anyway,” I say with a heavy, resigned sigh.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Assume you know what’s going to happen. If I’ve learned one thing about Lydia since meeting her, it’s that she will always find a way to surprise you,” Rhett says fondly.

I chuckle once with little humor. “When and where?”

“We had plans to get Chinese and bring it back to Wickland House around six. Want your usual?”

“Sounds good, man.”

“And Matty?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s going to be okay,” Rhett says emphatically.

I grunt a reply, but he doesn’t press. We end the call, and I look down at my phone. I half hope to see a message from Lydia, but there’s nothing there. Gathering my wits, I pull out and head back into the city.

Thirty

Lydia

The drive to Wickland House with Rhett is tense and quiet.We pick up Chinese takeout from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on our way. The smell of it makes my mouth water and is almost enough to block out Rhett’s old books and whiskey aura. He texted earlier and said that Mateo would join us tonight, and the cowardly part of me had been tempted to fake illness to avoid him. I feel guilty for the way I spoke to Mateo earlier, and I don’t relish the idea of seeing him again so soon and having to explain my irrational territorial outburst.

We park out front, and my stomach flips when I see that Mateo’s SUV is already parked in his spot. Rhett takes my hand as we cross the lobby, and I can’t help but look around nervously. It’s past check-in, but there are half a dozen people scattered among the pillars and potted plants. They are all absorbed in their own business and take no note of Rhett or me, but I haven’t been able to shake the feeling of being watched ever since that photo was published. No one had approached me about it, so I was more than likely in the clear. But I didn’t trust it to last.

Rhett notices when I visibly relax against the back wall once we’re inside the elevator and the doors close. He looks at me curiously, but I don’t answer the question in his eyes. I’m sure he’ll ask about it soon enough, regardless of whether I want him to.

The door opens into the suite, and I see Mateo lounging on the couch, watching a sports talk show. He glances over when he hears the elevator ring and smiles before shutting off the TV.

“Excellent. I thought y’all’d never get here,” he says, springing to his feet.

He approaches me, opening his arms for a hug, but hesitates at the last second with a blush. I close the distance and wrap my arms around his middle, and he relaxes at my touch, returning the embrace.

“Sorry about earlier,” I mutter into his chest.

“No worries, baby,” he replies, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

We break apart and help Rhett lay out the food. Thankfully, the tension between us dissolves quickly and banter picks up. The topics are light, but it’s still a novelty to be included in the dinner conversation. Dishes are washed, and Rhett disappears for a moment, returning with a bottle of amber liquor and three glasses. He slides one of the balcony doors open and nods for Mateo and me to follow. He pours a generous serving in each glass before passing them around. We sit around a small metal table, looking out over the city in comfortable silence while we sip the very good bourbon.

“So, I’ve been told you saw that article about you and Mat?” Rhett starts.

I tense for a moment before taking a slow sip. “We don’t have to talk about that,” I mumble.

Mateo sighs. “No, we do. You trust us enough to share your past. It’s only fair we should be honest when you ask about ours.”