I wondered how someone as relaxed and down-to-earth as George had raised a man as uptight as Eden’s dad. It seemed the apple had fallen far from the tree—twice. I really believed deep down, Eden wasn’t nearly as uptight as people seemed to think.
Chapter 3
That night after dinner, we all got ready to go to the jazz club. Since George had gotten totally dressed up in his best suit, new shirt and tie, and a fedora, the rest of us decided we needed to make an effort, too.
I sorted through the nice, new clothes I’d bought for my job and selected an all-black outfit—tight jeans, a perfectly tailored button-down shirt, my new leather jacket, and a pair of lace-up boots. There was always the idea in the back of my mind that I wanted to look nice for Eden, but I didn’t know why I bothered. It wasn’t like it’d make a difference.
Once I was ready, I went downstairs to the kitchen and found my brother with a beer in his hand. He’d tried to tame his unruly brown hair, which hadn’t worked at all, but he’d also trimmed his short beard, so that part was good.
In typical Casey fashion, he’d opted for jeans with a Hawaiian shirt and his cheap tweed blazer—his standard dressy outfit. Since we were the same height and nearly the same build, I almost offered to give him some of my new clothes. But then, he’d really only take that as an insult, instead of a sincere offer to do something nice for him.
I leaned against the counter and asked, “So, how different is your job now that you’ve transitioned from being a student nurse to the real deal?”
“The main difference is that I don’t have a nurse assigned to keep an eye on me anymore. The nice thing was that she used to act as a buffer between me and the doctors, but now I’m on my own. And doctors, as it turns out, are a huge pain in the ass. Well, not all. A few didn’t get the memo that they’re supposed to be dismissive and condescending. But there’s always one douche to rule them all. The one I have to work with is named Theodore Koenig, or as I like to call him, Actual Satan.”
“Yeah, that’s fun.”
Casey finished his beer, and then he set aside the bottle and asked, “So, is pizza delivery your plan for the foreseeable future? Zipping around town in a tiny smart car with a big, lit up pizza slice on the roof?”
I carefully crafted my reply to avoid any actual lies. “It’s not necessarily a job anyone would want to do forever, but it’s fun and the tips are good.”
Eden came into the kitchen just then. He’d gone with black dress pants and a deep purple button-down shirt under a black V-neck sweater, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. The sweater was tight enough to show off his broad shoulders, big biceps, and narrow waist, but he still looked classy and elegant. He always made that seem so effortless.
“You look nice, Seth,” he said. “And Casey, good try.”
I chuckled at that, and Casey tried to suppress a smile. He opened the front of his blazer to display his Hawaiian shirt and told us, “It’s not about cookie cutter fashion, it’s about—”
“Following in the footsteps of your personal style icon, Chunk from The Goonies,” I interrupted, which made Eden snort with laughter.
“You both suck,” Casey said, but he was grinning. “You’re dressed like you’re going to an undertakers’ convention, which leads me to believe you’re just jealous of my bold and colorful risk-taking fashion.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Magnum P.I.,” Eden said, and Casey rolled his eyes.
George appeared in the doorway and shifted the cane in his hand as he asked, “Are you chuckleheads planning to stand around in the kitchen all night, or are we going to go have some fun?”
“We’re going,” I said, as I checked my phone. “I called a Lyft for us, and it’ll be here soon. Let’s start making our way to the front of the house.” I tried to pet Pancake on the way out of the kitchen. She hissed and batted at me with her paw, so I quickly pulled my hand away. That cat had issues.
The club Casey and George had found was swanky and upscale, with an older clientele. We got lucky, because a booth opened up just as we arrived. I bought us our first round of drinks, then pretended to watch the mellow jazz quartet on stage, even though my attention was riveted to something much closer.
Eden sat right beside me, so close that my leg and arm were pressed up against him. That was just because the booth was on the small side, and the only way all four of us could fit was to squeeze in. I obviously wasn’t complaining. Eden’s body heat felt wonderful, and I loved the scent of his cologne.