On a Roll by Beth Bolden (free ebook novel .txt) 📗

week ago, he might have agreed and meant it. But now? He couldn’t. He just knew better.

He’d never really had just a hookup partner before, though, so maybe this was just what it felt like when you added in the friend to the friends with benefits equation. Because he knew that before, he and Gabriel had definitely not been friends. Co-workers, maybe. Verbal sparring partners, definitely. But now Sean couldn’t deny that they’d ventured into a real, genuine friendship.

He wouldn’t be voluntarily spending his day off with Gabriel if they weren’t. And he wasn’t just letting Gabriel come with him, or taking Gabriel with him because he needed the help—he was actually looking forward to spending the day with him.

“You’re quiet over there,” Gabriel said.

“Just really enjoying these pancakes,” Sean said, taking all the thoughts that were currently making him uncomfortable and shoving them in a box. He couldn’t deal with any of this right now.

Gabriel’s smile was as bright as the morning sun filtering in through Sean’s kitchen window. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Sean responded. “You’re a really good cook, you know.”

The flush went from Gabriel’s cheeks down his neck, where it disappeared under his t-shirt collar. Sean was charmed, and even vaguely turned on, even though they’d just had very satisfactory handjobs in the shower less than an hour ago.

“Thanks,” Gabriel said, standing and grabbing their plates to take to the sink. “I’m not. Not really. Just runs in the family, I guess.”

It annoyed Sean more than he wanted it to that Gabriel didn’t understand that he was naturally gifted in the kitchen. He was naturally gifted in a lot of other ways too, and he was totally confident about those. He could make Sean sob with pleasure by barely crooking a finger. But whenever Sean tried to tell him how good a cook he was, he just brushed it aside.

Maybe that was part of becoming Gabriel’s friend, he thought as he grabbed his keys and wallet, being offended on his behalf instead of just offended.

“I’ve got a whole list of places we can hit,” Gabriel said as they got in Sean’s car. “And,” he added, with a trace of that blush returning to his face, “we can grab lunch at this Asian fusion place by one of them that I think you shouldn’t miss.”

Sean couldn’t figure out why Gabriel would possibly be embarrassed about introducing him to a great new restaurant. Maybe he was feeling a little odd about this evolution in their hookup relationship too. Friendship didn’t come naturally to everyone.

“Hey, that sounds awesome,” Sean reassured him. “I can’t wait. We just ate breakfast and I’m stuffed, but if I wasn’t, I’d want to head there first thing.”

Sean typed the address Gabe gave him into the GPS on his phone and plugged it into the car’s system.

“Really?”

“Really,” Sean said. “I mean, we’re experimenting with our own Asian fusion, aren’t we? But I’d hardly call us experts.”

“Right,” Gabriel agreed, relaxing into the seat more. “I almost forgot about that. We need to finish that recipe up today, I guess.”

“I was going to make the nuts tonight,” Sean said. “You could stay, after, and help me?”

“I’d really like that,” Gabriel said, even though Sean had been struck by a momentary worry that this was a lot of time to spend together. What if Gabe got freaked out or felt pressured? But it felt like the opposite instead, when he agreed. Like the most natural thing in the whole world.

Sean told himself to stop second-guessing everything and just enjoy it.

———

By the time they made it to the fusion place for lunch, they had a good haul in the back of Sean’s Outback. New spatulas and sauté pans for Gabriel, and he’d helped Sean pick out a new-to-him flat-top grill that he could install and plug in right where he’d had the original, bulky press that had been fine for starting out, but was severely limiting him now.

As they walked into the cute little hole-in-the-wall place, Sean’s mind was racing with all the new things he could add to the menu, now that he had the ability to make them.

“Hey, Moretti!” An Asian guy with a nose ring and a shock of blue mohawked hair came around the corner and greeted Gabe with enthusiasm. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen you around here.”

“Yeah,” Gabe said, falling into the hug like it was second nature. Sean hung back a little, awkward because he hadn’t realized that Gabe was such good friends with the guy who ran the place.

Why had he assumed that Gabriel wasn’t comfortable with friendships? He had so many, and Sean knew that. He’d just wanted to think Gabriel wasn’t just uncomfortable with him.

“Been busy,” Gabriel said. “You know we opened that food truck lot, right? Down by the Coliseum?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’d heard,” the guy said, leading them into the restaurant, and seating them at a prime table, right by the kitchen. “It’s going good, yeah?”

“Great,” Gabriel said as they sat down. “Sean here owns a truck that parks there, too. We’ve just been out looking at a couple of restaurant supply stores, seeing what kind of used stuff they’re carrying.”

“I know Gabe is all about the Italian all the time,” the guy said, smiling at Sean, “but you definitely don’t look related.”

“We’re not,” Sean said, chuckling.

“Mac,” the Asian guy said, shaking his outstretched hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

“I do wraps. Like salad wraps and stuff. Always looking to expand my ideas and my horizons, you know,” Sean said. Though from a quick glance at the menu, this guy was already brilliant. His mouth was watering just reading the descriptions. And the smells coming out of the kitchen? Sean had already determined that he was going to end up ordering half the menu and taking it home for leftovers.

“Oh, you see any decent fryers?” the guy asked.

“A few,” Gabriel said, pointing out the last place they’d been by name, and telling Mac that they’d had a few good ones for sale.

“Great,