“Wise man.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “He has his moments. Follow me, Corey.”
I did. We walked back into the parlor, which had emptied while we’d been upstairs. He nodded toward a pair of sliding glass doors. Through them I could see a large formal dining room, a long cherry table in the middle under a crystal chandelier. The others were seated. It didn’t look like dinner had begun, though food had been put on the table. There were greens with bright red tomatoes and baskets filled with crispy bread.
Adam slid open the doors, and Jeremy looked relieved. He stood, pulling out the empty chair next to him. Adam pushed me toward him, and as I sat, Jeremy pushed in the chair, leaning over to whisper in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “Don’t leave me alone with them again.”
I smiled diplomatically as I turned my head to whisper back. “You didn’t do much to stop that from happening.”
He didn’t respond as he sat back down in his chair.
The place settings in front of us were expensive, of course, and I wasn’t disappointed when I saw how many forks there were. I was trying to figure out a way I could palm a few without getting noticed when Adam asked what I wanted to drink. “Water is fine.”
Brad frowned. “You don’t drink?”
“Water is fine,” I repeated sweetly.
Adam nodded and disappeared through another door. I saw a flash of a large kitchen before it swung shut.
“How’d the leather thing go?” Chase asked from his spot next to Brad. Luke and Chad were next to him. Jeremy and I were the only ones on our side of the table. It looked as if Adam and Stephen would sit at either end.
“It was fine,” Jeremy muttered. He’d been poured a drink in my absence, though he seemed to be nursing it.
“It was better than fine,” I said, not liking how dismissive Chase sounded. “He did a great job. I was impressed.”
“You’re into leather?” Luke asked. He looked shocked.
I shook my head. “No. Not my scene. I don’t think I could pull it off.”
“Then why did you go?” Chad asked.
I stared at him. “Because Jeremy is my friend and deserved to have support.” Granted, we’d gone to spy on him and had been foiled even before we arrived, but they didn’t need to know that. “That’s what friends do.”
“Place looks dirty,” Brad said. His drink looked as if it’d been refreshed, and I wondered how many he’d had. “I’ve driven by it a few times. Bad part of town too.”
“It’s not dirty,” Jeremy snapped.
“It wasn’t,” I said. “I’m even thinking of going back.”
“But you said it wasn’t your scene,” Luke said.
I shrugged. “It isn’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it for what it is. And one of my best friends is big in the scene, and I wanted to support him too.”
“Charlie,” Jeremy said, smiling tightly “He’s dating my father.”
“Your father is older,” Chase said, sounding confused.
“So is Charlie,” I said. Adam returned with a glass of water, and I thanked him before looking back at the others. They were looking at me with strange expressions. I must have missed something. “What?”
“One of your best friends is old?” Luke asked.
I blinked. “Yeah. Why? What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing at all,” Adam said, glaring at the men across from us as he sat down at the end of the table closest to me. “People bring in different perspectives from all walks in life. It’s about what they can contribute to our lives, not about the differences in age. Age shouldn’t matter.” He paused, considering. “As long as things are legal, of course.”
I resolutely did not look at Jeremy.
Before Brad could respond (and man, did he open his mouth quickly to do just that), Stephen pushed through the doors, carrying a tray filled with well-done steaks. Gross. The others murmured appreciatively as he set it down on the table. He grinned at us as he sat down at the head of the table. “All compliments go to Adam. I’m lucky he’s such a wonderful cook.”