Landon dropped a detergent pod into the dishwasher, closed it up and pressed the start button. “Awesome. That’s done.” Be cool. He went for a beer. Tonight was definitely not the night for hard liquor. No way, no how.
He leaned back against the counter in time for Mitch to grab his beer and take a drink from it. “So. You’ve got a thing for the straight boy, huh?”
“No.” Landon yanked his beer back. “He’s just an employee. We hang out sometimes, but I know he’s straight.” He actually managed to get the words out with some conviction behind them.
Mitch leaned against the counter beside him, surreptitiously glancing out toward the bonfire, a feat Landon couldn’t bring himself to do. “Doesn’t mean you can’t have a crush on him.”
God, I wish it was just a crush. Jay was the kind of guy Landon could fall for. He paused with his beer bottle to his lips. It was obviously time to switch to soda, because that unbidden thought made his blood pressure hit stroke level in less than two seconds.
Landon passed his beer to Mitch and went for a soda. “Nah, he’s just from around. He grew up here. Moved back after his divorce and started working for daddy.”
“So you said.”
“You guys staying on in the morning or do you have to get back?”
Mitch studied Landon, but he must have implored with his expression enough to drop it that Mitch took pity on him. “I think we are heading out early. I wanted to stay until lunch, but she’s got some project at work tomorrow tonight.” Mitch gave Brittany the hairy-eyeball through the wall. “Which she would tell you herself if she wasn’t making us both jealous whores right now.”
Landon laughed, which was nice. He just… he knew Jay was straight, and he felt certain Jay wouldn’t screw Brittany, but the situation still sucked really, really bad.
“Would it be rude of me to head to bed?” Landon asked.
“Fuck no. I’m turning in soon, myself. I smell like burned wood and grease and I drove two hours today.” Mitch’s sympathetic expression was more than Landon could take right then. He patted the hand Mitch’d placed on Landon’s shoulder.
Landon shored himself up and went to the back door, sliding it open, but not focusing on the couple outside. “Just wanted to say goodnight to you guys. Had an early start so I’m headed to bed. Don’t forget to put dirt on the fire and put it out, please.”
“We won’t,” Brittany said sweetly. He was not going to be angry at his friend for this. She didn’t know. But he could be pissed at Jay.
He didn’t say any more, just shut the door and walked back through the kitchen. “Way to be the bigger woman, hon,” Mitch said sincerely.
Landon smiled tiredly and shrugged. “Can’t get mad at the straight people for… being straight.”
Mitch made an inelegant noise in his throat. “You most certainly can. But you’ve got manners.”
Landon huffed and went upstairs to his bed. He just needed the night to be over. So much for a fun night introducing Jay to his friends. And it all started because of a stupid almost-kiss. Fuck.
Landon blinked his groggy eyes open as sun shone into his bedroom windows. He turned his head, noticing the early hour. Not even eight in the morning. He usually slept in easily on Saturdays, so he couldn’t imagine what had pulled him from his sleep.
He heard a car door slam and rolled his head back toward the window. Then the previous night crashed back down on him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up in bed with an unhappy grunt. With his displeasure stacking back up in his chest and his mind reeling, he knew there was little chance he’d fall back asleep.
He got out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and shorts before going to take care of business in the bathroom. He supposed the least he could do was make his friends breakfast before they left. Brittany’s attention had been monopolized by Jay last night, so he hadn’t spent much time talking to her. He could mind his manners for the time being. Not like she did anything wrong by flirting with an available guy.