Busy?
It was a one-word text message from Camden, and there was nothing special about it, but for some reason, Harrison immediately smiled while looking at his smartphone. At the moment, he was still stuck in his office even though it was nearly thirty minutes past eight in the evening. He had had too many things to deal with that day, starting with three video conferences earlier in the morning, a meeting with the shareholders straight after lunch that lasted until nearly three o’clock, another meeting with the senior managers from various departments that had concluded at around six in the evening, and tons of reports to go through afterward. He tapped on the screen of his smartphone so he could answer Camden’s text message.
Almost done. Exhausted and starving. What are you up to?
Harrison clicked on the send button before placing his phone back on the desk. He, Camden, and Tristan had hung out together over the last few nights. Every time he met up with Camden and Tristan, he would always be hit with a surge of excitement, lust, and affection. He enjoyed spending time with Camden and Tristan. Unfortunately, he was unable to go out with them that night. He reminded himself that he would see them the next day, and they would be flying to New York so they could attend the party. Then he was startled when the landline abruptly rang. He was bewildered and curious because he didn’t expect anybody to contact him via the landline at that hour on Friday evening. Besides, his business acquaintances would always call him on his smartphone or chat with him via the instant messenger.
“Harrison Cooke speaking.”
“Good evening, Mr. Cooke. I’m Jake Shores, one of the security guards on shift tonight.”
Harrison frowned. He was even more confused now because the security guards had never bothered him even when he had to stay in the office until one or two in the morning, and he had done that many times in the past.
“Hello, Mr. Shores. What can I do for you?”
“Just address me as Jake, sir.”
“Okay, Jake. What’s going on?”
“You have guests, sir.”
Harrison was astonished. “Guests?”
“Yes, sir. Mr. Tristan Newman and Mr. Camden Barrera are here at the lobby. I require your permission—”
“Yes!” Harrison exclaimed. He was simultaneously astonished and elated. “Let them go up to my office.”
“Okay, sir.”
“Thank you, Jake.”
“No problem. You have a great evening, sir.”
“You, too.”
Harrison replaced the handset before rushing out from the office. He only waited for about a minute or so in front of the elevators. Tristan and Camden exited from the elevator in the middle, and Harrison beamed widely as he approached them.
“You don’t seem exhausted and starving,” Camden said with a teasing tone of voice.
In response, Harrison pulled in both Tristan and Camden before he wrapped his arms around their waists tightly. He heaved out a sigh of contentment when Camden and Tristan returned his embrace without a hint of hesitation. He hugged them for a few seconds longer before stepping back a little.
“This is such an amazing surprise.”
Tristan smiled at Harrison. “Glad to hear that. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
Harrison shook his head, and he was rather embarrassed when his stomach let out a loud rumble at that very second. Camden and Tristan chuckled before grabbing Harrison’s hands. Harrison automatically intertwined their hands.
“We brought you dinner,” Camden interjected before Harrison could answer Tristan’s question.
That was when Harrison noticed the cloth bag that Camden was carrying with his other hand. Harrison was deeply touched by Camden’s and Tristan’s thoughtfulness.
“Thank you. Let’s go to my office.”
It took them about five minutes, and once they got there, they quickly unpacked the food. Dinner was nothing fancy. Just spaghetti and meatballs, along with garlic bread. However, Harrison appreciated Camden’s and Tristan’s kindness, and he thanked them again.
“I didn’t do anything at all,” Tristan admitted. “Camden was the one who cooked everything. I’m actually on my dinner break right now.”
Harrison belatedly remembered that Tristan had to work at the gym that night. “Regardless, I’m truly thankful that you’re both here to have dinner with me.”
Tristan nodded while Camden distributed the food. Harrison moaned in delight upon tasting the meatball, and Camden chortled.
“Is it really that delicious?”
“Yes!” Harrison replied while grinning at Camden.
“I can give you the recipe.”
“You and Tristan should come over to my house and teach me all kinds of recipes, but the two of you may have to do it multiple times. I’m really terrible in the kitchen.”
Tristan looked amused. “How bad are you?”
“I can boil water, fry some eggs, make pancakes, and…uh, I think that’s it.”
Camden’s eyes widened a little. “Are you serious?”
“Well, I can prepare stir-fry dishes, but the results aren’t guaranteed.”
Tristan snickered. “How did you manage to survive all these years?”
“Most of the time, I relied on takeout, restaurant or microwaveable food, cereals, bakeries, and lots of coffee.”
Camden laughed. “Wow! You have the nerve to sound so proud of your incompetency in the kitchen.”
“That’s why I need you and Tristan to rescue me,” Harrison retorted while chuckling. “Will you do it?”
“I will,” Tristan promised.
“Me, too,” Camden added. “Anyway, we need to finish up here as fast as possible. Tristan must return to the gym after this. He only has one hour for dinner, and he has less than forty minutes left.”
That wasn’t much, and Harrison wished the three of them could spend more time together. However, he was still thankful to Tristan and Camden for coming over to his office and having dinner with him even though it was already so late at night.
“Is there anyone else who bothers you at the bakery?” Harrison asked while eating and glancing at Tristan. “Or anywhere else for that matter.”
“No,” Tristan answered, and he looked much more relaxed now when this particular topic would always make him stiffen in the past. “And I haven’t seen Linda for a few days. I’m frankly relieved.”
Linda was a nurse at one of the hospitals downtown, and Harrison wasn’t sure if Tristan was aware of it. After being brought into the station for questioning by the police, Linda’s employment had been terminated. The hospital probably wouldn’t have gone that far if Harrison didn’t have any connections there. He had informed his acquaintances at the hospital, and things had proceeded swiftly afterward. He didn’t tell Tristan or Camden about it because he didn’t see any point in doing so. Besides, Tristan was obviously more than satisfied by not having to deal with Linda any longer.
“Good,” “Harrison said. Then he decided to change the topic of conversation so they wouldn’t have to talk about Linda any further. “By the way, have you both packed up everything you will need for the short trip to New York tomorrow?”
“I have,” Camden replied.
“Same for me,” Tristan added. “We will return here to Austin on Sunday morning, won’t we?”
Yes,” Harrison confirmed. “You don’t have to pack too many clothes. Just the tuxedo, something to sleep in, and any random shirt and pants for the flight on Sunday. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your new shoes for the party.”
He had bought Tristan and Camden a new pair of shoes each to complement their tuxedos. A part of him felt rather sad when he thought about the upcoming party because he wouldn’t have any excuses to hang out often with Camden and Tristan once it was over. He liked both of them, but he wasn’t sure if they felt the same way about him. They definitely acted friendly, warm, and nice to him, but that didn’t necessarily mean that they were attracted to him. He suppressed a sigh and shoved all the negative thoughts to the back of his mind because focusing on something like that was completely pointless. Instead, he should find a way to find out if he might have a chance to be more than friends with Tristan and Camden. He couldn’t come up with the right tactic immediately, but he would do his best to do that as soon as he could. In the meantime, he should enjoy the remainder of dinner with the two men. He would deal with everything else later.