DAN HADN’T stopped since the moment he entered Cowboys and Angels. Happy hour had only just finished, and the crowd was ten-deep at the bar. When Bradley waved the phone at him to say someone wanted to speak to him, Dan shook his head.
“Take a message and tell them I’ll call back later.”
Bradley repeated what he’d said to the person at the other end of the line, and then he looked apologetically at Dan. “He says it’s kind of an emergency.”
Dan apologized to the man he’d been serving and took the phone. “You take over from me. It’s the guy in the blue shirt.” He didn’t know who the heck would be calling him with an emergency on the bar phone. If it were his family they’d call his cell, the same with his friends. “Hi, this better be important.”
“Is that Dan Collins?” The male voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Dan couldn’t place it.
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Cris.”
“Cris?”
“The stripper. I’m the redhead from the speed-dating night.”
“Oh!” He was the last person Dan expected to hear from. “Hey, it’s nice to hear from you, but it’s really busy at the moment. I haven’t got time to talk.”
“Thanks, but this is not a booty call. I’m at the club, and I’ve got a bachelorette party here. I’ve got a bride who’s feeling unwell. She tried to get hold of her fiancé, but he’s out of town.”
“Okay,” Dan said slowly. “But what’s that got to do with me?”
“Her name is Lena. She says she is a friend of yours. I figured she might be part of the wedding you’re going to.”
“Lena? What’s the matter with her?” The noise in the bar suddenly increased, and Dan clapped a hand over his ear to hear better.
“She says she’s feeling sick and dizzy. I could put her in a cab, but I’d rather she was with somebody she knew. You were the first person I thought of, but if you’re working I could—”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be there in thirty minutes. She’s pregnant, which is probably why she’s feeling sick.”
“Come to the door and tell them your name. I’ll make sure you’re let in immediately.”
Dan disconnected the call and dialed Gideon’s phone.
“Have they started fighting already?” Gideon rumbled. “It’s a little early, isn’t it?”
“I’m really sorry, boss. But Lena’s been taken ill at a club, and Marty is out of town. Is it okay if I take her home? I’ll be gone an hour, two tops. I’ll make up the time.”
“Where’s the club?”
“It’s what used to be Bones. It’s a strip club now. Forbidden Nightz. I’ll get a cab and take her home.”
“I know it. I’ll drive you,” Gideon said. “Ariel can take your place for an hour. Give me five minutes, and we’ll be down.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Dan protested.
“Lena is my friend. I’m not going to leave her feeling ill and alone without friends.”
Gideon disconnected the call before Dan could protest again. He stared at the phone and then shrugged. Even if Gideon just dropped him at the club, it would save him a lot of time. He told Bradley Ariel was coming down to help, and under no circumstances was she allowed to flirt with any of the customers.
Bradley stared at him as though he were stupid. “She’s Ariel, the boss’s daughter. I don’t have any control over what she does.”
“I know, but it was worth a try. Just try not to get the place completely destroyed before I get back.”
“Maybe you should be telling her that,” Bradley suggested.
Dan collected his jacket and wallet, and when he got back to the bar, Gideon was there waiting with a plastic bag. Ariel was behind the bar, already serving customers.
“Thanks for doing this, Gideon,” Dan said.
“Not a problem. Ariel will take over for as long as necessary. She’s under orders to keep the place intact.”
“You mean not to start a fight.”
Gideon winked. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
Dan thought there was more chance of snow in August, but Gideon had faith in his daughter, and if Dan thought it was misplaced, it was still none of his business.
They reached Forbidden Nightz in good time, although Gideon grumbled about leaving his car to the mercies of the neighborhood. Dan refrained from saying he could have gotten a cab. He was curious to know what was in the plastic bag that Gideon brought with him, but they got to the club before he could ask, and they walked straight to the door, ignoring the annoyed rumbling from the waiting line.
One of the doormen stepped forward and held up his hand. “You have to wait along with everyone else.”
“My name is Dan Collins. One of your… dancers called me about a friend of mine who is feeling sick.” Dan said.
“Dancers?” The guy looked amused. “You do know what type of club this is, don’t you?”
A huge, burly man wearing a thick black coat and hat overheard the conversation. “It’s okay, Sam. Lionman told me to look out for him.”
Lionman? Dan smirked a little. He wasn’t the only one who spotted Cris’s resemblance to a big cat.
The first doorman stood back and let them through into the club. Sam led the way through the club, which appeared to be filled with women hooting and hollering at the show on the stage. Dan caught a glimpse of two men with tanned and oiled skin. They were dressed in red jockstraps and gyrating around a pole.
They continued into a small office where Lena and Cris sat. The look of relief on Lena’s face when she saw Dan made him feel guilty for his initial annoyance about the interruption to his evening.
He rushed over, knelt at her feet, and took her hands in his. “Hey, how’re you feeling?”
“Nauseous and feeling like an idiot for being ill at my bachelorette party. I’m really sorry for dragging you away from work. I told Cris not to bother you.” She seemed to notice Gideon for the first time. “I’m so sorry, Gideon.”
Gideon joined them and gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t be silly, Lena. You can’t help feeling sick. Let’s get you home now.”
“I think I might be sick in the car,” she said in a little voice.
“Not a problem,” Gideon said. “I’ve brought a bowl, a towel, and some saltines. Have a couple of these crackers before we leave. It will help to settle your stomach.”
Now Dan knew what was in the bag. “You were a Boy Scout, weren’t you?”
“No, but I did have a wife with very bad morning sickness. I always had a bag packed in case she threw up.”
Gideon opened the packet of saltines and handed her a couple of the crackers. As she ate, Dan looked at Cris, who wore sweats but was bare chested and rather shiny. “Thanks for looking after her.”
“No worries. I’m just glad I put two and two together.” Cris looked at Lena. “Is it all right if I leave you with your friends now? I have another set in fifteen minutes.”
She smiled at him, even if it was a shadow of her usual smile. “You’ve been wonderful. I’m so glad we met at last. Dan mentioned you after the speed-dating event.”
“He did?” Cris’s smile was sudden and bright in its intensity and lit up the small room. But he must have caught the sudden scowl on Gideon’s face, because the smile faded. He murmured something noncommittal, said goodbye to them all, and left the office.
“Where are your bachelorettes?” Dan asked. “Why aren’t they looking after you?”
Lena pulled a face. “Is it sad that I don’t even know most of the people in my party? Some women from work found out I was getting married and insisted I have a bachelorette party. I only said yes because Marty was out of town. They don’t know I’m pregnant. I told them to carry on without me, and they did.”
Dan was unimpressed by a group of women who would leave the bride when she was feeling sick. From the scowl on Gideon’s face, he was of similar mind. “How did you meet Cris?”
“He caught me coming out of the bathroom and asked me if I was all right. He was lovely. When he realized I was the bride, he asked if I knew you. I didn’t know who else to call. I couldn’t call my parents, and my matron of honor is on vacation. Mama wouldn’t understand me coming to a place like this.”
Dan nodded. “Come on, then. Let’s get you home.”
He helped her on with her coat, and he and Gideon flanked her as they left the club. On the stage, Cris was dancing. He waved to Dan and wiggled his butt at him, and Dan could have sworn he heard a growl from Gideon. He thanked the doormen who had initially helped them and then guided Lena to Gideon’s car. She collapsed on the back seat with a sigh of relief. Gideon produced a pillow and a blanket and the bowl, together with more saltines.
“Tell me the address and then just relax, darlin’.”
“I want to go back to my apartment.” She rattled off the address.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to your parents’ place?” Dan asked. “You should have someone to look after you.”
“They don’t know I’m pregnant. It would be too hard to explain. I just want to go home, crawl into bed, and forget about tonight.”
She closed her eyes, and Dan looked at Gideon, who nodded.
“We’ll take you home,” Gideon said. “You need to be tucked up in your own bed.”
It was probably the best place she could be if she had all-day morning sickness. They drove to her condo in a quiet part of Sunset Park. Dan had never been there before. The area was well out of his price range.
Gideon and Dan escorted her to her apartment door, and she thanked them for helping her.
“You need us and we’ll be here,” Dan assured her.
She smiled wearily. “I’m really glad Marty knows you. He’s very lucky to have friends who drop everything to help.”
“I didn’t do this for Marty,” Dan said. “You’re my friend too.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked rapidly. “I’m going to go inside before I either throw up or make a complete idiot of myself. Good night, both of you.”
Lena disappeared inside and shut the door, and Dan and Gideon walked in silence back to the car. As Gideon pulled away, he said, “I don’t like the idea that someone would leave a friend in need.”
Dan looked over. It had started to rain, and Gideon’s face was illuminated by the light caught in the raindrops on the windshield. “You mean the bachelorettes?”
“Yes. If Ariel were out and in trouble, I’d expect one of her friends to help her.”
“Those aren’t her friends. Those are her office coworkers. From what I know, Lena’s a very efficient and organized individual. They probably didn’t see her as somebody sick and vulnerable and thought she would just get a cab home.”
“I still don’t like it,” Gideon insisted.
“That’s because you have a big heart, and you would never leave anyone in trouble.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” Dan argued. “I’ve worked for you for a long time. You took me home the night I covered for the boys. You didn’t have to do that. You also made sure I was in bed and covered up. You even fed the damn cat. That’s someone who cares for others.”
“My momma drummed it into me you always look after your own.”
“You were very lucky to have a momma with good instincts.”
Gideon glanced over and then back at the road. “Your mom wasn’t like that?”
“She… looks after herself. Mom isn’t a bad woman, but she comes first.” Dan had a lot of things he could say about his mother, but that wasn’t the time. He loved her, but they had a complicated relationship, and he didn’t think Gideon would understand. Gideon loved unconditionally, and Dan’s mother loved with restrictions. Dan understood that, although it had been hard when he was growing up. The benefit of space and years had enhanced their relationship.
“Where’s your father?”
“He died, not long before I started at the bar.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot that. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. You had your own family to mourn then.”
“That I did. If it hadn’t been for you keeping the bar running and little Ariel to look after, I might have sunk into my own grief.”
“I never told you how much I admired how you kept going after the loss of your son and your wife.” It wasn’t the sort of thing he and Gideon had ever talked about, but maybe it was time.
“Thanks, Dan.” Gideon drove for a few minutes, and then he spoke again. “I’ve got to ask. You and Cris?”
“What about me and Cris?”
“I… arrogantly assumed you would want to go to the wedding with me. I never considered you might have met another man who you’d rather go with. I know you like him, and he certainly likes you. If you would rather take Cris as your plus-one to the wedding, I’ll step back.”
Dan swallowed hard. “Would you rather not be my date?”
“Darlin’, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be your plus-one at Marty and Lena’s wedding, but I’m an old man compared to Cris, and I don’t want to stand in your way.”
An old man? Dan nearly burst out laughing. Gideon was thirty-seven—anything but old. Dan sought for the right words to convey how he felt. “Don’t get me wrong. I like Cris, and if things hadn’t turned out as they did, I might have called him and asked him to come with me to the wedding. But I want you to come with me, to be my plus-one. And as for saying you’re an old man, get over yourself.”
Gideon burst out laughing. “You’re never going to let me wallow in self-pity, are you?”
“Not when you’re talking bullshit, no.”
“It’s not easy going back into the dating market at my age.”
“Some of us have never left the dating market, and let me tell you, that’s even harder. Especially for a gay man. You go from desirable to invisible very quickly.”
“Women say the same thing.”
“Have you been reading Ariel’s Cosmopolitan magazine again?” Dan snarked.
“And there you slap me down again.”
“I only slap you down when you deserve it.”
Gideon turned into the street. “You and Ariel are the only ones I let do that.”
Dan thought about it for a while. “Am I crossing the boundary?”
“Anybody else I’d say yes. You, definitely not.” He parked in front of Cowboys and Angels and turned to look at Dan. “Don’t change, Daniel Collins. I like you just as you are.”
Gideon was out the door before Dan could reply, and maybe that was a good thing because Dan didn’t know what the hell to say to that.
THE NEXT morning, before Dan went to work, he called Lena to see how she was.
“It was a very long night,” she groaned.
“You kept being sick?”
“Dude, I was the Vomit Comet. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought I was drunk.”
Dan frowned. “You don’t think anyone spiked your drink, do you?”
“I asked the bar to ensure they only gave me soft drinks no matter what the girls ordered for me. Once I told them I was pregnant, they were happy to assist. The girls may have thought I was drinking double vodkas, but I was only drinking club soda.”
Dan was pleased to hear it, but he decided he would check with Cris all the same. If Lena had been drinking alcohol, perhaps she should get checked out by her doctor. “How do you feel this morning?”
“Like the living dead.”
“Are you at home?” Dan asked.
Lena chuckled in his ear. “I’m at work, and none of the bachelorettes are here. They all called in sick. The partners think I’m the golden girl for coming in the day after my party. Little do they know the truth.”
“It’s a Sunday. Why are you at work?”
“The law doesn’t stop on a Friday, Dan.”
“I know it’s none of my business, but will the baby affect your promotion prospects?”
“Probably. Almost certainly,” Lena said with a remarkable honesty. “The baby wasn’t planned, and if I’m being honest, this is lousy timing. But Marty is the right person, and if we can’t make it work now, then when can we make it work?”
Dan stupidly felt his eyes fill. He blinked rapidly and coughed a little to clear the lump in his throat. “Marty’s a very lucky man.”
“I’m a very lucky woman,” she countered. “Not only for marrying the most wonderful man in the world, but for getting his wonderful friends too. I won’t forget what you did last night, you and Gideon. I called Marty this morning, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing from him soon.”
“Oh no. He didn’t get all emotional, did he?” he teased to cover his own sudden emotional moment.
“He might have been a little tearful.”
“You know I’m going to tease him about that, don’t you?”
“I’d expect nothing less. That’s why I told you.” Dan heard talking in the background, and Lena said, “I’ve got to go. I’ve got a meeting in fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll wait breathlessly for Marty’s call.”
“You’re an ass.” She was gone, and her snicker rang in his ear.
To give Marty credit, he managed to last till nearly midday before he called. And, just as Dan and Lena predicted, he was very emotional as he thanked Dan.
“It wasn’t only me, dude. My boss was the one who thought of the saltines and the bowl and the blanket and pillows. If it had been me, Lena would have gone home with a taxi and a plastic bag.”
“You mean I’m wasting all my thanks on the wrong person?” Marty said.
“Oh no, you can carry on. Just remember now, you owe my boss, and he is definitely going to collect.”
“Consider me warned. I’ve got to know—how did he react to meeting Cris?”
“He was… growly. And I think jealous. He gave me the speech about standing back and letting Cris take his place at the wedding.”
“What did you say?” Marty asked breathlessly.
“I told him thanks very much and I’d be happy to go out with the Lionman.”
“You didn’t?” Marty sounded disgusted.
“Of course I didn’t. You’re so gullible. I did say that under different circumstances I might—might—have gone out with Cris and asked him to the wedding. But I wouldn’t want Cris to take Gideon’s place. He then said he knew he was an old man, so I told him he’d been reading Cosmopolitan too much, and it ended there.”
Marty sighed. “This is a conversation I would never have with a straight guy.”
“I can belch and fart if you want me to make it more authentic,” Dan suggested helpfully.
“That’s more like it. I can feel the straight points returning.”
“Weren’t you the one crying down the phone to me a few minutes ago? You lost all your straight points then.”
Marty swore cheerfully and hung up. Dan grinned. He was going to be milking that one for a very long time.