“That depends. Have you ever danced on the bar top with Quinn?”

  “Quinn, the owner who’s seventy and change? No. Have you?”

  “Only once. He’s got some pretty good moves.”

  Erik threw his head back and laughed raucously, and David had never been so attracted to anyone before. Erik wasn’t even trying to be sexy—and there wasn’t much that was attractive about Erik’s laugh. Too many teeth, too loud. But the honesty of it made David want him even more.

  “I’ll put dancing with Quinn on my bucket list for my twenty-ninth year, then.”

  David bit his lip to keep himself from asking what else was on Erik’s list. It was so easy to fall into conversation with Erik and forget why flirting with him was such a bad idea.

  “Mel left pricing instructions behind the counter, I think. The pricing gun is back there too. You may have to hunt for some refill stickers—Danny was in here this week, and he thinks it’s fun to make patterns out of them. We should have some in the closet.”

  Erik seemed to accept the abrupt shift to business easily, which infuriated David. He was too easygoing by half, and it made him even more endearing.

  “Got it. The outdoor stand was a little low on wreaths when I came in, so I can head over to the greenhouse and pick some more up after I do that if you want.”

  Getting Erik out of the tiny cottage sounded like a marvelous idea. “Great. Thanks.”

  “No problem, boss.”

  On the surface, Erik looked as happy-go-lucky as always, but David had noticed that when Erik called him boss, he was irritated. Instead of trying to smooth things over, though, David turned away and started moving poinsettias around. An irritated Erik was a quiet Erik, and that’s exactly what David was hoping for.

  At least, that’s what he told himself. In reality, David couldn’t keep himself from checking in on Erik every few minutes, glancing up from his own task to watch as Erik unwrapped the fragile ornaments and carefully hung them on the trees the store used to display them.

  “Heading out to the greenhouse.”

  David grunted in response. “Take the box to the compost pile on your way, will you? It could use the balance.”

  “Will do.”

  The door chimed as Erik made his way outside, and a minute later David heard the ATV fire up. David sunk down from his crouch, sitting heavily on the floor next to the display. These shifts with Erik were killing him.

  The trek out to the greenhouse would only buy David a few minutes of solitude, and he intended to put them to good use. He fumbled for his two-way, calling up to the house.

  “Come in, Mel. It’s David down at the shop.”

  “David, it’s Danny. Mel’s out. What do you need?”

  “I told Erik he could go home early today because he’s going out for his birthday. Could you come cover the rest of his shift? It’s been pretty quiet, but I know we usually get a rush right before closing on Fridays.”

  David listened to the radio hiss for a moment, praying Danny said yes. They didn’t technically need two people in the shop, but it did help when things got particularly busy. He’d still send Erik off early, but he might be setting himself up for an uncomfortable evening.

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll be down in ten.”

  “Thanks, bro.”

  “No problem. See you soon, David.”

  David tucked the radio back into his waistband with a self-satisfied smirk. Erik wouldn’t be able to turn down the gesture if David had backup.

  David had finished trimming and watering the poinsettias by the time Erik stomped back in the door, rubbing his arms to ward off the chill. He hadn’t grabbed his coat on the way out, and David knew he must be freezing. It was cold enough outside without the wind whipping by on the ATV. Erik had to be chilled to the bone, riding it in no more than a thin plaid shirt.

  “Idiot. Come in here and warm up,” he said gruffly, nodding in approval when Erik knelt in front of the ceramic heater behind the counter and used it to warm his bare hands.

  “’S not that cold,” Erik said, his chattering teeth giving him away.

  David turned away, muttering darkly about frostbite. The floor had been spotless before he’d started his chore, but now it was littered with soil and trimmings. Sweeping it up seemed like a fabulous distraction, and David skirted around the counter, taking the longest way possible—and the route that put him the furthest from Erik—to get the broom.

  “Why don’t yours come wrapped in foil like they do everywhere else?”

  David looked up from his task, happy to see Erik looked a little less frozen, even though he was sitting on the counter.

  “The foil covers the hole in the bottom of the pot. Most of the places that sell plants with foil-wrapped pots are selling poinsettias with root rot. They need good drainage, and those pots don’t let the excess water drain out like ours do.”

  “So the roots get waterlogged and rot.”

  “Exactly. Same thing with the lilies and tulips that are everywhere in the spring. Not that it matters. Most people who buy these think of them as disposable. They don’t realize that if they’re well cared for, the plants can last years.”

  “My mom always got plants from her students at the end of the year. We had a huge garden around the side of the house that she’d plant all the hardy ones in after they stopped flowering inside.”

  All of the Rochester kids had been in Mrs. Shriver’s kindergarten class. Her classroom had been full of flowers too. It had felt homey and inviting to David.

  They had the mess cleaned up by the time the door chimed again and Danny walked in with his girlfriend, Chelsea. David bit back a groan; he hadn’t bargained on Danny not coming alone. He liked Chelsea well enough, but she and Danny were prone to public displays of affection that no brother should have to see.

  “Happy birthday, Erik!”

  Erik ducked his head bashfully at Danny’s enthusiastic greeting.

  Danny clapped Eric on the shoulder. “You two have a good time! Going out to dinner?”

  David sputtered. “What?”

  Chelsea gave David a knowing look, a grin curving her lips. He might have to reevaluate his opinion of her; she was obviously evil.

  “You’re taking Erik out for his birthday, aren’t you, David?” she said with a bright smile. “I thought that’s why Danny and I were covering the rest of your shifts.”

  “No, I—”

  “Yeah, David, you wouldn’t want me to celebrate alone, would you? Where are you taking me to dinner?”

  Erik’s tone was teasing, but David heard an undertone of loneliness in it. Apparently the clubs on Erik’s agenda were a solo trip.

  “I hadn’t—”

  “Mel made you reservations at that Mexican place you like in Lansing, Erik. She said to put your whole shift on your time card as a present from her.” Danny smirked at David when David made a sound of outrage. “And Mom said to put dinner on the family credit card, David. As a present from her and Dad.”

  Erik looked shocked at that, and David sighed. It was a sad statement about Erik’s life if he was so surprised someone would do something like that for him on his birthday.

  “Go home and get changed. They aren’t going to let you into anywhere decent wearing your usual ode-to-a-lumberjack get-up,” David said. He had sap and soil all over himself from the plants and spending part of his shift helping customers cut and tie down trees, so he’d need to change as well.

  “Seriously? David, you don’t have to go out with me tonight. I was just joking.”

  But he definitely hadn’t been joking about not having anyone to spend his birthday with, and David couldn’t let that go. Birthdays were a big deal in the Rochester household. His parents would roast him alive if they knew he didn’t take Erik out.

  “Reservation’s in your name for seven, David,” Danny said, ignoring David’s glare at his smug tone.

  “Meet you there?”

  David could have wept in relief at Erik’s question. As silly as it was for both of them to make the thirty-minute drive, David didn’t want to be forced to spend the drive making small talk with Erik.

  “I don’t think your motorcycle is the best choice for a night drive to Lansing in December, Erik,” Danny said with a frown.

  Motorcycle? David wasn’t sure why he was surprised. By either Erik having a motorcycle or him being stubborn and reckless enough to drive it on dark, icy roads.

  “Eh, I’ll be fine. I had to sell my mom’s car a few months ago. I only drove it in the winter, and it needed new brakes. Shelley will get me there safely. She always does.”

  “Shelley?”

  David knew he’d regret asking, and Erik’s answer didn’t disappoint. “My motorcycle. I spent two summers in college working in a garage, and I used my spare time putting her together. She’s not beautiful, but she runs like a dream. I was going to call it Frank, but when I finished the bike definitely felt like a her.”

  That explained the green helmet that had puzzled David a few weeks ago.

  “So you named her Shelley. After Mary Shelley, I presume? And Frank would have been what, short for Dr. Frankenstein?”

  Erik whooped. “No one ever gets that reference without explanation! It’s like we’re brain twins, David. Brain twins.”

  “That’s a terrifying prospect. We are absolutely not brain twins.”

  “I don’t know. I do see a lot of similarities,” Danny drawled.

  David glared at his brother. “Erik, I’ll pick you up at six thirty, okay? Danny’s right. I don’t like the thought of you driving a motorcycle to Lansing tonight, no matter how reliable Shelley is.”

  “You’ll have to go out of your way to get me, David. I’ll be fine on the bike.”

  “He won’t,” Danny said helpfully. “David lives in the townhouses off Clark, so you’re on his way to Lansing. Besides, he can be your designated driver. What fun is drinking on your birthday if you don’t do it up right?”

  David knew Erik had assumed David lived in the big farmhouse up the hill with his parents. David had intentionally given Erik that impression when he’d come up to the house for Thanksgiving dinner.

  It was a little late to protest now. David didn’t want Erik to think he objected to going out with him for the night, even though he kind of did. But that was his own fault, not Erik’s. “It’s fine, Erik.”

  Erik looked at David for a long moment and then nodded. “Sure.”

  David let out a relieved breath—for a moment he’d thought Erik might use the boss card again. He waited until Erik had collected his things from behind the counter, being sure to give him the stink-eye until Erik put on his jacket, especially now that he knew Erik had ridden in on a motorcycle. David’s own coat was in his car, and he ignored Erik’s snort as they walked out the door together.

  DAVID WAS ten minutes late picking Erik up because he’d spent an inordinate amount of time trying on every shirt in his closet, but mercifully, Erik didn’t say anything.

  The drive to Lansing passed fairly quietly, and David was happy that Erik banned Christmas music the moment he got into David’s car. One of the hazards of working in any sort of retail during the Christmas season was Christmas carol burnout, and David knew the worst was yet to come. They still had two weeks until Christmas, and as the big day neared, he and the rest of the employees would be spending the majority of their time cycling shifts back and forth between the shop and the tree field, which also had Christmas carols piped in, courtesy of outdoor speakers David and Danny had installed the year before.

  The pleasant surprises kept coming. David managed to keep up his end of the conversation through dinner, and never once did it stray into dangerous territory. He and Erik talked about growing up in Rives Junction and their college experiences, and even though David learned a lot more about Erik’s collegiate dating life than he’d have liked, they steered clear of obvious flirting. It felt a lot like having dinner with one of his siblings, and nice as it was, David found he missed the snarky, teasing Erik he’d gotten to know over the last few weeks.

  “You know, I’d understand if you wanted to take me back,” Erik said quietly when they pulled into the club’s parking lot. It was still early, and David could tell the place was fairly empty inside. Things didn’t really get going until after ten. “You got roped into this unwillingly. You’ve already got boss of the year wrapped up just for going along with this much—I don’t really expect you to take me to Red’s.”

  David turned the engine off and stared off through the windshield. A light snow had fallen on the pavement in front of him, and seeing it made him grateful he and Danny had convinced Erik not to ride his motorcycle.

  “If you’d rather go to one of the newer clubs, we can do that. I just thought Red’s might be more your speed tonight.”

  “That wasn’t what I meant.”

  “I’m not here as your boss,” he said finally as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. “You don’t talk a lot about friends, Erik.”

  Erik shifted in his seat. “Neither do you.”

  “I have a handful of close friends, though none are in Rives Junction. I spend a week out in Tahoe every year with my roommate from freshman year, and you knew Greg in high school. He was captain of the baseball team. I’m his daughter’s godfather. I talk to them at least once a month on Skype. Plus I have my family. Who do you have, Erik?”

  “A lot of people, David, Jesus. Pat and Carly at school, a bunch of people from college. I’m not a charity case, okay?”

  David opened his car door. “I never said you were. But I do think you could use more friends, and we get along well when you’re not being irritating.”

  Erik snorted. “I should put that on a T-shirt. ‘A decent guy when he’s not being irritating.’ That’s me in a nutshell.”

  “Are we going in or not?”

  Erik hesitated with his hand on the door handle. “I’d like to be more than friends, David.”

  “I know.”

  “You know? That’s all you’re going to say? Ouch.”

  “Dammit, Erik. I know you’re interested in me, and I know it’s obvious that I’m interested in you. But I’ve seen how you go through men. I’m not cut out for friends with benefits or one-night stands, and you need a friend more than a fuck buddy.”

  “God. I spend weeks trying to get you to do more than grunt and answer in half sentences, and when you finally do, it’s to give me friendship advice? Who are you, my life coach?”

  “I’m your friend, Erik. And I’d like to stay your friend. So let’s go in and get a few beers and celebrate your goddamn birthday.”

  David was too annoyed to wait for Erik to respond. He climbed out of the car and tossed his keys onto Erik’s lap.

  “I’m going in for a beer. Join me if you want. If you’d rather drive home, go ahead. I can call Danny to come get me.”

  It wouldn’t be the first time. Danny had made the run to Red’s to collect him more often than David would care to admit, especially after David’s relationship with Kevin had ended and he’d found himself drowning his sorrows there almost every week.

  David didn’t look behind himself after he slammed the car door. Gravel crunched under his feet as he made his way through the parking lot, and he was disappointed not to hear another set of feet following him.

  He hadn’t meant to lay into Erik that way, but he was frustrated. Erik’s accusation had hit a little too close to home, and David wondered if part of the pity he felt for Erik was misplaced pity for himself. David was happy with his small number of friends, though. He’d lost a lot when he and his partner Kevin had broken up, which had been hard. Loyalty was important to David, and the debacle with Kevin had convinced him that very few outside his family deserved it.

  Erik did, and David wondered if he’d succeeded in scaring Erik away just when he’d finally decided to let him in. He’d meant what he’d said to Erik—he did believe Erik could use a friend, but David knew he could use one too. Even if it was someone he was incredibly attracted to.

  “Didn’t expect to see you till January.”

  David nodded to Quinn in acknowledgement and slid onto a stool at the bar. “Didn’t expect to be here till then, either, but plans change.”

  Quinn pushed a lager over to him. David took a sip before the head settled, letting the bitter foam coat his tongue.

  “I ain’t seen your panties in this much of a twist in a while. That sister of yours running you ragged?”

  “Nah. It’s the busy season, but work’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m just retreating from human contact for a bit.”

  Erik sat heavily on the stool next to him. “A quarantine might have been more effective if you’d started it about twenty minutes ago before your friend-zone speech.”

  Quinn sized Erik up with an unimpressed look that made David huff out a laugh. “Nothin’ you can’t handle, eh?” Coke fizzled over the edge of the glass he roughly sat on the scarred wooden bar next to David. “I remember you. Coke, with a cherry if anyone’s lookin’, and without if they ain’t.”

  It was petty, but David liked that although Quinn knew Erik’s drink order, he didn’t seem to know his name.

  “This is my friend Erik. Erik, this is Quinn. He owns Red’s.”

  Quinn shook his head. “I seen ‘friends,’ and you boys ain’t it.”

  “No, we’re not. But David thinks I need more friends. Apparently he’s a social paragon because he can count his friends on one hand.”

  The glass Quinn had been drying clattered against the bar as he sat it down. He made an imposing picture with a “Don’t Mess With Texas” bandanna tied around his frizzy gray hair, holding the long strands back, his sun-beaten, wrinkled face turned angrily toward Erik.

 

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