“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.

  Chapter 11

  Unlike Camden and Harrison, both of whom had ridden on planes for work or leisure many times in the past, Tristan had never even stepped foot inside an airport before. He honestly felt like an ignorant country bumpkin compared to Camden and Harrison. He did his best to act cool all the way to the airport, but it was nearly impossible to conceal his excitement.

  “Harrison, are we heading in the right direction?”

  “Yes,” Harrison replied without turning around to look at Camden who was seated at the back of the car. “We’re less than five minutes away.”

  Tristan was confused by Camden’s question. “Why did you ask, Cam?”

  “Because Harrison isn’t taking the usual route to the airport.”

  “We’re not going to Bergstrom,” Harrison explained. “The plane is parked in the hangar at a different airport.”

  Camden nodded. “I see. It’s one of the smaller airports.”

  Harrison briefly glanced at Camden and grinned. “Something like that.”

  A short while later, Tristan got a glimpse of the airport terminal from a distance. Instead of making their way to a parking lot, Harrison drove the car toward the security checkpoint next to the building, and the guard requested identification cards from him, Camden, and Tristan. The guard walked back to his post and remained there for about a minute or so before approaching the car again.

  “All clear, sirs,” the guard said while returning the identification cards to Harrison.

  Then the guard pulled out a remote control from the pocket of his pants and clicked on one of the buttons. In the next instant, the gate slid open. Harrison thanked the guard before he, Camden, and Tristan continued on their way.

  “Are we flying to New York on a private jet?”

  Tristan looked at Camden in shock before he stared at Harrison. He knew Harrison was rich, but he didn’t expect the man to own a plane.

  “Yeah,” Harrison confirmed.

  Tristan was shocked. He was totally at a loss for words. It felt like he and Harrison lived in two vastly different worlds. He was a college student who was attempting to earn his associate’s degree while holding down two jobs, and yet he was barely making ends meet. He scrimped and saved as much as he could by sharing an apartment with three other men and cutting down on any unnecessary expenses, but money was still tight. He peeked at Camden to assess the man’s reaction. Camden seemed impressed, but he wasn’t flabbergasted and speechless like Tristan was. Tristan suppressed a sigh. He liked Camden and Harrison a lot, but he became more acutely aware of the reality that he wasn’t good enough for them. Harrison and Camden were really nice to Tristan, but they probably pitied him or something.

  “Are you okay?”

  Tristan was startled. He had been so lost inside his head, he didn’t even realize that Harrison had stopped the car next to a plane inside the hangar.

  “Y-yes. I’m fine.”

  Harrison frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  Tristan could tell that Harrison wasn’t convinced, but he was grateful when the man didn’t force the issue. Instead, Harrison got out from the car after squeezing Tristan’s hand gently. Tristan almost teared up, and it took him a few seconds to regain his composure. Once he calmed down, he alighted from the car. Camden was already strolling next to Harrison, and they appeared to be making their way toward some men who were standing next to the plane. Tristan caught up to Harrison and Camden as fast as he could, and he managed to listen to the tail end of the conversation. It wasn’t much, but he figured out that Harrison, Camden, and the other men were discussing the logistics prior to the plane taking off.

  “We will be able to depart in about ten minutes,” Camden explained to Tristan. “We should reach New York at around forty-five minutes past six local time. We will be cutting it rather close since the party starts at half past seven, but we should be fine.”

  Tristan was relieved upon hearing that. It was sort of his fault that they weren’t able to fly off to New York at an earlier time. His shift at the gym ended at two, and they spent nearly thirty minutes just to get to the airport.

  “Is Harrison going to leave the car here in the hangar?”

  Camden shook his head. “We have to take out our luggage from the trunk of the car. One of the air stewards will carry them up onto the plane for us so we can change into our tuxedos before we land at the airport in New York. Another air steward will drive the car into the cargo hold inside the jet and secure it properly. We need the car to get to the party venue in New York.”

  “Okay.”

  After that, things proceeded really fast. Before Tristan knew it, he, Harrison, and Camden were on board the private jet. Since the size of the plane was quite massive, Tristan wasn’t astonished when he saw how spacious it was inside. The interior was decorated like a luxurious apartment. There were two bathrooms. One was close to the door of the plane while the other one was located on its other side. It was big and quite lavish. Tristan didn’t get the chance to look around the kitchen, but it seemed to be fully equipped. The living room had leather couches, a glass table, and a giant flat screen.

  “What’s inside that compartment at the front of the plane?” Tristan asked Harrison as they made their way farther toward the back of the plane.

  “The pilot cabin,” Harrison replied.

  “I’m referring to the room behind it.”

  “Oh, that’s the resting area for the flight crew. In it, you can find a small bathroom for the crew and six leather seats that can fully recline so the air stewards and air stewardesses can take turns resting up when we fly long distances. I travel all the way to South-East Asia at least once a year, and it’s a long trip there and back.”

  Tristan didn’t know what Harrison was talking about, but he was too ashamed to seek for clarification. He would research everything online when he had the chance. He had to tail Harrison closely because he didn’t know where they were going to. Judging by Camden’s facial expression, he was as much in the dark as Tristan was. Then the three of them reached a door about halfway through the main cabin of the plane. Harrison placed his palm on the scanner to unlock the door, which slid open to the side. Tristan was stunned after entering the room behind the door. There was a king-size bed with a nightstand on either side of it. A built-in closet was installed to the left of the bed. Camden pointed at the door on the right side of the room.

  “What’s in there?”

  “The bathroom,” Harrison answered. “Let me show you.”

  Tristan had thought that the bathrooms outside were magnificent, and they were the epitome of luxury. However, the bathroom he was standing in at the moment made the ones out there look pathetically small.

  “Wow!” Tristan exclaimed while darting his eyes all around.

  “Do you like it?”

  Tristan nodded at Harrison. “It’s incredible.”

  Harrison smiled. “We can take turns showering in here later, but let’s go outside. I’ve hired a chef to accompany us all the way to New York, and back. He will prepare some afternoon snacks for us when the plane is steady in the air after taking off.”

  Harrison walked in between Tristan and Camden as they made their way out from the bathroom. Tristan liked it when Harrison placed one hand on his lower back. It was a possessive gesture, and it made him feel as if Harrison desired him, but he was most probably overthinking it. He also had a crush on Camden. However, there was no way someone as sophisticated, wealthy, and successful as Harrison or Camden would want to be with Tristan. Camden was closer to Harrison in terms of age, and he more or less had a similar build. He was also handsome. Most importantly, he seemed to be doing really well in his chosen career. He was definitely a much better option for Harrison than Tristan.

  “Are you okay, man?”

  Camden’s question startled Tristan. “Yeah. J-just a little nervous. First time on a plane.”

  Camden smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. Everything is going to be fine. Try to relax.”

  Tristan nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  After that, he joined in the conversation as much as he could, but it was difficult to focus. He attempted to shove all thoughts about Camden and Harrison to the back of his mind, but he failed. He was honestly glad when the plane was finally in the air because he could have a moment to himself by using the excuse of admiring the view outside. Since he had never flown before, this was a novel experience for him. Everything felt so brand new. Tristan breathed in and out slowly so he could regain his composure while enjoying the scenery out there. He was relieved when he calmed down somewhat.

  Everything was all right until they were halfway through their afternoon snacks. Tristan wasn’t sure what triggered the realization. The three of them were casually chatting about their hobbies, and he happened to focus on Harrison who was laughing at something Camden was saying. Then Tristan glanced at Camden who was beaming widely, and it hit him. He knew what that warm, fuzzy feeling inside him represented. He didn’t think he was madly in love with Camden and Harrison because he had only known them for a few days, but he had no doubt that he was already developing deep feelings for both of them. He was so taken aback, he almost stopped talking for a second or two.

  He hurriedly continued where he left off, and he was glad that neither Camden nor Harrison noticed anything was amiss. He wasn’t certain about how he felt, and he required more time to work things out inside his head. He wouldn’t be able to explain it to Camden or Harrison for the time being. Or maybe not ever. It would be too embarrassing anyway. Tristan had to keep his feelings a secret from Camden and Harrison because there was no way they would ever reciprocate his feelings for them. Tristan had to get rid of the one-sided emotion before it spiraled out of control and ruined their friendship. He had to do it fast before Harrison or Camden found out about it. It wouldn’t be easy, but Tristan had to do it somehow. He didn’t have a choice. After all, Harrison only wanted Tristan to accompany him to the party. Camden was just Tristan’s friend. It wasn’t their fault that Tristan was romantically attracted to them, and they weren’t obligated in any way, shape, or form to feel the same way he did. What they had between them was pure friendship. There was nothing more to it.

  Chapter 12

  Camden could sense that something was wrong with Tristan from the second they boarded Harrison’s private jet until they arrived in New York. He chose not to push Tristan to open up because he could tell that the man was unwilling to. Besides, Harrison had inquired multiple times over the last few hours if Tristan was all right, and the younger man’s response was always a variation of I’m fine. Camden wasn’t certain if Tristan would be more willing to talk to him so he decided to wait for the right moment and see if he could get through to the man somehow. Tristan was sweet, kind, and incredibly affectionate. However, Camden noticed Tristan was the type to clam up when the man felt particularly vulnerable and exposed. Forcing the issue would make it worse, and Tristan would retreat further into his shell.

  “This party is so damn boring,” Camden whispered while leaning closer to Tristan.

  The two of them were standing near the refreshment table in one corner of the room while Harrison was conversing with a bunch of his business acquaintances less than twenty feet away. Tristan glanced at Camden, seemingly stunned, before he burst out laughing.

  “It really is,” Tristan admitted, and Camden grinned.

  “Over the last hour, I managed to categorize the attendants into two major groups.”

  Tristan was obviously amused. “What are they?”

  “The first one consists of fawning bootlickers who are blatantly and desperately trying to get Harrison to pay attention to them.”

  “And the second one?”

  Camden scowled in annoyance. “The horny and creepy men and women who are lusting after Harrison.”

  A flash of sadness crossed Tristan’s face, but Camden couldn’t be positive because it vanished too fast. He was even more sure now that Tristan was hiding something from him and Harrison.

 

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