Read Online Take This Man: Gay Romance Stories by Unknown - Free Book Online
Authors: Unknown
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his things from behind the bar. Azzo should be there any minute. “We want this one to stick around.”
“You’ll buy a drink for your chef at least,” Mo said, stalking across the room and putting an arm around Mike’s middle. Mike looked down on Mo—at least a head shorter—with a careful smile. He nodded, like he believed that was the way to keep his job.
“Don’t listen to him, Mike.” Toby pulled him away from where Mo was chuckling. He walked Mike to the back, where he put away his broom and picked up his bag. “You don’t have to go out tonight. You might want to work your way up to partying with the kitchen guys. They’re hard-core.”
“Are you coming?” Mike asked. His eyes were big and expectant. He looked so young and made Toby feel so old.
“Azzo’s picking me up,” Toby said.
“That’s your husband? That’s a nice name.”
Back in the dining room, Mo was at the front door. The lights were off, but Toby could hear his husband laughing. They had their arms around each other, holding each other up as each one bent over with a belly laugh.
“I don’t like leaving the two of you alone,” Toby said. He shouldered his bag, and Azzo met him halfway, reaching out his hand, like he couldn’t bear them apart for one more step. “I think you should make it up to me,” he said, putting on his pout for show. Azzo kissed it right off his face.
“Mo said you were flirting,” Azzo said, pulling away from the kiss, but he didn’t go far. He held Toby in his arms as they swayed and turned around the room.
Toby shook his head. “Mike, you should meet my husband.” The kid was nervous. Wiping his hands on his pants, he stepped forward, arm extended in a job-interview handshake. “Our new server, Mike. My husband, Azzo. This is his first night, so be kind.”
Azzo asked, “Did you survive, kid?” Mike didn’t think; he just nodded. “Do you want to come back tomorrow?” Mike answered that one with another nod, no less certain. “Then you’ll do just fine.”
“Should we head out?” Mo asked. He had his hand on the door. “Before my staff drinks all night and leaves me with the tab?”
He led the way, holding the door open as Azzo pulled Toby along. Their feet never tangled when they walked this close. They had been walking this close for years. Mike was the last one out, so Toby tossed him the keys to lock up.
“The kid’s cute,” Azzo said. His voice was low, and his lips brushed Toby’s as he spoke. It was half kiss, half question, and Toby leaned into him for more.
“Stop.” Toby gave him a smack, then dragged them right back together. Up ahead, Mike was walking with Mo, and it looked like Mo was suffering through the same questions that had dogged Toby all night. “He asked about my wife.”
Azzo’s laugh made Mo and Mike turn, Mo giving them a fond, knowing look.
“That’s adorable. I thought I was the straight one.”
“No,” Toby said. “You’re the butch one. There’s a difference.” Azzo was built like a football player. It didn’t matter that he worked pastry for a living.
“Is he—?” Azzo slowed their steps, putting a little more space between them and their friends ahead. The bar that the Injera staff—actually, most of the restaurant staff on their street—liked best wasn’t far. They could walk there after service and stumble home after beer. “I mean, I have my guess, but has he said anything to you?”
“He’s gay,” Toby said. Mike hadn’t, actually, said anything to him, but he was too curious about Toby’s relationship to be just another straight college boy. “He didn’t say anything, but yeah.”
Toby watched them up ahead, Mike turning back to check that he and Azzo were still behind them, flushing and whipping his eyes front when he saw Toby watching.
“Look at that crush,” Azzo said, his voice warm against Toby’s ear. “He doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
“What do you want to do with him?” Toby
“You’ll buy a drink for your chef at least,” Mo said, stalking across the room and putting an arm around Mike’s middle. Mike looked down on Mo—at least a head shorter—with a careful smile. He nodded, like he believed that was the way to keep his job.
“Don’t listen to him, Mike.” Toby pulled him away from where Mo was chuckling. He walked Mike to the back, where he put away his broom and picked up his bag. “You don’t have to go out tonight. You might want to work your way up to partying with the kitchen guys. They’re hard-core.”
“Are you coming?” Mike asked. His eyes were big and expectant. He looked so young and made Toby feel so old.
“Azzo’s picking me up,” Toby said.
“That’s your husband? That’s a nice name.”
Back in the dining room, Mo was at the front door. The lights were off, but Toby could hear his husband laughing. They had their arms around each other, holding each other up as each one bent over with a belly laugh.
“I don’t like leaving the two of you alone,” Toby said. He shouldered his bag, and Azzo met him halfway, reaching out his hand, like he couldn’t bear them apart for one more step. “I think you should make it up to me,” he said, putting on his pout for show. Azzo kissed it right off his face.
“Mo said you were flirting,” Azzo said, pulling away from the kiss, but he didn’t go far. He held Toby in his arms as they swayed and turned around the room.
Toby shook his head. “Mike, you should meet my husband.” The kid was nervous. Wiping his hands on his pants, he stepped forward, arm extended in a job-interview handshake. “Our new server, Mike. My husband, Azzo. This is his first night, so be kind.”
Azzo asked, “Did you survive, kid?” Mike didn’t think; he just nodded. “Do you want to come back tomorrow?” Mike answered that one with another nod, no less certain. “Then you’ll do just fine.”
“Should we head out?” Mo asked. He had his hand on the door. “Before my staff drinks all night and leaves me with the tab?”
He led the way, holding the door open as Azzo pulled Toby along. Their feet never tangled when they walked this close. They had been walking this close for years. Mike was the last one out, so Toby tossed him the keys to lock up.
“The kid’s cute,” Azzo said. His voice was low, and his lips brushed Toby’s as he spoke. It was half kiss, half question, and Toby leaned into him for more.
“Stop.” Toby gave him a smack, then dragged them right back together. Up ahead, Mike was walking with Mo, and it looked like Mo was suffering through the same questions that had dogged Toby all night. “He asked about my wife.”
Azzo’s laugh made Mo and Mike turn, Mo giving them a fond, knowing look.
“That’s adorable. I thought I was the straight one.”
“No,” Toby said. “You’re the butch one. There’s a difference.” Azzo was built like a football player. It didn’t matter that he worked pastry for a living.
“Is he—?” Azzo slowed their steps, putting a little more space between them and their friends ahead. The bar that the Injera staff—actually, most of the restaurant staff on their street—liked best wasn’t far. They could walk there after service and stumble home after beer. “I mean, I have my guess, but has he said anything to you?”
“He’s gay,” Toby said. Mike hadn’t, actually, said anything to him, but he was too curious about Toby’s relationship to be just another straight college boy. “He didn’t say anything, but yeah.”
Toby watched them up ahead, Mike turning back to check that he and Azzo were still behind them, flushing and whipping his eyes front when he saw Toby watching.
“Look at that crush,” Azzo said, his voice warm against Toby’s ear. “He doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
“What do you want to do with him?” Toby
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