Burn (or The Dinner Job)
Burn (or The Dinner Job)
“What were you thinking Nate? Seriously?” Eliot asked as he held Nate’s wrist under the cold water.
“Sorry. I didn’t think it was hot or I wouldn’t have grabbed it.” He said, his eyes squinted slightly against the pain in his hand.
“You can’t just go walking in a man’s kitchen and start grabbing at things like that.” Eliot said, pulling the hand out of the water. He grabbed a towel and started batting at it.
“What kind of kitchen is this? It looks like it belongs on a cooking show. Or maybe a magazine for fabulous kitchens.”
He knew Nate was teasing him, trying to get away from the uncertainty he felt. They hadn’t been alone together since the couples retreat. Not since that moment in the woods when Eliot kissed Nate.
Eliot isn’t sure what else to do but keep his hands moving, keep in motion until the adrenaline of Nate in his home wears off a little. “I like to cook.” He offered as he pulled Nate away from the sink and to the other side of the counter. By the window was an aloe plant and he snapped a spike of it off, pressing the juice from it onto his fingers. When he had enough he began spreading it on Nate’s hand.
“What is that?”
“You don’t know what aloe is?” He asked with a half smile.
“Don’t know what most of that stuff growing in that box by the window is.”
“So you’re saying you don’t have a clue about cooking do you?”
Nate gave him a real smile then and Eliot felt a little of his anxiety leave him. “I can pour a mean scotch or microwave with the best of them.”
Eliot laughed. “Looks like you’re just in time then.” And his laughter was real because he loved cooking but he hated eating alone. It was so much better with someone to enjoy it with. “Go get washed up and dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”
“Washed up?”
“Yeah. Take your coat off, and go wash up. Bathroom is down the hall to the right.”
Nate shook his head and he could see the amusement in his eyes as he turned and walked out of the kitchen and down the hall.
By the time Nate came back, Eliot had the plates set out and the pecan-crusted salmon was done to perfection. “Wow. I thought you said you liked to cook, not entertain.”
Eliot ducked his head slightly in embarrassment. “Shut up. Presentation is important.”
“No, it is.” And when he looked up Nate was smiling and it was genuine. He took a seat at the table then and Eliot brought over the wine, pouring for Nate and getting his approval before pouring his own.
“So, where’d you learn all this?” Nate asked after a few minutes.
“A job.” Eliot confessed. “Needed to be able to get in close so I learned to cook. It sort of grew on me though and now it’s a bit of a hobby. I enjoy it. Gives me something to do besides clean knives and work out.”
“And read Shakespeare.”
Eliot smiled. So, he remembered that. “Yeah. I was never good with idle time. If I’m idle I tend to get into trouble.”
“So what sort of trouble have you been getting into in the last few weeks?”
“Only the kind in my head.”
“That can be fun sometimes.” When Eliot looked up Nate was watching him with that same dark expression he’d tried so hard to ignore.
He ignored the comment and continued eating. When it was over they’d managed to kill the bottle of wine easily and were working well into the second one. It was good. Just them being friendly and it was more like the attempts Eliot had made early on, only this time it was Nate trying to make a go of it. They discussed excuses to keep from seeing Sophie’s new play, how to keep Parker from jumping off everything within her sight, and if Hardison was hacked into all of their lives and was at that moment cyber stalking them. They had bets. Both believed yes he was, but it was the degree of stalker-dom that they were betting on.
When it came time to go Nate was gracious about the evening, thanking Eliot for the night, especially as he’d barged in unannounced and unexpected. Eliot made him take home another spike of aloe to put on his hand in the morning to keep it from hurting too much. It felt too much like a date when Nate walked out though and Eliot refused to contemplate a good night kiss, even if it looked like Nate might be expecting it. They had to work together after all. And Nate was still stringing Sophie along like there was a chance of something there. He wasn’t about to get in between Nate and Sophie. Sophie might be a grifter but he wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t try to put a blade to his throat for something like that. She acted like Nate was all hers, regardless of the fact that he spent more time seeking the others out than he did her.
When Nate pulled out of the driveway he relaxed a little more. He took his time cleaning up the dishes and then headed up for a shower. He might not have pressed a kiss to Nate’s lips tonight but that didn’t mean he hadn’t imagined it. He’d walked around half hard all night, thinking of the things he could push Nate against or bend him over and after all that time, he was willing to let his imagination take over in the shower. He deserved that much at least.