Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“No. He did my clothing makeover. I wore the suit Greer picked out to The Game Awards.” Ducky plopped down in his seat then sent his chair rolling to a small refrigerator under his desk. “Want a cold water?”
“I’m good, but can you leave?” Chad asked on nothing but instinct. “Want to have dinner? I feel like there’s a lot to catch up on.”
Ducky took a water, twisting the top as he nodded toward his desk and smiled. There were piles of paperwork there. Ducky stood as he gulped the water. “Yeah, I’m starving, but I’ll do you one better than dinner. You busy for the next couple of weeks?”
Chad had no idea what leap Ducky just took inside his head, but he went with it. “I don’t know…” Literally, his to-do list ran pages long. Number one being to deal with his golfing career. “Why are you asking?”
“Let me go change before we bounce,” Ducky said, handing over an envelope from his desk as he passed by. “Take a look. I’ll be out in a sec.”
The contents spilled into his hands. The location and itinerary had him lifting his brows. “Hawaii, are you kidding?”
“They just gave it to me as a gift. If you can’t go, it’s fine. I didn’t commit to going yet,” Ducky called out.
He had two prepaid, first-class airline tickets in his hand and a reservation for a private villa on the beach for fourteen days.
Their exchange was given so casually. Chad had to rewind the conversation in his mind to make sense of what he was holding. Had Ducky invited him to an all-expenses paid vacation in Hawaii? Like them together in Hawaii by themselves?
.
CHAPTER 9
Ducky sidled up to a vintage bar, scuffed from years of loyal customers doing the very same thing. Bruno’s Bar and Grill. A hometown favorite and the last place he had worked before quitting to focus solely on StreamTrainer. Since Ducky had fallen headfirst into a world that changed by the second, this spot at the end of the bar felt like home.
Having Chad take the seat next to him was a different story. Sometimes when Ducky met his strictly online friends face-to-face, the connection they shared didn’t hold true in their real life. The relationship changed afterward. He’d feared those consequences if he’d ever met Chad in person. What did a poor kid from Grand Prairie, Texas, have in common with the obscene wealth of someone from Highland Park? But after the last thirty minutes, maybe those fears didn’t hold weight. Chad was as comfortable to be around in person as he was behind the screen or over the phone.
“This is the famous Bruno’s,” Chad said, rolling up his dress shirt’s long sleeves.
Ducky watched, fascinated with the sophistication that poured from Chad Reeves. Even with the way he took each sleeve and carefully folded the material over and over, Chad did it with style. He cared for the pressed fabric in much the same way as Greer did.
He better understood owning the clothes, not letting the clothes own him. Chad respected the material without shoving the rich fabric in everyone’s face. It went deeper though. Chad was comfortable in his own skin. Something Ducky didn’t fully grasp.
Ducky focused on Chad’s hands as they worked. They were strong, adept, and moved fluidly without Chad even paying attention to what he was doing. Chad lifted a hand, waving it in front of Ducky’s face. “You there?”
See? Life wasn’t fluid for Ducky in that way. He shrugged it off by admitting the truth. It seemed the best answer. “Yeah. I’m fried.”
“We don’t have to do this,” Chad immediately responded, concern wrinkling his brow. He had the perfect coloring. His skin tone complimented his dark eyebrows. Ducky’s gaze followed his friend’s perfectly arched brows as they dipped lower, and those full lips melted into a frown.
Chad had always been hands down the best-looking guy in their online group. As children, they’d talk about their futures. Their whole world centered on the chicks they planned to meet. They designated Chad as the one to draw those unsuspecting girls in. Kai, the ultimate wingman, would then help charm those little ladies to keep them around. Ducky’s job was to stay quiet and let them work. They’d generously dubbed Ducky as aloof and mysterious. Right.
“No, I’m glad you’re here,” he said, reaching for the bowl of pretzels nearby. “I was remembering how we used to plan on getting girlfriends. Remember our strategy?”
Chad immediately grinned, nodding. His lips spread, revealing a brilliant toothy smile. Teeth white and straight. He bet Chad had never had a cavity in his life. “You were going to be the best wingman ever.”
Ducky barked out a laugh and lifted a hand to catch the bartender’s attention. “I think that was Kai. The rest of us were to sit quietly and reap the spoils of what you two brought in.”