Page 44 of Below The Surface
“I’m Blake, this is Yuri and we’re here to set up the sophisticated ass security system Kay asked for. You’re Dallas, right?”
I nod and let them in. “Kay should be back any minute now.” I don’t know why the fuck I say it, but I hope it’s true. He’s been gone for a long time and I’m starting to worry. Then I rememberhow he complained about walking up the six flights of stairs and he’ll have to carry whatever supplies he gets and I almost feel bad.
Blake smirks and shakes his head. “Kay works on his own timeline. We don’t mind. We owe him a few jobs after he?—”
“Took care of a pest problem,” Yuri says as he softly whacks the back of his arm across Blake’s chest.
“Right, a pest problem.” Blake glares at Yuri, and I have to wonder what the fuck they’re going on about.
“Anyway,” Yuri starts, “We just need access to a few bits and bobs and we’ll get everything set up. He wanted a keypad for a pin number, so let us know where you want that.”
“Wait,” Hayden says. “How much is all this going to cost?”
“Nothing,” Yuri shrugs. “Kay saved our ass a few times, and this is how we can repay him. There’s nothing to it.”
“Okay.” Hayden bobs his head. “But if you have to do too much extensive work, I gotta get my uncle involved, since he owns the building.”
“Won’t be much,” Blake says.
Hayden lets out a sigh. “Okay, good, because I hate calling him. He always wants us over for Sunday dinner and I just don’t want to.” He cringes and I almost do too.
“I appreciate that your uncle allows us to use the warehouse for our gym, but I’m glad he doesn’t insist on the dinners. The one time with all your cousins was enough for me.”
While Hayden shows them around, I order a giant cupcake for Kay. He deserves it.
I’d wanna get him a cupcake even if he wasn’t doing so much. I look up from my phone and choke on a laugh because Kay has his face smashed to the door, and he’s making faces. He grins and pulls away to wipe at his mouth with the back of his arm.
When he strolls right in, he asks, “Did you miss me?”
“Yeah. I did.”
He leans in for a kiss, but I lean away and push his shoulder. “You have no idea how often we wash those windows, but I do. You’ll wanna wash your face.” I nod towards the bathroom. “Face wash is under the sink.”
He runs towards the bathroom and I chuckle. Chewing on my nails is gross, but pressing his face to a very dirty window is apparently just fine.
There’s another knock on the door. The cupcake delivery! I hand the driver a twenty-dollar bill for a tip and clutch the box close. The cupcake is perfect.
“I’m stealing that face wash.” Kay pats his hip where the bulge of the bottle pushes out of his pocket. He rubs his face. “I don’t know why the hell you have such high end stuff at the gym, but this feels so nice.”
“I like good skincare.” I hold out the cupcake.
He just stares at the offering. Then looks at me. To the box. To me. To the box.
His mouth goes into a thin line. He blows out a breath through his nose.
Did I fuck up? What’s wrong? He said he liked cupcakes. With lots of icing and sprinkles.
Kay blinks a few times, then takes the box and squats. He sets the box on the floor and just stares at it. Stares. Then he looks up at me.
“What does it mean?”
“What does it mean? I don’t get the question. You said you like cupcakes. I wanted to get you one. That’s what partners do. I thought it’d be a nice surprise.”
“I don’t understand.”
We have an audience now. Hayden, Blake, and Yuri all watch Kay stare at the cupcake.
12
