Adam made no attempt to hide his scrutiny. He looked Jax over, his big green eyes missing nothing nor giving away anything.
"Hi, I'm Adam Cole, Mr. Hart's personal assistant. And you are...?"
"Jax. Jax Foster. I--"
"Jax?" Adam's eyes went huge. "You're Jax Foster."
What the hell was going on? Jax frowned. "Um, yeah. We've talked on the phone."
Adam seemed stupefied, his mouth open until the receptionist cleared her throat, and he snapped out of it. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." He held out his hand to Jax. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you." They shook hands, and Adam motioned behind him. "Please, follow me." Adam turned and waited for Jax to join him.
"You know what," Jax said, hating how nervous he sounded. "I'm sure Matty--I mean Mr. Hart--is really busy, so I'll just leave this with you, and--"
"No!" Both the receptionist and Adam protested at the same time.
Jax took a step back. "Wow, that was a little scary."
"Sorry, I'm so sorry," Adam said, his face flushed. "Please, just follow me."
The poor guy looked like he might pass out if Jax said no. Well, he was here, he might as well take it like a big boy and go through with it.
"Okay. Lead the way." Jax smiled and followed Adam to the elevator. They were silent the whole ride up, and once they stepped out onto the floor where Matthew's office was, Jax wasn't surprised to find it was just as stunning as the lobby. The cubicles were made of three glass partitions, the top half frosted. As they walked by each one, he pretended not to notice everyone poking their head out to stare at him. It was a little unnerving. Was it always this weird when people came to visit Matthew?
Jax leaned into Adam, his voice low. "Everyone's staring at me. Should I have worn a suit or something?"
Adam shook his head with a chuckle. "It's not what you're wearing, Mr. Foster."
"Call me Jax."
"Okay. It's not what you're wearing, Jax. It's that, besides clients, no one outside Matthew's father has ever come to see Matthew at work, much less brought him--" He craned his neck to look at the small box. "Good God," he gasped. "Is that lemon cake?"
"Yeah, I hope it's still his favorite. When we were kids, they used to give out these lemon cake bars with our school lunches. Matty would eat his and then get this adorable little pout on his face when he finished, because he was disappointed it was gone. I always ended up giving him mine."
Adam made a whimpering sound in the back of his throat that was sweet. Jax laughed softly. "Sorry. I'm probably oversharing."
"Are you kidding? Matthew and I have been friends for years, and getting personal information out of him is like trying to teach a cat to swim. And don't worry, anything lemon is still Matthew's favorite. The man will shank you with a spork to steal your lemon cake."
Jax threw his head back and laughed. He liked Adam. As they neared the frosted glass doors of a large office, Jax paused. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He's kind of pissed off at me. He acts like he isn't, but I know he is."
Adam spun to face him, mischief in his green eyes. "Come on, Jax. You've come this far. I need you to go in there and sweep that man off his feet."
Jax stared at him. Had he just heard what he thought he'd heard? "I didn't, um.... It's not like that." Was it like that? No. He just came to talk to Matthew and clear things up. That's all.
Adam arched a perfectly shaped brow at him. He was kind of intimidating for a little dude. "You've been feeding him for weeks, and now you brought him his favorite food. Are you in a relationship with anyone?"
"No, I--"
"Good." Adam beamed up at him. "So go in there and show him what you're made of. Martin and I have faith in you."
Jax frowned. He knew that name. His eyes widened. "Wait, Martin? As in Martin Hart? Matthew's father? What does he have to do with any of this?"
Adam stared at him like it was obvious.
"Are you telling me he hired me because of Matty?" Jax wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"He hired you because you were the perfect person for the job, and so Matthew could finally confront his past. This had to happen at some point, Jax. You meant too much to him, and your leaving really did a number on him. He needs this."
Jax couldn't argue. He had no idea why Adam and Martin were so invested in Jax's relationship with Matthew, but Adam was right. He needed to grow a pair and get in there, for both their sakes. Fortifying his nerves, he followed Adam into Matthew's office and stood quietly to one side as the door closed itself behind them. Matthew was typing something, and he did a double take when he saw Jax.
Matthew stood quickly. He walked around his desk and stopped just out of Jax's reach. "What are you--" His voice bottomed out, and he cleared his throat to try again. "What are you doing here?" He fidgeted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit pants before folding his arms over his chest. The man was adorable.
"I'll, um, just be at my desk if you need me, Matthew," Adam said, clearly trying his hardest not to smile.
Matthew nodded, and Jax waited for Adam to leave and the door to close. When it did, he turned back to Matthew with a smile.
"We keep tiptoeing around what happened, and I still feel shitty about how we left things. I brought you a peace offering to start off with." He held out the box.
"What's this?"
"Lemon cake."
Matthew's tongue poked out to lick his bottom lip. "You brought me lemon cake?"
"Yep. One of the best around, in my opinion. You'll have to let me know what you think." Jax expected Matthew to put it aside for later, but nope. Matthew sat behind his desk, opened his desk drawer, and removed a plastic spoon. Jax couldn't help his chuckle.
"Do you mind?" Matthew asked, his eyes sparkling. He motioned for Jax to take a seat in the chair to the right of his desk.
"Go ahead." Jax had never known anyone to love anything lemon as much as Matthew, though the man had always been partial to sweets, especially cakes and cookies.
"Oh my God."
Matthew's decadent moan captured Jax's undivided attention. "Good, right?"
"Oh my God." Matthew closed his eyes, releasing another moan that went straight to Jax's groin. "This is amazing."
Matthew was going to kill him. If he made those noises eating cake, what did he sound like in bed? It was best Jax not think about that.
"I think I'm having a foodgasm," Matthew murmured around a mouthful of cake, his eyes still closed.
Well, that certainly didn't help.
Jax cleared his throat. "So what are the chances you'll have dinner with me in exchange for more of that cake?"
Matthew eyed Jax warily, the spoon in his mouth as he considered Jax's question carefully. He narrowed his eyes and removed the spoon to reply.
"How much cake are we talking about here? Are you willing to reveal your source?"
Jax held back a smile. "Nice try, but I'm not about to hand over my only bargaining chip. How about an extra-large slice?"
"Half a cake," Matthew countered.
"Two slices."
"Two slices and something else. Lemon, obviously."
"Obviously." Jax pretended to think about it. "You're a tough negotiator, Mr. Hart."
Matthew arched an eyebrow for him. "Do we have a deal, Mr. Foster?"
Jax opened his mouth to reply that yes, they did have a deal, when Adam started shouting from the other side of the door.
"I told you, he's in a meeting! You can't go in there!"
"The hell I can't!" a woman shrieked furiously. "Who the hell does he think he is?"
"The owner of the company and your husband's boss."
The door was pushed open, and a tall blonde woman came storming in, her blue eyes blazing with fury. She looked like she belonged on one of those reality TV shows, from the bleached hair, bottle tan, and Botox lips, to the dress barely containing her, the diamond ring that had to hurt her hand from its heft, and the tiny, shivering furry thing in her purse. Jax was goin
g to hazard a guess it was a dog. Maybe.
Jax was the last person who should be passing judgment, but the woman had barged in, showing no respect for Adam or Matthew. The way she glared daggers at Matthew, looking down her nose at him as she spat furiously, rubbed Jax the wrong way.
"If you think you're going to keep walking all over Bryce, you have another think coming. The only reason you're running this company is because your father had no other choice. This is a family business. Always has been. And now you've tainted it with your disgraceful lifestyle."
Matthew considered her words. "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't run my family's company because I'm gay?"
"You're going to run this company into the ground!"
"Interesting, considering our profits are up, expenses are down, and we have a new line of services launching in the spring that has already drawn positive media and client response. We haven't lost one client since I took over. Only gained."
"Well, we wouldn't know, would we? Seeing as how you're the only one with access to the client list. How convenient."
Matthew slowly got to his feet, his eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you accusing me of?"
She opened her mouth to reply, and Matthew leaned in.
"Think carefully about your answer, Arianna. I take accusations of fraud extremely seriously."
She closed her mouth, and when she spoke it was through her teeth. "Maybe you haven't lost any clients, but I'm sure they're equally disgusted. You don't even have the decency to keep your filthy affairs behind closed doors. Inviting your lover to your office." She let out a sound of disgust before rounding on Jax, her disdain apparent as she looked him over. Seeming to find him wanting, she turned back to Matthew. "For Christ's sake, Matthew, you could have at least found someone with a little class."
Jax's brows shot up. Wow. She wasn't wrong, but usually no one said it to his face. Not wanting to embarrass Matthew, Jax opened his mouth to say he wasn't Matthew's lover, but then Matthew slammed his hand on the desk, causing both Arianna and Jax to start.
"How dare you! You're lucky family counts for something around here, or Bryce would have been out of a job months ago. Now get the hell out of my office before I have you escorted out by security. The next time you feel the urge to barge in here spewing your hate at me or anyone else, you might want to think about your lifestyle and what you stand to lose."
Her eyes went huge, and suddenly her bottom lip trembled. Tears welled in her eyes and Matthew cursed under his breath.
"I should go." Jax stood, not wanting to get in the middle of family business. Before he could move away, Matthew took hold of Jax's wrist.
"Wait. I'd like to finish our conversation."
Jax smiled at him. "Sure. Hand me your phone."
Matthew did as asked, handing his cell phone over, unlocked. Jax texted his number from it, then handed it back. "Tonight at eight. We'll talk about it over dinner. My treat. I'll text you the address." He was being forward, taking advantage of Arianna's presence in the hopes Matthew would be less inclined to turn him down. The risk paid off. Matthew nodded.
"See you then." Feeling bold, Jax leaned in and kissed Matthew's cheek. He placed his fingers under Matthew's chin, lifting his face so their eyes could meet. Matthew's cheeks flushed the most amazing pink. Jax gave him a pointed look. "Don't stand me up."
Matthew shook his head.
With a wink at Matthew, Jax turned and nodded at Arianna before leaving the office. It was silent as the door slowly closed, but just before it sealed shut, Arianna started sobbing. Poor Matthew.
Jax made it to the elevator when Adam appeared. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah, um, looks like Matty's got some family stuff to take care of."
Adam grimaced. "Those two drive him crazy." He sighed, then shook his head. Seeming to remember Jax, he smiled up at him, his eyes sparkling. "So how did it go?"
"Oh, good, I think. He agreed to have dinner with me." Jax's heart did a little flip. Matthew was having dinner with him.
"That's great!" Adam clapped his hands gleefully. "Do you need me to arrange a car to pick you up? I can make reservations, and--"
Jax quickly held up a hand. "It's fine, really, but thank you. I'd like to do this on my own."
Adam nodded his understanding. He reached into his pocket, which was amazing, considering how tight those pants looked. He pulled out an elegant business card, then handed it to Jax.
"If you need anything at all, you call me. My personal cell number is on there."
"Thank you." Jax pocketed the card. He thanked Adam again, then took the elevator down. When he reached the lobby level, the door opened and he nearly ran into a tall, dark-haired man with eyes similar to Matthew's. "Excuse me."
The man looked him over. "Who are you?"
The look of disdain wasn't lost on Jax. Something told him this must be Bryce. "An old friend of Matthew's."
The man peered at him. "Harvard?"
"No, um, older than that."
"Right. Do you have business with Matthew, or...?"
Jax didn't want to be rude, but he wasn't about to stand there and let the guy interrogate him. "If you'll excuse me, I need to be going."
With a deep frown, Bryce stepped out of his way, and Jax was relieved to be clear of the man. Jesus, poor Matthew. Having to deal with Bryce and his wife. As he walked by the reception area, he smiled and waved at the lovely receptionist. To his surprise, she waved him over.
"How did it go?"
Jax grinned wide and leaned against the counter. "You and Adam knew about me before I got here, and I'm not talking about the commission."
Her cheeks flushed bright against her fair skin, her eyes going wide. He chuckled, extending his hand out to her.
"We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Jax Foster."
She took his hand, her fingers soft, but her grip firm. "Penny Lisowski. Senior Administrator."
"Nice to meet you, Penny. I take it not much happens around here without you knowing about it." She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, so Jax decided to go easy on her. He leaned in and winked at her. "I promise not to tell." He'd worked in an office once. The receptionist dealt with everyone and everything, no matter how low or how high on the corporate ladder. Jax was pretty sure Penny was privy to information few were, and she seemed closely acquainted with Adam. Perhaps they were even friends.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Jax excused himself. He had some very important matters to think about, like what the hell he was going to wear.
"WELL, look at you. Finally going out on a date?"
Dale leaned against the doorframe of Jax's room as he stood in front of the mirror.
"It's not a date. Just some dinner and talking."
"So, a date," Dale teased. "With Matthew Hart?"
Jax narrowed his gaze at his father through the mirror. "What?"
"Nothing. Don't get so defensive." Dale shrugged. "Where are you taking him?"
Why was his father so interested? "We're meeting at the Red Lion."
Dale frowned. "A pub?"
"Don't say it like that. It's a really nice pub. The food is terrific." It was one of Jax's favorite places. The food was really good, the atmosphere friendly, and the music was great.
"He's already seen some of your work. Hell, he's been watching you work for weeks."
Jax rolled his eyes. "It has nothing to do with my work. I really like the place. I think Matty will like it too."
"Matty?" Dale arched an eyebrow.
Shit. "I meant Matthew." Damn it. Now his father really wouldn't let it go. Jax tried to do something with his hair while his father scrutinized him.
"He isn't just some kid you went to school with."
"Just let it go," Jax warned. He was not about to get into that conversation with his father. It had been bad enough when it happened. Dale was quiet, and Jax prayed that for once in his father's life, Dale could just move on and not overthink everything. Dale snappe
d his fingers, his eyes wide.
"Wait, it's him."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He's the reason you cried yourself to sleep at night when we left."
Jax didn't reply. If he did, he'd say something he'd regret. All these years later, and he still hadn't forgiven his father for taking him away from Matthew. He understood, and he'd moved on, but forgiven him? No.
"Well, here's your second chance," Dale said, sounding excited. "Plus, he's rich. You could do worse."
Jax froze. He turned to study his dad. "You looked him up?"
"Of course. I wanted to see what kind of man has taken an interest in my son." Dale shrugged like it was obvious. Why wouldn't he do a Google search on a random man who'd shown up at Jax's shop that Jax had known when he was a kid? Did his father think he was an idiot?
"Cut the bullshit, Dad. You wanted to see how much he was worth."
Dale lifted his chin with a sniff. "Has it ever occurred to you that I just want to see you happy?"
"Yeah, and the money wouldn't hurt either, right?" Jax shook his head, disgusted. Unbelievable. Dale just never quit.
"Just think about it. You could get the collectors off your back, pay the back rent, and be debt free. It's not like he can't afford it."
Jax spun to glare at his father. "Are you insane?"
"What's a few grand to a man with millions?"
"That's enough," Jax said through his teeth. "Stay away from him. I'm not kidding."
Dale threw up his hand in front of him. "Fine. Fine. I was just trying to help."
Jax closed his eyes as he sank onto the edge of his bed. "This is a mistake." What the hell was he doing going to dinner with Matthew Hart? He could kid himself all he wanted, telling himself it didn't mean anything, that it wasn't a date, that they'd go their separate ways after Jax finished the Esperanza job, but that's not what he wanted, not deep down in his heart.
"What? No. Go out. Have fun. God knows you need it. Get laid. How long has it been?"
Jax groaned. "Jesus, Dad."
"No wonder you're so damned uptight. Go rock his Hugo Boss socks off."
Jax jumped to his feet and sped to the door. "I'm leaving now."
"Don't forget to use protection," Dale called out after him.
"Stop. Talking. Please." Jax walked out the front door to the sound of his father's cackle.