Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Dex was already wearing a new bomber jacket he bought himself to, in his words, “celebrate Bandit”. It was black, with orange tiger stripes on the sleeves, and a massive tiger embroidered on the back.
Dex snort-laughed so hard he choked, for a moment leaving Hammer worried, but he managed to sort himself out after a bout of coughing. “What can I say? I’m a man of simple pleasures. Chicken wings and tiger dick. Fortunately, since it’s made of rubber, the spikes aren’t that scary.”
Hammer bit his lip, watching his bright smile. It was irresistible. But before he managed to come up with a retort, he noticed the server approaching and waved her over, because she stopped being attentive a while back. “We’ll have the bill now.”
She blinked and adjusted her orange apron, glancing Dex’s way. “Oh, your friend already paid. Is there anything else you’d like to order?” she asked, but Hammer was too stunned to respond as he was expected. He stared at Dex, who grinned at him as if this was all normal, and even winked at him, but all Hammer could think about was, Is this a… date?
“No, that’s everything, thanks,” he said after a long silence, confused as all hell.
Because if this was a date, which he found hard to believe, then what did Dex mean by being the one to treat him? Hammer did the fucking, and felt quite confident as the leader of their two-person pack of monsters, but he was a barely-coming-around-to-admitting-bisexuality man. What did he know about dating someone of the same gender?
“Gotcha,” Dex said, licking his fingers. “You gotta be fast and aware of your surroundings in the future.”
“We could have split,” Hammer said, trying to play it cool, even though those new worries were growing out of proportion to what had happened.
“Yeah, but you’ve been feeding me all this time, I wanna treat you.”
Hammer stalled, but he decided not to remind Dex he’d been a hostage and therefore couldn’t have fed himself.
“In that case, thank you, I appreciate it,” Hammer said and finished his coffee while Dex cleaned his face and hands with a napkin.
Dex was bouncing with glee as they left the restaurant. “This is just so cool, you know? Two weeks ago, I didn’t think I'd get to meet you any time soon, and look at us now.”
Hammer did look, but wasn’t sure what Dex was implying. That they had a budding friendship which included both fucking and eating wings? That they were literal partners in crime? Or that… what? That they were a couple?
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but it was undeniable that the desire to keep doing what they were already doing was there. So maybe he didn’t want to come out, but Dex wasn’t a fussy guy. Maybe he’d find the secrecy alluring? It wasn’t as though he was trying to hold Hammer’s hand. They hadn’t even kissed, for fuck’s sake.
“Yeah, it is pretty good. I missed this kind of afternoon out.”
He rarely felt the need to spend time with someone this way, but there was an ease about being with Dex. In his company, Hammer didn’t have to hide who he was, what made him tick, or even remain hyper aware of silent cues that might lead to conflict or other problems when missed. Dex took him at face value and didn’t hold a grudge. It was only now, through comparison, that Hammer was starting to realize the extent to which he kept his walls up at all times, even around his biker brothers.
Dex started walking backwards, to see him as they talked, and he swung his large shopping bag in the air. The long strip of restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues in the center of the small town close to Cora’s stretched all the way back to the parking lot where they’d left their car.
“I’m not lazy but it’s pretty nice to have a day where you can just eat, fuck, and spend money.”
Dex had been spending money indeed. Hammer wondered how much his account held, because Frank couldn’t be paying him that much. He wouldn’t have been surprised to find out Dex was paying by credit card instead of using his savings. “I like pacing myself sometimes.”
Dex twisted and joined Hammer’s side before nudging him with his elbow. No one else treated Hammer this way. No one sane at least, because people who knew him well feared overstepping his boundaries.
“Oh yeah? Like Baby? I thought that last bowl of meat would never disappear. Jesus Christ! You’d expect the kitty to be more eager for a treat like that,” Dex complained, though the meat would have been long gone if Cora didn’t insist Baby deserved a fair share of it.
Hammer smiled every time Dex’s lack of normal boundaries revealed itself in mundane situations. This was why he’d found it so easy to be around him and never got tired of it. Being with someone who thought the same way as he was… calming, like getting to wear slippers at work.