Page 125 of Boys Who Hunt
I lift my head and look at his beaming smile and the unproblematic look in his eyes. For some reason, his advice, no matter how simplistic, always manages to strike a chord.
“Maybe I should do just that,” I reply.
He rubs my hair, messing it all up. “Good.”
Suddenly, the main doors burst open, and my mother’s other lovers, Kai and Nathan, step inside. Technically, they’re all each other’s lovers, with all the poly stuff they’ve got going on. “Goddamn, I’m hungry,” Nathan says. “What’s for dinner, Milo?”
“The same as always,” my dad replies, shrugging. “Why do you even ask?”
“Courtesy.” Nathan approaches and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re looking good, as always. Now bring me my California rolls.”
Milo grins. “Yes, Sir. On the way.”
“Make it a double for me,” Kai tells him, as he sits down beside me. “The casino still doesn’t have a good sushi place, and it sucks.”
“Maybe it’d be a good idea to invest in a new restaurant … like mine, for example.” Dad winks.
Kai rolls his eyes. “I know, I know. I just have to get Ares on board.”
“How is your brother?” Nathan asks.
“Good, in a very Ares way, I guess.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“He’s not the talkative type,” my dad fills in, winking. “He just barks orders, that’s it.”
“Max, your mom told me to tell you not to come to the RIVERA clubs anymore,” Nathan suddenly says.
“What? But we go there on the regular. I’d hate to miss out.”
“I know, but she’s trying to keep things clean on the books, and every night you guys attend, extra liquor seems to vanish from the register.”
I blush and raise my hands. “Not me.”
“I’m just saying … can you relay the message to Silas and Heath?”
“Why can’t you tell them yourself?” my dad asks.
“Because you know how Felix acts when I try to correct his kids, okay?” Nathan responds. “I don’t like dealing with him. You know that.”
I snort. “Didn’t think petty arguments were still a thing at your age.”
“Excuse me?” Nathan’s eye twitches.
My dad begins to laugh, then spanks him on the ass. “He called you old, bro!”
“You fuckin—I’ll make your ass shrivel up next!” Nathan growls at him, chasing him back into the kitchen, while my dad simply giggles like he’s twenty again.
I wonder if this is what they were like back in their day.
“Anyway, gotta run.” I stuff more sushi into my mouth before I hop off my seat. “I have some flowers to buy and a girl to woo.”
“Good luck on the wooing,” Kai says. “Tell us how it went.”
I run off before they ask me anymore questions. “Sure. Later!”
The momentI enter Murphy’s Magnolias, the scent of flowers instantly fills my nostrils, putting a smile on my face. The little bell above me rings as the door closes, and a woman in a soft blue dress steps out of a storage room.