CHAPTER Seven~ You’re rambling

Nate’s POV

A shrill cry reverberated through the walls and into my bones. I shivered and scowled at the ceiling.

It was eight thirty on a Saturday morning. If I didn’t have a meeting with Adeline and her crew at nine, I wouldn’t be up right now.

Never had I wished I had somewhere else to live more. Somewhere quiet and peaceful.

I doubled-checked myself in the mirror. For the interview, I’d chosen a nice pair of dark jeans and a moss green sweater that brought out the hints of green in my eyes.

My white collared shirt poked through just right and gave me a preppy, put-together look.

I’d used a bit of product to make my thick hair orderly and shaved so I had an attractive babyface, which I hated.

If I left some stubble on my chin, it made me look older, but it was an interview, and I figured presentable was the way to go.

My phone chimed, and I snapped it up.

Nate: I’m outside, and I’m not coming into that crazy house.

Nick: OMW!

I pocketed my phone and grabbed my designer leather jacket. The one I’d bought with Dad’s money for prom a few years back.

This was it. We were officially meeting Adeline bloom so she could … look at us.

It was too weird.

Nate was parked on the road and was flipping through music when I tumbled into the BMW.

He was also wearing a leather jacket and dark jeans, but his were both distressed and full of holes.

The T-shirt he sported was a vintage pair he’d owned since high school.

He hadn’t shaved and was sporting a day or two worth of scruff on his face. So much for looking nice for the interview.

He found a song he liked, and adjusted the volume before glancing over.

He raised a brow as he scanned my outfit. “Aww, look at you all spiffed out and preppy.”

“It’s an interview. You look like you’re ready to go to a concert. Do you even care about me a little bit?”

He shoved my shoulder, laughing. “Dude, I agreed to get naked and kinky with you for the camera. Believe me, if I hated you, this wouldn’t be happening. Besides, our clothes won’t matter once we get there because she wants to see us in less than, remember?”

I glanced down at myself. “Right. Shit. I wore boring underwear. Maybe I should change.”

“I’m sure your underwear is boyish and adorable like the rest of you.”

“Fuck off and drive.”

Nate laughed. “Where am I going?”

“The penthouse on the high rise avenue. Room 608. They said the front desk knows we’re coming.”

“And we aren’t going to get murdered by some crazy serial killer who set this whole thing up?”

“Probably not.”

Nate took the overpass to the freeway. “Probably not, he says. Lovely.”

We drove with the music keeping us company. Nate wove through traffic, one hand on the wheel as he sang along under his breath.

“Are you nervous?” I asked when he took the exit that led to downtown.

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

“I’d like to think we’re comfortable with each other’s naked bodies.

Remember that time we had a penis dancing contest in front of the mirror?We cranked ‘Jump Around’ and tried to outdo each other by swinging and slapping our little dicks all over the place.”

Nate laughed and threw his head back. “Oh fuck, that was awesome. But we were seven or eight at the time. I’d say that’s a little different. My dick’s all grown up now.”

He eyed me. “Not sure how yours made out, and I can’t say it was on my list of need-to-know items.”

“I have a nice dick, thank you very much. Never had a single complaint.” I shrugged. “I’m just saying. Let’s look at this as a brotherly adventure.”

“A brotherly adventure?”

“Yeah.”

Nate grew quiet. We both knew it was far different, and no amount of pretending would make it a fun brotherly adventure.

It was twisted and ten kinds of wrong, but whatever, it was twenty-five thousand dollars.

Nate pulled into the High Rise and found a parking spot. He shut off the car and sat staring at the building. “Are we really doing this?”

“I’m running out of options.”

Nate pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. “Just acting. Fuck me. Okay, let’s go before I change my mind.”

We wandered inside, both of us with stiff shoulders and our hands jammed into our pockets.

At the front desk, I gave the woman behind the counter our names.

“Ah, yes, the Stepbrothers. Ms. Bloom is waiting for you. Go on up.”

She directed us to a bank of elevators on the left.

The ride to the sixth floor was filled with tension.

Nate bounced on his toes and drummed his fingers against his thigh.

I worked at calming my racing heart and ordering my runaway thoughts.

When I was nervous, I tended to ramble, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Outside room 608, we paused, shoulder to shoulder as we stared at the black numbers on the door. “Don’t act stupid, or you’ll fuck your chances,” Nate warned.

“I know. I shouldn’t talk at all.”

“This is your gig, you’d better do the talking. Just … don’t ramble or go on a tangent.”

“I’ll do my best. I spent the last two nights practicing in my head, imagining all the things she might ask and coming up with answers. But, what if she’s all, ‘Get naked, and show me what you’ve got.’ We haven’t talked about what we’ll do. Is she gonna expect a runway model walk thing from one side of the room to the other? I can’t walk like that. I tried. My legs do this weird thing where they look like I’m half-octopus. Maybe it’s easier in heels, but I don’t own heels. I mean, I’ve seen male models do the runway thing, and I guess they don’t wear…”

“Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re rambling.”

“Fuck. Okay. Dammit. I’m nervous.”

“Me too. Are we leaving?”

“No.”

I knocked before I threw up or ran away.