Free Serving Mr. Right by Sean Michael Page A

turned out that Finn had actually bought it for the place.
    "Not a bit. I'll see you there."
    Chuckling, Tone nodded. "I'll be there."
    He finished his dessert, managing not to lick the bowl clean, though it had been a close thing, and paid his bill before heading down the street. The late-night dive was right there where Finn had said it would be, complete with an enormous neon pink gorilla in the window, and filled with blue-collar people, laughter and the smell of good coffee.
    It amused the hell out of him that Finn cooked the food he did, charging an arm and a leg for it, then came here for his own supper.
    The place was laid back and cheery. He found a booth in the back and ordered a cup of coffee. The crowd was mostly male, and, from the conversations he overheard, mostly kitchen staff. The coffee and booze were flowing, and when Finn came in, a cheer went up. Finn was handed a beer before he was all the way into the place.
    Finn always had been popular with their crowd, back when they'd been together, but the man had never had time to enjoy it, to do more than nod and rush off to whatever it was he had to do next. It was fascinating to see Finn matured and happy, laughing. It was even better to see those eyes searching for him.
    Tone raised his cup to the man when Finn's gaze found him, and offered a warm smile as Finn immediately started for him. Finn was stopped a half dozen times on the way, slapped on the back, chatted with, teased.
    "You're quite the popular figure," he murmured as Finn finally arrived at his table in the back. As far away from the pink gorilla as possible.
    Finn chuckled. "I come in five nights a week. It's my home away from restaurant."
    "You don't have a meal with the staff at the end of the night?" It had always been a part of the ritual, back in the day.
    "God, no. By then we just want to relax, fuck off, drink a little."
    Sitting back, he stretched out his legs comfortably. "Well, I'm glad you're relaxing and fucking off with me tonight."
    "I appreciate you taking the chance tonight."
    "Well, there's still this chemistry between us," Tone noted. It was fierce. It always had been.
    "And bad blood. I wanted to apologize." Finn sat, settled. "I was a brat and a bitch."
    "You were. I didn't handle you very well, though, either." He had to be fair. Ten years ago they'd exploded, brutally.
    Finn nodded and that was that, the past dealt with. "So tell me everything about you while I eat?"
    "Everything?" He chuckled and took a sip of his coffee before shrugging. "What is there to tell? I'm still working as a consultant, helping businesses improve their brands. I work a lot. I work out. I occasionally play at the Smoking Gun , but there's never been anyone serious." The words "since you" hung there, unspoken.
    "Are you still into weights?"
    He raised one arm and flexed, letting Finn see for himself.
    "Oh, man. Nice." A burger and onion rings landed in front of Finn. "Thanks, man. As you can see, I'm still on the burger and beer once a day diet."
    "The people you serve at your restaurant would be horrified." He was amused, though--it made Finn human.
    "It's a kick-ass burger--Kobe, duck bacon, aioli. Totally worth it."
    "At this place?" That was a luxury burger.
    "God, yes. Rick and Marty run it. I don't know if you remember Marty from when we were together, but we've been friends forever. He always wanted to do upscale food in a dive atmosphere."
    Tone sort of remembered Marty, though mostly he tried not to think about that time in his life. Finn had been his one true thing, or so he'd thought, had been everything he ever wanted and nothing he'd ever done for the man had worked out. Nothing. They fought about careers, sex, even fought over what to share for Sunday brunch.
    What was he even doing here? Sure the apology was nice and he should just put it all behind him. He finished his coffee. He'd pay for his drink and make his way home.
    Finn ate a bite of his burger, then put it down. "I'll get your