Categories > Books > Anita Blake > Friends
Chapter 3
Babysitting, again; watching Nathaniel and keeping him out of trouble. When was Anita going to let Nathaniel grow up? At least, Caleb thought, he got to go out; it beat sitting at home, staring at the walls. He had to get an apartment and out of Anita's house. He'd have to find someone to share an apartment with; he hated roommates. Greg was the only person he knew with an apartment and no roommates but he obviously didn't need or want any.
Here he was, out having fun with his friends, Caleb thought sarcastically. Nathaniel had tried to get him out on the dance floor. Gregory stood there looking at him while Nathaniel teased. "Come on Caleb, you can't just sit there. If you don't want to dance with me, Greg will dance with you. Won't you Greg?" Greg had looked stricken at the thought; he was truly sorry he'd ever mentioned Caleb to Nathaniel.
They were all out there; Zane and Cherry, Stephen and Vivian, couples. Nathaniel and Gregory had more offers to dance than anyone else, but they were dancing together. Gregory was good; he and Nathaniel moved together, hips almost touching; almost like sex. Gregory stood there, one arm casually holding Nathaniel's waist, smiling into Nathaniel's face, close enough to kiss. Caleb watched his hips rock with the music, thought about how Gregory would feel moving against him. He watched Gregory dance and wished he'd taken Nathaniel up on his offer.
Caleb wasn't dancing, people had finally stopped coming over and asking. He didn't belong here, he didn't fit in. He hadn't called Elizabeth; he was still pissed at her for leaving him stuck without a ride. But at least he and Elizabeth understood each other.
Someone, a man, was talking to Nathaniel on the dance floor, his hand on Nathaniel's arm. Nathaniel was smiling and shaking his head. Caleb tensed, ready to move in when the guy walked away. Caleb relaxed; Nathaniel was doing better. As long as he stayed away from the BDSM clubs; the crowd here was easier to deal with, not so aggressive. Gregory was nowhere to be seen. Probably left with someone, Caleb thought, annoyed by the idea.
"Hey, Caleb." He turned at the sound of his name. Caleb was surprised to see Gregory. He hadn't talked to him since that day in front of Anita's. He'd wondered if he'd hurt Gregory's feelings, not that he cared. Why would Gregory care anyway? Jean-Claude likes it this way.
"I saw you, out there, dancing with Nathaniel." Caleb said, but he didn't ask him to sit down. Didn't know if he wanted him to, he didn't need any one pretending to be his friend. He shouldn't have even mentioned he'd been watching him. But he had been and he'd enjoyed it, too.
"Yeah, I like dancing. How have you been, Caleb?" Gregory was looking at him with that serious face. Damn. He'd had a lecture from Micah and Merle about good relationships with the other Pard members. Merle told him he didn't want to hear any more complaints about his rudeness.
"I'm fine." Maybe if he made small talk Gregory would go away. He was still standing there, looking at Caleb, waiting for something. Caleb pushed a chair with his foot, "Sit down, if you want to." He wasn't dancing with Nathaniel now.
Gregory smiled at the offer. "Thanks, Caleb." It irritated Caleb, all the polite, friendly crap. The smile on Greg's face when he sat down and looked at Caleb aggravated him.
"What do you want? Why all this 'I'm your friend shit'? " Caleb saw the anger run across Gregory's face. Merle had put Greg up to this, or Micah. Gregory hadn't offered sex and Caleb didn't understand friendship. Gregory saw the anger in his face but didn't understand it.
"Maybe I want to be your friend. Maybe I thought you needed one." Gregory hadn't sounded so nice and polite then. He sounded pissed. Caleb liked it better than nice. He understood anger.
Caleb was such a bastard, Gregory thought, why did he care? "You don't really have any friends." Gregory continued. Gregory had noticed Caleb watching him dance; he'd thought maybe Caleb was looking at him, seeing him. He felt a sharp pang of disappointment; Caleb couldn't even take an offer of friendship from him.
"They don't think much of you either." Caleb snapped back. "You're no better than me."
Gregory stood up, leaned over to put his face close to Caleb's. "True, but I'm working on not being an asshole like you. I thought maybe you were changing, too." Gregory held Caleb's eyes for a minute and walked away. Caleb stared as Gregory stalked away and thought about the bright blue eyes that had held his gaze and Gregory's warm breathe on his face. He guessed Greg was right, he always had to be a jerk.
Babysitting, again; watching Nathaniel and keeping him out of trouble. When was Anita going to let Nathaniel grow up? At least, Caleb thought, he got to go out; it beat sitting at home, staring at the walls. He had to get an apartment and out of Anita's house. He'd have to find someone to share an apartment with; he hated roommates. Greg was the only person he knew with an apartment and no roommates but he obviously didn't need or want any.
Here he was, out having fun with his friends, Caleb thought sarcastically. Nathaniel had tried to get him out on the dance floor. Gregory stood there looking at him while Nathaniel teased. "Come on Caleb, you can't just sit there. If you don't want to dance with me, Greg will dance with you. Won't you Greg?" Greg had looked stricken at the thought; he was truly sorry he'd ever mentioned Caleb to Nathaniel.
They were all out there; Zane and Cherry, Stephen and Vivian, couples. Nathaniel and Gregory had more offers to dance than anyone else, but they were dancing together. Gregory was good; he and Nathaniel moved together, hips almost touching; almost like sex. Gregory stood there, one arm casually holding Nathaniel's waist, smiling into Nathaniel's face, close enough to kiss. Caleb watched his hips rock with the music, thought about how Gregory would feel moving against him. He watched Gregory dance and wished he'd taken Nathaniel up on his offer.
Caleb wasn't dancing, people had finally stopped coming over and asking. He didn't belong here, he didn't fit in. He hadn't called Elizabeth; he was still pissed at her for leaving him stuck without a ride. But at least he and Elizabeth understood each other.
Someone, a man, was talking to Nathaniel on the dance floor, his hand on Nathaniel's arm. Nathaniel was smiling and shaking his head. Caleb tensed, ready to move in when the guy walked away. Caleb relaxed; Nathaniel was doing better. As long as he stayed away from the BDSM clubs; the crowd here was easier to deal with, not so aggressive. Gregory was nowhere to be seen. Probably left with someone, Caleb thought, annoyed by the idea.
"Hey, Caleb." He turned at the sound of his name. Caleb was surprised to see Gregory. He hadn't talked to him since that day in front of Anita's. He'd wondered if he'd hurt Gregory's feelings, not that he cared. Why would Gregory care anyway? Jean-Claude likes it this way.
"I saw you, out there, dancing with Nathaniel." Caleb said, but he didn't ask him to sit down. Didn't know if he wanted him to, he didn't need any one pretending to be his friend. He shouldn't have even mentioned he'd been watching him. But he had been and he'd enjoyed it, too.
"Yeah, I like dancing. How have you been, Caleb?" Gregory was looking at him with that serious face. Damn. He'd had a lecture from Micah and Merle about good relationships with the other Pard members. Merle told him he didn't want to hear any more complaints about his rudeness.
"I'm fine." Maybe if he made small talk Gregory would go away. He was still standing there, looking at Caleb, waiting for something. Caleb pushed a chair with his foot, "Sit down, if you want to." He wasn't dancing with Nathaniel now.
Gregory smiled at the offer. "Thanks, Caleb." It irritated Caleb, all the polite, friendly crap. The smile on Greg's face when he sat down and looked at Caleb aggravated him.
"What do you want? Why all this 'I'm your friend shit'? " Caleb saw the anger run across Gregory's face. Merle had put Greg up to this, or Micah. Gregory hadn't offered sex and Caleb didn't understand friendship. Gregory saw the anger in his face but didn't understand it.
"Maybe I want to be your friend. Maybe I thought you needed one." Gregory hadn't sounded so nice and polite then. He sounded pissed. Caleb liked it better than nice. He understood anger.
Caleb was such a bastard, Gregory thought, why did he care? "You don't really have any friends." Gregory continued. Gregory had noticed Caleb watching him dance; he'd thought maybe Caleb was looking at him, seeing him. He felt a sharp pang of disappointment; Caleb couldn't even take an offer of friendship from him.
"They don't think much of you either." Caleb snapped back. "You're no better than me."
Gregory stood up, leaned over to put his face close to Caleb's. "True, but I'm working on not being an asshole like you. I thought maybe you were changing, too." Gregory held Caleb's eyes for a minute and walked away. Caleb stared as Gregory stalked away and thought about the bright blue eyes that had held his gaze and Gregory's warm breathe on his face. He guessed Greg was right, he always had to be a jerk.
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