A Foolish Plan Read online

  “Fucking hell,” Jared muttered under his breath at the sight of Dexter and Isaac cooing at and chuckling with each other next to him.

  He loved Dexter, and he thought Isaac was a great guy. However, he wished those two would tone it down with their public displays of affection once in a while. Stephen, who was seated on his other side, had a bored expression. As usual. It was noontime on Friday, and the four of them were having lunch together. Then Jared was startled when someone tapped him on his shoulder from behind. He turned around and immediately broke into a wide grin at the sight of Keagan’s smiling face. Keagan was a great fuck. Jared wanted to make sure he stayed on Keagan’s good side. It wouldn’t do to lose a man like Keagan. Jared would definitely demand a repeat performance from Keagan as soon as possible, and preferably, they would get to have multiple rounds of sex before going their separate ways later that afternoon. Or evening.

  “How have you been, man?” Keagan asked while pulling Jared into a tight hug. “Haven’t seen you around since that last party nearly two weeks ago.”

  Jared chuckled as he stepped back from Keagan. “Been busy with the restaurants. Not all of us can afford to take time off from work.”

  Keagan snorted. “Your family is worth a lot more than mine, man.”

  Jared waved the compliment off with one hand. “Nah. You’ll catch up soon.”

  “Maybe.”

  Jared then pointed at Dexter and Stephen. “I’m sure you still remember my buddies.”

  Keagan snickered and shook hands with Dexter and Stephen before lowering the volume of his voice. “Hard to forget. You three fucketeers are legendary.”

  Dexter had a stern expression on his face, but he was also blushing a little. “No more of that for me.”

  “Why not?”

  Dexter offered his hand to Isaac and dragged the smaller man gently toward him before addressing Keagan once again. “This is my boyfriend, Isaac Robbins. He’s the love of my life, and I’m hoping he will marry my sorry ass someday.”

  Keagan was obviously stunned, but he managed to wipe the expression away in a hurry before nodding at Isaac. After that, he glanced back in Dexter’s direction.

  “Wow! I never thought the day would come when you actually wanted to settle down for good.”

  “Isaac is a positive influence in my life.”

  Keagan bowed at Isaac. “You have my utmost respect for taming this wild beast.”

  Isaac grinned. “Thank you. Dexter is an incredible man. He makes it easy to fall deeper and harder in love with him every single day.”

  Keagan laughed before openly studying Isaac from head to toe. “Damn it, Dex. You’re one lucky ass. You have a good man here. Gorgeous and sexy. Almost too pretty to be real, if I may say so.”

  “Thanks,” Dexter responded with before slipping one arm around Isaac’s waist. “I know that.”

  Jared almost rolled his eyes. Dexter was so predictable. That hand around Isaac’s waist was a sign of Dexter’s possessiveness. Granted, Keagan might be handsome and well-built, but Isaac was crazy in love with Dexter. It was clearly written all over Isaac’s face. Dexter seriously needed to lighten up. Keagan was simply complimenting Isaac. There was nothing more to it. Then again, Jared could sort of understand Dexter’s feelings at the moment. He never expected Isaac would turn out to be such a pretty face when he made that stupid bet with Dexter a few months ago. He thought he had finally beaten Dexter at something.

  In the end, he was on the losing side. Dexter got himself a gorgeous and sweet boyfriend in Isaac, and those two were so in love with each other, they were practically nauseating. Meanwhile, Jared was still single. Not that he minded, but after witnessing the constant lovefest between Dexter and Isaac, not to mention how obviously blissful they were, he would often wonder if it might be better to have an exclusive boyfriend or girlfriend. Someone with whom he could be one hundred percent himself.

  “Hey, Jared.”

  Jared was startled out of his short-lived reverie when he heard Keagan calling his name. “Yeah. What’s up?”

  “Are you guys done with lunch?”

  “We are. What about you?”

  Keagan nodded. “Just finished a lunch meeting with some clients. Care to accompany me back to my place? I have a bottle of wine that has your name on it. It’s vintage. It’s supposed to be really delicious.”

  Jared didn’t need Keagan to clarify himself. He knew what was going to happen at Keagan’s place.

  “Sounds good to me,” Jared replied before turning toward Stephen, Dexter, and Isaac. “I’ll see you guys some other time, and Steve?”

  Stephen had a bored expression on his face as if he couldn’t care less about whatever was going on, but there was a hint of something on his face that Jared was unable to comprehend.

  “Yeah?” Stephen answered, but he sounded as if he was miles away inside his head.

  “It’s your turn to pay for lunch today.”

  Stephen looked disappointed, but Jared brushed that thought away. He was probably imagining it. He didn’t see a reason for Stephen to look like that. Stephen simply shrugged at Jared and plopped back onto his seat.

  “Sure. Later, man. Have fun.”

  Jared winked at Stephen. “I will.”

  He picked up his suit jacket off the back of his chair before bidding farewell to Stephen, Dexter, and Isaac. Keagan simply waved before walking toward the exit side by side with Jared, who was becoming more aroused with the passing of every single second. He knew sex was on the agenda, and Keagan was one of the best lovers he’d ever had. Keagan was a very aggressive top. Jared wondered what Keagan would be like as a bottom. He was determined to find out for himself later. He reached for his smartphone from inside the pocket of his dress pants. He needed to contact Jeremiah and James, his two older brothers, to inform them he would be preoccupied for the next few hours. They would have to take care of business in his absence. He was going to get himself laid.

  * * * *

  Stephen carefully ensured he looked as nonchalant as possible, but he knew the game was up the moment Dexter patted him on his shoulder. He raised his head in Dexter’s direction. Dexter’s expression was as flat as ever, but Stephen knew every single one of his best friend’s quirks. He could detect the sympathy in Dexter’s face. He also wasn’t surprised by the compassion that was written all over Isaac’s face. Isaac was too damn observant for his own good, and Stephen liked and resented that simultaneously. He lifted the glass of wine and gulped down all of the liquid in it before narrowing his eyes at Dexter and Isaac, who were both occupying their previous seats.

  “Not a single fucking word from both of you.”

  Dexter complied to his request. So did Isaac. However, Stephen found his resolve melting away at the heavy weight of Isaac’s lovely and gentle gaze in his direction. He cursed Dexter internally for landing a boyfriend as irresistible as Isaac. There was something about Isaac that made it extremely easy for anyone to soften up and confide in him. Stephen had always had a wall erected deep inside him. It was his defense mechanism. It was very natural for him to do that.

  He didn’t need any additional hurt from outside sources. He had enough of that at home. Not that his parents were physically abusive toward him. In his opinion, that would be better than their cold, aloof attitudes toward him almost ninety-nine percent of the time. They were always too busy with one thing or another, business or otherwise. They never had time for him. Sometimes, he felt they had brought him into this world just so they could say that they had an heir to their vast amount of wealth. He was more of a necessary evil.

  He couldn’t remember a time when his parents had actually spent any of their precious moments with him alone. Just the three of them as a family. Aside from Jared and Dexter, he had grown up with well-paid nannies and babysitters who would cater to his every whim until he was around fifteen years old. That had been the year when his parents decided he could take care of himself. After that, he only had Dexter and Jared
as his friends.

  He rarely allowed anyone to get close to him emotionally. Not even Dexter and Jared could really penetrate his emotional armor, but he couldn’t escape from Isaac. His wall cracked a little, and it wasn’t the first time that occurred, when Isaac gripped tightly onto his hands and squeezed them over and over again in a reassuring manner. He tried to raise the wall up again, but he failed. He wouldn’t succeed as long as Isaac was still in close proximity to him. Besides, he was feeling vulnerable and more than a little tired of hiding. He needed someone to talk to.

  “I’ll listen if you need me to. No judgment. I promise.”

  Stephen was irritated for a second or two, but it disappeared just as quickly. He cussed at Isaac deep inside him. He had no clue what it was about Isaac, but the younger man, who was twelve years his junior, was too damn enchanting and alluring. The charm was subtle, but it was undeniable. Nobody could run away from it. Stephen had no doubt this must be the reason why Dexter was so pathetic when it came to Isaac.

  Isaac’s invisible yet potent charisma was unavoidable to anyone and everyone. It was too powerful. Stephen had never bumped into anyone like Isaac in his thirty-two years of living on this fucking planet. He, Dexter, and Jared all agreed that they might be twelve years older than Isaac, but they would lose to the younger man easily. In fact, most, if not all, people would stand no chance against Isaac. His intangible appeal was far too overwhelming.

  “I think I may be in love with Jared.”

  Stephen had lowered the volume of his voice, but he thought it still sounded too loud in his ears. He was terrified and shy at the same time.

  “No shit.”

  Stephen glared at Dexter. Even Isaac looked really annoyed by Dexter’s insensitive comment. Dexter wasn’t frightened of Stephen’s fierce expression. That much was obvious. His facial expression said it all. However, Stephen was delighted when Dexter was visibly cowed by Isaac’s disappointed expression. He would have to hang out with Isaac a lot more in the future. Dexter was a successful and ruthless businessman with a net worth of fifty-two billion dollars and counting, and he was the sole heir to his family’s fortune. He inherited all of his family’s chains of five-star hotels worldwide. He was a merciless business adversary who was feared by many people out there.

  It was comical to realize the extent of Isaac’s influence and control over Dexter, and Stephen was thoroughly impressed. Isaac was certainly a force to be reckoned with. He would have to find an opportunity to learn from Isaac. Then his attention was back onto Isaac when the younger man patted his arm gently.

  “Please ignore Dexter. He’s not properly house-trained yet.”

  Dexter sputtered incoherently while Stephen burst out laughing. Now, he really liked Isaac very much. He threw Dexter a teasing wink. In return, Dexter simply scowled at him. Then Stephen focused on Isaac completely.

  “You better do it fast. Dex needs to know how to behave in polite company.”

  “I will,” Isaac responded with immediately while Dexter frowned at Stephen even more furiously than before.

  However, Dexter’s expression softened in an instant when Isaac suddenly stood and made his way toward him. Stephen was amused when Isaac plopped down onto Dexter’s lap, and Dexter released this soft sound that reminded him of a purring cat or something. He watched as Dexter wrapped both arms around Isaac’s waist and pressed his nose against the back of the younger man’s head before inhaling deeply. Stephen could feel his envy rising to the surface.

  In the past, he had never considered settling down with just one person for the rest of his life. There were too many people to have sex with. Why should he get himself one tree when he could have the entire forest? Besides, most people were more trouble than they were worth. He should just enjoy the physical aspects without worrying about the other things that came along with having extended relationships with them.

  Now, he changed his mind. He yearned for the same kind of relationship that he witnessed between Dexter and Isaac, but he wanted to have something like that with Jared. Unfortunately, Jared obviously wasn’t interested in him. He had been shocked when he finally realized what his feelings toward Jared were after pondering over them around two weeks ago. A one-sided love was painful, though, and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it. He sighed in exasperation when Dexter started breathing loudly while pressing his face against Isaac’s neck.

  “The two of you together will make me puke all my lunch out within the next few seconds. Can you tone it down a little?”

  Dexter shot a smug expression in Stephen’s direction. “No, and you can suck it up.”

  Stephen raised his middle fingers at Dexter. “Fuck you.”

  “Thanks, but not interested.”

  Stephen didn’t bother to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at Dexter. Then he hurriedly switched the subject back toward his current predicament.

  “Any suggestions for me?”

  “About you and Jared?” Dexter countered while still nuzzling his face against the back of Isaac’s head.

  “About me and the ass of the donkey,” Stephen retorted, feeling helpless and frustrated now. He couldn’t be bothered to put on his usual mask of utter boredom. “Focus, man. Yes! About Jared and me. What should I do?”

  Isaac opened his mouth, but Dexter beat him to it. Judging by the expression on Dexter’s face, Stephen knew he was about to receive a nonsensical response from his best friend.

  “Make him jealous.”

  Stephen stared at Dexter in disbelief. “What?”

  “No,” Isaac interjected almost immediately. “Not a good idea. Remember when the three of you came up with that stupid bet not so long ago?”

  Dexter’s cheeks reddened, and Stephen was certain he was as embarrassed as Dexter by that reminder. He, Jared, and Dexter had been restless a while back. They needed something exciting and exhilarating to perk their moods up. As a result, Jared had challenged Dexter that he wouldn’t be able to get Isaac to fall in love with him in ten dates or less. The winning prize was set at ten million dollars. Stephen might not have participated in it, but he was equally guilty for encouraging and goading his friends into it. Dexter scoffed a little at Isaac.

  “Babe, everything will be fine this time around. Steve just has to go out on dates with some really hot, sexy, and gorgeous people. Then Jared will discover his feelings for Steve. After that, the two of them will live together happily ever after. It’s a foolproof plan.”

  Isaac shook his head. “It’s a foolish plan, and I’m strongly against it. Something will go wrong, and—”

  “Babe, come on!” Dexter exclaimed before kissing the back of Isaac’s neck a couple of times. “Everything will turn out all right.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “It will be fine,” Dexter insisted, and Isaac heaved out a huge sigh.

  “I’ve warned you.”

  “I know, babe,” Dexter said flippantly in Isaac’s direction. “I’m sure it will be okay.”

  Stephen bit his lower lip for a short moment before making up his mind. “There’s no harm in trying. Right?”

  Isaac looked unconvinced, and Dexter appeared smug and elated before speaking up. “Of course. You just have to date a few people. Enough for Jared to notice your constant absence. Jared is mischievous, but he’s actually even more possessive than me.”

  Isaac snorted. “That’s debatable.”

  In the next instant, Isaac and Dexter got into one of their silly and lovely little arguments. Isaac claimed Dexter was overly dominant and also a control freak. Dexter vehemently denied it all. Stephen ignored them both. He was busy coming up with a plan inside his head. Dexter could be right. Stephen simply had to show Jared what he was missing out on. Then they would have their fairy tale ending. Naturally. All he had to do was make a list of potential dates for the foreseeable future. Jared would be so jealous. After that, Stephen could reassure Jared that he was only attempting to get him all worked up. The two of the
m would settle the issue between themselves, and they could be boyfriends just like Dexter and Isaac. Nothing would go wrong. He just had to make sure that his plan was perfect. Easy enough.

  Chapter 3

  Jared choked on air for a second or two before he let out a loud guffaw. Dexter had just told him the most hilarious joke. Ever.

  “E-excuse me,” Jared chortled and stuttered at the same time. “Di-did you j-just inform me that Stephen had been busy f-for the past one week or so b-because he w-went out on dates? Like real d-dates?”

  Dexter’s stern expression didn’t alter. At all. In fact, it seemed to grow even more serious now.

  “Yes.”

  Jared’s laughter died almost immediately. “Are we both talking about Stephen Howard? Our mutual best friend?”

  “Yes.”

  Jared was more than a little irritated now. “That’s not funny, man.”

  Dexter arched his left eyebrow at Jared. “I’m not pulling your leg.”

  Jared gaped at Dexter, darted his eyes toward Isaac, and then returned his focus onto his best friend. “You’re serious?”

  Dexter scoffed. “Duh!”

  Jared abruptly lost his appetite now. He, Dexter, and Isaac were inside the private room of an exclusive high-end bar. He was the one who had invited them to join him at the bar because he was feeling lonely. It was all Stephen’s fault. After Dexter and Isaac started getting very serious with each other, Jared’s only faithful companion was Stephen. When Stephen had rejected his requests and demands to hang out just the two of them for the umpteenth time that week, he had to turn toward Dexter and Isaac.

  Now, he understood why Stephen had no time for him. Stephen must have been out on several dates over the past one week or so. For some strange reason, he was rather annoyed at Stephen for keeping that a secret from him. There was also this weird feeling inside him that he couldn’t identify. He might be jealous, but that was impossible. He had no valid reason to feel like that. He and Stephen were best friends and nothing more. He was angry because Stephen, his only single best friend at the moment, was abandoning him to go out on dates with other people. Nothing more than that.