Page 6 of Finding His Silver Fox Daddy

I hissed at him to keep it down. “Jack, fuck! You don’t need to announce my age to the entire goddamn place.”

He snickered like the child he could be. “Henry, I brought you here to loosen you up, okay? We haven’t been out in forever.”

I clinked my rocks glass against his—mostly to get him to stop making a scene—and took a sip of my old-fashioned. I’d only just started drinking, and it burned as it slid down my throat. “I’m here, I’m loose. I’m just old.”

Jack rolled his eyes at me, downing the rest of his whiskey sour. “You’re not old. You’re seasoned.” He winked, and I fought back an abrupt laugh. “And besides, the type of guy you want will be looking for a Daddy your age, anyway.”

Jack knew I was a Daddy. He knew almost everything about me. But what he had neglected to remember was how little I liked my personal business on display for everyone to see—or hear, as it were. Other, possibly sexy things on display? Sure, in the right context. But not information I’d rather have kept under wraps.

My head swiveled violently to make sure no one had overheard before I turned to glare at him. “Are you nuts? That’s private information, Jack-off. You know that.”

He laughed off my immature nickname for him, as I knew he would. “Henry, my man, seriously. This is your first night off in, like, eight months—”

“Three.”

“—so enjoy it. You only turn forty-nine once.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes as I took another sip. “I know, I know. Fine. I’ll relax.”

He arched an eyebrow in question.

“What? I will! I know how to relax.”

Jack just stared.

“Okay, fine, I’ll do my best.”

He clicked his tongue at me as he caught our server’s eye. We’d come to our favorite steakhouse for my annual birthday dinner, the one with stellar service and the best steaks. I allowed myself red meat on occasion. If not my birthday, then when could I indulge?

The petite young woman sidled up to our table only seconds later. Her dark eyes were wide, her black hair was flawlessly pin straight, and her skin was pale and smooth. She was conventionally attractive, and that meant Jack would be turning on the charm, dialing his flirtation up to a thousand.

“Hello again, Jai Lin,” Jack politely responded, but his tone lacked his usual bravado. I settled back in the booth to watch this play out, laying an arm along the top of the seat. What was going on with him? “Could you please bring us refills on our drinks? Then we’ll be ready to order.”

“Of course, Sir,” Jai Lin replied quickly, bowing her head slightly.

“Please, call me Jack.” Again, the words were par for the course with my friend, but his tone was off. I was used to him flirting to get us better service, but we hadn’t been out for a meal together in a while—maybe I was remembering wrong?

She blushed. “Of course, Jack. I’ll get your drink order in right away.”

His smile was kind and not at all loaded with thinly veiled innuendo. What alien had taken over my friend? “Thank you, Jai Lin.”

She smiled shyly before hurrying off, heading directly for the bar.

“So how have you been?” I asked, appraising him over my cocktail.

He grinned, swirling the ice in his otherwise empty glass. “Good, fine. Keeping the money rolling in and my bed warm—you know, the usual.”

I scoffed. “Yes, yes, rub it in.”

He quirked a brow at me. “Better than rubbing it out.”

I snorted, narrowly avoiding getting sugary whiskey up my nose. “Jesus, Jack! Is it too much to ask for a little maturity? This is a respectable establishment.”

Jai Lin approached with our refills then took our orders. She was blushing again by the time she hurried off to the kitchen, but Jack had only been kind, not suggestive.

I studied him, suddenly feeling pensive. The whiskey must have been working faster than I’d anticipated it would. “What’s with you tonight?”

He frowned, an unusual expression on his typically jovial face. “What?”