Until You Say Yes 🤍 Joong/Dunk

Chapter 7 ~ chances ~

Nate couldn't seem to drag his eyes away from Dean's as the other man stalked towards him, an angry expression on his face and the girl who had been chatting with Nate completely misread the situation.

Thinking that the handsome newcomer was walking over to introduce himself to her, she sucked in her tummy, stuck out her chest then struck a seductive pose waiting for the inevitable meeting but when the handsome man reached them he didn't say anything, just glared at the man she had been chatting with.

"er, hello, my name is ...." she began.

"I apologise miss but I need to speak to Nate here, would you mind giving us some privacy?" Dean said, his anger barely contained.

"of course, we'll catch up later Nate" the girl said before walking away.

Dean exhaled slowly as if he was releasing his pent up anger,

"what are you doing here?" Nate asked him.

"I was invited, and you?" Dean asked

"Hayden is my best friend after all" Nate shrugged before continuing,

"so what did you need to discuss with me?" he asked.

"nothing, I just wanted that girl away from you" Dean said shamelessly.

"we were just chatting and with all due respect it has nothing to do with you" Nate responded.

"keep telling yourself that Nate, you know as well as I do that there's something between us" Dean said.

"what is there between us exactly Dean, if I hadn't mistaken you for my friend, we probably would never have met" Nate replied.

"we would have eventually, as you keep reminding me, you are Hayden's best friend and I move in the same circles as his husband, it was only a matter of time but your misunderstanding just made it happen sooner" Dean said.

"so what are you saying, that it was fate or something ... you know for someone wh ..."

"ah, I see you guys have already met" Hayden said cutting off Nate's words as he threw his arm around Nate's shoulders.

"Dean, this is my best buddy Nate, we've known each other for ever and Nate, this is Dean Jay Gaynor" Hayden said.

"we already met bro" Nate said staring Dean down.

Dean stared back, his eyes landing on Hayden's hand as it rested lightly on Nate's shoulder, the fingers absently rubbing.

"Dean's an investor Nate, he's from the states but he's half thai" Hayden said.

"I grew up in the states but I'm actually irish/thai" Dean corrected Hayden.

"right, irish, that's somewhere I'd like to go one day, Ireland" Hayden chatted oblivious to the effect his wandering hand was having on Dean.

"is that the language that you were using the other day?" Nate asked.

"gaelic, yes, my sister and I learned from my irish grandmammy" Dean said.

Nate remembered what Hayden had told him about the american investor's father and felt guilty for speaking abruptly,

"I'm sorry to hear you recently lost your father" Nate said.

"mmm thank you" Dean replied out of good manners.

"did Dominic not give you a drink yet Dean? what do you want, I'll bring something for you" Hayden offered.

"anything Hayden, thank you" Dean replied.

"what about you bro, are you ready for some hard stuff yet?" Hayden asked his friend.