At his elbow, Miles’ phone buzzed with an incoming text from Ford, alerting them of the arrival. He gulped down the last mouthful of his coffee and dabbed at his mouth, looking Alex over once more. The lad was wearing the navy suit which fit him well enough, but seemed out of place on a June morning. Miles thumbed a quick reply to Ford, set the phone down, and then reached to pull Alex’s sunglasses off of his face.
Alex flinched and raised a hand, a move that made Miles pause, and scowl behind his own sunnies. “What was that?” Miles asked flatly, shifting his seat closer to Alex and snatching the sunglasses off of Alex.
Blinking in the bright glare of the terrace, Alex frowned and pushed his plate away. “You startled me,” he muttered. “I were...I weren’t paying attention.”
Miles snorted. “What else is new.” He waited a beat and then continued. “The navy is a little...somber for California in June, isn’t it, laa?”
Alex’s dark eyes went wide with disbelief, and he glanced down at the lines of his jacket. “I thought you liked this one?” He tugged at the lapels nervously.
Miles smiled indulgently, and leaned into Alex’s space, stealing a kiss before Alex knew what was happening. “I like it just fine, Alex. But not at this...juncture. Go put the dove grey Armani on, won’t ya, love? I want you looking your best. These guys need to know they’re protecting my most precious possession.”
With furrowed brow, Alex pushed his chair back and rose, and marched off of the terrace.
“An’ leave the attitude up there while you’re at it,” Miles barked after him. He tossed his napkin to his plate, and then made his way into the house to head out to the front courtyard.
