Chapter 8
Perhaps they’d already been briefed, but when we walked into the private room, everyone enthusiastically stood up.
A chorus of “Sister-in-law” was on the verge of escaping their lips when they saw Jasper behind me.
Their expressions immediately became a sight to behold.
“Uh, L-Landon?”
They took a few seconds to react, perhaps thinking Landon had suddenly changed his mind again.
So they all pretended to be familiar and clapped Jasper on the shoulder.
Then, the real Landon walked in, a dark scowl on his face.
“Holy shit.”
Someone finally couldn’t help but blurt out a curse.
“Why are you looking at me? Order the food.”
Landon, still fuming, sat down next to me.
“Aren’t you going to introduce everyone first?”
Jasper, while naturally sanitizing my forks, smoothly steered the conversation.
“This is Stella,”
Landon gritted his back teeth. “My girlfriend.”
Stella shyly leaned against him.
Landon immediately looked at me nervously.
Seeing my lack of reaction, his face grew even darker.
He finally ignored everyone’s winks and nudges, silently peeling a shrimp for me.
“Eat shrimp.”
Before I could even reach for it, the person on the other side snatched it with his forks.
“You f**king done with your—”
Landon slammed his forks on the table.
Before he could unleash his anger, he heard Jasper casually say, “He’s allergic to shrimp.”
Landon’s rage immediately died down.
“I didn’t know.” He looked uncharacteristically flustered.
Ignoring how bizarre it was for him to serve me, he eagerly picked up a piece of chicken. “You can eat this, right?”
“Thanks, I can eat it.”
I gave him a slight smile, and as his face relaxed in relief, I promptly put it into Jasper’s bowl.
“But I don’t like it.”
The smile on Landon’s face completely vanished.
“Wanna step out for a smoke?”
As if he couldn’t hold back his fury any longer, he stood up and tapped twice on Jasper’s chair back.
It was boring to stare at a bunch of guys who enjoyed humiliating me, and I also wanted to know what Jasper’s game plan was.
So I found an excuse and followed them out.
Sure enough, around a corner, I heard Landon’s vicious voice:
“Bro, what the hell is your deal? Are you addicted to pretending to be me, or did you seriously fall for your own brother’s boyfriend?”
“It’s perfectly natural for me to get him food,”
He let out a short, neurotic laugh. “But what right do you have to care what he’s allergic to?”
“I don’t have the right.” Jasper held a cigarette in one hand, bringing it nonchalantly to his lips.
Then he casually stubbed it out. “But I will soon.”
Landon exploded, grabbing Jasper’s collar and slamming him against the wall, his eyes bloodshot: “Jasper! Are you really stealing your brother’s boyfriend?!”
“What’s the rush?”
Under Landon’s furious glare, Jasper remained outwardly calm and relaxed.
His long legs, encased in tailored trousers, were sprawled lazily. “If I hadn’t pushed you like this, would you ever have seen your true feelings?”
“What do you mean?”
Landon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“If I hadn’t forced your hand tonight, would you still be wavering between Stella and Julian?”
“No matter how much Julian loves you, there’ll always come a day when he loses heart.” Jasper freed his collar from Landon’s grip.
Like a dependable older brother, he patiently guided him: “Now do you know what to do?”
Though still half-skeptical, Landon finally relaxed his hold on his brother, who he’d trusted for over twenty years. He snorted. “Alright, let’s switch roles back then. And book me a room.”
“Condoms and stuff are basic, but get a few more varieties of kinks.”
He carefully watched Jasper’s expression. “Something this simple, surely nothing else could go wrong, right?”
“Of course.”
Jasper’s expression was as usual.
…
When they re-entered the private room, the two had indeed switched seats.
“Can we sleep out tonight?”
Landon, now in different clothes, lightly bit my earlobe.
A disagreeable stickiness immediately washed over me.
I instinctively flinched away, my hand accidentally brushing against Jasper’s thigh.
Just as I was about to move it back, my pinky finger was gently hooked.
I looked up to see Jasper calmly sipping tea, his face devoid of expression.
Noticing my gaze, he even raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
So, under everyone’s watchful eyes, right next to his own brother, Jasper subtly intertwined his fingers with mine, his ‘brother’s boyfriend,’ beneath the tablecloth.
Slowly. So slowly.
Then he squeezed tight.
“I’ve booked a room.”
Seeing I didn’t respond, Landon thought I was shy, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I—it’s my first time too, but I’ll make sure you’re comfortable. Okay?”
My fingertips were gently caressed by another, and my heart couldn’t help but quicken a few beats.
But I carefully held back my answer.
Because I knew Landon wasn’t the only one waiting for my reply.
Landon was doing this for Stella.
But what about Jasper?
Was simply humoring his brother reason enough to sacrifice himself and sleep with a man?
I’d even secretly wondered if he liked me.
But then why had he lied to me for three years, never revealing his true identity?
Yet, recalling the brothers’ interaction just now, I finally spoke with a smile. “Okay.”
Since Jasper had gone to such lengths, even booking us a room.
How could I possibly disappoint his efforts?