sound thrashing. Finding him in even sorrier shape than he'd seemed, Jack had realized that someone needed to throw a net under him fast or he wouldn't make it to morning.
Emerging from the kitchen with drinks in hand, Jack noted that his new roommate didn't have much of a knack for making himself at home. He loosened Sutton's tie, eased off his shoes, and maneuvered him into a more comfortable position, with the quilts to keep him warm. Satisfied he had done all a good host could do to provide for his guest, he poured Sutton's gin into his and settled in a chair, magazines on his lap. He'd only just gotten comfortable, himself, when a rap at the door startled him--then made him laugh. He would've bet every penny he owed Chase that he knew just who stood on the other side.
He opened the door and immediately noted the paper bag in Harry's hand. "You moving in, too?"
Harry's gaze darkened. "Too? Okay, what's going on?"
"Shhh," Jack whispered as Harry peered past him. "Don't wake him up. He's had a rotten day."
"I know the feeling." Harry handed him the bag. "Esther packed up the rest of your supper. What's with Albright sleeping on your sofa?"
Jack stepped into the hall and shut the door. "Look, I had to. What was I going to do? He got between me and a crocodile, Harry."
Harry's brows slid together, mouth twisting downward. "What?"
"He needed help. If you'd seen him--" Jack blew out a breath. "I knew what was in his head. Hell, I've had the same thoughts."
That frown softened. "I hate to be the practical one, kid, but you ain't got the funds to look after every stray in New York."
"Don't worry. I'll help him find work."
"Where--at a nightclub?"
"Why not?"
Harry groaned. "Eat your supper--" He poked a finger in the bag. "If you ain't already drunk it. And get some sleep."
Sutton hadn't stirred since Jack's sojourn to the hall. After waving a hand in front of his face to make sure he was still breathing, Jack took the leftovers and the gin to bed with him and dozed off around five. What seemed only a couple of hours later, a gentle voice prodded him back to wakefulness. Jack resisted, hoping the voice would give up and go away.
"Jack?" Light fingers patted his shoulder. With a long-suffering sigh, Jack rolled onto his back and reluctantly opened his eyes. On the verge of an inappropriately-worded reproach, he noticed he did not have Sutton's full attention. Not where he expected it, anyway. Irritation gave way to amusement and he wrapped his fingers around the necktie dangling inches from his face.
"I beg your pardon." Sutton went red. "I just wanted to--" He cleared his throat. "I've made breakfast, if you're hungry."
"Really?" Jack let him go and managed not to laugh as Sutton immediately put a couple of feet between them. "You made something with what's in the kitchen?"
"God, no. I went to the market on the corner. Your tab is overrun there as well, but Mrs. Reilly kindly let me have a few things on account, since you repaired her toaster."
"Oh. Yeah, she's a peach. What time is it?"
"After nine." Sutton looked even more embarrassed. "Don't you open at eight?"
"Well, Harry does." Jack yawned and sat up to pull on his dressing gown. "By the way, I forgot to mention the house rule. Look, but don't touch." Standing, he grinned. "Unless you mean it."
He wouldn't have guessed Sutton could go any redder. "I'll try to keep that in mind."
"Good boy. So what's for breakfast?"
Sitting down to scrambled eggs, bacon, rolls, and coffee, Jack mused that having a roommate might not be so bad for a while. Recalling his conversation with Harry, he decided it was as good a time as any to help Sutton hunt for work. "If you can stand the idea, I might be able to get you a job in a nightclub." He paused as Sutton looked up from his own plate without the wariness Jack expected. "I figured we'd go around to one or two and you can see for yourself what they're like. Maybe it won't suit your idea of respectable."
Sutton poked
Emerging from the kitchen with drinks in hand, Jack noted that his new roommate didn't have much of a knack for making himself at home. He loosened Sutton's tie, eased off his shoes, and maneuvered him into a more comfortable position, with the quilts to keep him warm. Satisfied he had done all a good host could do to provide for his guest, he poured Sutton's gin into his and settled in a chair, magazines on his lap. He'd only just gotten comfortable, himself, when a rap at the door startled him--then made him laugh. He would've bet every penny he owed Chase that he knew just who stood on the other side.
He opened the door and immediately noted the paper bag in Harry's hand. "You moving in, too?"
Harry's gaze darkened. "Too? Okay, what's going on?"
"Shhh," Jack whispered as Harry peered past him. "Don't wake him up. He's had a rotten day."
"I know the feeling." Harry handed him the bag. "Esther packed up the rest of your supper. What's with Albright sleeping on your sofa?"
Jack stepped into the hall and shut the door. "Look, I had to. What was I going to do? He got between me and a crocodile, Harry."
Harry's brows slid together, mouth twisting downward. "What?"
"He needed help. If you'd seen him--" Jack blew out a breath. "I knew what was in his head. Hell, I've had the same thoughts."
That frown softened. "I hate to be the practical one, kid, but you ain't got the funds to look after every stray in New York."
"Don't worry. I'll help him find work."
"Where--at a nightclub?"
"Why not?"
Harry groaned. "Eat your supper--" He poked a finger in the bag. "If you ain't already drunk it. And get some sleep."
Sutton hadn't stirred since Jack's sojourn to the hall. After waving a hand in front of his face to make sure he was still breathing, Jack took the leftovers and the gin to bed with him and dozed off around five. What seemed only a couple of hours later, a gentle voice prodded him back to wakefulness. Jack resisted, hoping the voice would give up and go away.
"Jack?" Light fingers patted his shoulder. With a long-suffering sigh, Jack rolled onto his back and reluctantly opened his eyes. On the verge of an inappropriately-worded reproach, he noticed he did not have Sutton's full attention. Not where he expected it, anyway. Irritation gave way to amusement and he wrapped his fingers around the necktie dangling inches from his face.
"I beg your pardon." Sutton went red. "I just wanted to--" He cleared his throat. "I've made breakfast, if you're hungry."
"Really?" Jack let him go and managed not to laugh as Sutton immediately put a couple of feet between them. "You made something with what's in the kitchen?"
"God, no. I went to the market on the corner. Your tab is overrun there as well, but Mrs. Reilly kindly let me have a few things on account, since you repaired her toaster."
"Oh. Yeah, she's a peach. What time is it?"
"After nine." Sutton looked even more embarrassed. "Don't you open at eight?"
"Well, Harry does." Jack yawned and sat up to pull on his dressing gown. "By the way, I forgot to mention the house rule. Look, but don't touch." Standing, he grinned. "Unless you mean it."
He wouldn't have guessed Sutton could go any redder. "I'll try to keep that in mind."
"Good boy. So what's for breakfast?"
Sitting down to scrambled eggs, bacon, rolls, and coffee, Jack mused that having a roommate might not be so bad for a while. Recalling his conversation with Harry, he decided it was as good a time as any to help Sutton hunt for work. "If you can stand the idea, I might be able to get you a job in a nightclub." He paused as Sutton looked up from his own plate without the wariness Jack expected. "I figured we'd go around to one or two and you can see for yourself what they're like. Maybe it won't suit your idea of respectable."
Sutton poked
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