Page 7 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

Tyler then went online and got all of Julien’s size info to buy him some nice jeans with no grease, a few pairs of khakis, several button-downs with long sleeves, and whatever other shirts he deemed worthy. “They should get here in time,” Tyler told him as he paid extra for express shipping.

Julien had no say in what Tyler bought, but at least he had asked his favorite colors. Julien didn’t know how any of theclothes would look on him, but at the end of the day, he’d show up to Christmas naked if it got him paid.

“Is there anything I should know about you or your family that a boyfriend would know?” Julien asked him once their digital shopping trip was finally over.

He had shifted closer to Tyler and leaned one elbow into the couch cushion, lounging beside the smaller man to see what he was doing on the laptop. It gave him a nice view of Tyler’s thigh, and he was close enough to smell that citrusy scent on him.

Tyler shrugged. “I’m doing my MBA at Carnegie Mellon and did my undergrad there, too. Umm, Cameron and I were roommates all four years of college. That’s how I know him. I think that’s it?”

Julien raised his eyebrows again and tapped the other man’s thigh. “Seriously, that’s all you would tell your boyfriend?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Tyler was exasperated and threw his hands up. “These things normally come out naturally. I don’t know what youshould know.”

Julien shrugged and pushed himself into a seated position. “It’ll be fine, I guess. We’re saying it’s new anyway.” He didn’t know what someone should know about a significant other. He had a few flings in the past, but nothing serious, nothing more than a few dates.

Tyler nodded. “Good. Thanks for this. I know it’s a lot, but I really appreciate it.”

He appreciated it for five thousand dollars worth, apparently. “Just text me if you think of anything else.”

“Sounds good. I’ll let you know when those clothes come in, and you can come over to try them on and make sure they fit.”

Julien stood. He patted his pocket again to check that the envelope hadn’t fallen out and put on his jacket and boots. “See ya.”

“Wait, before you go.” Tyler had sprung up from the couch and disappeared into the bedroom. “I have the ticket confirmation and a basic itinerary. Plus, I printed out the noteswe took, so you won’t forget them.”

When Tyler emerged from the bedroom, he held out a small stack of papers and handed them to Jules. The pages were still warm from the printer. The top page had the flight information. When Jules flipped the page over, a detailed schedule of events and locations was provided.

Is he for real?

“You could have just texted me all of this,” Julien pointed out.

Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. I’ve seen the way you treat your phone. I’m not taking any risks.”

Even if Julien had wanted to protest, his cracked phone was proof enough that he couldn’t have nice things. Julien folded the crisp papers and shoved them into the pocket next to the cash envelope.

Once he’d pulled his boots on, Julien patted Ty’s arm and stepped back out of the apartment. This would be okay. Or it would blow up in his face. He would do whatever he could to uphold his end of the bargain and get himself out of the mess he had gotten into ten years ago.

Chapter 4

Julien

On the way home from Tyler’s apartment, Julien called Lou Rossi. Throughout the years, the payment schedule they had was loose at best. Rossi mostly kept out of his hair as long as he paid frequently. There had been a few times when money was skint, he didn’t have anything to offer Rossi, and things could get messy.

He remembered one month when he could barely afford instant noodles. The Rossis knocked at his door almost every night until Julien gave them his last few dollars. It had been a cold and hungry month from there. Julien had gotten better at managing his money since then, but he still only scraped by.

He had done other jobs for Lou in the months that he couldn’t afford what Lou asked for. Rossi ran a family ‘business,’ which sometimes involved less than legal dealings. Julien hadn’t meant to fall into the world of moving stolen car parts, but he had to do what he had to do to survive.

“Lou,” Julien said when the man finally answered his phone. “I have a payment for you.”

He brushed his hand over his pocket again to ensure the envelope remained as he walked through the darkened street to his run-down apartment. He imagined he’d find it empty the next time he checked.

Lou’s booming voice crackled in his ear. “I’ll send Tony over right now to pick it up. You’re home?”

Julien managed not to grumble in his reply. He could not stand Lou’s nephew, Anthony. He was a weasel at the best of times. After a lapse in judgment, ending with Julien in Tony’s bed, Julien tried to deal directly with Lou to avoid him at all costs. “Almost. Ten minutes,” he told Lou.

“Good. Talk to you soon, Jules,” Lou said and hung up without another word.

Two more payments, Jules thought to himself as he pinched the envelope between his first two fingers. By Christmas, he could finally move on from the nightmare that had been his life forten years.

---