Page 73 of Mr. Frosty Pants
Sure.Then there’d been a pause and the clarifying question:I mean, if we’re a couple?
Casey’s heart still flipped over remembering the way his fingers had trembled with excitement as he’d tried to reply quickly. Autocorrect was his enemy, though, and he’d sent:Yes, we’re a coupe.
Then:Coupe.
Then:COUPE.
Then:COUPLE. Damn it, autocorrect.
Joel had sent a crying-laughing emoji and asked:Spend a lot of time texting about four-door coupes, do you?
Screw you, Casey replied, but included a winking emoji to make sure Joel knew he was teasing.Autocorrect is demented.
I know. One time I accidentally texted Angel that we needed to restock deck cleaner, and autocorrect changed it to dick cleaner. I’m lucky she didn’t charge me with sexual harassment.
He’d replied with his own crying-laughing emoji, and they’d gone radio silent for nearly two hours after that. Casey had felt like he was walking on air the rest of his shopping trip with Courtney, even letting her talk him into buying a new “ugly” Christmas sweater for him to wear to the party. His dad would hate it, which gave him a twist of satisfaction.
They’d texted lightly off and on for the rest of the day. Then, around five-thirty Joel had texted asking,When does your folks’ party start? Sure you can’t come over after?
7:30. Sure you can’t come to it? I’d be so proud to introduce you as my boyfriend.
Joel hadn’t replied after that. Had Casey messed up by pushing the issue of the party? Or was it the word “boyfriend” that had sent Joel running? Or was he just really busy selling Christmas trees to people who’d waited until the very last minute to decorate for the holidays?
Casey typed in a message and hesitated only a moment before sending it.
I still miss you.
He rounded the corner back to the living room and stepped right into Walker Ronson. Their collision sloshed Walker’s wine and narrowly missed staining their clothing.
“Oh, man. I’m sorry,” Casey said, gripping Walker by the elbow to steady him. “I didn’t see you.”
“Well, I was hiding in a corner, trying to avoid talking to people, so I can’t blame you for that.”
“Oh yeah?” The confident young man he’d met at the club for breakfast the other morning didn’t seem like the type to hide from a party. But what did he know? “Not a fan of crowds or just allergic to meaningless chatter?”
“I’m avoiding my father,” he said, chuckling into his glass. “We don’t agree on many things, but politics we disagree on most of all. He started praising our current president to Nancy Kilmer-Jones from accounting, and I had to make an exit from the room before I said something we’d both regret.” He gave Casey a long once-over. “Nice sweater.”
Casey glanced down at his newly purchased joke that was only truly meaningful to one other person in the world and smiled. His sweater was blue and white, with a buff, sculpted snowman on the front and the wordsI’M WITH FROSTYin gold holiday lettering across the chest. It was ridiculously perfect, if a little warm, and he felt closer to Joel just wearing it.
He should have taken a picture of himself in it and texted that to Joel. It would have said more than his last text message. He met Walker’s eyes and realized he’d never responded to the compliment on his sweater. “Thanks. You look nice too.”
Walker smiled warmly, his eyes taking on a gleam Casey recognized from many hookups past. “So, is there a private place you and I could go to talk?”
“No,” Casey said, smiling with as much friendliness as he could muster while shooting down his father’s boss’s son. “Afraid not. We’ll have to just brave the crowd.”
Walker laughed. “C’mon, Casey. I’m attracted to you, sure, but I’m not talking about anything like that. Let’s just head out to the deck for some fresh air and to escape this endless round of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’. I don’t think these guitarists know when to quit.”
On the back porch, Casey gazed out across the lake to the Christmas lights lining the edge of the rectangle that was Joel’s trailer. The interior lights were out, and he squinted, trying to see through the darkness, looking for Joel’s Chevy. He leaned against the porch railing as the cold night wind off the water raked through his hair and stung his eyes.
Walker leaned against railing beside him, his wine glass still grasped loosely in his fingers. He took a sip and murmured, “Nice. Your parents should buy that property across the way, though. Control the view.”
Casey pressed his lips together. Circumstances having led to Joel being their backdoor neighbor once again seemed like fate. Separated by a lake instead of a fence this time. He hoped that wasn’t symbolic. And even if it was? He’d deal with it. After all, he could swim.
“I know earlier I said I was avoiding my father,” Walker murmured, his voice pitched in a decidedly seductive tone that made the hair on Casey’s neck stand up. “Which is true in a way, but I was also looking for you.”
“Why’s that?”
“I enjoyed our breakfast the other morning, and when your mother let me know that you needed a date for the night, I was happy to fill the spot. But you don’t seem to be in on the fact that I’m your date, so I’m wondering what’s going on.”
