Page 26 of Mr. Frosty Pants
“I have other plans.”
“What sort of plans?” She blinked at him, her blue eyes glinting. “You know how much your father and I have been looking forward to your visit.”
“I do, but…”
She lifted her pale brows. “But?”
“I’m meeting Joel. For lunch.”
“Joel?”
“Yeah. Joel Vreeland.”
Her voice tightened. “I know which Joel, honey. I’m just surprised. I thought you understood it was a good thing you’d let that friendship go by the wayside.” She glanced toward his father, who was still pacing by the windows, nodding along to whatever Hank was saying. “Joel isn’t ever going to be at your level.”
Casey shook his head, refusing to engage in this line of conversation. He’d gone down that path with them before in high school, and he didn’t see their opinion changing. But he was an adult now. It wasn’t up to them. “I saw him at Vreeland’s last night when I bought the tree and—”
“You went to Vreeland’s? I sent you to Costco.” She turned her gaze suspiciously toward the tree like she now suspected it of being infested with bugs.
“Does it matter? You said it was beautiful when I brought it in last night.”
“It is,” she agreed reluctantly. “I just thought… Never mind.” Her shoulders sank. “I see. You went to Vreeland’s where you saw Joel. You’re still rebounding from Theo, so of course that old crush has risen to the surface. The holidays can make us nostalgic like that.”
Ann had said to avoid arguments he couldn’t win. She said he needed to learn to state his plans as afait accompliand his parents would have to learn to deal with them—and him—accordingly.
“We’re meeting for lunch,” he said firmly. “So I won’t be able to hang out with Dad today. Sorry.”
His mom darted a glance toward his father to make sure he was still distracted before reaching out and taking his hand. “Joel’s straight, Casey. Remember? I hate to see you hurt yourself this way.”
Casey kept his face smooth, but it was harder than it used to be when he’d lived with his parents andeverythingrode on making them think he agreed with them.
“We were friends, Mom. And I wouldn’t mind being friends again.” He wasn’t about to betray Joel’s confidence by telling his mother the truth about Joel’s sexuality. “I’m lonely in New York. It’s a big city, full of strangers with lives that don’t include me. I miss knowing people the way I did here.”
It was true enough. He hadn’t made the friends he’d anticipated when he’d gone away to college. He didn’t know if it was his Southern accent, or hisnouveau richebackground, or his country-come-to-town awe of the city, but somehow he just never fit in.
Before he’d left Knoxville for NYU, he’d imagined four years of intellectual discussions, drunken parties, a dedicated friend group, and everything the Internet and TV had promised him about college. Instead, it’d been a lot of studying and casual acquaintances and being alone, aside from his doomed relationship with Theo. And meaningless sex via horrible hookup apps. Joel was right. What had the world come to?
He didn’t necessarily regret any of his own experiences, but he was glad Joel had missed out on that rite of passage. Joel deserved better. He deserved to be loved by any man who touched him. Casey wanted to show him that truth.
“Well, you’ll have to tell him,” his mother whispered, shooting a meaningful look at his father. “I’m not going to be the one to say he took a day off for nothing.”
Casey barely restrained his eye roll and marveled that he really must have lost control of his expressions by living alone. “I’m fine with that.”
“Are you?” She raised a brow.
He raised one of his in return. “He can be pissed if he wants, but he didn’t ask me if I was available to spend the day with him. That’s his problem, not mine.”
“What’s this?” his father said, slipping his cell phone into his pocket, the conversation with his friend ended. He walked toward them, away from the windows. “Did you say I should have asked if you were available?”
“Did you sell your boat to Hank?” Casey’s mom asked, moving aside the ornament boxes and reaching out to take his father’s hands, squeezing them and giving him a bright, conciliatory smile.
“Hank said he’d think about it.” He narrowed his brown eyes on Casey again and tilted his head. “I took today off to spend with you. Did I just hear you imply that you aren’t available?”
Sweat broke out on Casey’s forehead, but he held his tone steady. “Sorry, Dad. I have plans. Maybe you can still go into the office to get some work done and we can spend the day together tomorrow.”
“I have appointments all day tomorrow. I had Natalie clear the schedule today.”
“It’s a misunderstanding, that’s all.” He returned to hanging the ornaments on the tree, his fingers shaking. He hated that his dad still evoked this reaction in him. “We’ll see plenty of each other. I’ll be here until the day after New Year’s.”
