Page 50 of Mr. Frosty Pants
God, he hoped.
“I told you already,” Joel huffed. “You’re the only one I ever wanted. I still want you. Of course I don’t regret it.”
“But are you happy?”
“No, there you’re barking up the wrong tree. I don’t really do happy.” Joel tugged back his hand to shove away from the table. “Sorry to kick you out, but I need to shower and go. My pop’ll be waiting for his Egg McMuffin, and I was late with it yesterday. Plus Angel is shit at opening the store. I should get there pretty early on to make sure she hasn’t screwed anything up.”
Casey stood.
“But I’m not running either,” Joel said with shaky vulnerability. “Okay? Do you get that?”
“I think so.”
He headed back toward the bedroom and Casey followed him. As Joel gathered his clothes for the day, he said, “I’d let you shower first, but I really have to get on the move.”
“I’ll wait until I’m at home.”
Joel lifted his brows skeptically. “You smell like cigarettes and come. What will your parents say?”
“My dad will be at work, and my mom will be…” He frowned. He didn’t really know his mother’s schedule anymore. She might be home, but she might be at tennis with her country club friends. Or at yoga. Or lifting weights. “It’s fine. Get ready. I’ll go ahead and get dressed.”
Joel didn’t argue more, and while he showered, Casey put on his clothes from the night before and turned on his phone. A barrage of texts from his mother came through. He gritted his teeth and didn’t read them. He opened a very old thread with RJ instead and typed with this thumbs.
I’m in love. I can’t tell Joel yet, so I’m telling you. Also, he’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my life. Especially naked. I’m in heaven.
RJ’s reply came just as Joel turned off the water and Casey heard the shower curtain jerk back.
Well, hot damn. Def don’t tell Joel about the love thing yet. He’ll take off running for the hills. But I’m happy for you, man. You both deserve this.
Another text from his mother popped up on his screen, and he couldn’t help but see the opening lines of it:
If you’re not home by the time I’m back from tennis, I’ll send the police out looking for you. And I won’t hesitate to send them to Vreeland’s to bother Joel if that’s what it takes to get a response from you.
“Who are you texting with?” Joel asked, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. He was fully dressed now and smelled like drugstore shampoo, all fake fruit and yummy. Casey remembered being a child and standing in the shampoo aisle, carefully taking whiffs of each of the bottles, until his mother dragged him away.
“You smell good.” He ignored the question.
“Garnier Fructis,” Joel said with a teasing lilt to his voice. The shower seemed to have freshened his mood too. “I had a coupon.”
Casey stepped closer, arms out to pull Joel close, but he found himself trying to embrace empty air.
“Sorry, you stink.” Laughter underscored Joel’s words. “Like I said, cigarettes and come.”
Casey rolled his eyes, but he followed Joel out of the room and back toward the living room. Bruno climbed through the dog door, his paws messy and a half-chewed tennis ball in his mouth.
Joel turned to Casey, a flash of vulnerability surfacing in his dark eyes. “Brandon’s got the store from noon on. I could see you again tonight.”
“I’ll bring dinner. You bring a tree.”
Joel’s mouth twitched like he wanted to dispute it. “Like I said, all I’ve got is leftover chili and more of this crap coffee. So I guess youshouldbring something for for you to eat, if you don’t want to starve.”
“And likeIsaid, I’ll bring the food and you bring the tree. We’ll call it even.”
“Not sure how that works out, but I’m not in a place to argue about it with you.” Joel grabbed his jacket from where he’d tossed it over the back of the sofa when they came in the night before.
Casey took his coat from the same sofa, and he and Bruno followed Joel outside. After Bruno did his business one last time, Joel shut him back into the trailer and started away toward his truck.
“Hold up.” Casey jogged after him. “Don’t I even get a goodbye kiss?”
