Page 68 of Love It or List It
“No.You need to sack up and have an actual adult conversation with the guy you want to bone about how your heart is fragile and he’s not allowed to toy with your affections.”
For fuck’s sake.“Now who’s being dramatic?”he grumbled.
“Joe.He calls you his house husband.He made you adopt four animals in two days.It is possible you are not the only U-Haul lesbian in the house.Do you get me?And you deserve to be happy.It has beenso longsince you were happy.I want that for you.If Austin can do that for you, I will help you mail save-the-date cards, okay?”
Joe’s stomach tried to exit through his mouth.“What if I’m not ready?”
“Then don’t sleep with him.Babe.I love you.But you are so bad at communicating in a relationship, it is, like, pathological.Be honest.If he’s coming on too strong, tell him to back off.”
“But what if I don’t actually want him to back off?”
Oh God, that sounded like a whine.Thatwasa whine.
Starling, at least, thought it was funny, if the laugh in her voice was any indication.“José Giuseppe Joseph Romano, are you telling me you want to bewooed?”
OhGod, was he?
Oh God, hedid.“Fuck,” Joe whispered.Helikedthe way Austin was treating him now—the flirting, the extra consideration.He liked the idea of maybe making him work for it a little.He liked the way it made him feel, like he was worth spending time on, even if they didn’t end up in bed together.
Historically, Joe made moves.That washis thing.He had game, whatever Gavin thought, even if it was currently a little rusty.
He wasn’t used to this end of things.He liked it.
Starling cackled.“The work boot is on the other foot now.”
Joe groaned in frustration.
“Look, you have three options—talk to Austin, move out, or do neither and keep your fingers crossed that everything works out.”
She was probably right, but Joe didn’t have to like it.
Chapter Sixteen
AUSTIN HADa plan.
It was a good one too.A sneaky one.
Step one was getting Joe to join him on a visit to the local Christmas market.
Austin floated it as a convenience that could be entertaining.Austin definitely wasn’t motivated by the romantic nature of the market—he only wanted to visit so he could buy some local honey and pick up gifts for Christmas, that was all.And he needed Joe’s input because Joe knew the kids better than Austin did.
So on Saturday Austin launched his campaign and, with little urging, managed to get himself, Joe, and Pepa out of the house.
Pepa was a bit of a cog in the works for Austin’s plan, but Joe suggested it and Austin didn’t know how to say no when he couldn’t give his real reason.
At least the market was perfect for finding gifts for the kids.
First they looked at jewelry, and Austin was instantly drawn to an asymmetrical necklace in the colors of the ace/aro flag, with green at the top, white, gray, and black in the middle, and purple on the bottom.
“Meg will love it,” Joe confirmed.
Next, in a stall filled with knitting, Joe cackled when Austin picked up the socks with humping reindeer.
“If you don’t buy them, I will.”
Austin clutched the socks to his chest and mockingly joked, “Hands off my present.I saw them first.”
“I won’t take it,” Joe laughed, hands up.“Though maybe I should.You’ll be Gavin’s favorite after you give him those.”
