Page 37 of Hello Forever
“Um… I’m good for strictly one beer. Then I have some more work to plow through.” If Axel had heard me say that, there would probably be a “plow” joke comingmyway.
I really needed to stop thinkingaboutAxel.
“Good enough,” Jason said, tapping my stack of books with his phone. “I’ll grab youatsix?”
“Thanks.”
* * *
Bruisers was quiet tonight.Jason and I took seats at the bar and settled in overlongnecks.
“The Celtics don’t look as bad this year as usual,” he said, toying with the paper coaster under his beer bottle. “If I buy this house I’m looking at in Merryline, I can probably see some gamesnextyear.”
“Merryline?” I said, perking up. The name of that town would probably cause me to have a spontaneous erection for the remainder of mynaturallife.
“Yeah, if I want to find any decent clients I need to be in a more wealthy area. I already found an office space. But I can’t commute ninety minutes to workeveryday.”
“So you’re buying a house?” I couldn’t imagine having enough money to do that. It was mydream.
“Yup. A fixer-upper. It’s probably too big for me. I’m going to rattle around inthere.”
“You can install a giant TV for yourCeltics.”
He laughed. “You don’t like theCelts?”
“Eh. The Bulls aremyteam.”
“You never told me how you came to root forChicago.”
Because of Axel. “Because I grew up in Ohio, I guess. So it would have been the Bulls or the Cavs. We moved here when I was in high school.” My eyes did a sweep of the room, and it was then that I remembered I’d told Axel I couldn’t go out for a beer tonight. Sipping my Long Trail Ale, I tried not to feel like too big of anasshole.
Ididhave work to do tonight—that was absolutely true—but that wasn’t why I’d turned him down. I didn’t think I could sit across from him in public and actcasual.
Even before we’d been naked together, I got hot just looking at him. But since our night together I’d turned into a raging hormone. I’d spent hours reliving every one of our moments together. The sounds he made when he came. The taste of his mouth and the feel of his shower-slicked skin under myhands.
I couldn’t sit across from him drinking a beer and talking about the NBA or what-the-fuck-ever. My eyes would wander onto his crotch, his lips, his hands… I might as well wear a T-shirt reading:Flaming andInfatuated.
But it was only 6:15. Axel would be playing the engineers for another hour, at least. By the time his evening of beer-drinking began, I’d be at home reading like I said I was goingtodo.
“So, there’s something I need to ask you,”Jasonsaid.
“Shoot.”
“That guy Axel on the athletic department team—youknowhim?”
I felt a prickle of sweat on my back. Where was this coming from? “A little.” I took a gulp of my beer to hide myconfusion.
“He’s gay,right?”
I actually choked on the beer. My face probably turned bright red as I coughed into the crook of my arm. I had no idea why he’d ask me this. Jason watched me, his face impassive, waiting for my answer. “Why do you ask?” I finallygrittedout.
Jason’s eyes widened. “Because he’s cute and I want to ask him out. But I won’t do that if he’s straight…” He frowned at me. “Or if I’m stepping onyourtoes.”
My brain practically exploded. “What? No. You’re not…”Really?Jason?And what had he just impliedaboutme?
“I’m not what?” Jason’s eyesnarrowed. “Gay?”
Shit. He’d surprised me, and everything I was saying was coming out wrong. “Stepping on mytoes,” I said, still trying not to cough. “That’s what Imeant.”
