Page 78 of Waiting for Ru
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JASIM KNEW RU was right.He watched Ru walk back to the house, his gaze locked on that tight, trim backside.What am I doing here? Jasim had occasionally come for a meal at Leigh and Newt’s, but he’d always been on his own.
He hadn’t liked the way he and Ru had parted earlier that day. He’d made Ru cry and the kiss that followed didn’t take that disappointment away. He wasn’t prepared to risk Ru’s safety, but after he’d thought about what Ru had said, he’d wondered if the future held more possibilities than he’d been prepared to accept. Ru had made him see potential, light in the darkness. Jasim made his way over to the BBQ.
“Okay?” Leigh asked.
“Who?”
“You. Him.”
After stressing how careful Ru had to be, nowheneeded to take care. “Your practice seems to have been a hit with Ru. Thank you for letting him have a week’s work experience. I know you weren’t keen.”
“Because I thought it would mean more work for my staff. I was wrong. He’s a bright lad. Hard worker and cute as well.”
Don’t react.“I didn’t think you went for cute.”
Leigh laughed. “Don’t let Newt hear you say that. He thinks he’s cute.”
“Did I hear my name and the word cute in almost the same sentence?” Newt called. “Tell me I did.”
“He also has the hearing of a bat. Seriously.”
“Did you say I was cute?” Newt asked.
“No.” Leigh turned the salmon.
“And after I had that unicorn tattooed on my arse, just for you?”
“So I could—as you put it—compare horns?”
“You’re bigger. Just. What’s the problem?”
Leigh laughed and Jasim chuckled.
“Yes, you’re cute even with that face full of metal,” Leigh yelled.
“Only my face?”
“Oh God,” Leigh muttered, then turned to Jasim. “So…”
“So what?”
“Is Ru the one?” Leigh whispered.
“The one what?” Jasim’s stomach lurched.
“The one who’s broken through your defences? Cracked your steel heart? Melted your icy core? Your kryptonite? Made you realise life is too fucking short to stay in the closet?” Leigh stared straight at him.
Jasim said nothing, but his heart raced. His MO should be to deny, to laugh, to obfuscate, to do…something. He did nothing.
“He likes you,” Leigh said.
Jasim glanced at Ru, who looked back at Newt.
“He keeps looking your way,” Leigh whispered.
Jasim mentally sighed. And that was all it would take, a glance at the wrong time, in front of the wrong people.
