Jeremy’s face burned, and he looked out the window, glad his new parka was balled on his lap. Max nudged his arm, and when Jeremy reluctantly looked at him, Max gave him a knowing smile.
He popped out Jeremy’s earbud and leaned in to whisper, “If it’s any consolation, I’m horny too.”
Jeremy gaped, and Max laughed, taking out his own earbud. Jeremy glanced around them, but the other passengers didn’t seem to be paying attention. “Did I say it out loud?”
“You don’t need to,” Max murmured. He lifted his hand from his lap as though he was going to touch Jeremy’s knee or thigh before seeming to remember himself. “But my dad and stepmother are weirdly uptight about some stuff. Meg brought her old boyfriend home for Thanksgiving once and it was hellishly awkward. And since we just met last week, it’s way too soon to subject you to that. If they think we’re only friends, they’ll be chill.”
“Right. Makes sense.” Jeremy tried to play it cool. “And in January, we can…”
Max popped an eyebrow. “See what happens. Pick up where we left off if we want.”
Why wouldn’t we want to?? Jeremy breathed through the surge of panic as he nodded.
Max’s playful expression tightened. “I’ve got some stuff to figure out in the meantime.”
Concern replaced Jeremy’s nagging anxiety. “Did you get your LSAT results?”
“Not yet. But I don’t know—” He broke off, shaking his head. “You don’t need to worry about this.”
“I don’t mind. I want to hear it. Really.”
But Max smiled, popped his earbud back in, and returned to the movie. Jeremy didn’t press, although he was eager to help Max with whatever problems he might have. Maybe Max would confide in him another day.
Where his leg pressed against Max’s was like being on fire, and Jeremy willed the traffic to start moving already. At least it was good practice for being close to Max without having anything more than friendship on offer.
He attempted to concentrate on the dumb movie, the bus crawling forward before jerking to a stop, the brakes on and off and back on again.
Hanging back with his little rolling suitcase on the sidewalk by the Barrie bus station, Jeremy watched Max and Meg greet their parents with big hugs and kisses. Max had assured Jeremy he was welcome, but he hoped he wasn’t totally intruding on their family Christmas. He’d been so excited to spend more time with Max that he hadn’t really thought about it.
The wind gusted with a bitter bite, and Jeremy zipped up his parka to his chin, trying not to think of the stiff, short hugs he’d exchanged with his parents at the end of August. They were on the cruise now—the first day at sea. Dad had emailed a copy of the itinerary and emergency numbers the same way he had last spring when he and Mom had spent a weekend at a B&B in Tofino. Jeremy tried to tell himself it was proof that nothing had changed, not really.
Max’s stepmother, a small woman in her mid-forties or so with a blond ponytail and a bright smile, said in a perky voice, “You must be Jeremy! I’m Valerie.” She walked toward him.
Jeremy extended his hand, but Valerie opened her arms and gave him a hug. For a moment, Jeremy stood frozen before hugging her back. She actually smelled like apple pie, or maybe it was maple syrup? It was incredibly wholesome, whatever it was, and he hugged her gratefully.
She stepped back, adjusting her red woolen toque, matching mittens on her hands. “Sorry, I’m a hugger. We don’t stand on ceremony in the Nadeau-Pimenta household. This is John.”
Max’s father stuck out his gloved hand, pumping Jeremy’s enthusiastically. He looked a bit older than his wife—in his early fifties, Jeremy guessed. He was stocky and a few inches shorter than Max, his hairline receding and smile big and gleaming white. “Greetings, young man! Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah and joyous Festivus.”
“You forgot Kwanza,” Meg noted.
“Oh, yes! And happy Kwanza. We never met a holiday we didn’t like.”
Meg asked Jeremy, “Did you know Canada has a national tartan day? It’s in April. He legit made us wear plaid that day every year.”
“And you loved it,” John said. As Meg and Max opened their mouths in unison to likely protest, he cut them off and said, “Let’s get moving. Only fifteen minutes for the parking.”
They hurried down the street, which ended a block away at a lake. Jeremy shuddered in the icy blast. “It’s so much colder here!”
They all laughed. Meg said, “Oh yeah, Barrie and Pinevale might only be an hour or two north of Toronto, but it’s a whole different world up here.”
“Welcome to the snow belt!” Valerie chirped.
Jeremy volunteered to sit in the middle in the SUV, and he buckled his seatbelt securely, keeping his arms folded so he didn’t take up too much room. His right foot was against Max’s left, and he angled his knees inward so he was touching as little of Max as possible. Because an erection wouldn’t make a great first impression on the Nadeau-Pimenta household.