Strings Attached

“Um…nice to meet you?” I said to Zander.

He frowned, then got nudged by Ross and replied, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Great. Perfect. Now what are we ordering for dinner because I’m starving!”

And because Ross had a special way about him, always had and always would, Zander and I went right along with what he said.

We settled on Chinese food. The boys had a local spot they liked for delivery. I ordered extra for leftovers, knowing Ross loved day-old food and hoping Zander would take some with him as well. I didn’t have any details about when he would be joining Ross in Atlanta, and now that we’d discovered I’d slept with him, it felt strange to ask. Would it sound as if I was curious because of the sex? I felt like a kid again, suddenly insecure about things I hadn’t been in a long time.

“When are you planning on heading home?” I asked Ross. My plane left the next day, but he was driving with his car and things.

“In a few days. I want to say goodbye to everyone here first.”

“Did you give notice on the apartment?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad.”

Zander’s stare snapped to mine. At the word dad? I wondered. I was sure it would take some getting used to, hearing me called that after what happened between us.

“You’re going to see your mom, right?” Ross asked Zander, who looked away from me.

“Yep. Not for long, though. I miss them, but I’m going to look into getting a summer job until school starts.”

I frowned, opened my mouth to say something but forced myself to close it again. Zander was an adult and not my concern. It wasn’t as if I knew him really at all, but I sensed he would be upset, maybe even offended if I offered my opinion or willingness to help.

Ross scooped some fried rice into his mouth. “He’s the definition of responsible. I’m shocked you didn’t recognize him from his photo in the dictionary.”

“Clearly not enough,” Zander replied, making my frown deepen. Because he’d met a man and went to his hotel with him?

I said, “I highly doubt that. Ross has told me plenty about you, and…” He’d been funny and flirty the night before. He’d known what he wanted, and in some ways, had come off as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but then I thought about how he’d spoken about being a teacher, the passion and conviction in each and every word. “Enjoying yourself and having a life outside of your career doesn’t diminish your work ethic.”

Zander scratched the back of his neck but didn’t reply.

“Dad used to be all work and no play. Once I left for college, he finally started doing things for himself. I mean, my dad of four years ago wouldn’t have…you know…”

“Well, let’s hope not, considering he would have been just eighteen.”

“No.” Zander shook his head. “I’m two years older than Ross, remember? I started school late, and it took me longer to get my credits in.”

“Oh, right.” Honestly, that made me feel better.

“I’m aware that I started this conversation,” Ross said, “but it’s veering into uncomfortable territory real quick. Can we talk about something else? I’m still going to take a peek online for some brain bleach.”

“Shut up.” I threw a fortune cookie at my son. “Are you ready to open them?” We had a silly ritual, Ross and I. We each opened a cookie and then exchanged the paper from inside. It was something he’d asked me to do once when he was a kid, when ordering out was a treat we couldn’t afford very often, and from there it stuck. I picked up the third and handed it to Zander. Our fingers brushed when he took it, heat traveling up my arm in a way I would be embarrassed about if anyone else knew it. I was too old to be feeling like this about a man I’d had one night of sex with.

We opened them, and I was surprised when Ross swapped with Zander. He’d shared our game with him. I pulled my hand back, hoping it hadn’t been obvious. I didn’t want them to feel bad that they did this as well. But then Zander said, “Oh, um, here,” and handed me his. I gave him mine in return. There was something so innocent about him in some ways, so unsure, but then I paired it with the night before, how confident he’d been. How he’d had no fear in telling me what he wanted. He was more intriguing than he should be. I needed to nip my curiosity in the bud.

We read our fortunes aloud to each other. From there we talked about Atlanta—not much about Zander; more about Ross coming to work with me and taking over one of the dealerships. I wanted to talk to Zander, to touch base with him about what had happened and make sure he wasn’t going to let that come between him and Ross, influence their friendship or their plans to be roommates. I could see him doing that, stepping back, which would hurt Ross and make things a whole lot harder for Zander.