“Hey, remember that time…” Brad started, and the three of them launched into stories about Dad and our childhood, and I just…stood there and listened. Part of me wanted to go out there with them, wanted to be involved and share memories, but I knew I wouldn’t. Because standing there with the three of them, who were so close, I would feel even more separated from them than I did already.
I swiped at the moisture in my eyes.
“What are you doing in here all by yourself?” Mom asked when she came back into the kitchen.
“Nothing, I just…I gotta go.”
Mom frowned. “We haven’t had cake yet. We always do cake for your daddy’s birthday.”
“Yeah, I forgot I have to do something for my boss, is all. He asked me to take care of some paperwork tonight, and I don’t want to let him down.” Lies, lies, lies.
“You can’t even squeeze it into your busy schedule to have cake for Dad’s birthday?” Jonathan asked, and I realized they’d come inside.
“Fuck you. God, why are you such a dick?”
“William!” Mom shrieked.
“Sorry, Mama. I gotta go,” I said again, shoving away from the counter. I kissed Mom on the cheek, then got the hell out of there as fast as I could.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jameson
I was lying on my couch, wearing a pair of trunks and a T-shirt, a half-eaten pint of Ben & Jerry’s beside me. I was alternating between watching TV and reading a book on the sociology of gender, when my cell phone buzzed with a message.
I set the ice cream on the coffee table and closed the book to see a text from Will. We hadn’t spoken today. It was nearly nine, and while that wasn’t late, since I hadn’t heard from him, I hadn’t expected to at this hour. A smile spread across my face because I could think things like, expecting to hear from him, since I did hear from him often. We were a thing. A fling. We jerked off and rubbed off on each other, and it was hot as hell.
Hey…I’m in the neighborhood and thought we could have another lesson.
I shot to my feet, fumbling my phone. He wanted to see me tonight? I looked a damn mess, but I mean, Will and orgasms, so it wasn’t like I was going to say no. Yeah, sure. How far are you?
In front of your condo. Be right in.
In front of my unit? What the fuck.
I looked down at the tub of ice cream and the book that probably made me look like the world’s biggest nerd, but then, he already knew that.
I was half dressed, and had ice-cream breath, and—Knock, knock, knock.
My eyes darted between the front door and my bedroom, wondering if I could make a break for it, get dressed, then get the door, but then… Will had seen me naked, though at least then I knew to wear my sexiest underwear first.
He knocked again, and damn it, this would have to do. I opened the door, and the second I did, he gave me this huge Will smile, but right away I could tell something was off about it. Like it was for show and not authentic, which made me feel a little silly. It wasn’t as if I knew Will well enough to know his different grins. Still, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just—oh my God. I love Ben & Jerry’s. Please tell me you didn’t eat it all and that you plan to share. I’ll give you an extra orgasm for ice cream.”
I chuckled, closing the door behind him as Will went inside. “You don’t have to do that, and yeah, you can have some.”
He toed out of his shoes, then plopped down on my couch as if it was his own, grabbed the pint and my spoon, and took a bite. “See? I knew we would get along. The Coffee Toffee one is my fave.”
It was my favorite too. I went over and sat on the couch with him as Will took another bite. Something was off, I could feel it.
He picked up my book. “Gender and Life.”
“Yeah, it’s a—never mind. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.” No one I knew thought these things were interesting the way I did. Many people didn’t realize how much race, gender, sexuality, and class affected our daily lives and how that was spread through generations.
“I do.” He put his feet up on my coffee table. “Shoot.”
I hesitated as I watched him take another bite of my ice cream. Will dug the spoon in again, and this time, he reached over for me. I tried to grab it, but he pulled it back, so I dropped my hand, opened my mouth, while feeling a little silly doing so, and let him feed it to me.