Page 53 of Off Sides

20

Nick

Breakfast with Joey is…different. I can’t stop myself from touching him under the table. A simple touch, just my ankle against his, but it’s the connection I’ve been craving. What is it about him that makes my fingers reach for his? That makes my heart ache for him to be close?

We talk about his family and mine. The way we had to grow up too fast and take care of others, put our needs on hold or pretend we didn’t have any.

When we’re done eating, I clear our table and dump our dishes in the dishpan, then head back to the kitchen with Joey on my heels. He seems interested to learn about me, so I want to keep showing him.

“Hey, Jim,” I call over the noise of the kitchen when I push through the door. There are two cooks in here, busy with prepping orders. One I recognize as his son but I can’t remember his name at the moment.

“Nicky!” The big man turns and gives me a quick hug before turning back to the hot grill he’s cooking up a couple of burgers and toasting some buns on. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been okay, trying to keep my head in the books so I can graduate on time.”

“Good, good.” He pats my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. This man was the father figure I didn’t know I needed. “Who you got with you?”

With a half-smile, I look behind me at the man who means too much to me. “This is Joey.”

He steps forward and offers his hand, but Jim pulls him into a quick hug too, patting Joey’s back with his big mitts. I chuckle quietly and lean my arm on his shoulder when Jim lets go of him.

“Nice to meet you,” Joey says with a smile.

“You see,” I pat his chest, “Jim is Debbi’s brother.”

At Debbi’s name, Joey’s eyes widen and his cheeks pinken.

“You don’t happen to have any of her pastries left, do you?” I ask Jim but he shakes his head.

“No, we ran out early today.”

Damn.

“All right, I won’t take any more of your time.” I step in for a hug and he holds me tight for a second longer than I expected, but damn do I need it.

“Come in any time, you hear me?” He pats my back and squeezes me one more time.

“I hear you.”

Joey lifts his hand in a wave and we leave the kitchen, heading out to the parking lot after paying for our food.

“What’s next?” I ask when we get into the car but he doesn’t start it.

With his hands in his lap, he stares out the windshield, and sighs. “I don’t know.”

It’s quiet for a while before I reach for his hand and thread our fingers together. A shy smile lifts one side of his mouth and I want to kiss it so bad it hurts. He’s so damn cute.

“In a perfect world, where you could do anything, what would you do right now?”

Joey looks at our hands before he answers. “Cuddle.”

Hmmm…maybe…

Sliding my hand into my pocket, I pull out my phone and text Neal.

NICK:

What are you doing?

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