Page 7 of Anything But Convenient

I wasn’t lying when I told him my job kept people forever. Translators were a dime a dozen here in the states. Sure, I knew more languages than most, but that didn’t make me all that more popular. I could probably land a temporary contract or two.

Unfortunately, those wouldn’t be enough to keep my visa valid.

We scrolled through the options for another half hour before my stomach let out a terrifying noise. Josiah went wide eyed.

“Dude! What kind of demon are you?”

I rolled my eyes at him, then spoke in a slow, guttural voice. “The kind who eats humans for lunch.”

When he dove away from me and took off to the kitchen, I laughed so hard I cried. I only stopped when it started to rain food in the living room. Looking up, I got slapped in the face by a bag of potato chips.

“What the fuck?”

“Eat! Please feed the demons! I won’t taste good,” Josiah wailed.

Knowing I pushed the joke a touch too far, I opened one of the bags and dug in. Within a few seconds, I polished it off and dove for another.

Should I be trying to conserve my spending right now? Yes.

Was I going to stop anytime soon? No.

Eating my feelings wasn’t a new thing. Thank goodness I still had the metabolism of a teenager.

Besides, Josiah had parents who still supported him on his journey to stay in college forever. He was doing online schooling through a small school down south because he didn’t like toattend classes in person. It also gave him the freedom to work at the pho shop he was addicted to.

Part of me suspected the owner’s son was also a big reason he wanted to keep that job. I kept my mouth shut on the topic though. He’d never come out to me, and while he talked to girls occasionally, he never brought any home.

Then again, I hadn’t told him I was gay either. It felt like I was waiting for him to tell me so I could tell him. Was he waiting for me to spill first?

Oh no! Were we in a reverse gay chicken situation?

I was on my third serving of food when he crept around the corner. “Is it safe to come out now? Has the demon been vanquished?”

I grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at him. He didn’t even defend himself. Just let the fabric smack him square in the face.

“I’m going to change the WIFI password again if you don’t quit it,” I told him. “It’s just me. I was hungry. After getting fired, I decided to come straight home to mope. And since the train was running late this morning, I didn’t have time to stop for breakfast and coffee. This is all I’ve had today.”

For some reason, this was the moment I lost it. Tears came lightning fast. I choked out a breath, then covered my face to hide from Josiah’s pitying stare.

“Hey, man. It’s going to be ok. You don’t have to worry about rent or anything for a bit since my parents are taking care of the place. I can float for groceries too. You just focus on getting some work.” His hand rubbed my back, which only made me want to cry harder.

It took a few more minutes for me to calm down. “You’re a good friend, Jo,” I told him once I could speak.

“Nah. Not really. I’m selfish. I want you to stick around. I’d do just about anything to see it happen.” He smacked me on theshoulder. “Now then, let’s get something a bit more suitable in your stomach. We’re going out to dinner. My treat.”

I groaned, though inside, I pranced around like a mad man. Josiah loved food as much as I did. When we ate out, it was never fast food or some street fare. We’d be in one of the classiest, most delicious restaurants in the city.

“Should I change?” I looked down at my rumpled business clothes. They weren’t in the best condition after hours of being on the floor.

He waved me off. “Nope. If they judge you, they’re idiots. You had a rough day. People have to understand that.”

With a quick nod, I stood and followed him out the front door. The job search would have to wait a bit longer. Food came first. Always.

CHAPTER 3

ARCHIE

The morningafter getting fired was uneventful. I don't know if I expected to wake up feeling different now that my life was in jeopardy.

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