Page 15 of Colin

Rourke leaned forward, a little closer to me but not too close. “I don’t like to make assumptions, Colin, but my guess would be that you don’t normally hang out where I’ve been finding you.” He booped my nose.

Was that annoying or endearing? I wasn’t sure yet. “No. Andy kind of dragged me along when I started looking for somewhere to live, and my paycheck wasn’t going to cover it.”

“Cover what?”

I laughed, but it wasn’t humor. More like mocking. “Anything. It is not enough to live on.”

“I’m confused.”

I sighed, knowing I was going to have to confess the whole story. “Up until today, I lived with my uncle. I could afford to rent a room from him. And that was about it. I didn’t even have extra to save, but now I don’t have that.”

“What happened?” He put his hand over mine. It was nice, comforting.

“My cousin, his son, is moving back today, and his house is not big enough for three of us. It’s a tiny two-bedroom with one bath. And I mean tiny. My single bed takes up the entire room and there’s no closet. Not a real one, anyway. I hung a shower rod between two corners so I could hang up clothes. Shit.”

“What?”

“I feel pathetic. This is not what you want to hear about.”

He sat back in his chair, his face scowling. “Actually, it is. I like you, and I want to help you. I didn’t know how to do that until now.”

“Help me?” I held my hands up. “Okay, I admit it. I had Andy take me around so I could find a sugar daddy, but…honestly? That’s a bust. That dude Vick creeped me out. I don’t want to be with anyone for money. It was a stupid idea, and frankly, you’re too nice and sweet. I would never ask you for anything.”

The expression on his face shifted into a sly grin. “I had a feeling that’s what you were doing. And yeah, Vick is scummy.” He wrinkled his nose in the cutest way possible. “But. You’re not asking me for anything. I’m offering.”

I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t know what he was offering or what it meant. I opened my mouth but was too stunned to speak.

“Sweet, boy. You can stay in my pool house. For as long as you need. I’m now in the process of moving back into the main building. They’re finishing it up today and tomorrow.”

That was really a shocker. A place to stay. A nice place. But… “Uh…Rourke. That’s so nice of you.”

“But what? It’s perfect.”

“It’s lovely, I’m sure. But I can’t afford that. I can’t afford to pay you rent. Notthatplace.”

“Nonsense. I don’t need you to pay anything, but if it will make you feel better, pay what you paid your uncle.”

The smorgasbord of meat and cheese and two fancy square dishes of olives arrived. Instead of crackers, it was served with sliced Italian bread. Rourke grabbed a piece. “This is freshly baked. So good.” He layered meat and cheese and took a bite.

The sun was down, and the lights were on, making it more of a lively hot spot. More people came in. Rourke ordered us another round of drinks. And I tried the food. Every bit of it was fantastic. Spicey and creamy and bitter. My tongue was on overdrive. “Who would have thought such a simple meal would be so fantastic.”

“I think everything al fresco is better. This is close enough.”

“Al fresco? You mean outside?”

Rourke nodded, but he didn’t make me feel bad. “I think that’s an Italian term. I’m not sure, but yeah. Outside.” He winked at me, making my stomach flutter in the best possible way. “So, do you want me to help you with your stuff tomorrow?”

“What? Wait. I still can’t move in.”

“Why?”

“Rourke, you’re so sweet to even offer, but that’s only part of the problem.” I took a sip of my fruity drink to wash the food down. “I wouldn’t be able to get to work.” I didn’t own a car, and my savings had built up to a whopping six bucks. “So, no. I can’t. I’ll stay at Andy’s until I figure something out.”

Rourke didn’t look pleased at all, but I wasn’t his problem. “Colin—”

“No. Really.” I held up my hands. “I didn’t agree to go out with you for all of this. Can we enjoy the night and the company?”

He gave a curt nod. “I appreciate that. My inner-daddy wants to wrap you up in bubble wrap right now, so forgive me if I came on too strong. And no. I’m nothing like Vick. So don’t worry about that.”

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