Page 18 of The Virgin
“Because I’ve already put mine away.”
“Of course you did, because you’re Mister Perfect.” Colby often took his sour moods out on Jonah. It would be harder to take if Jonah thought there was any real malice behind it. He also knew from experience that Colby would put his body on the line to protect him.
In school, Jonah had been frequently picked on. He’d been scrawny, quiet, and smart. He’d been an easy target until Colby hit a growth spurt. Then he’d used his size and his popularity to make people back off.
“Do I have to put you in a timeout?” their dad asked Colby.
Colby stabbed a sausage somewhat violently. “Couldn’t if you wanted to. Taylor’s stood a tree there.”
Their dad’s head whipped around and, sure enough, in the corner he’d threatened to make them stand in—but had never followed through with—stood a potted tree.
“It’s been there all week!” Taylor crowed happily. “She got too big for my apartment, so she had to go somewhere. She’s an orange tree. I’ve got a couple lemon ones almost as big.”
Their youngest brother had a green thumb. He was the kind of person who could stab a stick in the ground and the damned thing would grow roots for him. It was impressive. Years ago, Taylor had watched a video on the internet about how to grow trees from orange seeds and how to sprout sweet potatoes in a glass of water. Ever since then, he’d been an absolute menace. He still lived with their dad, and his above-ground basement apartment looked like a jungle.
“I thought I told you no plants in the diner.” Their dad sounded tired but slightly amused, and Jonah knew he wouldn’t put his foot down over something as harmless as an orange tree.
“True, but it’s not a plant. It’s a tree. I can’t plant it outside because our climate is wrong, and that’s irresponsible anyway. I’m not sure if orange trees could be an invasive species, but it’s not a good idea. Just in case.”
“Just in case the orange trees spread and choke out the natural ecosystem?” Colby jostled Taylor’s arm. “That’s unlikely.”
“Still, the winters here would kill her, and she’s too pretty to die.”
“Well, be that as it may, Taylor, no more trees or plants or sprouted vegetables in the diner. We’re not a nursery.”
Taylor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. We all know you’re no fun, Dad. You don’t have to go and prove us right all the time.”
“Watch it, or I’ll put you back in the dish pit.” The threat didn’t have teeth. Taylor practically ran the diner now. He’d stepped up over the years, following in their dad’s footsteps, taking charge of the kitchen and the staff. Their dad still did the books and the hiring, but Taylor had definitely carved out a space for himself in the family business.
“He’s more likely to put youin the dish pit, Dad. Face it, the kid runs the show.” Colby grinned and chomped happily on a piece of bacon.
Their dad reached over and ruffled Taylor’s hair, earning him a squawk and a scowl from his youngest.
The bells above the door jingled and a group of people poured in. There were far too many of them for their part-timer to handle, so their dad got to his feet.
“Finish eating, Taylor. They can wait five minutes. See you boys in a week.” Their dad hurried off to take care of business, and Taylor wasn’t far behind. He scooped his remaining egg into his slice of toast and folded it in half.
“See you jerks in a week or whatever.” Taylor bit into his sandwich and headed into the back.
“You’re pretty quiet today, Jonah.” Colby grabbed a cup of coffee and took a sip. He grimaced and looked down at the table in disgust. “Fucking Taylor switched our cups again. God, if he put any more sugar in his coffee, he’d turn into a sugar cube.”
“Maybe that’s his intention. The first ever sugar cube short order cook.”
“With an army of orange trees.” Colby shoved Taylor’s coffee to the side and grabbed his own. “But don’t dodge the question.”
“I wasn’t aware you’d asked anything.”
“Everything okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Colby snorted. “I forgot how fucking impossible you are sometimes. It’s like pulling teeth with you.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Jonah frowned. Okay, he might have a small idea what Colby meant. He didn’t exactly spill his guts to his family. Or to anyone. He didn’t want to bother them with his trivial bullshit. His emotional shit was his own to worry about, and he’d done fine for the past twenty-seven years.
Only that didn’t ring exactly true. If he was doing okay, he would never have needed his best friend to show him how to be intimate with another person. But the thought of relying on anyone for any sort of sexual contact made Jonah’s skin crawl. He’d expected to feel the same way with Spencer but that feeling never came, and he didn’t know what to do with that realization.
“I’m fine enough,” Jonah finally added. “Happy?”
