Page 25 of Meet You Half Way
“His name’s Mateo,” I huffed a little dramatically. “And maybe.”
“Really? Do tell.”
“Tell what?” Kelly asked as she breezed by on her way to corral Cooper away from the mud.
“Jamie’s got himself a new man,” Bill answered, a sly grin on his face.
“Ooh, is this the Italian boy?” Kelly asked, face alight with glee. “The one who looks like a supermodel?”
“Firstly, he is notmyman,” I huffed again. “I just happen to have met up with him a couple of times.”
“Met up,” Bill chuckled under his breath. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days.”
“No need to be crass,” I returned. “There are toddlers present.”
“So when you saymet up,” Kelly asked, finally corralling Cooper away from the mud patch, “do you mean like going on dates?”
“Um,” I began while Bill cracked up laughing.
“Oh Kel,” he said. “We’ve been married way too long.”
“We did actually meet up for coffee this morning,” I added, not wanting them to think it was entirely sordid between me and Mateo. Only just mostly sordid.
“Really?” Bill asked.
“That’s what I meant,” Kelly added with an eyeroll. “I just didn’t think Jamie was into the whole hookup culture.”
“I’m really not,” I said, more to myself than my friends.
“But you can’t say no to Mateo for some reason,” Bill pressed, grinning when I just shrugged.
“Is he good to you?” Kelly asked, always the sober minded one out of the three of us. “Just because he’s good looking doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to treat you right.”
I sighed and laughed softly. “He’s … complicated. And it doesn’t really matter anyway because it’s not serious and he’s definitely not looking for a relationship. With me at least.”
“Okay,” Kelly said, that worried look back in her eye. “Just don’t get in too deep with him then. I don’t want to see you get hurt. I know what you’re like and you never love half way.”
“I know,” I sighed, knowing she was right. I always gave too much of myself and was usually left to pick up the pieces at the end.
“I worry about you is all,” she replied, squeezing my arm. “You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met and I want somebody for you who is going to treat you the way you deserve.”
“Thanks, Kel,” I replied, offering her a smile. “But there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Just promise me the sex is good because I reckon I was half a second away from turning gay for that man of yours myself,” Bill added in a muttered voice as Kelly went back into the house.
I laughed and clinked my beer with his. “I can promise you the sex is out of this world.”
And that was the solid truth. The only truth I really had to hold onto right then and these crazy thoughts and possible feelings I had going through me towards the boy I simply could not get out of my head.
CHAPTER 11
mateo
“So, Nick and I came by your office this morning to see if you had time for a coffee,” Rob dropped as I stepped inside the house later that evening. I had stayed late at the office on account of the fact I had taken off for a few hours of hot sex with Jamie after my latest brain snap. An increasingly common occurrence where that man was concerned.
“Did you?” I asked, trying not to let him read anything on my face as I pretended to be busy with something on my phone.
“Yeah, we did,” he pressed. Rob had muted the TV, his full attention on me as he swivelled on the sofa whileFarmer Wants a Wifeplayed in the background.
