Page 52 of Still Bruised
Anton hesitated.
“Come on. I don’t want to be the only guy there,” Roan snapped.
“If you want me to spend an afternoon wallowing in your,” Anton’s gaze whipped to Jude’s.“Heteronormative bullshit,” Anton looked back at Roan. “You’re going to owe me big time.”
Jude chuckled.
“What do you want?” Roan asked.
Anton looked thoughtful and tapped his chin with one finger. “How ‘bout… convince your father to let me use his Knicks seats one weekend next season,” Anton said. “And not against a shitty team, either. A good one.”
“He loves those seats more than he loves me,” Roan said. “I rarely get to go with him myself. How the fuck am I going to convince him to letyougo?”
“I have faith in you,” Anton said.
Roan scowled.
“Unless youwantto be the only sacrificial man at the baby shower,” Jude said, grinning. “Surrounded by her jealous, baby-crazy friends.”
“Right-right,” Anton said, grinning at Jude and holding up a palm for a high five.
Jude slapped it and turned his focus on Roan.
“Fine. I’ll ask,” Roan said. “But I can’t make any promises.”
“Don’t just ask.Implore,”Anton said. “Down on your knees, begging, if need be.”
“Do I at least get to go with you if I manage this?” Roan asked.
“Maybe,” Anton answered. “If Jude can’t go.”
Jude barked with laughter.
Roan rolled his eyes, tossing his bag onto his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. See you Sunday.” He lightly punched Jude in the shoulder. “See you soon, man.”
“Yeah… and congrats. I hope it’s a good party.”
Roan smiled, light shining in his eyes. “Thanks.”
Once Roan headed off the court, another few guys jumped on to start their own pick-up game. Jude and Anton grabbed their shit and exited.
“You’re never getting those tickets. You know that, right?”
Anton chuckled. “Probably not but knowing he begged his asshole father for them sounds like equivalent torture to me sitting in a room for an hour listening to Mia and her friends talk about childbirth.”
Jude barked with laughter. “Better watch out. I hear pregnancy can be contagious. One of Mia’s friends might decide you’re her baby daddy.”
“Notgonna happen,” Anton said.
“You don’t want kids? Like at all?”
“In this economy?”Anton joked. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I wouldn’t be too upset if it didn’t happen. My mom might, though.”
“Your sisters have given her enough grandchildren, haven’t they?” Jude asked and a glimmer of jealousy hit. Anton had four sisters. He’d grown up without siblings. Maybe that’s why it felt like Anton was family. It was the closest he’d ever come to having a brother.
“None of them with the Belanov last name, though,” Anton muttered. “That’s not even technically my mother’s last name. It was my shitty father’s. Why does she care?”
They walked along the fence in silence. Jude watched some of the other games going on in the long line of courts.
