Page 143 of Still Bruised
“Are you taking applications for an assistant this year?” Foster asked as he sidled up beside her.
She hugged him around the waist. “I would love some help.”
“Well, that was easier than I expected,” Foster said.
“Last year wore me out. I almost backed out of it this year, but I couldn’t leave them without Thanksgiving dinner.” She sighed. “Can you help me prepare the sides and pies Wednesday?”
“Sure. On one condition. You let me handle delivery Thursday evening,” Foster said.
“But I like delivering them,” she said.
“Okay, how about, my SUV can be your sleigh, I can be your reindeer and muscle, and you can play Turkey Santa?”
“Turkey Santa?”She laughed. “Works for me.” She made a note on a piece of paper. “Are you planning to invite anyone this year?”
Foster’s smile faded. He wanted to invite Jude but wasn’t sure how to go about it. Him agreeing to give space had clearly been a mistake. He still hadn’t figured out a way around that promise. “No, I’m afraid it’s just me.”
“I think I told you that your brother is staying in Virginia with Shelly’s family this year?”
“Yep,” Foster said.
“It’ll just the three of us, I guess,” his mother said.
“More than enough,” Foster said with a grin.
“Indeed,”his father said.
“I stopped in to see if you guys wanted anything from Pat’s?” Foster said. “I was going to run over and get a hoagie for lunch.”
“The whole thing about working virtually is that you can make a sandwichfrom home,”his mother said. “I’ve got that ham you like.”
Foster chuckled. “But I’m craving a steak and cheese, Ma.”
Anton had mentioned that Jude stopped into Pat’s once a week to pick up lunch. Between that place, a few more Anton had mentioned, and the handful Jude had requested dinner from when he’d been spending nights, he’d been going out to eat way too often, trying to accidentally run into Jude. So far, he’d had zero luck. Grindr wasn’t working, either, unless he counted all the men whoweren’tJude who’d tried to hook up with him since setting up his profile.
Thank god he finally figured out how to silence the notifications. Not before one had gone off in a meeting at the office, of course. He now had a pretty good idea who all the men who had sex with men were in his office.
They also knew he was in that number, too. Two had already asked him out, both of which he’d carefully turned down. Another had contacted him via the app, asking for an over-the-desk fuck session in his office, which he’d less than graciously declined.
Foster wasn’t interested in fucking around. He’d only signed up for Jude. Too bad it hadn’t worked. He was tempted to delete his account to save him from more embarrassment.
He wasn’t sure how else to see Jude without breaking his promise.
Foster was failing the test.
“If you don’t mind, pick us up a large Italian with oil. Your dad and I can split it.”
“Sure thing,” Foster said before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Be back in a little while.”
He jumped into his SUV and headed for Pat’s, taking the long way so he could ride past the butcher shop and peek inside. He was being ridiculous, he knew, but what else was he supposed to do? If it went on much longer, he was just going to knock on Jude’s door and beg forgiveness on his hands and knees.
Fuck creativity. He’d just go with honesty. He missed Jude and he sensed Jude might miss him. Why continue their torment if they didn’t have to?
After a no-show drive past the butcher shop and a no-see at the hoagie joint, he drove the long way home again. He slipped into a spot near Jude’s place and contemplated going inside and making a fool of himself.
Jude would hate that.
Absolutely despise it.
