Page 15 of Cash

Obvious physical attraction aside, there was something about Jules that Brick really liked. It was in Jules’s smile, the way he lit up talking about his family, and that deep, rolling laugh that made his huge chest shake. He was clearly kind and thoughtful, given how he handled the destruction of Brick’s yard, and Brick was dying to get to know him better.

If nothing else, it had been really nice to have someone to talk to who wasn’t his mother.

Brick had friends, but they were all busy with their careers and families. It dawned on him that he hadn’t actually seen any of them in several months, especially since most of them didn’t come out to party with him at Glenwood South anymore. When Brick went out, it had been either with his current boyfriend or in search of a new one until he’d finally gotten too burned out to keep going.

He spent his free time watching Korean dramas and blabbing about them on the phone with his mother. The only other social contact he had on a regular basis was talking to the people at the damn funeral home.

Shit.

He really was lonely.

With a sigh, Brick ignored the pity party his brain was trying to throw for him and dove back into his work. He worked right through his lunch break and became so absorbed that he was still going at it when there was a knock at the front door at six o’clock.

He blinked out of the zone he’d put himself in, and he was shocked to see what time it was. He quickly logged off the computer and then headed to the door.

Brick’s heart skipped over itself when he saw it was Jules, and he was very glad he’d spent a few extra minutes this morning selecting fitted khakis and a rich olive green dress shirt. He’d even put on a black belt to match his black house slippers, and he knew he looked good. He was all smiles when he opened the door. “Hey!”

“Hey.” Jules waved. “Still on for dinner, yeah?”

“Yeah! Of course!” Brick waved Jules inside. “It won’t take long to reheat the yukgaejang. Come on in.”

Jules was looking extra edible in dark jeans and a tight black T-shirt, and he had another bottle of wine under his arm. “Sorry again ’bout last night. Work shit.”

“No, hey, that’s fine.” Brick waited for Jules to switch out his shoes for the monster slippers and then led the way into the kitchen. “Are you, like, on call or something?”

“Something.” Jules got the bottle opener out of the drawer to open the wine. “Shit comes up, I gotta go fix it.”

“Mmm, yes. Your mysterious fixing job.” Brick smirked as he retrieved the pot of yukgaejang from the fridge. He set it on the stove and turned the heat on.

“Very mysterious.” Jules smirked.

“Does everyone in your family have mysterious jobs?” Brick remembered to make rice this time, and he grabbed a measuring cup to measure out the rice and water for the rice cooker.

“Nah.” Jules had pulled out two wine glasses and filled them, offering one to Brick. “My sister runs a club.”

“Mm, thank you.” Brick paused to take the wine and get a big gulp. It was the same kind Jules had brought last night, and it was still delicious. “A club, huh? What kinda club?”

“It’s a piano joint. They play live music and shit. Pricey drinks. Real fancy.”

“What about your brother? What does he do?”

“He owns the club our sister runs and some other places. Bars, restaurants. He’s smart. Real fuckin’ smart.”

“Sounds like it to own all that.” Brick set the timer for the rice cooker and then grabbed his wine. He leaned his hip against the counter, taking another long sip. “So, how are you enjoying Raleigh so far? Still missing home?”

“Yeah.” Jules was just a few feet away, leaning on the opposite counter. “We gotta talk ’bout the fuckin’ weather down here. How the fuck is it I walk from my place over here and I already feel like I gotta take a damn shower?”

Brick laughed. “Ah, that’s the beautiful North Carolina humidity for you. Just wait. It’s supposed to storm tonight, so it’ll be extra muggy tomorrow.”

“Fuckin’ great.”

They chatted a bit more while the soup reheated and the rice cooked, and they were on their second glass of wine by the time everything was ready.

They sat at the small breakfast table, and Jules immediately dove right into his bowl. The first bite made him groan, loud and deep, and it sounded so sexual that Brick actually blushed.

“Ahem. I take it that you either just came or you really like it?” Brick teased.

“Fuck. Both.” Jules laughed. “Damn, that’s good.” He hunched over his bowl as if he was afraid someone was going to steal it and went on eating.

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