Page 9 of The Holiday Boyfriend

The door opened, and I quickly flicked my gaze away. Suddenly, I was finding the stitching on my steering wheel very interesting.

“Hey, thanks for picking me up,” Jim said as he closed the door. I finally turned to him, hoping that I didn't have a weird expression on my face. He held up the food container I'd put the tacos in early. It was empty and cleaned. “And thanks for lunch. It was delicious.”

“Glad you liked it. It's the least I could do.” I said, trying to keep my tone casual instead of voicing the satisfaction I felt at knowing he enjoyed the food I made him. It wasn't too hard considering I tended to sound a bit monotone, which was probably due to all the years of practice of suppressing my real emotions.

I pulled out of the farm and onto the dirt road that led into town. Our apartment was only about ten minutes away from the farm. Neither of us spoke during the short drive, but it didn't feel awkward or forced. Jim once told me he didn't like chatting in the car because he didn't want the driver—either himself or someone else—to be distracted at the wheel.

It wasn't long before I pulled into our apartment complex's parking lot. Jim had the door open as soon as I turned off the engine. I followed behind him all the way into our home. He placed the food container on the counter before sinking onto the couch with his eyes closed and a heavy sigh. I watched as he found a comfortable position with both of his arms stretched onto the back of the couch. I stood by the kitchen counter, imagining myself joining him and snuggling into those beefy arms. Flicking my gaze away before I actually acted on those inappropriate thoughts, I crossed my arms to give them something to do.

“Levi invited us to the pub tonight. You joining?” I said, breaking the silence.

Jim opened his eyes to peek at me before shaking his head. “Nah, I'm wiped out. Think I'll call it an early night. Go and have fun,” he said, waving his hand as he shut his eyes closed again.

I probably could havepersuadedhim to join us if I tried a bit harder, but honestly, I was relieved. I needed the distance to relearn how to put on the facade of indifference toward my friend that I'd mastered throughout the years.

Plus, finding someone to hook up with would be a lot easier without Jim there, and god knew I needed to find an outlet to release my frustrations.

EIGHT

AUSTIN

The Dove's Fountain was crowded for it being a Thursday evening. Though as the only alcoholic drinking establishment in town, there wasn't a single night that the pub wasn't full.

For tourists, Wintertown was a place full of magic and new experiences. The town worked hard on creating an image of a winter wonderland for the holidays. As for the rest of the year for the residents, there wasn't much to do here on a work night besides drink.

The Dove's Fountain was also a popular hookup spot to find someone to accompany them for the night. Countless paintings and wall decorations of two doves kissing hung around the pub to represent the legend that surrounded this town.

The Doves would bless two lovers with eternal love. I’d heard once that the owner of the pub wanted to bless the unions that were formed in their bar, and that was why they had so many Dove memorabilia decorating the place.

A nugget of thought flashed through my mind wondering if the Doves would bless Jim and me since we’d hung out here countless times together throughout the years. So far, it didn’t seem so. Which shouldn’t be shocking since Jim and I weren’t together in the first place. There was simply nothing to bless.

I glanced around and saw the regulars scouting the room. Almost everybody knew everybody in Wintertown, so the only option for a no-strings-attached hookup was with the tourists that flowed through town.

Which was exactly my goal for tonight, but first, I needed a drink. Or maybe five if I wanted to get drunk enough to get Jim out of my thoughts.

Levi had managed to get a booth by the window. He stood and waved when he spotted me. As I weaved through the crowd to get to him, I spotted my ex sitting by the bar. We locked eyes, and he gave me a flirtatious smile that carried a sense of suggestiveness underneath it, or maybe that was all in my head.

Jared and I didn't end on bad terms, but we’d both known our relationship wouldn't last. We'd dated for half a year before mutually calling it quits. It had been a few years since then, and I'd occasionally seen him around town, but this was the first time since our breakup that he’d tried to initiate contact again.

He raised a hand to wave at me, and my eyes drew to his large palm and thick forearm that were so similar to Jim's. It was what had attracted me in the first place. I knew it was a messed up reason to get with someone, like I was using him as a replacement for Jim, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. But it wasn't fair for either of us to stay in a relationship that I wasn't fully committed to.

I flicked my gaze away and continued through the crowd. Levi was waiting at the end of the booth with another man by his side.

“Hey, man. It's been a while,” Levi said, pulling me into a tight hug. He was a few inches taller than me and had the body of a surfer—despite us being a couple of hours from the nearest beach. He was outgoing, and I'd never seen him without a smile on his face.

“It has. Thanks for inviting me out,” I said, returning the hug just as tightly.

He was one of the few people in town that I was actually close with and related to on a personal level instead of the fake small-town politeness that most people here had with me. It was a shame that we didn't get to meet up much. Levi was usually busy helping his dads out with their B&B at the edge of town, and I was busy getting too wrapped up in Jim…

Pulling back, I turned to the other man at the table and gave him a hug as well. “It's great to see you again, Felix.”

The man was an inch shorter than me and even more petite than I was—and that was a feat considering my parents complained about me being “skin and bones” every time we met up. Though my lack of muscles only enhances my gloomy demeanor, Felix's slim frame fit him perfectly, giving his already angelic appearance an even more otherworldly feel.

“It's great to see you too!” Felix said with so much cheer that he was bouncing on his heels.

“I ran into Felix on the way here. I hope you don't mind me inviting him to join us,” Levi said as we took our seats.

“Not at all. It's nice to see you before you move,” I said to the younger man. There was already a pitcher of beer on the table, and Levi poured me a glass before I could even ask.

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