Page 9 of Jalen & Colby

It’s not just the money, though. Andreas keeps looking at us as if we’re the most delightful, interesting, adorable things he’s seen in a long time. Or maybe he’s just looking at Jalen in that way. That would make more sense.

I certainly look at him like that.

It occurs to me that there is one good thing in my life that didn’t come with any nasty strings. Oneamazingthing.

Jalen.

I try not to stare at him as he flirts shamelessly with Andreas. I’m not mad about it. He’s been saying forever that we both need Daddies to take care of us, and I bet Andreas would be a wonderful one for Jalen. I’ll just be sad when he eventually moves on with his life. Devastated, actually, but it can’t be helped.

Jalen would never want to be with a shy little mouse like me. We’re just friends.Bestfriends. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he’s the reason I’ve made it this far in life. I love him to the moon and back. But I know we’re only friends. He’s far too fabulous to be interested in me. No, I’m like his little brother, and that’s okay.

However, I can’t deny that I’ll miss him whenever he moves on. I didn’t think it would be for a while, but watching the way he and Andreas have been bantering back and forth over dinner has made me wonder if it could be sooner rather than later.

Jealousy isn’t a useful emotion in my experience. It’s okay to be sad or disappointed or to wish for something better for yourself. But jealousy is just mean-spirited. And yet when I look at Andreas laughing at Jalen’s silliness, I can’t help but feel a pang of something that might be akin to envy.

Anyone with eyes can see that Andreas is gorgeous. I compared him to Idris Elba before when Jalen and I were quickly getting changed back home. Jay insisted that Andreas is more of a James Bond in his fancy clothes with that English accent, but I pointed out that Idris Elba has been rumored to play the next Bond for years, so technically, we’re both right.

But we can’t both have him.

Not thateitherof us is trying to ‘have’ him, for crying out loud. But he’s taken us to a swanky restaurant in the city, and if it was just two of us instead of three, I’d think it was a date.

No guy is ever going to pick me over Jalen, though. So even if this really is just some random night and we never see each other again, I can’t be resentful if Andreas gives Jalen more attention than me. I want to see my bestie happy.

I just wish I could make him happy.

They’re currently debating the merits of the infamous body swap episode versus the time travel one. I sip my drink and watch them like it’s a tennis match.

“I love the one where Osh and Mina get stuck in the cave.”

They both stop talking and look at me. It’s then that I realize it was me who spoke.

“Oh, um, I mean…”

“That’s a beautiful one,” Andreas says.

He slips his hand over mine, and I swear my heart skips a beat. The older man’s smile is like Christmas tree lights, shining just for me. Except that’s crazy, and I know it. He’s simply indulging a couple of lost souls for an evening. We’re superfans of the same TV show, having a wander down memory lane. There’s nothing more to it than that.

Right?

It’s not long before I’m questioning myself, though.

I don’t know how long we’ve been sitting at the table chatting, drinking, and laughing. But eventually, Andreas looks around and realizes that we’re the only people left in the restaurant who aren’t staff.

“Damn it, is that the time?” he says incredulously, looking at his watch. “They must hate us.”

“After all the delicious food and drink we ordered?” Jalen says with a scoff. “I bet they love us.”

He’s got a point. I’m bursting at the seams after such a lavish dinner, and we’ve already had several things boxed up so we can take them home with us for lunch tomorrow. So it’s not like we’ve been taking the piss.

But as Andreas calls our patient waitress over to ask for the bill, I can’t help but feel some of my earlier worries sneaking back in. He’s right. It is really late. I’m not sure if our train will still be running to get home, and even if it is, I don’t like getting it late on the weekend with all the drunks.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I look up to see Jalen regarding me in concern.Oh, no.I must have been chewing my lip. I do that when I get anxious.

“Uh, yeah,” I say quietly as Andreas is busy very kindly paying for our meal. I’m not certain, but from the look on the waitress’s face, I think he’s giving her a really big tip. That makes my heart swell. He’s so kind.

But now it’s time for us to say goodbye. So long as we can actuallymakeit home.

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