“I’m sorry, I have plans,” Justin told her, and he probably would have said it regardless. This woman had a dislike of him which was almost palpable, and Justin found himself no longer quite so convinced that Maria didn’t know, or at least could guess, what they had been doing together in the changing room.
“Are you sure?” There was malice in her eyes, and that was odd to see because whatever he could say about Ken he wasn’t malicious. Maria’s eyes were so similar to Ken’s otherwise. “Maybe you could just drop by. We’d all like to get to know someone that Ken is so obviously close to.”
Meaning that she had seen him come out of the changing room. Damn it. Meaning that she intended to grill him, probably to try to scare him off. Even if not for Jade, there was no way in hell that Justin would be excited about going through that.
Unless he and Ken were dating, of course, and Ken was his boyfriend, then he would be all too happy to shove this relationship in her face, and maybe that would be enough that she might actually someday accept it. Of course, he and Ken dating, that was laughable. Right? Ken would never go for it.
Oddly, though, Justin had been so sure that Ken would never kiss him, and his lips still burned and tingled from the kisses that they’d shared. His body still throbbed, threatening to become aroused again, just from the thought of that hot, hard body against his own.
“I really can’t.” Justin looked at her and made a choice. It was a choice made of desperation, maybe, but he still made it, looking her right in the eye and speaking quietly enough that the noise of the children running all over the place would cover it up. He hoped. “I have to go pick my daughter up from school.”
Something about her face relaxed, and the smile seemed a little bit less forced, more sincere. All of a sudden, all of that dislike just fled out of her, and she seemed like a normal person again, not like someone who was considering whether they should order his head chopped off.
“Of course. Well, I hope I see you around, Justin,” Maria informed him, and she almost seemed to be sincere, too. It wasn’t until Justin had left, giving Ken one more look and a tiny wave when he saw that the younger man was finally looking at him, that he realized what had happened there.
Maria had been afraid that he was someone that she needed to worry about, but when he’d mentioned a daughter, she’d made her assumptions. And now that she’d decided that he was straight, well, she didn’t have much reason to worry, now did she?
He could almost laugh. Or maybe cry. He was not straight, not even close, but he doubted that she would even believe that if he told her.
Well, it had gotten him away from her, and it had been the truth, but as he walked out into the sultry heat of the mid-afternoon, he couldn’t help but wish that he could have stayed just a little bit longer with Ken before it had all been taken away, probably forever.
Had Ken heard about his daughter? Justin had tried to keep it quiet, but it was a bit of a surprise for him when he realized that it wouldn’t actually be the end of the world to him if Ken had heard. The guy was damn good with kids, actually downright adorable with them.
No, it wouldn’t be bad at all, and that was the first time that Justin considered just telling Ken about Jade.
