CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Joel Uses All of the Dish Soap
Two weeks later
Joel tugged a strand of hair down across his forehead, over his eyes, then released it. He repeated the motion until his vision was obscured completely, then he pushed it off his face and started over again. His left eye was obscured when the bells over the door of Bound to Please chimed, alerting him to a customer. He didn’t bother to move from behind the register.
“Hey, Joel.” It was Donny, walking up slowly, shoulders hunched before he unzipped his cat hair covered hoodie, tossing it over his shoulder and away from them. Joel nodded in greeting, and heard the follow-up chime and tell-tale click clack of high heels as Athena found her way in.
“Parking was a bitch! Hi, Baby J.” She leaned over the counter, swiping his hair off his face, and kissed his forehead. He offered her the same nod he’d given Donny. “Still sulking?” she pushed, and again, he gave her the same nod.
Three nights ago, Joel had finally been let back into his apartment. The carpet and drywall had been replaced, making the house reek of new construction. He’d stayed up half the night, going through his small pile of belongings on his bed, discarding books and records that were water damaged beyond saving. Three weeks ago, he would have been sad over the loss of his prized belongings, but now he found it hard to care about the legacy of other people's things. His favorite Bible had dried out, the pages brittle, but not cracking. It would be salvageable, and a constant reminder of Gabriel. What no one knew, though, was that he carried it with him now, stowed in his messenger bag. At all times it was two layers of fabric away from his skin. Joel couldn’t identify why he’d decided to carry it, but its presence offered him comfort, and that was more telling than he would ever admit to anyone out loud.
There was another chime over the door, and then the sound of sure footsteps approaching the register. Joel, Athena, and Donny all turned their attention to the customer.
“Davis.” Joel exhaled the name with shock.
Davis stood there a bit awkwardly, twirling his Tesla key fob again between his fingers. “Hey, Joel.”
Athena shifted her gaze between the two men, landing on Donny, who offered her nothing more than a shrug.
“So, I got your text, but I wanted to make sure that you really weren’t interested in dinner. I thought maybe I could change your mind.” A hopeful grin pulled across Davis’s thin lips as he shrugged one shoulder higher than the other.
Joel stared at him, blinking slowly. “My text?”
“Yeah, a few weeks ago, you said you met someone and it wasn’t going to work out with me, but I was kind of hoping it didn’t work out with him.” Davis offered another boyish grin.
Joel shot his eyes to Athena, who met his wide stare with shock of her own. She shook her head but was unable to hide the suspicious thought that crossed her mind.
Of course Gabriel would have scared Davis off. He was Gabriel, after all. Joel's big, bad, over-protective wolf.
No. Not mine anymore.
Joel returned his gaze to Davis, appraising the man's pressed khaki pants and salmon-colored polo. Davis still had well-trimmed blond hair and eyes that sparkled in Joel's direction. He kept twirling that fucking key fob. Joel tried to see himself with Davis. He tried to imagine what it would be like if they had ended up at that restaurant together, sharing naan and a plate of tandoori chicken. He pictured Davis telling him a story, his charming laughter echoing around the restaurant as he asked for a story in return. Everyone in the restaurant would turn to stare at Davis, because who wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of someone as pristine and cookie-cutter perfect as he was?
Joel didn't.
As much as he tried to envision his future with any number of nameless, faceless men, he couldn’t do it. It always came back to Gabriel, and Joel had hoped with time this would fade, but face-to-face now with Davis, he understood that it wouldn’t. The realization settled around him in a surprisingly comfortable way, and for the first time in two weeks, Joel smiled.
“Is that a yes?” Davis’s voice broke his trance, and Joel's smile turned apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Davis. I don’t think it would work out between you and me.” Joel was sure of the words, even as he forced them out of his mouth. His next course of action was becoming clearer in his mind.
“I’d go to dinner with you,” a voice from behind them said. Davis and Joel both turned toward Athena’s brother. “I’m Adonis. I go by Donny, though. I’d go to dinner with you.”
Athena chuckled and used her shoulder to shove her brother a foot closer to Davis. Donny’s eyes were transfixed by Davis and his twirling key fob. The smile that had faltered from Davis’s face returned, turning the charm up to one hundred.
“Adonis? It suits you.” Davis extended his hand, and Donny reached for it, shaking it in greeting. “I’d love to take you to dinner. Are you available now?”
Donny didn’t even look surprised that his brazen invitation had worked, and he nodded as Davis pulled him in closer.
“Then let’s go.” Davis gestured to the door, while Joel and Athena stared at their backs.
“Use condoms!” Athena called after them. Donny turned to give her the finger, his cheeks pink and lips tipped up in a smirk.
After Davis and Donny disappeared out the door, Joel opened his mouth to speak.
“I know,” Athena spoke for him, kicking off her high heels. “Give me the key and I’ll close up for you, Baby J. Go get your man. I know you want to. It's written all over your face.”
