But their relationship was how Jace found himself in Myers Bluff, working at a little indie bakery, serving an iced coffee with extra sugar to one Sebastian St. George a couple months before. Sebastian had been cute enough for Jace’s taste, but also too clean cut with his Brooks Brothers polo and way too taken with a shiny gold band around his left ring finger. Jace quickly learned Sebastian was a regular at the bakery, and the two of them had struck up a social, if not unconventional, friendship. Unconventional seemed to be the only thing Jace was good at, but he tried to never dwell on that too long.
Sebastian and Jace had gotten lunch a couple times if Sebastian came through toward the end of Jace’s shift, but Jace had to admit he was shocked upon getting the text from him an hour before, asking if he wanted to pretend to date one of Sebastian’s friends for a weekend to make an ex jealous.
“You’ll find someone too,” Remington said, with Jace still wondering what sort of guy Sebastian was trying to fake set him up with. Jace hoped he was cute, because maybe he could still pull a fling out of the whole thing.
“I don’t need anyone.” Jace shook his head. “I mean, I like someone for the weekend, but you know how it goes.”
Remington did know how it went, because he’d complained to Jace on more than one occasion how loud his side of the apartment got after hours on the weekend, but it was the best way he knew to let off steam. Jace loved going out to the club alone and bringing someone home, ruining them for other men, then sending them away. If he was lucky, they could rough house a bit, play some games, and then be done with the whole affair. It was easier that way too, because if he didn’t keep people around, they couldn’t grow tired of him and abandon him the way his own parents had.
“Doesn’t that get lonely?” Remington asked with a small frown.
“I have you.”
“Yeah.” His frown deepened. “For now.”
“What’s that mean?” Jace asked, a long lost feeling of worry and abandonment tingling at the base of his spine.
“Nothing. I only meant we’re not going to live like this forever.”
“But for now,” he said softly.
“For now.” Remington inhaled sharply and rolled his eyes, clearly changing the subject. “Anyway, the pizza is here so come out to the couch and tell me what you’re even talking about.”
Remington turned on his heel and Jace followed him into the small living room. The pizza box was open on the coffee table, and Jace grabbed two paper plates from the kitchen before collapsing down beside Remington. After they’d both eaten through half a slice, Remington turned to him with wide and expectant eyes.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“Do you remember Sebastian? I think I’ve told you about him.” Jace pulled a string of hot cheese straight toward the ceiling until it snapped, then lowered it into his mouth.
“Is he the blended vanilla, double shot guy?” Remington scrunched his nose.
“No, he’s the iced coffee, all the sugar guy.”
“Oh, polo shirt man.”
“That’s the one,” he confirmed. “He texted me earlier tonight asking if I had plans in two weeks.”
“You always have plans.”
“None that matter.” Jace grinned. “He has this friend who needs to make someone jealous and he thought of me.”
Remington tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, giving Jace a very thorough look. He remained silent for so long, Jace started to wonder if the next words out of Remington’s mouth were going to throw him onto a pedestal he’d never come down from or mortally wound him. Remington’s expression gave nothing away.
“I guess you’d do,” he finally said.
“You what?” Jace balked. “I’ddo?”
“You’re handsome, but do you think you can play ball with the kind of men who wear thousand dollar suits?”
“How much now?” Jace dropped his pizza.
“You’re smart, smarter than you give yourself credit for, and you have a good eye, Jace. You’re good at anything you set your mind to, but men like that are a different breed.”
“I can keep up.” He threw his plate onto the table and folded his arms across his chest.
There hadn’t been a challenge in his entire life that Jace hadn’t met head on. Whether it had been surviving four years of foster care before being adopted, or paying his way through as much college as he could afford, or saving up to buy his very first film camera…
“What even would you wear?” Remington reached out and plucked at the hem of Jace’s Old Navy t-shirt.
