"I figured it would be hard to grab a break. I've done some food shows. I know you can go all day without eating, and that's not good for you."
All I can do is smile at him because I'm shocked that he'd think of me and bring me lunch.
"So…you want pizza…or shall I take—"
"Gimme." I interrupt, walking over to him and taking the box from his hands.
He laughs, and the sound settles in my chest. I like that sound.
As soon as I opened the box, one thing becomes clear. Jud has some negotiating skills, or Louie, the guy that runs the pizza stand, thinks he has a chance with him. Half the pizza is covered with maple-glazed bacon and the other half with maple-glazed vegetables. Louie never customizes pizza at the festival because he has to get them in and out of the oven too quickly to serve the hungry crowds.
Does he have a chance with Jud?
I think it at the same time that I look at Jud. His face is scrunched up.
"You don't like it, do you? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed," he says.
"No. No. This looks amazing. I'm just shocked because Louie isn't the kind of guy to alter his toppings for just anyone."
Jud shrugs. "I may have flirted. And given him the kind of challenge a chef never backs down from."
"You…flirted?"
"Much to most people's disbelief, I am not the tongue-tied teenager I was ten years ago." He takes a slice from the box and folds the triangle slightly before taking a big bite.
My brain is catching up with Jud's words, but my dick has no such problem. My dick couldn't give a shit about whatever he says because I'm too busy staring at the way his mouth wraps around the slice of pizza. I groan when he licks his lips, catching a bit of maple syrup from the corner of his mouth.
"Are you gonna eat or just stare at me? Because I will eat all of this, even if I have to double my runs this week."
I slap his hand away and go for a veggie slice. "So tell me what kind of challenge you gave Louie."
Jud snorted. "I said I love playing with my toppings and asked him if he's ever tried glazing anything other than bacon."
I laugh so loud that people nearby turn their heads to face us. That gains me a few sales once my stand catches their attention.
Jud stands beside me, chatting to my customers about maple syrup and trading recipes.
By the time we return to the pizza, it's already cold, but that never stopped anyone, so I eat two more slices before I'm full enough.
"Thank you for reminding me about the festival," Jud says. "I can appreciate it in a totally different way now. When we were kids, it was all about stuffing our faces until half our body composition was syrup."
"Those were the days." I nod, thinking about how innocent we were, still untouched by the responsibilities of adult life.
"I'm going to have another look at the traders before I head home," Jud says.
We stand in silence for a moment. There's so much we still haven't said to each other, so much I haven't told him.
My mouth speaks for me before my brain is able to filter it. "Stay. I have a hotel room."
11
Judson
"I'm sorry?"
Did Sky just…no, I must have misheard.
"Fuck…um, what I mean is that I always stay in a hotel during the festival and this year the room I got happens to have two beds, so if you wanted to stay and check out the festival tomorrow, you could…stay, I mean. The pancake breakfast is the best thing ever."
