The man he loved. He still couldn’t get used to that. He’d always loved Nally, but opening himself up to embrace romantic love where he’d thought there would only be friendship was like throwing open a window to a sunny morning. It made the world a beautiful place.
He found a sleek, plum-colored suit in the corner of his wardrobe that he hadn’t even thought about in a long time. It was the perfect thing to wear to a date. He pulled it out and threw it on his bed, then dove back into the wardrobe, looking for the perfect shirt to wear with it.
As expected, his phone buzzed less than fifteen minutes later. He took it from his pocket and saw Nally’s text right away.
Walt has a table for us at Overture tonight. I’ll pick you up at 7:30.
Jude grinned. Of course Nally would arrange something for that night. He didn’t want to wait any longer than Jude did.
Before tucking his phone back in his pocket, Jude quickly made a reservation for the Premier Inn closest toOverture. He could probably afford something much swankier, and there were a few top-rated hotels within walking distance ofOverture, but a precedent had been set, and who was he to deny that?
And, of course, he had to quickly put together some content for his socials before Nally made his way into London to fetch him.
“Hello, chaps,” he said as soon as he started the video…in his underwear, of course. Because even though everything with him and Nally was changing, Jude the Obscure would always be the same. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag. This devoted bachelor might not be that much of a bachelor anymore. I’ve got a very special date tonight, and I’m inviting you to get ready with me.”
He recorded the whole video of himself getting dressed and dolling up with some cleverly placed make-up, then as soon as the recording was done, he took most of what he’d done off and changed into comfortable clothes to finish his work.
By the time Nally arrived at his parents’ door, he was back in his fancy kit, hair styled to perfection, looking like he could walk the catwalk in one of Nally’s brother’s fashion shows.
“Wow,” Nally said, sweeping him with a hungry look as he stood in the back doorway, looking a treat himself and holding a bouquet of petrol station flowers. “I should start dating you more often. You look fab.”
Jude laughed. “You look pretty great yourself.” He grabbed the flowers, ducked around the corner to put them in the kitchen, and before Nally could walk all the way into the house, he raced back, grabbed his hand, and pulled Nally back out into the courtyard. “Come on. I don’t want my parents to know what we’re up to.”
“You don’t want your parents to know we’re…you know,” he lowered his voice to a whisper as he finished with, “dating?”
Jude stopped halfway across the cobbled courtyard and faced Nally with a serious look. “Doyouwant to deal with my mum’s reaction when she finds out we finally did it?”
Nally’s eyes went wide. “No, you’re right. I’m barely ready for a fancy restaurant, let alone your mum’s reaction.”
It was all a joke. Or at least it was supposed to be. But something about Nally’s underlying uncertainty, still, after everything they’d done and everything they’d talked about, made him feel like a cat whose fur was rubbed the wrong way.
“I hope you don’t mind if we walk toOverture,” Nally said, reaching for Jude’s hand as they strode out of the courtyard and onto the side street. “My family may have the title, but we do not have that many cars. Once again, I’ve had to rely on Southeastern Railway to be my white steed to bring me to your door. And the Tube.”
“I don’t mind walking at all,” Jude said, grinning and squeezing Nally’s hand, even though the subtle reference to not having any money as they were heading out to a posh restaurant nagged him a little. “I just want to be with you.”
“Aww, darling,” Nally said teasingly, then nudged him with his arm the way he always did.
Jude laughed and relaxed a little, but he bounced right back to feeling tense again as their conversation died right there. They strode toward Hyde Park in increasingly tight silence, then made their way across the twilight green. He and Nally had never been at a loss for words with each other before. Nally was still smiling and they held hands like they were head over heels, which they were, but it was…wrong.
Worse still, Jude couldn’t think of a damn thing to say until they reachedOverture.
“I’ve been wanting to try this place for ages,” he said as the hostess led them to a cozy table by one of the windows. “Everyone in The Brotherhood has been talking about it ever since Walt set it up last year.”
“I know, right?” Nally said, nodding to the hostess as he took his seat. “The whole concept of a high-end teaching restaurant is an amazing idea.” He froze suddenly as he picked up the menu card, his face coloring. “Oh. Shit. I should have held your chair for you if we’re on an actual date.”
It was a tiny oversight that didn’t matter to Jude one bit, but Nally seemed gutted by his mistake.
“It’s nothing,” Jude said. “We’re just playing pretend anyhow, aren’t we?”
“Playing pretend?” Nally’s expression pinched even more.
“Pretend fancy date,” Jude said, fighting to keep the mood light and fun but feeling like he was losing, for some reason.
“Oh, right,” Nally said, blowing out a breath and sitting back in his chair. “Pretend fancy date.”
Nally didn’t look relieved in the least. In fact, he looked more anxious than ever.
“I mean, it’s a real date,” Jude said, reaching across the table for his hand. “We’re actually going out, and this is a real date.”
