Benny remained silent, but Gino forged ahead. “Well, he’s so, uh…” Gino spun his hand in the air. “I don’t know. Corporate. Quiet. And he doesn’t look like he works out at all.”
“According to you, I should only date whom?” No longer amused, Jeremy kept his anger checked. “People who don’t wear suits? Talk a mile a minute? Jocks?”
Oblivious to Jeremy’s annoyance, Gino bumbled on. “I’m not saying that. But you have to admit you’re opposites. Like what do you two talk about?”
Ignoring Gino for the moment, Jeremy spoke to Benny. “You’re pretty quiet. What do you think?” Considering the shy guy had a major crush on the gregarious, over-the-top Gino, Jeremy was more interested in what he had to say.
“I don’t think people can or should be boxed in by stereotypes. Should certain ethnic groups only date within their own? I’m a redhead—should I date only redheads? You’re white. Should you date only white guys? Jeremy’s gorgeous and smart. He could have any guy he wants, but does that mean he should be shallow and only care about someone’s looks or where they went to school? I could see when he introduced us to Blake how much he really liked him, so I’m sure he’s a great guy. People balance each other out. Everyone has something to bring to a relationship.”
Jeremy could’ve cheered. “You know, Gino, people are multidimensional. You shouldn’t dismiss someone without trying to get to know them first.” Thinking about Blake and how on the outside he seemed so vanilla and buttoned-up yet inside he had this wild sexual side he loved to explore, Jeremy smiled. “You’re missing out on a whole wonderful world if you only take people at face value.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it. All I said was, you and Blake were different.”
Gino’s shoulders drooped, and Jeremy felt sorry for the kid. Nice but a bit clueless. There was no malice behind his words. If Jeremy could open Gino’s eyes to see the wonderful guy he had right under his nose, then he’d consider it a day well-spent. Jeremy had no qualms about giving a little push.
“Take you and Benny. There couldn’t be two more different personalities. You’re the flash and smile, but I’m sure you’re a kind person who cares about others. Benny here is the steady, serious one, but I bet he loves to sing aloud in the shower or act crazy once in a while. You never know unless you take the time to find out.”
There, Jeremy thought with a self-satisfied smirk. He caught Gino glancing at Benny, his gaze assessing for once instead of barely noticing him. Let him think about what he could be missing.
The phones started ringing. “Okay, lecture time over. We all need to get back to work.”
Gino picked up one line, while Benny gave Jeremy a grateful smile. “Thanks, Jeremy. I know what you were doing.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, kid. Better answer that.”
Talking about Blake made Jeremy miss him. With Blake working crazy hours, they’d had little time to spend with each other. A crazy idea popped into his head, but it all hinged on Blake getting his ass over to the gym. Jeremy texted him, hoping he could come by the gym tonight, but not expecting an immediate response. When Blake replied yes almost immediately, Jeremy threw a fist pump in the air and placed the most important call.
“Nora, love. It’s Jeremy.”
“Buon pomeriggio, what can I do for you?”
“I need a special delivery.” His fingers drummed on the desk. “I want to surprise Blake with a nice dinner. He’s been working so hard lately and he’s so stressed.”
“Poor boy. He looked tired the last time you brought him. You know I’d do anything for you two.”
“Thanks, Nora. You’re the best.”
“You leave everything to me. Your man will be so happy, he’ll fall in love with you all over again.”
“You’re such a romantic.”
“And?” Her outraged voice had Jeremy chuckling. “What’s wrong with that? What are we here for if not to love and be loved?”
Before Blake, Jeremy would’ve scoffed at her idealism. Success was his focus. The driving force in his life. Not that he no longer had the same goal of being the best, but sharing it now with Blake made it all the more special. He never understood what being in love was, but now? Maybe Nora was right. Because the most important thing for him now couldn’t be measured. He had it every morning and night. With Blake.
“Nora. You’re the smartest person I know.”
“For that, you get an extra big slice of my tiramisu.”
Chapter Twelve
Don’t dwell onthe negative.The ride back to his studio apartment gave Blake time to calm down. Losing a job happened all the time to people. It wasn’t because he did anything wrong or that his work performance was poor. The real reason he was fired was to cover up for a client. No need to feel ashamed.
Sweat trickled down his back, and after unbuttoning his coat, he undid his tie. Anything to find relief from the overheated train. His mind worked furiously. No need to tell Jeremy. A guy like Jeremy, a go-getter with a keen sense of business, wouldn’t want the clingy type who brought drama to a relationship. He’d be furious that Blake was taking the fall for an unscrupulous client and by nighttime, he’d expect Blake to come up with an action plan, probably go through the list of top accounting firms and start submitting his résumé. The enormity of it all made his head spin, and he closed his eyes for a moment, wishing he could push the reset button on his life.
“Don’t lie to me.”
A tiny niggle of doubt pricked his conscience, remembering Jeremy’s hurt feelings when Blake hadn’t told Michelle about how serious they were. But he wasn’t planning on lying to Jeremy now, only waiting a bit to tell him what happened. Omitting something wasn’t as bad as outright lying. Right?
