“Everything all right?”
“Hmm? What? Oh, yeah. Looking at Mojo’s online presence and their competitors to see what they’re up to and how we can go one step further.”
“I can help with that.”
“It’s fine.” Jude dismissed him immediately, and Mason knew it would be an uphill battle to get Jude to take him seriously.
“I need to use the bathroom and don’t remember where it is.”
“I’ll show you. Our bathroom is on this side of the office. How much longer did you plan on staying?”
“When do you plan on leaving?”
“I’m almost done. We should go together because you don’t have a key to lock the office.” He joined Mason at the doorway. “The bathroom’s right here, between mine and Doug’s office. The code is five-six-nine-eight.”
“Thanks. I won’t take long.”
When he returned, Jude was waiting in the same spot. “Are you ready now?”
Every time Jude spoke to him, Mason sensed his impatience, and though it annoyed him, he didn’t want to snap back and begin the cycle of arguing that had always been there between them. “Let me just shut down the computer and get my bag.”
Mason made sure he had everything he’d need to keep studying that night, then turned off the lights. Once again, he walked behind Jude, and couldn’t help appreciating how well he filled out his suit. Mason had always admired Jude—and when he was young and horny, he’d had some incredibly dirty fantasies of him—but now, having had sex with the man, drunk or not, he found him magnificent.
“Where are you headed?” Mason blurted.
Jude opened the glass door and held it, waiting for Mason to pass. “Home.”
“Don’t you have to eat?” Mason didn’t want to be alone. With the wedding over, the last place he wanted to be was with his parents, having to rehash the afternoon. They’d begun to nag him about his personal life, and he’d be forced to sit and listen before escaping to his bedroom. Doug and Ilana’s place had been a much-needed haven where he enjoyed hanging out, but that lifeline had been cut off. He hadn’t thought to ask them to stay at their place while they were away, which he now regretted. If he didn’t find something soon, he’d need to call them about it.
Jude finished locking the doors. “I usually order in sushi and prepare for Monday morning’s group meeting.”
“I was going to have sushi. How about we eat together?”
Jude pushed the elevator button and didn’t speak until they were on their way down. “Look. I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, but I’m not interested in a repeat of what happened between us. Whether you like the word or not, itwasa mistake. At least for me.”
“I’m not interested in having sex, Jude. I can easily find someone to fuck.” Jude’s eyes flashed at him, but Mason didn’t care. “I just…don’t want to be alone. To be honest, I feel a little lost without Doug. I thought it might be nice to hang out. That’s all.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m wiped out from the weekend, and I’m going to eat and go to bed.”
They reached the lobby, and Jude raised a hand to Dennis. “Night.”
“Good night, Mr. Staubman.”
“Good night, Dennis,” Mason said, and since Jude didn’t bother to inform the guard, he would. “I’ll be coming to work here starting tomorrow.” He smiled at Dennis while keeping an eye on Jude, who kept walking.
“Nice to meet you.”
Jude pushed through the revolving door, and Mason gave Dennis a wave and took off after him. “Hey, Jude, hold up.”
Jude slowed his steps only slightly, but it enabled Mason to catch up with him halfway down the block. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because we aren’t going to the same place. I’m going home, which is a few blocks away, and you’re going to your parents’, who live on the Upper West Side.” Jude paused at the corner. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Without giving Mason a chance to respond, Jude crossed the street and turned the corner.
“Asshole,” Mason muttered.
He called for an Uber, and forty-five minutes later walked into his parents’ apartment, holding the sushi he’d picked up. “Thank God,” he said to the empty, dark apartment, and made tracks to his room, where he quickly undressed, carefully hanging up his suit and tie. He lay on his bed, popped sushi in his mouth, and drank the beer he’d bought along with it, while reading more about Mojo and Jude’s other clients.
“Why are they talking about putting so much money into Facebook? That’s not the way to go with this demographic.” Clicking through Mojo’s social media, Mason made more notes, then decided to take a look at the other campaigns Jude was in charge of.
