That was the problem. Having a mother like Jennifer was no better than being alone.
In the car on the way home, my phone buzzed. Seeing it was Keston, my pulse accelerated.
Feel like hooking up?
I laughed, shaking my head. Keston had no qualms about getting straight to the point. But I guessed that was what a fuck buddy was, and considering I didn’t think I’d be hearing from him again, seeing him later was the best way to finish off the day.
I’m hungry. How about dinner first?
K
Yep, definitely a man of few words.
I’ll meet you at your shop.
No. I’ll come to you. Have to change first.
That worked for me. Seeing Keston would dull the pain and anger of the visit with my mother. Hopefully by the end of the night, I wouldn’t remember it at all.
Chapter Seven
Keston
I paced the sidewalk in front of Bailey’s brownstone, wondering if the fact that he wasn’t home was a sign that I should bounce while I could. What the hell was I doing, getting involved with one of Grady’s friends? A guy who probably never missed a credit card payment and was on a first-name basis with his dry cleaner. A lawyer, for Christ’s sake, with expensive body wash in his shower. Not my kind of guy at all.
So why was I here? Why did I want to see him so damn badly? He made me laugh, set my body humming with pleasure. And after our talk at the Cloisters, I’d felt this connection to him like no one else—since Carlos. I raked my hand through my hair. Three times now I’d have seen him. This was a bad idea. I should leave. I should—
“Keston?”
I turned toward the street and watched as Bailey stepped out of a car. Damn, he looked edible. No suit and tie today for Bailey the Lawyer. Dark, messy hair falling over his brow, jaw covered by stubble, and the biggest, bluest eyes behind a sexy pair of black-framed glasses I hadn’t seen him wear before. I liked it. As quickly as ice cream in the hot sun, all my misgivings about another night with him melted away.
“Hey, Bailey.”
“You looked about to bolt. Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I could skip dinner and go right to dessert. “Wanna go inside?”
The look he gave me indicated that he wasn’t on the same track. “I thought we were gonna have something to eat. First.” His smile spoke of hot, sweaty sheets in my future.
“Okay, well, you know this neighborhood. I never come up here.”
“Follow me to Columbus. Lots of places there.”
Side by side, we walked down the leafy street, dodging couples wheeling babies or walking their furry designer dogs. I stuck my hands into my pockets.
“What made you want to live all the way up here?” It was nice, I’d give him that. A hell of a lot less crowded than the East Village and with a family vibe I couldn’t really relate to.
“Why? Am I geographically undesirable because I live above Thirty-fourth Street?”
“I never said you were undesirable.”
“Just my location. I did offer to meet you at your shop. Any reason you said no?”
Plenty, but none I was willing to mention if I still wanted to get laid tonight. “I like seeing how the other half lives.” I knocked his shoulder so he’d know I was teasing. “And your bed’s a lot comfier than mine.”
“Mmm, yeah. Okay. Well, we can do burgers, sushi, Italian…you pick.”
“How about pizza?”
