Greg has to laugh. It’s not what he was expecting. Not the usual reaction he gets when he talks about his experience in the academy, which he does so rarely anyway, so this isn’t that much of an outlier. But still. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you’re overly friendly.”
“Overly friendly?”
“Intensely gregarious?”
“Is that supposed to be better?”
“No.” Julien doesn’t even crack a smile. “I just thought you didn’t understand me.”
“Oh no. I was being playful.”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Sometimes my mind sticks on something.” Julien shakes his head, settles his features on more intense contemplation. “Again, I just can’t picture a scenario where you’re not in...” Greg lifts his shirt up over his head “...everyone’s business.”
“Julien!” Greg cries.
“That was a slipup!”
“I figured.” Greg is too amused by how flustered and flushed Julien is. Admittedly, he did hope to get a rise out of Julien. The same way he did on that first day when he opened the bathroom door shirtless. While he doesn’t always appreciate being ogled, he’s been desperate for another go at Julien’s eyes wandering over him. That admiration without expectation is still refreshing in so many inexplicable ways.
But it’s treacherous. This toeing of the line. One step forward, three back.Play it cool.He doesn’t want to scare Julien off when they’ve just begun to gel.
“I meant inwith everyone.” Julien turns back to his locker and mutters what he must think is inaudible, “Though everyone’s business works, too.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Greg refuses to put his shirt on until he gets an answer, aware he’s pushing the boundaries between the professional and the playful.
Julien flails. “Only...only that I saw—the other day—that you knew I was going to the paint-and-sip class. You pretended not to, which is fine, I don’t care, but you stalked my Facebook...”
Stalked.Greg shouldn’t have listened to Rufus and Jessica. “Oh shit, I didn’t mean to cause a thing by it. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not deep like that. We all do it.”
Greg teasingly shows his well-hidden hand. “I know you certainly do.”
Julien bracingly folds his arms across his chest. “Are you accusing me of something?”
“Maybe.” Greg uses an ultra-flirty tone. “jb2041xy7.”
Julien goes pale. Well, paler than he usually is. “I...”
“I guess you didn’t realize you’d linked your contacts to your TikTok when you set up your account. Since I’m a sponsored content creator, I have the business features on which allow me to see who views my profile at any time.” The moment full realization washes over Julien’s face is scrumptious. “It’s not that deep.We all do it.”
A big, beaming smile overtakes Julien’s face. It lights up the relatively dim room and warms Greg’s heart. Then Julien lets out agiggle. Greg didn’t think Mr. Lanky Scowl would be capable of such a sound, but in this moment, it’s all too fitting and adorable.
“Never mind,” Julien says, swallowing the childish sound.
“Never mind, what?” Greg asks after he’s stored a sound bite of Julien’s giggle into a memory folder somewhere in the recesses of his mind for him to access later. When he needs a good anxiety depressor.
“Icanimagine you not being popular.”
They both burst out laughing. Greg doesn’t think he’s laughed this hard since he left New York City. It feels good.
“Hey, yo,” Augustine singsongs into the back. “You two going to gab all night, or are you going to do the jobs we pay you for?”
“Be right there,” Julien calls over his shoulder.
“You’re brutal, Julien Boire.” Greg’s eyes haven’t left Julien’s face.
