His bed was big enough. Avery couldn’t believe he was considering this, but he’d bought a big queen, because adults had queen-size beds—not the narrow single he’d still been sleeping in when he’d left Brenda and Theo’s. He and Linc could fit in it without it being weird. The sheets were new and the comforter was—
The comforter.
He stumbled down the hall to his room and yanked the comforter off the bed, leaving the flat sheet in a wrinkled heap. He grabbed one of his two pillows, then slowed long enough to fold the comforter to make it neat and approximately closet-sized. If Linc knew Avery had pulled the damn thing off his bed, he’d be all nice and polite and say that wasn’t necessary and he should go home.
“Here we go,” he said as he came back up the hall.
“Thanks.” Linc’s expression was blank, like he hadn’t noticed anything.
They got the futon unfolded without too much fuss, and Avery did a mental happy dance when all the bits held together.
And then Linc took off his shirt.
Be cool. Be cool.
Being cool had never been Avery’s skill set.
“Well, I’m going to go brush my teeth. There’s a spare toothbrush under the sink— ” he bumped his hip on the corner at the end of the hall as he retreated, “—if you want it.”
Linc smiled, the bland friendliness totally at odds with his pecs and his abs and his altogether too—
Avery closed his eyes and fled.
* * *
Linc slipped into his apartment early the next morning. He’d slept well. Really well, in fact. It felt like almost the first decent night’s sleep since arriving in Seacroft.
So, of course, Jordan was sitting on the couch watching TV and slurping down cereal as Linc arrived.
“Hey, man.” Jordan smiled around a mouthful of Cheerios. Linc grunted and headed toward his room. He needed a change of clothes, and then he was leaving for work.
His stomach growled as he came back toward the door, so he went to grab something to eat as well.
“Have a good time last night?” Jordan said.
“Not really,” he said while his head was still in the fridge.
“What? Why not?”
Line rested his forearm on the top of the fridge door and glared at his roommate. Jordan was on the couch, wearing only his T-shirt and boxers. The spoon was halfway to his mouth, and it dripped milk in his lap.
“Your friend Derek,” Linc said.
Jordan grinned and pointed the spoon at him. “Oh, yeah. He can be too much, but he’s actually a lot of fun once you get to know him.”
“He’s a bigot. He cornered Avery on the way to the bathroom.”
Jordan’s face fell. “He did?”
“Yeah.” Linc grabbed a yogurt and slammed the fridge door.
“He was probably just playing around. He can get weird when he’s drinking.”
“He wasn’t playing.”
Jordan gaped at him.
Linc waited for him to say more, but when nothing came, he shook his head. “Whatever. I’m going to work. Enjoy the hangover.”
