“So that’s what we’re doing,” I finish with, and he barks out a laugh that goes on obnoxiously long.
“I’m sorry,” he says at last, then lets out a long happy sigh. “I know how much that asshole hurt you back then. I swear I’m not laughing because of that. I’m just picturing you trying to resist this idea. It’s genius,” he cries out and even throws his hands up.
“Why do you think it’s genius?” I’m genuinely surprised by this.
“Because AJ is a good person.” He sobers up then and looks me straight in the eyes. “You have a lot of good people around you every day, but let’s be real, we’re surrounded by power-hungry, greedy, materialistic people in this city. So much so that sometimes maybe it’s hard to look at the bigger picture and realize which people aren’t that great, and I think that’s the main reason for your horrible dating history. When you go to this thing, AJ can be your baseline, and you’ll be able to see Soren and everybody else with clearer eyes. I think you’re right,” he says and takes a deep breath, finally winding down. “You’re going to see that part of your life as what it was—a painful lesson, but hopefully a lesson learned.”
“That’s the hope,” I say quietly, with the weight of that hope firmly lodged in my throat.
Later that day,when I’m back from the office, I’m surprised when the buzzer for the gate sounds again.
I see AJ smiling like a lunatic when I check the control screen, and I let him in then go out to meet him by the driveway.
“What are you doing here?”
“We have a mission to plan,” he shouts. Today is his off day this week since he played Monday night, so I didn’t expect him to come at all. And I also didn’t expect him to have three sheets of paper full of ink and to wave them around in front of me. “I wrote down some ideas.”
I follow him into the house and to the kitchen where he sets down the papers on the island then goes hunting for something to snack on in my pantry.
He comes back with some tortilla chips and salsa, then grabs a couple of Cokes.
I look down at the papers and I feel my eyebrows rise slowly the more I read.
I don’t know why I didn’t expect this, but I’m really touched by how carefully he’s thinking this through. His offer—and my acceptance—might’ve been impulsive, but he’s taking this seriously. Hecares.
Morris’s words come back to me.AJ is a good person.
He’s actually one of the best.
What he wrote down is basically a schedule.
It starts off mid-February, I note—and I have to smile at his unspoken acknowledgement that they’ll make the Super Bowl—and it goes on until three months after the reunion, which is in May. That’s where the “breakup” is happening.
There’s nothing written for December except “story,” which I’m sure he’ll explain once he’s done stuffing his face.
January and the start of February have nothing except “talk to Rosa,” and then it only says “prep” for March, April, and early May.
The date of the reunion is circled in bold red, and it has “showtime” next to it.
“You think that’s enough?” he asks, and that’s when I realize I’ve been smiling this whole time. “I think coming up with a story will be easy enough, and you sure as hell know everything there is to know about me already, so I think I just need to ask you a few things, like how you take your coffee or shit like that. Then we’ll be good to go.”
“Yes, I think this is awesome, AJ.” I point down at the schedule. “Thank you.” I try to infuse as much sincerity as I can into my voice. “And I just want you to know that if you ever want to back out?—”
“Not happening.” He shuts that idea down hard and shakes his head for good measure.
“If it does happen,” I press. “I won’t ever be mad ordisappointed.” I suck in a deep breath, because as great as this schedule is, I think there’s one little detail he hasn’t thought about. “There’s one thing you really need to think about, AJ, and that is that if this somehow becomes public, and we break up after only a few months, it could be a media shitshow.” I hold up a hand to silence him when I see he’s about to interrupt. “And the world thinking you’re bi could have an impact on your life as well, bud.” I let that sink in for a moment before I list all the questions he needs to ask himself. “Would your parents be okay with that? Your sisters, brothers-in-law, friends back home... What if a brand or two drops your partnership? I don’t think it’s a good idea to have it be a big public thing.”
He leans his head in a little when I’m done, as if checking whether I really am done, and then he nods once and walks around the island to sit on one of the stools.
“Okay, first off, my family knows you’re gay because I accidently told them a few years back. I’ve never told you because I know you’re private and I swore them to secrecy. They have no issues whatsoever, and now that you know they know, I can tell you my mom asks for an update on your dating life about once a month.”
I suck in a deep breath. I know all the Quicks have some... appreciation for me. They’ve told me every time I’ve seen them how grateful they are that I’m in AJ’s life and have his back, but to know they care that much... Well, it’s a surprise.
“My family loves you, Cam. They admire you and are always rooting for you like they are for me. Next, I don’thave any close friends back home because they’re all super weird about my career.”
Meaning they all want a piece of his fortune, I think with some resentment. Some people in Lincoln, Nebraska, fucked him over after his rookie year and they stole something from him. Not money or any possession, but trust.
AJ now being someone who doesn’t trust anyone he meets makes my job easier, but I still hate that he’s become just a tiny bit more cynical.
