She shrugs and bites her watercress sandwich. “He just fits in so perfectly it’s like he was made for this family.”
Her words are not lost on me, as Lola comes barreling out with Jacob behind her. I catch his gaze, his blonde hair messy, as Lola jumps in between us and shoves her phone in our faces.
“Look! It’s so good!” she says with a giggle as she plays the video of her performing and Jacob in the background over-acting and pretending to be a backup singer.
“And it’s already up to like five hundred likes! And everyone’slovingJake!”
Aunt Shannon looks up at him. “I can see why.”
He blushes as he looks at me, and I feel the sincerity of her words. He does fit in. He fits like a glove.
But is it becausehefits? Or is it because he’s just really fucking good at his job?Maybe both.
“You ready?” he asks, and I nod.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
He waves to Lola. “See you all later.”
Lola blows him a kiss. “Bye, bestie!”
I nudge his arm on the way out to the car. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”
“I know,” he says plainly. “But I wanted to. It sounded like fun. Plus, she seems like a pretty cool kid.”
I smile at him, my heart warming at his words. “She is.”
I open his door, and he gets in with a sweet thank you. When I get in and fire up the car the radio blares and I have to turn it down. He laughs, shaking his head.
“About earlier, my mom, I’m sorry she upset you.”
He turns to me. “She didn’t. It’s just… sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the lies, you know.”
His words hit me harder than they should. The lies. The lies we’re telling everyone else.
The lies we’re telling each other.
The lies we’re telling ourselves, apparently.
There are a hundred things I could say to that, but all I say is, “Yeah, I know.”
When we get to Sal’s, he’s more than happy to see me and I have to say I’ve missed the guy.
“It’s been too long, Aaron,” he says with a smooth grin before raising his eyebrow at Jacob.
“Sal, I need you to find me a killer suit for my boyfriend. We have an event tonight, and he didn’t pack a suit.”
Jacob tenses. He’s told me more than once since this morning that we don’t have to get a suit, that he could wear his dress pants and one of his printed shirts. Which would be fine if this wasn’t Garrett’s party. If I didn’t want to spoil the hell out of him the only way I know how to.
“I told you I’m covering it. It’s part of the expenses for your job.”
He looks at me with a coldness that makes my heart ache, but it’s gone soon enough. He agreed, if only because he knew arguing would get him nowhere.
“Of course,” Sal says as he guides Jacob to the setting stool. He takes his measurements carefully as I take a seat. His wife, Laura, comes over to me and offers me a water, which I take. It’s been years since I’ve gotten a suit from them. My tailor in LA isn’t as good, but they’ve had my back for years. Though, there is something about being here in Sal’s shop, with his wife, among the cedar-scented walls that feels comforting. More comforting than it should.
“Okay, I’ll find you akillersuit,” Sal says with a laugh. “You stay here.”
Jacob shoots me a glare, and I have to admit it’s hotter than it should be. He’s only dressed in jeans, a tee shirt, and some tennis shoes. While he’s worn his khakis and dress pants every night with those perfect button downs, I much prefer him likethis. He looks attractive as hell in his business casual vibe, but when he looks like this—
