Rowdy waits until I knock on Foster’s door, and it opens.
He flashes his high beams as he backs away, a shirtless Foster blocking his eyes and flipping the bird at his friend.
Foster steps aside and holds the door open for me.
Thank god I don’t have to ask to come inside.
“Sorry to bother you so late.”
He grunts, “It’s 5 a.m., so technically it’s early now.”
“Fair point.”
“And you’re not sorry.”
“Once again, correct.”
Foster closes the door against the cold, and I look around the room. One floor lamp lights up the main room of his small bungalow, with its mish mash of sofas, tables and chairs. Abovethe fireplace is an enormous TV, and the built-in shelves have every game console and game that has ever existed, probably. There’s no art on the walls, not so much as a diploma or a Live Laugh Love sign.
Though I don’t imagine Foster as a Live Laugh Love kind of person.
We’re so different. How is this going to work?
“Have a seat,” he says.
I sit on the sofa next to him and think about the night we just had. And about everything physical that we’ve done, and I still feel like I don’t know this man that well.
“You said something about being boyfriend material,” I say. “I just want to make sure you weren’t joking. Because I take that kind of thing seriously.”
“So do I. I don’t joke about that word. And I wouldn’t want to make jokes about relationships with you.”
“I’ve been with guys who don’t want to ‘define’ things in the past. And that’s not who I am. I come off as a fun, free spirit, but in actuality, I want it all.”
I wait for the shock to register. I wait for him to realize that what I want from him is so much more than sex.
“I thought I made it pretty clear what I want from you, Ari. I want everything. I don’t want to date you. I want to be your guy. I want to skip to that part.”
I shake my head as I grasp his hand. “I don’t just want a guy. I want a man. And tonight, you showed me who you are. I don’t expect rainbows and puppies and glitter kind of romance. I want a man who shows up when things get hard and doesn’t bail. That’s you. That’s what I want. I don’t care that we’re different, and I don’t care that you don’t always say pretty words.”
Foster covers my hand with both of his. “Then can we skip over the dating part and just go to sleep? I’ve been lying awake since you sent me away.”
I let my knee nudge his. “You mean ever since you dropped off a change of clothes and my shower things. Thank you.”
“These are the things I do for my person.”
“You don’t have to say anything else, Foster.”
I don’t register what happens next until I’m over his shoulder and he’s carrying me to the bedroom.
He sets me on the bed, and I notice the lines in his face.
“You must be exhausted. We should just sleep first,” I say, watching Foster drop his pajama bottoms to reveal he’s not wearing any underwear, and his cock stands tall and firm and insistent.
“You can sleep if you want to. I’ll wait.”
I roll my eyes. “Get over here.”
Foster comes to me, and I pull him down onto the bed with me.
