“I’m pretty sure I said housekeeping.” Jay scratched at his temple. Ezra wanted to believe the man, but he was a real trickster sometimes.
“And he seemed surprised that I showed up at his home. I would have called first, but you didn’t give me his number.”
“Didn’t I?” Jay could also be very forgetful. “Well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”
There had been a few stressful moments in the beginning where Ezra worried it was an awful prank, but Roman had been very understanding about the mix-up. And he’d secured the job, after all.
“Yes, it did work out after all,” Ezra said at last.
“Well, come on in for a few minutes, E-man. I have something else for you.”
“No more gifts,” Ezra protested, though he was already being ushered inside. Jay had been way too generous already, from allowing him flexibility in his schedule to giving him cash bonuses for a big afterparty cleanup. He’d also been a very good advisor and someone he could count on.
“Remember how you were nervous about what to wear for your interview?” Jay asked.
“Yes,” Ezra said cautiously. He’d asked Jay a lot of clarifying questions about appropriate attire, figuring he might know better since he was Roman’s best friend, and Jay had answeredallof his questions, had even shown him how to properly knot a tie using one of his own as an example.
“Well, I have something you can wear on your first day of the job that I think Roman will really like. It’s easy to wash and this way, you won’t get your other clothes dirty.” He motioned for Ezra to set the bag on the counter and take a seat, then disappeared into his bedroom and came back with what looked like a football uniform, only a whole lot smaller.
“Was this your number?” Ezra asked as he fingered the netted black jersey. Jay had been very patient in explaining football to him and had shown him a few games on television. Ezra tried to pay attention, but there were so many rules and positions and game strategies to remember, like trying to write a line of Malbolge code.
“Yep. You remember what position I played?”
“Wide receiver.”
“That’s right. And Roman’s position?”
“Quarterback. That’s easy enough to remember. He’s the one who throws the ball.” Ezra eyed the fabric again. “It looks very small, Mr. Reid.”
“Well, I know you like to wear tight things, and you’re not very big.”
That was true enough. Ezra liked his clothing to fit snugly. He picked up the black Spandex shorts with gold piping along the sides. They looked more like a cheerleader’s workout shorts than those meant for men. Ezra suspected Jay might be up to something, like when he set the air conditioner at a high temperature so that Ezra would shed his clothing—Jay thought he was being so sneaky, but Ezra knew his game. “You really think he’ll like this?”
“Roman is into teamwork, and it’ll make him happy to see you wearing his old colors,” Jay said.
That made logical sense, and even if the outfit was a bit frugal, Jay hadn’t steered him wrong yet. “Would you like me to wear this when I clean your house, too?” They had been on the same team, after all.
“Definitely. And send me a picture once you have it on, so I know that it fits.”
“Okay.” Ezra chewed on his lower lip for a moment, having some doubts about living with a stranger, one who didn’t already know his particular habits and routines. “Mr. Reynolds seemed very nice. Do you think he’ll like me?”
“Roman’s going to love you, Ezra. Trust me on this. Just do a good job and be honest with him about what you need, and everything will work out just fine.”
“All right. Thank you again for the advice and also for this gift.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you have an amazing first day.”
Ezra tucked his new uniform under his arm and left Jay’s house feeling less nervous about his upcoming employment. Half the battle was simply knowing what to wear.
* * *
Roman helpedEzra transport his few boxes and showed him to his new room, which contained a double bed, a desk and chair, dresser, shelving unit, and closet. It was more than enough space for his possessions, since he’d been used to living in a rather cramped dorm room, and it took only a few minutes for him to tidy away his things before meeting Roman in the kitchen for the rest of the tour.
Roman spoke about the renovations he’d made to his home since purchasing it a few years ago while Ezra surveyed the rooms, opening cupboards and closets when able, and made plans for what he might tackle first. It really was a remarkable house, though terribly messy, and Ezra couldn’t wait to set it to rights.
Ezra noticed soon enough that even though they were best friends and similar in size, the two men were very different. Jay was loud and brash and liked to tease Ezra until he blushed furiously and stammered. Roman was quiet and thoughtful and studied Ezra intensely, even when he wasn’t speaking. He recalled what the man had said about home security and wondered if that might explain why his eyes tracked him so closely.
“I do not have sticky fingers,” he told Roman. Saying that someone had “sticky fingers” was a polite way of calling them a thief, according to his mother.
