“Safe from the temptation to jerk off to gay porn,” Jem said.
The bellboy’s head came up.
With a scowl, Tean marched Jem farther into the lobby and lowered his voice.“That’s exactly the temptation, as a matter of fact.They’re on a buddy system.The married men have their wives, but the single men are paired up with ‘companions.’”
“Sounds like the start of a raunchy boyslove show,” Jem said.
Tean’s scowl deepened.“It’s a term they borrowed from Mormon missionary work.Every missionary has a companion, and you’re supposed to always be together.You’re never supposed to be out of sight unless you’re using the bathroom, and I’m sure if they could find a way, they’d say you couldn’t do that either.”
Jem opened his mouth—some dumbshit joke about showering together—and then he caught the furrows around Tean’s eyes.“Hey,” he said, bumping Tean’s hand with his.“You okay?”
For a moment, the doc stayed that way: standing too straight, shoulders tight, fingers curled in.Then he shook his head, and some of the stiffness went out of him.Snowmelt glistened in his hair despite his earlier efforts.A drop of it glowed on his ear.
“No.As a matter of fact, I’mnotokay.I’m feeling…dysregulated.”He let out an unhappy laugh and took off his glasses to clean them.“To put it mildly.Which was obvious when I lost my mind talking to Mckell.”
“Lost your shit,” Jem corrected.“It sounds more badass when you say you lost your shit.”
Tean didn’t say anything.He just kept cleaning his glasses with the tail of his shirt.
“Babe, if this is too much—”
“Can we eat something?”Tean said.“I need to eat something.”
Jem’s eyebrows shot up.
“One bean,” Tean said.His mouth was trying to smile.“Lightly salted.”
For some reason, it almost made Jem start crying.But he managed to keep the sudden wash of pain off his face, and all he said was “Lightly salted?Is it Mardi Gras?”
They started toward the restaurant.And as they walked, Tean slid his arm through Jem’s.Rested his head on Jem’s shoulder.Only for a moment.And then he was back inside himself again.
With the breakfast rush over, The Fjall Club was more than happy to seat them.Tean seemed pleased to get a table near the fireplace, away from the handful of other guests still dining.Jem wasdefinitelypleased to learn that The Fjall Club offered a buffet style breakfast, and yes, the omelet station was included.His ass had barely made contact with the seat before he was taking off again, plate in hand.
“I’ll bring you back a bean,” he said, because with a buffet, time was of the essence.
They still had plenty of bacon, thank God.And hedidfill a plate for Tean, which meant he had to carry everything waitress style because he’d filled two for himself.By the time he got back, Tean was studying a page of his pocket notebook, pen in hand.Not writing anything.Just staring at the page.His phone was on the table next to him.When he noticed Jem returning, he put the notebook away.
“That’s a lot of bacon” was all he said, though.
“Mine,” Jem said.“What’s up?Daniel call again?”
“Still no service,” Tean said.“But I’m successfully ignoring a voicemail my mom left last night.”
Jem turned the phone face down and said, “Eat your omelet.”
For a while, they ate.Jem asked for coffee for both of them, plus an orange juice, plus a grapefruit juice, and when he found out chocolate milk was on the table, so to speak, he ordered one of those too.He creamed-and-sugared Tean’s coffee the way he knew the doc liked it—or at least would tolerate it.And he ate.
The mixture of caffeine, carbs, and bacon made him feel like a human being again.Walking through the storm, standing in that frozen maintenance building with Gerald’s body, being stuck in the chalet full of strangers—it all pulled back.
Tean actuallydideat some of his omelet—not much, but enough that Jem decided not to pick a fight about it.He drank some coffee, and then, when the waiter passed them the next time, he ordered peppermint tea.Which Jem should have thought of, because Tean liked herbal tea.Which hewouldhave thought of, if he’d been a good boyfriend instead of acting like he was eight years old and Brother and Sister Magleby had forgotten to put the lock on the fridge.
“Sorry about that,” Jem said.
Tean glanced up.For a moment, he looked lost, like he didn’t know where he was.And then he said, “About what?”
“The tea.”
That lost look again.
