I came over and hugged her, she was usually the one going for the hugs, but dammit I needed one. “Well, if there was any happy left after my make-out session with Nesto last night, this little interlude with Misty killed it dead.” I pouted while Carmen gave me a tired smile as we pulled apart. “I’m serious, Carmen, I don’t want to be the reason for Nesto to get on her radar. Misty is petty and mean. I should cool things off with him.”
Carmen looked at me in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
I shrugged, feeling stupid that Misty got under my skin like she did. “Maybe, I mean, there’s nothing going on between us, really, and I don’t want to make problems for him.”
“Babe, you’re not. You won’t. Nesto is perfectly capable of looking out for himself and no matter what she thinks, Misty doesn’t actually run this town.” She tilted her head in the direction of the street where Nesto’s truck was probably parked at that very moment. “His food is excellent and he works hard. He’ll be fine, and so will you for that matter. The board will see the light.”
I gave her a grateful look; her unrelenting optimism went a long way to calm my self-doubt on moments like this. “Okay. Maybe I’ll meet up with him for a drink after all, but just as friends.”
She rolled her eyes at my “just friends” statement but still clapped her hands like I’d told her the best news ever. “Good for you. Don’t let her mess with your happy.” She walked back to her desk and pointed at her monitor. “I’m in an ass-kicking mood, so I might as well tackle this proposal to get the bilingual social worker for the library I’ve been begging for and may finally get.”
“Go for it. I’m going to try and do some work and not worry about the board hating my proposal.”
Carmen gave me a distracted thumbs-up, already focused on her work. I sat down at my desk and before I talked myself out of it, texted Nesto.
Maybe tomorrow?
His response came within seconds.
You just tell me what time and where. I’ll be there.
My face heated again and I felt my lips stretching into a wide smile.
I will.
I hoped the Misty interactions would be at a minimum this week, but mostly I hoped both Nesto and I stayed off her shit list.
chapter ten
nesto
“Did you tell me to meet you at a bowling alley?” I asked into my phone as I made my way to meet Jude.
“Yes, I did. It’s less than a five-minute walk from both our houses and they have a great bar.”
I felt a warmth radiating through my chest just from hearing his voice. After his brush-off yesterday, I’d almost given up on seeing him again. Then I got a message from him almost at five asking if I wanted to meet up. I hadn’t seen him since he left my house Sunday night. Only two days, but it felt longer. With the phone pressed against my ear, I covered the few hundred yards from my building to the bowling alley. The desire to see him practically propelling me to the door.
“I’m about to walk in then. See you soon.” I ended the call with a flutter in my chest. I was hungry for the sight of him. To touch him. More excited than I’d felt about anyone in a long time.
I walked into the bowling alley and looked around. I knew the place had only been open a couple of months. It had a retro vibe, which seemed to be a theme around here. Lots of gleaming wood and chrome. I glanced around and spotted Jude sitting at the bar, sipping a pint of dark beer. He was wearing a red-and-white gingham shirt with gray slacks. His blond curls rumpled, like they always seemed to be at the end of the day.
I stopped for a moment to look at him. He was reading something on his phone, his face serious, totally focused. He seemed unaffected by the people talking around him, the music coming from the speakers or the sounds of bowling balls crashing against the pins.
He was a peaceful and quiet presence amongst all the noise and movement. I probably would’ve stood there for ages, just watching him, but as if he could feel my eyes on him, after a few seconds he glanced up and saw me. The smile that broke out on his face when he did lit me up. I knew I probably had a carbon copy of it on my own face as I walked toward him.
When I got to him I put my hand under his chin, tipping his head up before I leaned in for a kiss, without giving it a second thought. He seemed a little startled when I pulled back and I felt like a jackass. What if he didn’t want people to see us kissing? Maybe he wasn’t out in town. Maybe he didn’t want this at all.
I didn’t have the right to do that and I rushed to apologize. “I’m sorry, I should’ve asked if it was okay for me to kiss you.”
He didn’t smile, but he shook his head. “It’s okay.” He looked down as a blush worked itself up his neck, making me want to maul him.
“I don’t know what it is about you, Jude Fuller. I can usually keep my shit together when I like a guy, but when I see you, all I want to do is get my hands on you.” I sounded flustered even to my own ears. I expected him to come back with a grumpy reply like he usually did, but he just sat there quietly. There was something a little off, like he was holding himself back. The idea of losing the closeness we’d had a few nights ago made me uneasy.
“Also someone owes me, since they left this on me the other night.” I pulled on the neck of my t-shirt and exposed the skin where I had the fading bite mark. Jude’s neck and face wentbright red, then he took a big gulp of his beer and turned so he was facing away from me.
“Like I said, I have no clue how that got there.” I could see the small smile he was biting back, and it was like the sun was coming out after total darkness. His shoulders relaxed and I could tell he was a little pleased with himself. “You want me to demonstrate?” The smile got wider.
“You’re a bad influence, Ernesto Vasquez.” His tone was easy again and the warmth in my chest from being the one to bring that out in him was a revelation.
