Sugar and Sawdust by Debbie McGowan

Author:Debbie McGowan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

On the walk back to his apartment, Jorje tried to convince Alec to give things a go, so sure that he wanted it too, and was just being defeatist. Every attempt he made at bringing it up, Alec changed the subject, or stopped talking completely. Now they were outside the building. The end was here. Jorje really didn’t want this to be the end.

“Coffee?” he offered.

“You don’t mean that.”

“No. I mean, I’ll make you coffee, but…” He sighed heavily. “Please. Just give it a try?”

“Look—”

“We could just be friends?”

“But we wouldn’t be just friends, would we? I’m thirteen years older than you. In five years, I turn forty. I’ve got high blood pressure, and…him.” He nodded meaningfully at his lower body.

“And I don’t care. Please?”

“Why are you so damned stubborn?”

“Determined,” Jorje corrected. “Not stubborn.”

“That what they tell you at the agency?”

Jorje grinned and didn’t answer. The agency, and his sister, and his parents, all said the same thing: he was stubborn as a mule, to which he always argued back that it was determination, not stubbornness. Once Jorje set his sights on something…

Alec closed his eyes and nodded, against his better judgment. “OK. Coffee.”

Jorje kissed him. “You won’t regret it. I make amazing coffee.”

“Don’t you dare try getting me drunk.”

“Spike your coffee?” Jorje said lightly. Alec looked deeply offended. “Hey, you said it!”

Alec let it go and followed Jorje up the steps to his second floor apartment—small and cosy, with one bedroom, compact lounge and kitchenette. It was all he needed, and was part of the financial management his parents had enforced. Taylor paid all the bills on Jorje’s behalf, ordered his weekly shopping, and deposited spending money in his bank account. Alec looked around the place, nodding approvingly.

“Great little place.”

“Nothing like yours,” Jorje said.

“Would you want somewhere like that?”

“Yeah. It’s fabulous. I especially love the spiral staircase, and those pictures.”

“They’re awesome, huh? My brother painted them. He’s a bit crazy, but a brilliant artist. They’re called ‘She Calls’ and ‘He Falls’—no idea which is which, but I just love the colours.”

“They kind of look like someone bled to death on a canvas,” Jorje remarked. Alec laughed.

“I think that’s the idea, to be honest. You’ll really like Gareth. He’s not much older than…” He realised the implication of what he’d just said—you will—and quickly changed the subject. “You could afford a place like that though, surely?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have access to my money.”

Alec frowned, awaiting an explanation. Jorje filled the kettle and talked as he prepared two mugs.

“Basically, I’ve been ripped off by so many guys that my sister ratted me out to my parents, and between them they came up with a scheme. I get an allowance, and Tay—my sister—takes care of everything else for me.”

“A wise move,” Alec agreed.

“Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, believe it or not.”

“Uh, OK. I’m not that gullible.”

“Uh, well, Mister ‘I got my drink spiked and went home with a porn star’, that’s not how it looks to me.”

“She wouldn’t approve.”

“Of?”

“You.”

“Understandable. I’m not good boyfriend material.

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