Fake Friends - Saxon James Page 0,80

to go.”

“I can’t believe how quickly you did all this,” Rowan says. Leon and I share a quick look. Money can make anything happen.

“The thing is, I’ve had an idea.” I have to force the confession out because it isn’t something I’ve even mentioned to Rowan yet.

“I don’t like when you have ideas,” Leon says.

I laugh and flip him off. “Too late for that, my friend. I’ve been talking to Joe from next door, and he’s thinking of retiring soon. So … I had the idea that maybe I could buy that shop, open up the wall between the two and …” This is the part they better not fucking laugh at. But when I meet Rowan’s eyes, in one look he reminds me that he’ll support me with whatever. I clear my throat. “I want to start a daycare or kids’ club or something so parents can work out whenever they want.”

Leon sighs. “And by ‘had an idea’ you mean it’s already in the works, isn’t it?”

“Happening six months from now, yep.”

“I guess I’ll start drawing up plans.” Leon takes out his measuring tape and moves toward the wall.

Rowan turns to me. “What brought this on?”

“Well … I really like kids. And it’s still a while before we even crack open that conversation, so finding a job where I got to work with them sounded like a good idea. There are some courses I’ll take, and I’m going to deck that shop out like a kid’s fever dream. It’ll be—”

He laughs and presses his lips to mine. “Absolutely perfect.”

He knows without me saying that this is another outlet where I’ll be moving away from my virtual life some more. The psychologist I had an appointment with last week supports me wanting to keep that side of me alive but has encouraged I create balance. So that’s what I’ll do.

I don’t want to miss my time with Rowan.

And while he runs classes and trains people, I’ll be right next door helping kids finger-paint, or reading them books, or annihilating some preteens at one of the gaming consoles I’m going to have installed.

So maybe I don’t have a complete plan yet, but the details will come. I mean, in just a few weeks we’ve already made Rowan’s dreams come true.

People are in and out all night, taking in the gym and asking questions about the types of equipment and classes Rowan will have.

I leave him to it, happy to stand in the background, handing out flyers for discounts to anyone who walks in the doors.

Watching him, I can’t remember a time I ever felt this happy.

And that knowledge always comes with a fresh tinge of guilt. I’ll never not miss my parents. But I also know that this, right here, is all they ever wanted for me. So while I let the guilt in for a little while, I don’t let it drag down my mood.

Someone knocks into me from the side. “Oops, sorry, Circus,” Brenda says, breathlessly. “I’m trying to get these up in all the shops for the festival, but I’ve just spent ten minutes arguing with that useless Eric Fletcher about the gay agenda and—” She cuts off. “Long story short, his flag is up, now I need to pop this one up before Rowan sees.”

I almost laugh at the bunch of rainbow flags she’s clutching. She hurries to the window, pins the flag up at an awkward angle, and then hurries off again. Brenda and Karl are still awkward around us, and still worried that we’re going to hell, but they’re trying to love us anyway.

Sometimes, like tonight, she swings way too hard to the supportive side.

“What was my mom doing?” Rowan asks. Apparently she’s not the ninja master she thinks she is.

“The usual. Supporting her son, spreading the gay agenda …”

“I don’t want that up in the window. It’s like … I’m advertising or something. My business has nothing to do with me being gay.”

He starts for the window, but I catch his shoulder. “Better leave it. Apparently we’re not the only ones who’ve been attacked by rainbows.”

“Do I want to know?”

I nod toward the door, and Rowan follows me out onto the street. Sure enough, in all the storefronts up and down the street are little rainbow flags.

He shakes his head. “Total overkill.”

Laugher comes from behind us as Leon steps out of the gym. “You think this is overkill? You should see the diner.”

“Oh God, no.”

“It looks like a Pride parade threw up in there.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah,