his sexuality.
He’s a decade older than me and I plan to look that good when I get there. He gives no thought to his age, operating like he’s in his twenties. The man works out on the regular, keeps his humor sharp as a German blade, and goes after what he wants like he knows he can. Pure kid confidence, the kind you have before life hurts you. The man is made of something that can’t be hurt.
To see him making his sandwich like he’s punishing it for being delicious is pretty amusing.
“I hate to ask the obvious,” I smirk, turning the page of my magazine, “…but is something bugging you?” I look up to see him coming at me. “Whoa!”
He stabs the air with his thick index finger. “You’re moving out.”
The mag drops to my lap. My stomach turns over. It was a hell of an offer to let me move into his guest room while I get my app off the ground. I almost didn’t accept because it was too generous. Sure, he’s got cash coming out of his ears, but that doesn’t mean a friend takes advantage of it. His money is not my money, nor do I have a right to it just because he has so much. I’m not the one who worked my ass off and hit it big in commercial real estate acquisitions. I barely know what that is.
That he gave me a key and a chance is something I do not take for granted.
I stand up to face him, man to man. “Jack, if I’ve been any imposition, I’m out. It’s all good.”
“No no no, I don’t have a beef with you. I like living with you.”
My shoulders relax. “Oh good.”
“But now you’re moving in with David’s daughter.”
My eyebrows shoot toward his fifteen-foot-high ceiling. “Whoa, wait! I’m doing what? The daughter you’re trying not to bang?”
“That’s the one!” Spinning on his expensive heel, Jack marches back for the abandoned food. As he smashes a sandwich together, he explains, “I’ve known her since she was here.” His hand flies out to a mid-thigh for a split second. “But she’s here now.” He throws his hand up to his shoulder. The guy’s like me, tall as fuck. That makes her taller than most women, too. “And she’s gorgeous.” He locks eyes with me. “Troy, she’s a ballerina.”
My jaw drops. “I know. You told me that. What happened to you?”
His blue eyes flash for a second, like he hates this idea he’s concocted.
Walking to the kitchen I listen with total focus as he snarls out the rest of his plan.
“Her roommate is a coke-head. She’s leaving. You’re taking over. I’ll pay rent. You’ll still make that app you’ve got planned. I’m investing in it, like I said I would. But now part of the deal is you have to get Mar away from me.” He stuffs the sandwich in his mouth and chews while staring at the silent faucet. The only sounds around us now are the hums of his fridge and the snarf noises he’s making.
“You were just at her place?” I ask. He nods. “You saw her?” He nods again, takes another huge bite. “This is a stab in the dark, but you wanted to have sex with David’s daughter this morning, and you didn’t, is that what I’m getting here?”
His eyes cut to me and if I were a weaker man, I’d wilt. But I ain’t. With his mouth half-full he says, “I didn’t touch her.”
“But you wanted to.”
“God help me, I did.”
“So your solution is to have me go in there, live with her, and maybe take your place?”
He rolls his eyes like the idea doesn’t please him. After swallowing a mouthful, he growls, “I want to take care of her. But that doesn’t mean just paying her rent while she heals. Mar broke her leg and it’s not easy for her to get around. I want someone there, literally taking care of her.”
“Why not hire a woman?”
He shouts in my face, “Because a woman won’t stop me from coming over!”
“Ahhh, I gotcha.” Crossing my arms, I chuckle. “Jack, you want a real life cock-blocker.”
“And you’re more her age. If she got together with you, I could handle it. Some other fucking guy, I’d rip his throat out. She’s…she’s…” He rubs his face and blinks at the irony. “I love this girl. I’ve watched her grow up, for fuck’s sake. So if I can’t have her, I want her with someone