Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Apparently he could. He refused to speak to her after that. Finally, after another long, tearful phone call from Patty, Jack agreed to try to talk some sense into his friend for her.
It was the night before the prom. Luke was brooding in his living room. As had been the case with Patty, this time it was Luke’s parents who were out of town. His older brother was away at college.
Jack came over, armed with a six pack of beer, not exactly sure what he would accomplish. They’d each had two beers apiece before Jack even broached the subject of Patty. At once Luke’s face closed and he held up his hand in warning.
“Did she send you over here, Jack? Be honest.”
“Luke, she’s a mess. She’s been crying on Emma’s shoulder ever since you broke up with her. She missed half her finals. She’s called me twice.”
Luke shook his head. “Jesus. Since when did a relationship become the business of the entire high school?” Jack was stung by this remark. He and Emma were hardly the entire high school, but he said nothing. Luke continued, “You and me have been friends a long time. There’s things about me and Patty you don’t know.”
“So tell me. I miss how we used to talk all the time. I miss our weekends before girls entered the picture.”
“Yeah, me too. I think I was so caught up in the sex thing, I let things that really mattered to me get away.” They were sitting side by side on the couch. Luke’s voice grew earnest. “I feel like life is going too fast sometimes, you know? Like we’re growing up too fast. I didn’t just break up with Patty because she was cheating on me. That’s not the first time she’s been with Dominic, whatever she might have told you or Emma.”
Jack was surprised by this, but made no comment. Luke added, “This whole thing with the engagement—that was all Patty. I didn’t make a big deal of denying it, because I didn’t want to embarrass her, but she knows I have no plans of marrying, certainly no time soon. I want to go to college. I want to travel the world. I want to explore all kinds of things.”
His eyes narrowed and glittered as he turned toward Jack. He dropped his hand to Jack’s thigh and reiterated, “All kinds of things.”
The sound of a ringing telephone pulled Jack back into the present. He took a breath and shook away the old memories. What had happened between Luke and him was ancient history. “Water under the bridge,” Emma would have said, though he’d never told her about that night. He’d never told a soul.
~*~
The floor was down—broad planks of richly toned oak that gave the room a warm feel. Jack was again on the ladder, painstakingly removing the few damaged tin tiles and replacing them with new ones. He’d managed to match the pattern, a classic butterfly oak leaf motif.
“I found these in a kitchen supply shop next to a pool hall I sometimes go to. These are actually original tiles the guy found at an estate sale. You can’t get much more authentic than that,” he added with a satisfied smile.
The new cabinets and countertops, still wrapped in huge swaths of clear plastic wrap, had been delivered and were taking up most of the living room. Will realized with a sharp pang that at the rate Jack was going, within a week or so the work would be done, and Jack would be gone.
It had been three days since their shared lunch on the deck. While Jack continued to be pleasant and friendly, he gave no hint of interest in anything but a professional relationship between them.
Will, used to getting what he wanted especially where men were concerned, was at a loss. That evening at the gym, in a moment of weakness, he confided in Paul. They had just finished a vigorous game of racquetball and were sharing a cold drink in the gym’s small café.
“So how goes it with your renovations?” Paul asked innocently.
“They’re going fine,” Will answered, feeling morose. “So fine they’re almost done. Then he’ll be gone.”
“Then who’ll be gone?”
“Jack. Jack Crawford, the handyman.”
“So what do you care?” Paul slapped his forehead. “I get it now. This is the dude I’m supposed to be jealous of. The married straight guy old enough to be your dad.” He laughed.
“He’s not old enough to be my dad,” Will retorted, annoyed. “He’s only fourteen years older than me. But yeah,” his face fell as he added, “he’s straight, all right.”
“You know my theory on that.”
“Yeah, yeah. You think no one’s immune, I know. You think the whole human race is just one big sexual treasure chest, waiting to be plundered. You think we’re all bisexual but society conditions us one way or the other. I know, I know.”