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)
Will, who favored feta, Greek olives and sun-dried tomato on sourdough pizza crust made in a wood burning oven, lied. “My favorite.”
Jack summoned a waitress with a gesture. As he ordered the pizza, she gave Will a long, lingering once over. He was used to this reaction from women and barely noticed her. Once she was gone, Will turned to Jack. “Thanks for coming out. I guess sometimes lately I get lonely.”
As he’d hoped, Jack picked up the thread. He was definitely more open and relaxed now that the bill had been paid and they were no longer in a client relationship. “I get lonely too. Being married for so many years, it kind of conditions you to have someone around.”
“I can imagine. You must really miss her.”
“I do, though not necessarily in the way you might expect.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we got married so young. Too young, really, to know what we were doing. Then we just kind of stuck with it. I was used to her, you see. And she to me. But I don’t honestly know if what we had was true love or just habit.”
“Huh.” Will mulled this over. He was surprised Jack had admitted such a stark truth. He decided to press a little more. “Do you think you would have stayed with her if she’d, uh, if she was still around?” He felt the tips of his ears heat, afraid he’d upset Jack with his crass reminder she was dead.
Jack looked thoughtful, but not offended. “I’ve thought about that. Yes, I probably would have. Because how do you leave someone who relies on you? Who has relied on you all their adult life?” He lifted his mug and drank. “I think my sense of duty would have kept me with her. But since she’s been gone I’ve had a lot of time to really think over my life. To take stock, I guess you’d say. I don’t think there’s much use in regretting the past, at least that’s what I try to tell myself in my saner moments.
“Still, I can’t help wondering what would have happened if things had been different…” He paused, staring off into the middle distance. Will would have given anything to be inside his head at that moment.
The pizza arrived, the aroma of tomato sauce and melted cheese making Will’s mouth water. Circles of pepperoni with little pools of melted grease at their centers dotted the pie.
They each helped themselves to a piece and for a while they were silent as they ate. Jack finished his first piece and reached for a second. “So, what’s next? Kitchen’s done. Which room is next on your list? Those bathrooms could do with some work. I don’t do much complicated plumbing but I know a few good, reliable guys we could use for the tough parts. We could draw up some plans for the master bath. I envision a hot tub and a steam shower, at the very least. You know, those fancy ones with fifty jets coming at you from all angles.”
Will tried to fight the broad smile that threatened to spread over his face. Was the guy just after more business, or was he looking for a way to stay in Will’s life? Was Paul’s theory going to bear itself out?
Stop it. He just wants the work. It’s nothing personal.
To test his theory, to prove to himself there was absolutely nothing between them but the chance of another job, Will said with an almost reckless abandon, “After the pizza, let’s go back to my place. We could pick up some pastries from this great Italian bakery near my house and have dessert and coffee in my beautiful new kitchen.”
He held his breath, waiting for Jack to refuse.
“They got cannoli? I’m a sucker for good cannoli.”
“Yeah, they sure do,” Will affirmed, though in fact he had no idea. This time he didn’t fight his grin. He could feel it spread like sunlight over his face. His heart did a loop de loop as Jack smiled back.
Chapter 4
From his vantage point at the dining room table, Jack watched Will carefully measure and pour whole coffee beans into a fancy black and stainless steel coffee-making contraption that probably cost as much as his old pickup truck was worth. He was sure the coffee would taste fine, but doubted it would taste much different from the coffee he made in the old auto-drip machine he’d had for twenty years.
The coffee smelled wonderful as it started to brew. The cannoli sat piled on a plate on the table in front of him. Jack wanted to eat one—to just pop the whole thing into his mouth, but he waited for Will, not wanting to be impolite.
“Can I get the cream and sugar or something?” he asked, feeling antsy, not used to being waited on by someone other than Emma. For some reason, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Will’s body. His jeans fit like a comfortable second skin, molding along the curve of his ass down long, lean legs.