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“Come over to the house for dinner tonight. Kane and Amanda will be there too.”
Robby shoved the pizza box into the industrial-sized trash bag in the corner, his attention split between Brick’s offer and his search for the plans.
“We’re having spaghetti,” Brick offered. “C’mon, you know you’re family to us.”
Family. The ultimate enticement. The kind of high he never got with powder or pills. Love. Belonging. Acceptance.
But he had a different plan for tonight.
Robby grinned as he threw away some old water bottles on the concrete floor. “I was kind of hoping to hook up with Matt and play PlayStation online.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Brick folded his beefy arms in front of his chest. “It’s about time you got up the nerve to get to know him better. But if you change your mind, our door’s always open to you.”
Brick had no idea what a gift he offered. Or maybe he did. Brick had said he had no other family either. Maybe his friend needed him as much as he needed Brick.
Robby held his clipboard close. “I know.”
He might have said more, but his eye caught on the man passing through the room, several two-by-four’s hoisted on one shoulder and a roll of paper in his hands. His breathing hitched, as it did every time he laid eyes on Matt.
“Found these in the garage,” Matt murmured, slipping the plans into Robby’s hand, then drifting out of the room as quickly as he’d drifted in.
What a view.
Brick interrupted before he could sink into a fantasy. “I don’t know how I ever missed the fact you’re in love with that guy.”
Love? More like a king-sized crush, but Robby wouldn’t trifle over semantics. He held out the plans. “And, uh, these are for you.”
Brick took the papers. “You better catch up with him if you’re gonna invite him to play your game.”
***
Matt
Matt didn’t expect to feel so disappointed when Robby had forgotten his offer to bring those headsets to work yesterday. He’d built it up too much inside his head. It had probably been one of those offhanded comments people made when they hung out together.
He wouldn’t say anything. Bringing it up would only embarrass them both. Besides, he’d had his hands full last night anyway.
Bending at the knee, he deposited the two-by-fours in the master bedroom. He turned to go grab another load and almost walked right into Robby, who now stood at the threshold to the hallway.
“Sorry we didn’t have a chance to catch up yesterday. I’m about to take a supply run for Xander but…here.” Robby held out a plastic grocery bag and grinned.
Matt peered inside and found a pair of black headsets with an attached microphone. “You didn’t have to do this,” he murmured. Though he was glad Robby had.
“Are you kidding? This is as much for me as it is for you. I should’ve brought them yesterday. Believe me, I would have had more fun playing with you than the night I ended up having.”
Tempting as it was to ask, something in Robby’s tone told him it was better to leave it alone.
“I put a note in there with some instructions.” Robby swayed a little on his feet, color rising in his cheeks. “Okay, I, uh, I’m gonna go. Hope to see you tonight.” He hightailed it out before Matt could say another word.
He wanted to read the note now, way more than it made sense. Which was why he tucked the folded paper into his wallet and stowed the headsets in his glove box. He could wait.
The note burned a hole in his pocket as he nailed up the wood in the master closet, throughout the workday, and the entire way home.
Still, when he let himself in his apartment, he didn’t read it right away. He didn’t want to be too eager, even if the only person who would know would be himself. So, he warmed up the leftover Walmart rotisserie chicken he had in the fridge and stacked the meat inside two halved pistolettes.
He ate in silence, by himself, at his small kitchen table. The meat was juicy, and the drippings mingled sumptuously with the thin sheen of mayo he’d smeared on the bread. He ate slowly, savoring each bite, proving to himself he had no reason to hurry.
No reason at all.
