The whole house smelled of popcorn.
“Yeah, but you know my hours,” he said, opening the fridge.
Fair. He did work odd hours most of the time. Mornings, daytime, nights—it all depended on which gigs he booked.
Unlike Nate and me, James and Jordan loved things top modern. Their kitchen wascool, but not very homey in my eyes. They wanted stainless steel and state-of-the-art appliances. I wanted warmth and colors. They liked black and white, and their kitchen island gleamed in the spotlights. My oak top already had condensation rings.
“Should I reheat the food, Sir?” He filled a bowl with water for Paws.
“No need. I did that while I showered.” I side-eyed him as I brought the food to the counter. Was I always a Sir to him now? Even in his text, he’d addressed me as Sir. It was a new development, and I did not mind it one bit.
He came over with two sodas and sniffed at the soup. “It smells delicious.”
“There should be some fresh bread in the bag too.”
“Oh, yummy, yummy, yummy.” He grabbed utensils and a bowl for the soup. “Okay, let’s sit in the living room. That’s where I’ve set up camp.”
“After you.” I wanted to observe for a bit. Gauge what was regression and what was everyday Jordan. He’d been on the boyish side for as long as I’d known him, but James had a point. The kid’s filters were down.
Sweet Jesus. I didn’t mind observing the actual butt-flap opening in his pajamas either. With a quick flick of my wrist, his bottom would be exposed.
Their living room was cozier, with a huge comfy couch, two matching chairs, a thick rug, and the biggest flat-screen I’d seen outside of Best Buy and sports bars. A ton of pictures on the walls too, and more colors. The living room was where they stored mementos from their travels. Each destination chosenbecause not many people went there. Aside from their annual winter cruise, they opted for places like the Galapagos Islands, Madagascar, Nepal, and Svalbard.
They claimed a metropolis like London or New York was great for a long layover, an extra weekend, as they called it, but what they wanted to explore were cultures way more foreign to them.
One of the first times I’d had dinner with them, we’d talked vacations and the tradition Nate and I had had with the kids, where we’d traveled to our national parks. And when I had asked James and Jordan about their own travels, Jordan had explained that it was always their goal to survive on James’s paycheck and some of his dabbling in the stock market. Jordan’s money was set aside for trips.
I guessed you could do that when you didn’t have children.
“Did James say anything else when he let you know I was coming over?” I asked and sat down.
The TV showed a nature documentary Jordan had paused.
“He just confirmed you’d stop by with supper.” He got comfortable with three blankets and made sure they fanned out across my lap too. “You gots to stay warm, Sir.”
I smiled and pulled the coffee table closer.
He had his pillows and duvet here too. And knowing James, it was he who had prepared the table with some essentials for Jordan. His water bottle, a couple of fun-sized bags of chips, popcorn, a bowl of carrot and celery sticks, a bag of gummy worms, and a few comic books. Even a power bank.
“I see you have no plans to move for the rest of the night,” I said.
“Correctomundo!”
I chuckled and moved his soup closer. “Let’s get some food in your stomach.” I handed him his spoon and the bread too.
“Thank you so much.” He crossed his legs under the blanket and kept the bowl in his lap, then reached for the remote and pushed play. “I hope you don’t mind watching cute birds with me.”
Would there be any ducks?
“Not at all.”
He grinned and scooped some soup into his mouth.
I should’ve bought something for myself too.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t been very hungry at Nate’s house. I’d managed two pizza slices before my stomach had twisted uncomfortably, as it tended to do over there. The hunger reappeared once the danger was over.
“Do you like all birds?” I wondered.
