Whiplash:On my way. Got hung up.
Me:I can’t get ‘hung’ out of my head
now.
Whiplash:Juvenile.
I snort a laugh and shove my phone into my pocket.
“Where’s Rose tonight?” Justin asks.
“Eh, she’s with her boyfriend doing proper date stuff. How about you? Any luck in the dating market?”
He swipes open his phone and shows me a dating profile.
“Oh, getting serious, I see. Good profile pic, although a smile would probably help.”
I think I’ve seen Justin smile, like, three times as long as I’ve known him.
He shrugs and puts away his phone. “I’m trying. Whenever I do meet someone, they’re a fucking student. At least this way, I can filter out their ages.”
“True enough. I’ve been asked out by a slew of students swinging by for therapy.”
Justin rolls his eyes. “Poor you.”
I wave a dismissive hand. “Hey, it’s not easy looking this good. Seriously, though, it’s getting weird.”
“I hear you. I’ve got students tying me up during office hours, wasting my time, flirting, and chit-chatting. I’mnotachit-chatter. I live vicariously through you. You make me look like I’ve got a personality.”
I crack up and nearly spill my beer. “Bro, you have a good personality. You’re just…dry.” I pat his back. “And I love you for it.”
“How about you?” he asks.
“Would you freak out if I told you I’m testing the waters with a guy?”
He coughs, nearly choking on his beer. “Poor queer people. They go through hell coming out, and you’re nonchalant as fuck about it. I guess that makes you queer now, too.”
“I suppose so. I mean, when Dennis came out, everyone still loved him. No one cared. If they did, they didn’t say anything. It’s how I grew up. Does that make me a little naïve? Probably.”
“What brought this on, man?”
I shrug and take another sip of my lager. “It just happened. Neither of us was expecting it. So far, we’re just foolin’ around.”
“Just be careful, Wes. You can’t just jump into this like a cold lake until you get used to the water. You could affect real lives. Someone could get hurt.”
“Yeah, I get that,” I sigh. “It’s not like we’re serious anyway.”
Would I be opposed to that if it came down to it? Who knows? Baby steps.
I happen to glance at the front door to see Jett walk in. A little dip in my stomach surprises me. “Speaking of the devil,” I say.
“Is that him?”
“Yep.”
Justin grips my shoulder. “Is that…”
“Yep.”
