Patrice smiled at us and nodded in agreement. “These things take time, and they’re definitely looking positive.” He clapped my shoulder, his eyes serious. “I have faith in you, Nes, but you know that no matter what happens, we’ll be here to hold you down. New York City will always be your home.”
As he said that I felt Jude stiffen, then immediately loosen his body, like he realized I had noticed it.
Fuck.
I was grateful for my friends and their support, but Patrice’s timing was not the best.
I shook my head and squeezed Jude tight, before letting him go. “Never mind, I’m just getting jittery because I’m tired as fuck, and I still have at least five more hours of work before I can get to bed.”
Jude turned around and looked up at me with a determined expression. “I can help you.” He was trying to smile, but his eyes looked sad. “Looks like Ari and Yin have the cleanup covered and the truck is ready to go. Your mom said she’d pick up more drinks tomorrow, so the only thing left is the food prep. I can drive my car home, take a quick shower and then walk over to the kitchen; it’s like a ten-minute walk.”
I shook my head, feeling like shit about how much he’d done for me already. Because what was I to him? I couldn’t even guarantee I’d be around in a couple of months.
“Nah. You’ve already done too much. You guys can head home, and I’ll finish up at the kitchen.” My hands twitched to grab him again.
Milo rolled his eyes. “Of course, we’ll come and help. That’s why we’re here; besides what do Patrice and Juanpa have to do other than troll Grindr and Tinder?” Patrice ignored him, walking to the car, and Juanpa was too busy on the other side of the tent—apparently giving some girl his number—to care.
Camilo pointed at J. “Once the man whore over there is done putting numbers into his phone we’re heading out. We’ll stop at our hotel for a bit and then go to the kitchen. We were there with Nurys this morning, so we’re good with the code for the door.”
I really was a lucky bastard. “Okay, man. I’ll see you there then.”
Juanpa and Milo left as Jude and I worked out our next move. “Nesto, I’ll come and help. That way you can finish soonerand get some sleep. You’re going to be dead tomorrow if you go to bed at three a.m.”
“Are you sure? You must be exhausted. You’ve already done so much, and I know how stressed out you were for your board meeting all week.”
He looked so cute when he tried to act annoyed at me. “Yes, I’m sure. Come on, let’s finish here so we can get moving.”
Jude was like that, steady and reliable. He’d made this first month here so much better, and never asked me for anything, just gave and gave.
I felt his hand tighten around mine. “So, are we going?”
I smiled at him, trying to chase away my rambling thoughts. For once trying not to bring all my baggage with me. “If you’re sure, but only if we can go back to your place and hang out a little bit after. I need to unwind tonight even if it’s twenty minutes.”
He smiled and kissed me. “Sure, you’re always welcome at my place. We’ll get the food ready and then you can come over.”
“Maybe I should be a good neighbor and pay you back for all your hard work with a back rub.”
He let out a husky chuckle at my leering and rolled his eyes. “I won’t turn down a back rub, but I’d say that’s above and beyond neighborly etiquette.” We’d blurred the lines of this friendship to a point that I was afraid I was going to start getting hard just from hearing the word neighbor.
Did that stop me?
No, it did not.
I kept leering at him and made a show of rubbing his shoulders, my mouth against his ear. “I can do a lot more than your back.”
He squirmed a bit. “Nesto, there are still a few people around.” The smile on his face was not exactly discouraging, so I nipped his ear, then licked where my teeth had been.
He shivered and leaned into my touch for a moment before moving away. As he walked to his car, he called back, “We don’t have time for games, Ernesto Vasquez. You’ve got food to make, and I need a back rub, all within the next three hours.”
I laughed and ran to catch up with him. I really hoped that I could make this plan work: this truck, this town, and what I’d started with Jude.
chapter seventeen
jude
“If I have to peel one more garlic clove, my left thumb may be in serious danger of falling off,” Milo complained from his end of the long stainless steel table Nesto set us up with to chop and peel the vegetables he needed. We were working on a marinade for the meat at the moment. It was calledrecao,an all-purpose recipe used all over the Caribbean. It required enormous amounts of garlic, onion, cilantro, oranges, limes, and Cubanelle peppers, which we needed to get ready for Nesto to blend.
I laughed and shook my head as I worked a paring knife around an onion. Camilo was hilarious and in the forty-five minutes since we’d started, he’d claimed he couldn’t feel his forearms from peeling plantains, and that his mouth was numb from the sting of the hot peppers.
