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“I guess. How about you?”
“Yeah. Grew up around here.” Ed suddenly looked down at his cup. What was that about?
“Cool. Where do you go to school?”
Ed’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I work full-time and go to the community college to get my associates degree in Business Admin.”
“That’s cool.” Twice now he’d used cool. How much of a dork did he sound like? “What kinda work do you do?”
“I, ah, work for a heating and cooling company. Once I get my degree, I hope to open my own shop.”
“Really? How cool is that?” Jack was going to bash his head into his car door later for this. “I wish I was mechanically inclined. Marcus and I keep talking about building our own motorcycles, but we’re both such klutzes that we’ll probably screw it up and the thing will blow up when we start it.”
Maybe it was the genuine interest he expressed or perhaps the self-deprecating humor, but Ed finally looked up, smiling.
“Motorcycles?” Before he could say more, Ed’s phone rang. Fishing it from his pocket, he groaned when he saw the name. Running his hand along the side, he switched the iPhone into vibrate mode. “My mom.”
“Do you need to get that?”
“I’ll call her back when I leave.” Suddenly the smirk was back. “So, you and your friend want to build a motorcycle?”
“Yeah, Marcus and I have been talking about it for years. But aside from our lack of mechanical ability, our dad would kill us if he found out.”
“So Marcus is your brother?” Was that a hint of relief Jack saw in his eyes?
“Not by blood, but he’s like my brother.”
“Oh, so he’s your frat brother? Best friend?”
Jack bit back a grin. “Marcus is my frat brother too, but he and I are more than best friends. He’s family now.”
“Now?” Ed’s voice sounded slightly confused.
Jack’s face tingled and his stomach tightened. He stared at the worn surface of the small round table in front of him. He said the words as detached as he could manage. “My parents”—died four years ago—“they aren’t around…. Marcus’s parents are my legal guardians. They treat me like their son and we act like we’re brothers, so that’s how we think of ourselves.”
Ed played with the sleeve on his cup. “Siblings are… great. For the most part.”
Glancing over Ed’s shoulder, Jack noticed a clock on the wall. “Shit. I’m late.”
When Ed glanced up, Jack searched for something in his expression that suggested Ed wanted him to stay. Nothing.
“I’m sorry, I lost track of time.” He checked again, hoping Ed would ask him to stay. Still nothing. “I… um… need to meet Brittany, my chem partner.” He took his time getting up from the chair. But it was clear Ed didn’t have anything else to say.
Disappointed, Jack grabbed his phone from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, and then picked up Marcus’s gift. “I was heading to my car before I… dropped my drink.”
“Oh yeah.” Ed nodded. “Sorry again about that.”
“Don’t worry about it, really.” He picked up his mostly full drink, wiggled it gently, and smiled. “Thanks to you, I’ll still get my caffeine fix before I make it back to school.”
“Least I could do.” Ed cracked a small smile, but it faded as fast as it appeared.
“Well, I better go before Brittany sends out the campus police to find me.” He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice but didn’t completely succeed. “Nice meeting you, Ed.”
Ed stood up, and Jack heard a muted “Sure, no problem,” as he hustled to get away.
Outside, he shook his head. In all likelihood, things would have ended just as they had; Jack would have left without a number and never seen the guy again. It was no wonder he was still single. Ah well. Live and learn, right? Maybe, but damn, Eddy was hot.
His eye caught on Marcus’s gift; at least the afternoon held some success.
The parking lot for the fraternity was nearly full, so he took the spot farthest from the door. Before he got his seat belt undone, his pocket vibrated. He shook his head, grinning. That would be Brittany demanding to know where the hell Jack was. Raising his hips off the seat, Jack pulled out his phone. He flipped it over, and his thumb froze before he could unlock it.
“What the fuck?” The caller ID read “Mom” not “Brittany.”
The unsettled feeling quickly passed as things clicked. For the first time, he noticed the black case was matte, not shiny and smooth like it should be. Shit. The phone wasn’t his.
It continued to vibrate, forcing him back in his seat. He didn’t need three guesses to know Ed was on the other end. Now it was his turn to feel stupid and embarrassed. How had he grabbed the wrong one? After a loud gulp, he took a breath and answered.
