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They walked toward Chris’s building so he could get to his car. His body felt heavy and sluggish, but his legs still carried him forward.
“You hungry?” Jay asked.
“What?”
“Hungry.” He tilted his head at a pizza joint they were passing by.
Chris wanted to get home and leave this day behind, but he and Jay needed to talk, and yes, he was starving.
“Okay.”
The place was mostly empty and seemed cozy, the music not too loud. The hostess greeted them hello and led them to the end of the restaurant where no one else was sitting. When she offered them the menu, Jay stopped her and said, “One pizza with black olives, onion, and garlic for me. One with pineapple, mushrooms, eggplant, and extra cheese for him.”
“Coming right up.”
Once she left, Chris asked, “You remember what pizza I like?”
“You always take the same weird combination.”
Chris rested his face in his hands, mentally and physically exhausted. Tonight, he had felt lower than low, humiliated in ways he hadn't experienced in years. And to think, he may still have to face Oscar on Fire Island.
“How are you holding up?” Jay asked.
That innocent-sounding question pressed the wrong button. Chris sharply raised his head. “Why did you lift the fucking skirt?”
“Huh?”
“The skirt. I was sucking you and it was going well. Why did you do it?”
Jay leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “I wanted to get Oscar more riled up so he would pressure Tobias.”
“Hewasriled up just fine without the extra humiliation.”
“I told you I’d need to play the part.”
“You weren’t playing; that is who you are.”
Jay narrowed his eyes in anger. “I gave up on ten thousand dollars for you. Do you think I have extra money lying around in my piggy bank? I fucking don’t.”
“Are you expecting a thank you?”
“I didn’t ask for one.”
Chris crossed his arms and looked away, feeling dirty.
“We got the job done,” Jay said. “Hey, look at me. We did it.”
Chris shook his head, feeling zero sense of accomplishment. “Anthony doesn’t deserve to go through this again.”
“And he has every right to tell us to fuck off, but at least I’ll know I tried to fight for my freedom.”
Chris could relate. Knowing that Mickey held the power to destroy his life had turned him into a walking zombie, stumbling under the weight of dread. He wouldn’t last long like this.
“Why did you have to drag Ethan into this?” Chris asked.
“Are you forgetting what you said the other day? How you were going to tell Ethan what was going on because you were sick of secrets? He wouldn’t have agreed to stay back knowing what we’re about to do, so I saved us a fight by including him.”
Chris saw the logic, and it irked him that Jay was becoming the logical one of them both.
