Chapter Four
James
The order to meet for breakfast had come in at half past seven. James wanted to roll over and ignore the text but that hadn’t been an option. His friend and mentor would come drag James out of bed if James didn’t show up to the summons.
Josh must have ratted him out.
Pulling up to the diner, James parked his bike before turning the engine off.
He pulled off his helmet then threw his leg over his bike.
Slowly James rolled the kinks out of his shoulders before making his way inside.
He’d slept like shit once he’d finally dragged himself off to bed.
The hot shower had helped clear the remaining fog and shock from his system but hadn’t given James a clue on how to handle the professor.
At least he’d had something new to worry about instead of reliving the horrible accident.
Entering the diner, James looked around until he spotted the lone figure in the back booth.
James strolled over and set his helmet in the seat and pushed it over as he sat.
“You look like shit,” Cal Greene stated bluntly.
James grinned at his friend and mentor. “Hello to you too, bestie.”
Cal rolled his light green eyes. He had amazing eyes, not that James checked his friend out often.
Okay, maybe he did more than he wanted to admit.
Cal was an attractive man in his forties.
The scars down his shoulder and arm were hidden by a long-sleeve white shirt but didn’t take away from the muscles or fitness. “Don’t start, brat.”
“But, Daddy…you made me get up so early!” James had always teased Cal like this. Calling him Daddy or gramps. It irked Cal. James had never thought about throwing the word Daddy around until recently. Maybe he needed to stop?
“Never call me that again!” Cal pointed a finger at him while scowling.
James cackled. Maybe he wouldn’t stop after all. He knew how to push Cal’s buttons. And this was an amazing distraction. Maybe it was worth getting up early after all.
“Josh called me,” Cal told him.
James sighed. Of course he had. “I’m fine.”
Cal shook his head. “Order your breakfast and we’ll talk about it. I also grabbed your jacket from your locker this morning. Make sure you wear it if you’re going to ride that fucking bike.”
He was glad to have his jacket back since the thick hoodie he was currently wearing wasn’t nearly as warm. He ignored the comment about his motorcycle. Everyone seemed to have a problem with James’s mode of transportation, but James was careful. And maintaining the bike was cheap.
The waitress approached and James smiled at her.
“Hey, James. How are you?” she asked.
“I’m good, Beth. How are you? Did you have a good night?” he asked politely. Cal had been bringing James to this diner since they met.
She shrugged her thin shoulders. “Stayed in and ordered takeout. I had to open this morning so there was no way I was staying up late.”
“Yeah, probably a good idea. It was crazy out,” James told her.
“I heard. You want to start with an orange juice?”
“Yes, please,” James confirmed. “And I’ll take the pancakes, please.”
“On it.” She patted his arm before strolling away.
James returned his attention to Cal, where his mentor sat and sipped his coffee.
Cal didn’t say a word until Beth had dropped off James’s orange juice. Once James had his drink, Cal set the mug down.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there last night,” Cal told him.
James was shaking his head before Cal finished his sentence. “It’s not your fault. I knew you were on day shift.”
“I should have switched,” Cal said.
This was not Cal’s fault. “Come on, man. You have seniority. You don’t have to work the worst night of the year.”
“I should have been there for you. Josh told me how bad it was.”
Dropping his eyes, James stared at a black spot on the worn, cracked table.
“You know there was nothing you could do,” Cal said. “They were gone before you even got there.”
He nodded. James wasn’t an idiot. He did know that. That didn’t make the situation any better.
“I know that doesn’t make it better,” Cal said gently.
James lifted his gaze. “They were so young. It isn’t fair. They weren’t drinking.”
“I know,” Cal said.
“It makes me angry,” James admitted.
“It should.”
“And the drunk driver walked away with a small cut on his head and a broken arm from the airbag. He killed three people and didn’t even have to spend the night in the hospital,” James explained.
“The cops picked him up this morning,” Cal told him. “He’s being charged with vehicular manslaughter.”
“That’s good,” James muttered. “Doesn’t bring back the lives that he took.”
“It doesn’t,” Cal agreed. “And I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you won’t ever forget.”
“I don’t even know their names,” James admitted.
“Will that help?” Cal questioned. “To process it?”
“Maybe?” James offered. “I feel like I should know their names.”
“I’ll get them for you then,” Cal promised.
“You will?”
“If that’s what you need,” Cal replied. “I would also set up an appointment with the department’s therapist if I were you.”
“You think I need to talk to the shrink?” James asked way too loud.
“Shh,” Cal urged as he held up his hands.
James checked their surroundings. Luckily, they were at the back and the closest booth had a couple of kids being loud.
“Now listen to me,” Cal ordered. “And listen good.”
James swallowed hard. “Okay.”
“There is nothing wrong with seeing a therapist,” Cal said sternly.
“I credit the reason that I’ve been able to stay on the job so long is because of my brother who is a psychologist. When I have a bad shift, there’s someone that I can talk it out with.
He works for the department and sees firefighters, police, doctors, and nurses. ”
He started to chew on his bottom lip. Did he think he needed to talk to someone about the accident? Not really. James was upset but who wouldn’t be after that scene? “I’ll think about it,” he offered.
Cal grinned. “That’s all I can ask. How was the rest of your night? Did you get some sleep?”
James’s stomach soured like it had the previous night.
“What happened?” Cal demanded.
“I fucked up,” James admitted. “With my landlord.”
“Language,” Cal said automatically. Just like James knew he would.
James grinned. “Really? And you won’t let me call you Daddy.”
“There is no reason to use those words when you can put thought into your words to get your point across accurately,” Cal told him. “And no. Stop calling me that.” His friend wasn’t the one that James wanted to use that word with anyway.
James could picture the lecture that he would receive from Jacob for cursing.
It would be fun to see how irritated he could get the professor.
If James wasn’t kicked out of his apartment.
The kiss. Damn, if James was going to be kicked out, he should have gotten way more than one passionate kiss. Life just wasn’t fair.
“Now tell me what you did,” Cal ordered.
James was relieved to see Beth heading in their direction with two large plates in her hands.
She set James’s pancake platter in front of him then Cal’s much healthier choice in front of James’s mentor.
He hoped the arrival of the food would distract his friend but Cal cleared his throat.
Picking up his fork, James flicked his gaze over.
“I have all day,” Cal warned.
And Cal would probably make James stay right there until he confessed. “Fine,” James said with a sigh. Maybe Cal could actually give him some advice on how to keep him and Scott from losing their home.
* * * * *
Jacob
He was antsy until the package arrived and he’d unboxed the gift that he’d bought for James.
Now that he was thinking straight and not riding high from the kiss, worry, and seeing James so vulnerable, Jacob was doubting himself.
Was the present too much? Would James see it as strange?
It was too late now. The box had arrived earlier.
Jacob had been watching for the delivery all morning, fearful that somehow James would get the box. Not that James had ever taken one of Jacob’s packages or opened anything that didn’t belong to him before. Yeah, Jacob knew that he was having his own little meltdown.
It had seemed like such a great idea when Jacob made the purchase in the wee hours of the morning. Since the store was local, the delivery had been set for first thing.
When James had left earlier, Jacob had nearly chased him down. After such a rough night, Jacob had expected James to sleep in. Instead, James was up and out of the house before Jacob had even showered.
James was back now. Motorcycle parked in the usual spot.
Jacob had caught a glimpse of James when he’d gotten home over an hour ago. The boy had looked tired but better than Jacob had thought.
Looking at the gift on the kitchen counter then back out the window, Jacob pressed his lips together. Should he? James had said he wanted to be a superhero. But was it weird for Jacob to give James a present?
It was weird. Jacob already knew the answer.
Wasn’t he supposed to be courting the boy? Gifts were a part of that.
This was stupid.
Jacob had bought the present. He might as well give it to James.
He grabbed the package off the counter and stomped toward the back door.
Jacob paused with his hand on the handle.
What the hell? He needed to calm down. Being pissed off at himself would not make this interaction pleasant for James.
Jacob needed to get his shit together. He was not going to mess up this time.
No statistics. No bossing James around. And he would not bring up the kiss unless James brought it up first.