Page 21 of Only You

Jack had already planned on telling him, and now was as good a time as any. In a few days, his parents would arrive, and Ryan usually stopped by to see them when they were in town. He didn’t want Ryan to be shocked when he found Kayla there, too.

“You remember Kayla, right?” Jack began.

Ryan grinned. “Your hot coworker.” Jack had introduced Ryan and Kayla at his July fourth party, and he obviously remembered her.

“My coworker, yes,” Jack said, pointedly.

“What about her? Are you two finally mixing business with pleasure?” Ryan teased.

A young woman approached them, and the men moved off the path to let her run by. After she passed them, Ryan turned his head and ogled her backside. Jack might have done the same thing, but he thought of Kayla and averted his eyes.

“Continue,” Ryan said, resuming their conversation.

Jack took a deep breath, but not because he was winded from running. If Ryan had been surprised he was up this early, wait until he heard the rest of it. “Kayla sort of moved in with me,” he said in a rush.

Ryan came to a halt in the middle of the path. “What did you just say?”

“Kayla moved in with me,” Jack repeated, jogging in place. “Let’s keep moving.”

Ryan eyed him quizzically before they took off again. “Since when?”

“Since yesterday.”

“Are you two dating now?”

“Not exactly.”

“What does that even mean?”

Jack sighed. “You’re going to think this is weird.”

“I already think it’s weird.”

“My parents are coming to visit in a few days.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“They wanted to stay at my place for six weeks.”

“So?”

“So, that would have seriously cramped my lifestyle.”

Ryan chuckled. “You didn’t want them seeing a parade of women coming and going from your place?”

Jack shook his head. “My mom has been on my case about settling down.”

“Does she still think you’re gay?”

“She did until I told her Kayla was moving in.”

“Ah. Very clever.”

Jack nodded, glad his friend understood.

“But also devious,” Ryan added.

Jack felt a twinge of guilt. “It’s only for six weeks.” He’d been saying that a lot, hoping it would make him feel less guilty.