Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Daniel had turned all his attention on getting back at his ex-boyfriend, so he spent a lot of time working out, swimming, or tanning by the pool—apparently embracing the old adage that claimed looking good was the best revenge.
Meanwhile, I threw myself into anything and everything physical. It turned out Donny worked for a sporting goods manufacturer, and he was fine with me using his stuff. So, my days were spent mountain biking in the nearby foothills, skateboarding around the sprawling housing development, shooting hoops on the half-court in the backyard, or doing anything else I could think of to keep myself distracted.
And of course, it didn’t work at all. I thought about Aleksei constantly and worried about our relationship. I was still trying to give him the time he needed to sort through things. But mostly, I just missed him with every part of me.
On Monday evening, Daniel strode into the backyard with a scowl on his face, helped himself to a slice of the pizza I’d had delivered, and took a seat at the patio table. As he shoved half the slice into his mouth, I grinned and asked, “How’s the juice cleanse going?”
Once he’d swallowed the mouthful of food, he said, “It sucks donkey balls, and I’m not doing it anymore. It was a dumb idea in the first place. How’s being ravenously hungry going to help me achieve my goal? The answer is, it’s not.”
“What goal are we talking about here?”
“Raining pain and suffering down upon Brad Sterling and making him regret every single one of his life choices.”
I nodded and told him, “That’s a good goal.”
“I know. As part of this goal, I’m driving into L.A. tomorrow. I have an appointment with a tailor to get a couple of suits custom-made.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“It’s not as bad as you’d think. This guy’s shop is near where I grew up, and his prices are about the same as when my dad took me there as a kid.” He ate another bite of pizza before telling me, “I’m also going to visit a few friends while I’m in the neighborhood.”
“But not your mom and dad?”
“I would, but it turns out they’re actually using the RV they bought when my dad retired. Right now, they’re somewhere in British Columbia.”
“Wow. Good for them.”
“It’s actually terrifying, the thought of my sixty-eight-year-old dad behind the wheel of something as big as a bus. Who thought that would be a good idea? But they’ve made it that far without driving off a cliff, so I guess he’s getting the hang of it.” Daniel helped himself to a sip of my soda before asking, “Want to come with me tomorrow?”
“Thanks for asking, but is it okay if I just hang out here? I don’t really feel up to socializing.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll leave you the spare key, and the security code for the alarm is—”
“One, two, three, four. I saw it when you typed it in. Your brother should probably rethink that.”
“Yeah, he should do a lot of things, like growing the fuck up. He’s ten years older than me, but it looks like an eleven-year-old with a credit card went crazy in this house. Then again, who am I to talk? At least he has a job. A good one, too. Who knew going to work for his friend’s sporting goods company would pay off like this?”
“I never did ask. If his company makes sporting goods, what’s he doing in Hong Kong?”
“Sourcing places to make their shit cheaper, so they can rake in a bigger profit. Yay, capitalism.”
He finished his slice of pizza and ate two more before he muttered, “That was worth every calorie.”
“Yeah, I figured you were ready to cave on the cleanse. That’s why I got such a big pizza.”
“Smart man.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then leaned back in his chair and asked, “So, how are you, Timothy? And don’t just say you’re fine, like every other time I’ve asked. We both know that’s bullshit.”
“I’m a lot of things. Scared, upset, wondering if Aleksei still wants me.”
“Do you still want him, even though you were a little weirded out by the whole—”
“Please. I’m begging you. Choose your next words carefully.”
Daniel stopped to think about it. Then he said, “There’s no nice way of saying you boned a guy and his dad.” I face-planted onto the patio table, and he quickly added, “Look, I still don’t think it’s weird or wrong. Seriously. In fact, you’ve actually inspired me.”
I sat up again and raised a brow. “How have I inspired you?”
“So, I got to thinking. Brad had been planning to take me to that fancy wedding in a few weeks. Remember?”
“Yeah, I do. His rich aunt was getting married on some private island. It all sounded totally over-the-top.”
“It did, and I was really looking forward to it. Well, I think I figured out how I can still go to the wedding and exact my revenge on Brad.”