Riding With Brighton(12)

“So you think I’m hot?” he asks with humor in his voice.

“I’m not into straight guys.” I look over at him again, and he gives me a tight smile, then looks away.

“So if your type is just a normal guy, how can you even tell who’s gay?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m kind of sheltered in that way. If a guy starts stalking my Instagram and posting that I’m sexy, then I’m pretty sure he’s gay. When I go to the clubs and a guy grabs my ass or tries to buy me a drink, I’m pretty sure he’s gay. I’ve never had to wade through a sea of guys, trying to pick out the gay one in the bunch.”

“They all just come flocking to you, huh?”

“I don’t know about flocking… but yeah, I have options.”

“I can see that. I mean, I’ve heard plenty of girls talking about turning you straight and the whole, ‘why are the hottest ones always gay’ thing.”

“Ha. Clearly they learned that line from TV. Why are the hottest ones always gay? As if that’s a real problem in their lives… in this town.”

“Yeah, no shit.” He laughs.

“I guess you should be thanking me.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Without me in the game, you’re the hottest eligible guy at our school.”

“Shit. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Hell yes, I would be. I’d be in Sadie’s bed every damn night.”

“Shut the hell up. Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Is she a good girl?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“Oh Jesus. Don’t tell me she’s a virgin.”

“You think that’s a bad thing? Her being a virgin?”

I look over at him, my eyebrows raised. “No. I mean, that’s great. You just don’t strike me as the kind of guy who can be in a sexless relationship.”

“Seriously? I’m not a total douche bag like Mack and Brian.”

“Okay… but those are the guys you hang around with. You know, the whole company-you-keep thing.”

“Yeah, I do know. But I’m not like that. Never have been.”

“So what, it’s an emotionally intimate thing with Sadie?”

“I guess. I mean, yeah, I can talk to her. She gets me.”

“You don’t want to fuck her?” I ask, getting more daring with my words because it seems like the scales are tipping in my favor.

He looks at me and laughs, and it sounds like a “holy shit” kind of laugh. “No,” he says, his expression going slack. “I don’t really want to fuck her.”

I nod. “Are you one of those moral, ‘saving it for marriage’ kids?”

“That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“So what… you’re just not attracted to her?”

He runs his hands over his face and through his hair, and I realize his hat got left on my bed. “I guess I’m not. I mean, I don’t know if I am.”

“Why not? She’s hot and she’s your type… right?”

“Fuck,” he mutters. “I don’t know.”

I shut up then because I’m pretty damn sure he’s having a moment. As in a “holy shit, I don’t think I’m attracted to women” moment.

We drive the rest of the way in silence. When we pull up to Olsen’s Drug Emporium, I park the truck but don’t get out. I guess I’m waiting for—hoping for—him to tell me he’s realized he’s gay.

“Damn,” he says, looking out the window. “Did you do that?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. He opens the door and steps out. I watch him as he walks around the truck to get a closer look at the side of the brick building where I recreated the original drug store logo.

I step out but don’t go to him. I wait for him by the hood of the truck.

He stares at it for another minute before turning and walking to me. “Where’d you learn how to letter like that?”

“My parents had a friend… this guy named Gus. He used to work at The Farm….” I pause to smile at him. “This was his job when it was necessary rather than just cool to have hand-painted signs. He had a bunch of them—old billboard panels and stuff—and I just kind of fell in love. I’d practice when I was there with him… at The Farm.”

“I wish I knew just one interesting person. Your life’s apparently filled with them.”

“You know me,” I say, punching him in the shoulder.

“That’s true. You’re definitely the most interesting person I know.”

“Aww, Jay, that’s just… sad. I can’t be as interesting as it gets for you.”

He stares off into the air like he’s thinking about it. “Yeah… you’re it. Jesus, my life is pathetic.”

“Don’t stress. I know all kinds of crazy lunatics I can introduce you to who will put me to shame.”

“I don’t know if I’m looking for crazy as much as I’m looking for intriguing.”

“You think I’m intriguing?” I ask, wagging my eyebrows at him. Shit. I’m full-on flirting with him. I almost reached out and ran my fingers through his hair like he’s been doing to himself all day.