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TJ

“Where are you off to tonight?”

I smoothed a hand down the front of my short-sleeved button-down, making eye contact with Gram in the mirror where she had come up behind me.

“There’s a bonfire down at the lake. Drea invited me. She thought it would be good for me to meet some people.” I fiddled with the buttons, trying to decide how many to leave undone at the top. “Do I look alright? I don’t know what to wear to a small-town bonfire.”

“Honey, I turn eighty-five next week. How the hell should I know what you kids wear to those things?”

I laughed and turned to face her.

“You always look beautiful, no matter what.”

“Mm-hmm. Flattery will get you everywhere.” There was a distinct twinkle in her eye.

“You sure you’re good without me?”

“Pfft.” She waved a hand in front of her. “You moved back here to help me, and I appreciate that. I love having you here. But you have your own life. I think it’s good you’re getting out and meeting some people. I’ll be fine.”

It was true that I’d moved back in order to help her. She’d had a couple of concerning fainting spells last spring. After several visits with the doctor, it appeared she was in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Ma and Aunt Lydia had been taking turns checking on her, but they both worked full-time and couldn’t be around as much as they would have liked.

Everyone was surprised when I offered to move back, but the fact was, I’d been subconsciously heading this direction anyway. When I got the news about Gram’s diagnosis, the show I’d been performing with had been scheduled to finish its run in July, and I didn’t have another gig lined up. I hadn’t gone to auditions or sought other opportunities.

I’d been dealing with some serious burnout without realizing it, and at the same time, I’d been finding myself longing for home more and more. I missed Trent’s high school graduation while on tour and nearly missed Tyler’s wedding last summer. At the time of Gram’s diagnosis, I’d been about to become an uncle. I hadn’t wanted to miss those things anymore. So I’d sublet my apartment, packed my things, and flown home.

“You promise you’ll call if you need anything?”

“Sure.” I narrowed my eyes when her lips twitched. “I’ll call your aunt.”

“Gram…”

“Shoo. Off with you. Stop worrying.”

“I can’t help it. I love you.”

Her gaze softened. “I love you too, sweetie.”

* * *

I followed the sounds of music and laughter down the path from the parking lot to the beach. A little ways away, a crowd of people stood around, talking and laughing. I headed in that direction but pulled up short, feet rooted in place when I saw him. Jimmy. I’d wondered about the possibility, had thought of little else since Drea invited me, yet I was still unprepared for the sight of him.

His clothes weren’t particularly notable, dressed simply in a T-shirt and jeans. His blond curls were shorter and appeared to have been tamed with product. I itched to run my fingers through the strands and muss them up. I started forward but pulled up short once again when I noticed the guy standing beside him lean over and whisper something in Jimmy’s ear. Jimmy’s jaw tightened, and he gave a little shake of his head, making the other man frown. But despite the seemingly negative interaction, there was a closeness between them, a familiarity that suggested more than friendship.

Even as my heart sank, my curiosity got the best of me, and I studied the man closer. While most people in the crowd were dressed casually, wearing jeans, T-shirts, and the like, this guy was wearing a crop top paired with cut-off jean shorts and combat boots. His hair was artfully styled, and like Jimmy, he had a petite build.

I hated him on sight.

I was startled by the sudden appearance of Drea in front of me. I’d been so focused on Jimmy and the guy he was with that I hadn’t noticed her approach.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he was going to be here.”

I blinked, giving myself a mental shake, and attempted to focus my attention on what she was saying.

“What? Who?”

“Steven. Jimmy’s boyfriend. He’s a fucking tool. I wouldn’t have invited you if I’d known he would be here.”

I blinked again, trying to make sense of what she was saying, and then it clicked, and I narrowed my eyes.

“How long have you known about my connection to Jimmy?”

“Known you were roommates and dated before you went off to pursue your Broadway career? Since shortly after your interview in June.”

“Does Jimmy know I moved back?” I spluttered.

“He knows I hired a Thomas Sullivan. He doesn’t know I’m aware you’re his TJ.”

I wasn’t his anything. Not anymore.

“Did you orchestrate this whole bonfire thing?”

“Nah. We do these about once a month until the weather gets too cold. But I did make sure Jimmy was invited.”

“You’re pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?” She was, in fact, looking very smug.

“Listen, you two idiots were taking too long. All I did was put you in each other’s paths. But like I said, I didn’t know the dumbass boyfriend was going to be here.”

I wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or grateful. I also had a lot of questions, but Jimmy spotted me before I could ask them.

Our eyes locked and held as the firelight cast shadows that danced along the side of his face. His boyfriend tapped him on the arm, but when Jimmy didn’t turn to acknowledge him, the guy’s eyes darted to where I was standing. He took in the sight of me, and then his eyes narrowed, flickering back and forth between the two of us. It shook me out of my stupor and I stepped forward, closing the distance between us, leaving Drea to trail behind.

“Hey, sunshine. It’s good to see you.”

“Um, hi.” His voice was small, reminding me of the way he’d been when we first met, before he’d found his confidence. I didn’t like it.

Steven cleared his throat pointedly. Jimmy’s eyes widened as if he’d just remembered Steven was there, and he scrambled to make introductions.

“Steven, this is TJ. Or Thomas, I guess. And this is my boyfriend, Steven.”

“You can still call me TJ.”

Because Ma had taught me good manners, I offered my hand to shake, though the childish side of me didn’t want to. Steven hesitated, then finally took my hand, giving it a loose shake before quickly releasing it with a scowl. His hand was clammy, and I barely refrained from wiping mine on my pants, though I managed to keep a friendly smile plastered on my face.

An awkward silence descended as everyone tried to figure out what to say. Finally, Jimmy broke it. “How’s Gram? I heard she was having some health issues.”

“She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s last spring. She has some mobility issues, but she’s still just as feisty as ever.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. She’s such a neat lady.”

“Gram’s too stubborn to let it get her down, but I’m staying with her now so I can help her.”

“Oh, so you’re here in Astaire?”

“Yep. You should come by. Gram would love to see you.”

“Maybe. I?—”

“Babe,” Steven interjected. “I have a headache.”

Jimmy turned to look at him, almost like he’d forgotten he was there.

“I have some ibuprofen in my car. Let’s go get it,” Drea chimed in, her tone almost comically chipper.

“Oh no, that’s okay,” Steven protested. “I think we should just go?—”

“No, really, it’s no big deal at all. Follow me.” Before he could respond, Drea grabbed his arm and dragged him across the sand toward the parking lot, leaving Jimmy and me alone. It wasn’t even a little bit subtle, but I was grateful for the chance to speak to Jimmy without his annoying boyfriend around.

“So, how are you? Are you teaching now?”

“I’m the middle school librarian here in town. I never felt very comfortable in the classroom and pretty quickly went back to school for my librarian endorsement.”

“That’s great. Sounds perfect for you.”

“I like it. But what about you? I know you’re teaching at Drea’s studio. Does that mean you’re back for good?”

I looked for a sign of hopeful expectation on his face but couldn’t find anything more than polite interest. I used to be able to read Jimmy like a book, but tonight, I found it difficult. It hurt more than I would have thought. “I think so. I’m still figuring out what’s next. But for now, I’m home.”

His brows shot up. “Really? You’re giving up your dreams?”

“I lived my dream for five years, and it was amazing. But I’m not convinced we only get to pursue one dream in this life.”

He looked puzzled, as if it were a completely foreign concept. “But you’re so talented. What about?—”

“Babe. My head really hurts.” Steven came up behind Jimmy and laid his head dramatically on his shoulder.

“Literally just took the ibuprofen. Hasn’t had a chance to kick in yet,” Drea muttered, coming up behind me.

Steven glared at her, then came to stand in front of Jimmy, effectively putting himself between Jimmy and us. “Babe, can we please go home?” he whined.

“Oh yeah. Um, we can go.” Jimmy stepped around Steven to address us. “Sorry, guys. I guess we need to go.” He stepped forward and kissed Drea on the cheek.

“You’ll call me later?” she asked, shooting him a meaningful look. He nodded, and then, with a lingering glance in my direction, he turned, and they made their way across the sand toward the lot.

“God, I hate that guy,” Drea said, the venom in her tone making it clear just how much.

“How long have they been dating?”

“Off and on for about a year.”

“Every couple of months, Jimmy comes to his senses and kicks him to the curb, but then Steven manages to convince Jimmy to take him back. None of us can figure out why. Hi, I’m Rafi, by the way.” The name seemed familiar, like maybe I’d heard Jimmy talk about him before.

“Oh sorry! I should introduce you.” A few more folks joined our circle and Drea made the introductions.

“Wait, so you were Jimmy’s roommate in college,” Mandy said, connecting the dots. She turned toward Drea, giving her a pointed stare. “When did you figure out the guy you hired was actually the infamous TJ?”

My brows shot up. “Infamous?”

“Do you know how close we came to driving in from Lincoln and forcing our way into your dorm room just to meet you? We wanted to meet the guy who’d finally won Jimmy’s heart.”

“I wanted to meet you guys too. He talked about you all the time.”

“Hold up,” Rafi interjected. “You knew Jimmy before tonight?”

“We were roommates. I was in love with him.”