“Thanks.”
“No worries. Now get going. Binks is waiting. Don’t want to be late picking up your boy, right?” Tommy held up Ru’s wallet. “And try not to go crazy with money stuff. It will be hard enough for this regular kid to take you having a driver. Normal people don’t hire drivers.”
“Should I drive myself?” The idea brought rise to panic. Sure he had a license, but he drove almost never and didn’t like the idea of driving someplace he was unfamiliar with. “It’s so cold out. Are the roads icy?”
“No, you goof. It has to be below thirty degrees to even think about ice. Let Binks drive you. Just don’t start buying the guy Rolexes or Mercedes or anything.”
“Pizza is okay?”
“You won’t have to pay for pizza. Dimitri never charges you.”
“I do pay for pizza. I haven’t even seen him yet. He’s been working. I don’t know if he knows I’m in town. It’s not like he calls my mom for updates on my status. Last I saw him was for Christmas last year. That was before I was outed to the whole world.”
Tommy frowned at him. “Geez, Ru. You have to stop hiding from people. You know big D is not going to have a problem with you being gay. He probably heard it from your mom ages ago. And he’s gonna be mad when he finds out you’ve been here almost a month without seeing him.”
Ru shrugged, stuffed his wallet in his pocket, and made his way to the door. “Don’t wait up.”
“Be back early, Cinderfella. You have to fly to Diego tomorrow and not be a bear when you get there.”
Ru saluted him on his way out. All he could think about was seeing Adam again. Talking to him. Maybe getting the chance to kiss him, or even just hold his hand.Breathe, Ru, he told himself.Be the normal confident you. The one you let the cameras see. Not the dependent, unassured guy you hide underneath.
Binks drove him to the high school, and they circled, watching for Adam to leave the building. Most everyone left from the front of the building because that was the main parking area. Binks must have been privy to Tommy’s researched information because he pulled the car up right beside Adam, who was walking along the road. And the guy was just as amazing as Ru remembered. He lowered the window and called out, “Adam?”
