“You don’t have to thank me,” he said.
“I still am.”
“Well, then, you’re welcome.”
There was a slightly awkward silence after that exchange, which Cal decided to break by asking the first question to pop into his head. “I haven’t heard this about the great coffee on bigger ships. Do you think it applies to food as well?”
“I’m dating a man ruled by his stomach,” complained Jude with no malice whatsoever.
“It’s a fair question.”
“I think they still serve MRE-style food, it’s just done up in larger batches as opposed to individual meals. However, they have real coffee makers instead of instant.”
Not being a coffee drinker, Cal wasn’t worried. It would clearly make Jude happy, though, and that was something. “Maybe you should get a coffee maker,” he suggested.
“And where would I plug it in without making an unapproved modification to the ship?”
Cal didn’t give up so easily, and he resolved to give the matter further thought. It’d be a good birthday present if he could figure out the logistics. Which reminded him, he didn’t know when Jude’s birthday was. For all they’d lived out of each other’s pockets for six months, they still had a lot to learn about each other. Everything changed once they decided to date.
Not just different, the best kind of different. Cal was looking forward to the whole process of learning more about Jude, and wouldn’t you know it, something else in his life had gone the way he wanted. At this rate, they might yet discover a lode worth a hefty bonus. He wasn’t counting on it, but if he got to have Jude as a boyfriend, anything was possible.
Epilogue
The busted engines didn’t cause the significant delay Jude had expected, because the engineering teams on the supply stations had spares, and the hull was soon stronger than ever. There was a great deal of paperwork to be filled out plus incident interviews to be conducted, so by the time Alston cleared them to leave, he was more than ready to be rid of the corporate bureaucracy.
He was packing to return to the ship when someone rang the doorbell. Since nobody besides Cal was likely to be visiting his guest room on the station, he said, “Come in.”
Cal walked in holding a bag from the station’s bakery. “I picked up cookies for the trip. You about ready?”
“Almost.”
“Is this everything?”
“Yes.”
“Great.” Cal swung a duffel bag over his shoulder. “I want to put these new engines through their paces. Then we can go searching for untold riches in sector 85.”
Jude tucked butterscotch candies into his other bag and figured he might as well share his news. “I put in for a few weeks’ leave after we finish this route.”
“Aw, damn. I don’t have that much leave, which means I’ll be stuck training some wet behind the ears kid.”
Jude had larger concerns, as the mirror revealed. He ignored Cal’s complaint and went on. “I’ve scheduled a rhinoplasty.”
It had been an interesting conversation. The doctor had asked all these questions about his ideal nose, when Jude simply wanted not to look like his brother anymore. In the end, he’d settled on turning his curved, beakish nose into a classic Roman one, simply for the contrast.
“Okay,” said Cal. “Like I said, I don’t think you have to, but I can see why you’d want to. It’s not like I’m only interested in you for your nose.”
“That’s a relief.” Despite the sarcasm, he was genuinely glad Cal took the news well.
It occasionally still seemed too good to be true the way Cal simply accepted him, including his issues, and yet all evidence pointed to this being the case. Jude therefore, in deference to his boyfriend’s sensitivities, had limited himself to one beer per evening, and not every night. He’d outgrown the need to get drunk, anyway. Cal’s relief had been evident, and oddly enough, knowing that he worried about his own weak points made Jude feel better.
All the same, if he was really going to move ahead with his life, he couldn’t look like John anymore. Jude was tired of paying for his brother’s crimes and ready to reclaim his own life. The murders, and especially his own unwitting role in them, would always be part of Jude’s story. There was no going back from being the identical twin of a killer. He was at last starting to believe, though, that he could actually build something good for himself nevertheless.
The fondness with which Cal kissed him suggested happiness was truly possible, and for the first time since his brother’s arrest, Jude was looking forward to the future.
THE END
ABOUT JESSIE PINKHAM
Some kids have imaginary friends. Jessie grew up in rural Maine where she needed to entertain herself, so she created an imaginary village and has been dreaming up stories ever since. These days she writes romances which reflect her love of hot guys and a good happy ending.
Married to her own Mr. Right, Jessie gratefully acknowledges his support and encouragement. She enjoys exploring the diversity of the universe and cannot commit to a single subgenre of male/male romance. She’s also a chocoholic, avid reader, and travel enthusiast. Too often she rushes out at the last minute because she lost track of time while writing.
For more information, visit jessiepinkham.net.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
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