the counter to watch Jacob open his dinner.
Jacob pulled out a huge platter covered in foil. Setting it on the kitchen island, he peeled back the aluminum and let out a laugh. An array of tropical fruits and slices of cooked chicken were arranged in the shape of a heart.
David's face turned serious. "You'd better give your mother a call. Since Milo didn't have you, she suspected you were with me."
Jacob piled some food on a plate. "Did she sound sober?"
"It's hard to say. She said she's coming to New York, but the background noise sounded like she was already on her way."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, she lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and when she called, the background noise was so loud I could barely hear her."
Jacob nibbled on a piece of fruit. "What kind of noise?"
"I would say train, but it sounded more muffled, maybe a subway. But why would she call and say she was coming if she was already here?"
"She told Milo she wanted to surprise me."
"Huh. Well, you know she freaks me out." David snagged a piece of fruit off Jacob's tray. "Warn me if you think she's going to show up."
Jacob nodded. "I'll call her now."
Dialing his mother's number, he was surprised when it went directly to voice mail. "Mother, it's Jacob. Call me. I hear you're coming for a visit." As he hung up, he hoped he'd hidden the dread in his voice.
"Not answering?"
"Nope. I'm hoping that's not a bad sign." Without talking to his mother, he didn't know where she might be. Although he sent money home to his mother every month, he only visited her at Christmas, and he was more than ready to leave her company after a few days.
David gave him a sympathetic look. "Let's hope she was only talking. Why don't you call your rich boyfriend and have him ease your worries?"
Smiling, Jacob pressed the speed dial button. Guy had programmed his number into Jacob's phone the night before.
"Did you finally get home, darling?" Guy purred over the speaker.
Jacob took a deep breath to calm the insane urge to track down the sexy man and have his wicked way.
"Yeah, thanks for the food. It was a long day."
"I'm glad you like it. My sister is looking forward to working with you. She was able to squeeze in some time through your agent."
"That's great. I look forward to working with her too." Jacob really did; she'd seemed like a sweet woman and a talented designer.
"Get some rest, Jacob. I'll call you tomorrow."
"'Night."
As he hung up, Jacob felt lonely, as if there were an aching whole in his chest. He missed Guy desperately, strange, since he barely knew the man.
Jacob's phone rang. Looking at the caller ID caused a big smile to cross his face. Here was someone who always made him smile.
"Hey, man."
"Jacob, it's so good to hear you," William Stamson said on the other end. Jacob had met Will when he was modeling in Paris for a charity event. Will had bought the designer's entire collection for his personal use. "I called to give you the good news."
"What news is that?"
"Cassius asked me to marry him."
Joy filled Jacob at the happiness in his friend's voice. "Congratulations."
Jacob hadn't ever met his old friend's lover. In fact, it had been a while since the two friends had a chance to connect. They hadn't seen each other since Will met his new man. From the happiness in William's voice and his constant praise, Jacob got the feeling that William and his partner were a very good match. Not everyone could take Will's approach to living. Last he'd heard, the man still hadn't learned how to wash his own clothes or cook a single thing, but Will still somehow ended up on the bestsellers list with every book he released. Will might be a trust fund baby, but he was a great guy too.
"I was hoping you could be my best man."
"What about your brothers?"
"Umm, we've had a disagreement of sorts." From his friend's tone, Jacob didn't think he wanted to know the details.
"How does that work exactly when two men get married?" Jacob had heard of
Jacob pulled out a huge platter covered in foil. Setting it on the kitchen island, he peeled back the aluminum and let out a laugh. An array of tropical fruits and slices of cooked chicken were arranged in the shape of a heart.
David's face turned serious. "You'd better give your mother a call. Since Milo didn't have you, she suspected you were with me."
Jacob piled some food on a plate. "Did she sound sober?"
"It's hard to say. She said she's coming to New York, but the background noise sounded like she was already on her way."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, she lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and when she called, the background noise was so loud I could barely hear her."
Jacob nibbled on a piece of fruit. "What kind of noise?"
"I would say train, but it sounded more muffled, maybe a subway. But why would she call and say she was coming if she was already here?"
"She told Milo she wanted to surprise me."
"Huh. Well, you know she freaks me out." David snagged a piece of fruit off Jacob's tray. "Warn me if you think she's going to show up."
Jacob nodded. "I'll call her now."
Dialing his mother's number, he was surprised when it went directly to voice mail. "Mother, it's Jacob. Call me. I hear you're coming for a visit." As he hung up, he hoped he'd hidden the dread in his voice.
"Not answering?"
"Nope. I'm hoping that's not a bad sign." Without talking to his mother, he didn't know where she might be. Although he sent money home to his mother every month, he only visited her at Christmas, and he was more than ready to leave her company after a few days.
David gave him a sympathetic look. "Let's hope she was only talking. Why don't you call your rich boyfriend and have him ease your worries?"
Smiling, Jacob pressed the speed dial button. Guy had programmed his number into Jacob's phone the night before.
"Did you finally get home, darling?" Guy purred over the speaker.
Jacob took a deep breath to calm the insane urge to track down the sexy man and have his wicked way.
"Yeah, thanks for the food. It was a long day."
"I'm glad you like it. My sister is looking forward to working with you. She was able to squeeze in some time through your agent."
"That's great. I look forward to working with her too." Jacob really did; she'd seemed like a sweet woman and a talented designer.
"Get some rest, Jacob. I'll call you tomorrow."
"'Night."
As he hung up, Jacob felt lonely, as if there were an aching whole in his chest. He missed Guy desperately, strange, since he barely knew the man.
Jacob's phone rang. Looking at the caller ID caused a big smile to cross his face. Here was someone who always made him smile.
"Hey, man."
"Jacob, it's so good to hear you," William Stamson said on the other end. Jacob had met Will when he was modeling in Paris for a charity event. Will had bought the designer's entire collection for his personal use. "I called to give you the good news."
"What news is that?"
"Cassius asked me to marry him."
Joy filled Jacob at the happiness in his friend's voice. "Congratulations."
Jacob hadn't ever met his old friend's lover. In fact, it had been a while since the two friends had a chance to connect. They hadn't seen each other since Will met his new man. From the happiness in William's voice and his constant praise, Jacob got the feeling that William and his partner were a very good match. Not everyone could take Will's approach to living. Last he'd heard, the man still hadn't learned how to wash his own clothes or cook a single thing, but Will still somehow ended up on the bestsellers list with every book he released. Will might be a trust fund baby, but he was a great guy too.
"I was hoping you could be my best man."
"What about your brothers?"
"Umm, we've had a disagreement of sorts." From his friend's tone, Jacob didn't think he wanted to know the details.
"How does that work exactly when two men get married?" Jacob had heard of
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