There was hardly anything left in me most nights after work to do anything with Nick. Most of our time was spent literally sleeping together. Not talking. Not touching. Just collapsing side by side in the Mustang’s backseat.

We needed a better bed. We needed a bed, period. A shower. A TV. A fridge so we wouldn’t have to eat fast food all the time. I missed life on the road. Even Oklahoma was starting to feel like a better memory. I understood we had to save money, but there was only so much longer I could...

Our new life was taking a toll on me. Regardless, I showed up for work every Monday.

“You’re late,” Rick said.

I had just walked into the building.

“But it’s five,” I said.

“You back talking me?” he snapped from the front counter.

None of the girls were around. Most of the lights weren’t even on. The place felt hollow.

“No, sir,” I answered.

Rick grumbled while fiddling with the registers.

“We’re closing the store for a few days. Another location had an accident, so we can’t serve food until it’s taken care of,” he explained.

“What does that mean?”

“We’ll pay you for your regular hours this week. I’ll try to take care of you until we’re back open, but that could take a while.”

It sounded like a paid vacation. The idea made me grin—until Rick added, “This ain’t a good thing, kid. If we stay closed too long, it might stay that way.”

I hadn’t been employed for more than two months, if that, and already they were about to lay me off. Or so I thought. Beef Babys was a growing food chain with a long list of health code violations. Despite how many people their food got sick, their doors always opened again.

While it felt odd to have a forced vacation, I’d have many more of those in the future—some longer, some shorter.

In any case, I had the rest of the day to myself. I thought I’d drop by the comic shop and see Nick. He wouldn’t have been expecting me. We never visited each other at work, at least not before then—we were still getting used to our schedules.

Filbert and Comics. A small shop sandwiched between a pizza place and a neighborhood tailor. I never got into comics, but that place was incredible. Purple and yellow paint, posters in the windows, shelves packed with glossy covers and weird figurines. It looked like a fun place to work—more than Beef Babys ever did.

I could see why Nick wanted to own a shop like that someday.

He was always nerdy, but not in an annoying way. Nick liked chick flicks, weird food, and comic books. Those were truths that stayed consistent throughout our relationship. More than half the stuff we owned was his, and I was okay with that. I couldn’t be a football player forever.

I wasn’t a football player anymore.

Though I hadn’t fallen in love with one of Nick’s interests yet, I hoped I would eventually. I wanted us to have more in common. But I wanted to find my next thing too.

I stood at the front entrance, about to walk in, when I noticed Nick. He was wearing his purple uniform vest over a black sweater. He looked good that day. Even his messy hair seemed stylish. I knew that’s how it looked when he woke up, but it worked.

Was it weird to watch him from afar like that?

Right as I was about to walk inside, I saw another guy step up to him. Yellow vest. Same uniform, different color. They were talking, and for the most part, the interaction was tame—until suddenly, Yellow Vest touched Nick. It was subtle. The elbow, the shoulder, the hand. I could’ve lived with that. But when he touched Nick’s hair, I finally walked inside.

The door dinged. Both of them looked up across the room at me.

As I walked over, Yellow Vest made himself scarce.

“Tom?” Nick said.

“Who was that guy?” I asked as I got closer.

When I got close enough to take Nick’s hand, I looked around, trying to figure out where Yellow Vest went.

“Who?” Nick asked.

“The one touching your hair a minute ago,” I said.

“That was Lance. My boss,” he explained.

Did he think that made it okay?

“Your boss is real handsy,” I remarked.

“Tom.”

“Sorry. No one should touch your hair but me. That’s our thing,” I added.

Nick and I went out the back door, which spit us into an alley. A dumpster reeking of garlic sat nearby.

“What are you doing here?” Nick asked.

“Beef Babys has to stay closed for a few days. I thought we could get lunch,” I said, scratching the back of my head.

I let my jealousy pop out, but I thought I had cause for being possessive.

Either way, Nick and I grabbed something to eat from the pizza place next door—Square Table. After ordering and sitting down, I tried to pull myself back. But I still asked, “So he likes you?”

“I think so,” Nick answered. Then added, “I know he does. That’s how I got the job.”

I was more embarrassed than anything. How hadn’t I known already? Would it have developed into more than I saw had I not caught it?

“He’s friendly, that’s all. I’d never let anything happen,” Nick tried to reassure me.

“That’s sexual harassment or some shit,” I argued—loud enough for the kitchen to hear.

“I need the job. We need the job,” he said. And I already knew.

I hated being angry. I hated being upset. So instead of focusing on what made me feel that way, I threw out a simple solution.

“Work somewhere else. I can ask Rick to hire you at Beef Babys,” I said.

“Didn’t you say your store is closed?” Nick reminded me.

“For now,” I said. Then added, “I know you like comic books, but...”

I stopped myself. Looking across the table, I could see a wedge being hammered between us. I trusted Nick. I had to. So I said, “If he ever touches your hair again, I’ll have to kill him.”

I joked so we could let the argument go. I joked so I could let the argument go. Besides, we shouldn’t havd both had crap jobs. Beef Babys wasn’t the kind of place I wanted Nick breaking his back for. If anyone was going to struggle, I preferred it be me.

While I sat swallowing my pride, Nick reached across the table and took my hand. That simple touch felt like a drug I’d long been addicted to.

“I think it’s time we find somewhere to live,” he said.

My face lit up, and I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out, “Fucking finally!”