Creed ordered for everyone but me and I added my request for an avocado with over easy egg bagel. He pulled out a card to pay and I handed him my debit card. He shook his head. “I got this.”
Frowning, I put my card away but didn’t like him paying for everyone’s meal. “I’ll pay you back for ours at the apartment. I don’t have cash on me right now.”
He didn’t respond and when we moved over to the pickup window, the girls had already gotten their food and had to move out of the cramped area. Creed took his cup and went to get some of their coffee. I doubted theirs was any better than the coffee at the apartment. I didn’t say anything though. Standing in line at a coffee house was the last thing I wanted to do.
On our walk back to the apartment, Creed was quiet. He didn’t mention the girls or his covering up my identity. The silence no longer felt awkward. It was comfortable. I welcomed it. We had talked enough. When we arrived at the house their apartment was in, he opened the door for me to go inside.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Here, take these,” he replied, handing me the bag.
I took the bag and he reached inside to take out his bagel. Once he had his, he said “Later.” Then let the door close before he walked away. That was odd.
I took the food up to the hungry med students and tried to think about anything other than my conversation with Creed.
Four
The movers had called right before lunch to tell me that the moving van had mechanical issues. They were going to unload it and move everything to another moving van. This was going to put them two days behind schedule. Once Griff knew he had more time with me in Boston, he spent three more hours on his studying.
Instead of staying in the apartment, I went and bought groceries, made lunch for both Griff and Chet then went shopping for a rug. After finding the perfect area rug for Griff’s bedroom, I went back to the apartment to find Griff was in the bathroom. Chet had said he was getting a shower and we were all going to Red’s tonight to hear Creed play.
Creed was trying out with a band tonight that played at several of the local college bars. He hadn’t come back to the apartment all day, at least while I was there. Going to see him play wasn’t what I wanted to do. However, it was rude to tell Griff I didn’t want to go. I thought about faking a headache.
“Thanks for the food,” Chet called out from the kitchen.
“You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stay a couple extra days,” I replied.
“Hell, if you want to stay and buy the groceries and cook I am good with that,” he said.
Griff walked back into the apartment then with damp hair and a freshly shaven face. I sighed in appreciation. He was so nice to look at and he was mine. He gave me a wicked grin. “Keep looking at me like that and we won’t get real far,” he teased.
Chet laughed and walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich and a bag of chips in his hands. “At least let me get to my bedroom first.”
Griff saw the food in his hands. “She has us set up I see,” he said then smiled back at me.
“Hold on tight to her pretty boy because I’m in love,” Chet replied.
“You’re going to need to get over it. She’s taken,” Griff said.
Chet made an exaggerated pout. “How will I go on?”
A knock at the door interrupted his teasing. Griff turned around and opened it. A scantily dressed blonde beamed at him. “Hiya, I’m looking for Creed. Tell him Jazz is here,” she said.
Jazz? Was she serious? Who had a name like Jazz?
“Uh, he’s not here,” Griff replied then looked back at Chet.
Chet walked over to the door and Griff moved away then turned and came toward me.
“He expecting you?” Chet asked then finished chewing the large bite of sandwich in his mouth.
“Yes. We are going to the gig together,” she said then added, “I’m the lead singer in Kranx.”
“Ah, okay, well come in and he should be here soon I guess. You might want to text him. Haven’t heard from him in a while,” Chet told her.
“Thanks but I can’t. I’ve got to get going. I’ll call him,” she said then spun around on her red heels and walked away.
Chet closed the door and then turned back toward us. “Jazz seems high maintenance,” he said and rolled his eyes.
Griff chuckled and kissed my head. “I’m going to go get changed.”
I probably needed to change too.
“You might want to eat something before we go tonight. Red’s isn’t known for their menu. It has colon cancer stamped all over it,” Chet told me then took a bite of the banana in his hand.