Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
“It blends in enough now to give him a layered, wind-tossed look,” Jeremy said. “Carefree summer break kind of style. I like it.”
“You’re not helping,” Kevin said, and motioned to Jean. “Show me what you’re wearing tomorrow.”
Jeremy quirked a brow at him and counted off more appropriate greetings on his fingers. “It’s good to see you, been a while, hope you’ve settled in okay, heard your team loves having you around.”
Rather than take the hint, Kevin stole Jean’s coffee again. Jean barely gave him time to set it aside before pushing Kevin out of his way. Jeremy had to move to let them pass, and he followed them down the hall to the bedroom. Jean tugged open the closet door, gestured wordlessly to his half of the closet, and sat on his bed to wait for Kevin’s decision.
Kevin started at one end and made his way to the other, a small frown on his face. Jeremy refused to believe he was that disappointed in their options, since Laila had handpicked almost everything Jean now owned, but then Kevin lifted a shirt off the rack and said, “I can’t imagine you in color. Seems unnatural.”
“You’ve doomed me to wearing gold this fall,” Jean said. “Deal with it.”
Kevin settled on four shirts and brought them to Jean to try on. Two he rejected as soon as he saw Jean in them. The third gave him pause, and he folded his arms across his chest as he considered it with a serious look on his face. Jeremy wasn’t sure what the problem was; Jean looked just as good in this shirt as he had the last two.
He almost said as much, but managed to censor himself at the last moment: “What’s up?”
“It’s a closed studio,” Kevin said. “The lighting will be significantly different than if it was built for an audience. We’ll have to see what this looks like in morning sunlight to know for sure. Try the last.”
Jean muttered something rude under his breath but obediently changed. As soon as he dropped his hands Kevin reached out to fix his collar and tug the top two buttons loose. Kevin hesitated, then hooked a finger under the silver chain around Jean’s neck and pulled it free.
“This is Renee’s,” Kevin said, but Jean only stared him down in silence. Kevin didn’t press him for an explanation but withdrew. “Let it show. The people who are most likely to have a problem with you will be the ones most comforted by such a symbol. You need all the good favor you can scrape together right now.”
“I don’t care,” Jean said, moving to tuck it away again.
Kevin caught hold of his hand to stop him. “We’re trying to sell you to them. An image of you, rather. Don’t make it harder for us than it needs to be.” He waited a beat to see if Jean would argue, then withdrew and motioned to the shirt. “Keep this one with the other. We’ll compare them in the morning.”
He draped the third shirt on Jean’s bed before carrying the rejected two back to the closet. Jeremy assumed Jean was used to Kevin’s bossiness after so many years together, but he glanced at Jean’s face to gauge his mood. The look on Jean’s face, there and gone again in a heartbeat, was almost enough to startle him off the doorframe. Jeremy had no time to dwell on this sudden understanding; Jean felt Jeremy’s stare on him and was thoughtless enough to return it.
Maybe Jeremy should have schooled his surprise, but he wasn’t expecting Jean to flinch like he’d been struck. Jean turned sharply away, a vain attempt to hide his reaction, and yanked his buttons loose with a force that should have ripped at least one off its threads.
“With a little more care,” Kevin said, aggrieved. “We might need that tomorrow.”
“Get out,” Jean warned him. Kevin made a disapproving noise but left the room. Jeremy lingered for just a moment, but the hint of panic in Jean’s second, “Get out,” had him beating a hasty retreat after Kevin.
Confusion left Jeremy rattled, and he was glad to subject Kevin to Laila’s and Cat’s enthusiastic questions so he could think. Jean hadn’t denied his sexuality the first time Jeremy brought it up, and he’d been more annoyed than anything when Jeremy teased him about Laila last month. He’d gotten caught checking them out more than once this summer, but he was always quick to retreat into his own space afterward. It always felt more like caution and avoidance than fear or self-loathing. Jeremy couldn’t imagine why Kevin alone would inspire such a vehement reaction.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to keep Jean away for long. He came looking for them just a few minutes later, and Cat gleefully relocated everyone to the kitchen so she could start on dinner.