Draw Me In by Megan Squires Page B

There was no way around it. It was weird that I ’ d
spent all afternoon drawing a guy ’ s
stomach without him even knowing. Maybe this was why I didn ’ t do relationships. Or relationships
didn ’ t
do me. Or I didn ’ t
do anything other than draw.
    It
honestly scared the ever-loving crap out of me to even think about getting as
excited as Ian was right now. Because what if Joshua ended up feeling
differently? What if that hope of affection was never returned? What if instead
of being the Winnie the Pooh to his Tigger, he got all Eeyore on him? What
then? What would Ian be left with?
    Oh
bother.
    It
felt safer to stick to mediums where you could fabricate your own reality than
to cling to people who could mess with the one you actually had.
    “ Joshua, this is Jules, ” Ian spoke, breaking into my reverie.
I got lost like that a lot, and was used to Ian pulling me back into the
present.
    An
attractive guy with his brown hair shaved closely, almost to the scalp, on the
sides and left several inches longer on the top offered me a sweet smile and
then dove right in for the hug, completely bypassing the customary handshake. I
could already tell I was going to like this guy. His body was just as warm as
his gesture.
    “ Hey Jules, ” he said, still encircling me in his
thin, yet toned, arms. He leaned back enough so I could see his face. He had
soft hazel eyes and rosy, angular cheeks. “ Nice
to meet you. ”
    “ You too, Joshua. Hungry? ‘ Cause Ian pretty much ordered enough
food to feed an entire Chinese dynasty. ”
    “ Oh, star ving, ” Joshua said, peering over my shoulder to view the smorgasbord of options lining
the breakfast bar. “ Smells
amazing. ”
    “ Tastes that way, too. Mr. Wong sure
knows how to get it right, ” Ian joked. It wasn ’ t
the first time I ’ d
heard that one, but I could tell he was eager to try it out on Joshua. He waited
expectantly for some sort of recognition with a lifted brow.
    “ Hysterical, ” Joshua approved. “ Let ’ s have at it. ”
    “ I ’ ll eat on the futon, ” I offered, taking my bowl and fork
from the counter to free up our “ dining ” room table for Ian and Joshua to
enjoy, giving them a semblance of sought after privacy.
    “ I don ’ t think so, ” Joshua insisted with a vehement
shake of his head. “ I ’ m not coming over here to kick you
out of your well-earned place at the table. You two are family. I ’ m the new guy. I ’ ll eat on the futon. ”
    Ian
bracketed his hands on Joshua ’ s
shoulders, which surprised me because he wasn ’ t typically the touchy-feely type. I
mean, he was with his closest friends, but with the guys he ’ d dated in the past, he tended to be
much more hesitant and reserved. Guarded even. “ That ’ s awfully nice of you, Joshua, but
one thing you ’ ll
need to learn about being part of this family is that we don ’ t do the whole nicety thing, right
Jules? ”
      “ Yep, ” I nodded. “ We like to literally fight for the
last cup of milk or the toy in the bottom of the cereal box. ” Joshua laughed and I could tell it
was authentic, not at all out of obligation. “ No joke. Ian once dropkicked me to
claim his right to shower in the bathroom first. I have the stitches to prove
it. ”
    “ Jules karate-chopped me for using her
deodorant. ”
    “ Well, ” I groaned, balancing my bowl in my
palm. Steam rose out of it, dancing in the air like an aromatic smoke. My
stomach growled loudly once more. “ You
have to admit — that ’ s completely gross. ”
    Joshua
pressed a hand to his stomach, slightly bent in laughter as he said, “ Because I honestly don ’ t think I ’ d stand a chance against either of
your ninja skills, how ‘ bout
a compromise and we share the futon. ”
    “ Works for me, ” Ian smiled.
    “ Me too. ”

 
    Dinner
hit the spot. And so did the company and conversation. Learning about Joshua
and his interest in cinematic filmography was a pleasant distraction from