Blame It on the Fruitcake Read Online Free PDF Page B

talk it out together than for me to keep calling you.”
    I took my phone out of my pocket and looked down at it. Oh yeah, I’d turned it off.
    “Okay. What’s the problem?” I sat on the couch with my elbows on my knees. I hadn’t realized I had a problem with Jay and Brian’s grandmother.
    “I don’t usually get into my grandsons’ affairs, but since I feel like maybe I’m responsible, I should this time.” She took a breath. “Jay told me a couple weeks ago after his holiday party that he met someone he really liked. You. He said you got along great and had a lot in common. Then he went away for a few days, leaving Brian in charge at his place, and when he came back, he said at first you were a little distant.
    “Then I invited you over for Christmas dinner, and everything broke off. I don’t know what I did, but I apologize. If you don’t want to be friends with Jay, well, that’s one thing. And it’s between you two. If, however, you don’t want to have anything to do with him because I was too pushy or something, well, then that’s between us.”
    Oh God. I didn’t want to have to explain the facts of life to Jay’s grandmother. What the fuck? Still, she looked like the kind of woman who wouldn’t move until I told her something.
    “Uh, well, it’s not you. See, I haven’t told Jay this yet, but I was abandoned as a baby and raised in the Children’s Home. He thinks we’re a lot alike, but we’ve got nothing in common.”
    “Oh. Oh, I see. You’re not gay?” she asked gently. No judgment, which was nice. Just concern about the mix-up.
    “Uh, yeah, yeah, I am. That’s not what I’m saying.” I sat back and ran my hand through my hair. “See, I’m a mechanic, and I own a garage. I didn’t go to college, and anything I know about anything probably didn’t come from a book. I don’t have a family. Jay’s a really great guy, and I like him a lot. But we’re not what anybody’d ever call a match.”
    Fuck me. I sounded pathetic. I sat up again.
    “Look. I’ve been with a Jay before. Well, not your Jay, not this Jay. But an educated guy with lots of family who cared a whole he… a whole lot about him. Like, I’ve been with a bunch of Jays. In the end it all boils down to us not getting along because I’m too clingy or some sh… something like that. I could see the whole thing happening again, and then I had dinner with Brian and, well, I don’t have the time or the stomach for it.”
    “What did Brian say? What did he do?” Her eyes had narrowed to slits. She didn’t look happy.
    “Nothing. Nothing much.” I couldn’t believe I was really talking to Grandma, of all people. How crazy was that? Jay’s whole family was weird. “He just made me look in the mirror and ask myself why I wanted to jump in the race again.” And come in last again. But I didn’t spell out the end game to her. “He just told me the truth.”
    She harrumphed and stood.
    “Well, I hope you and Jay can get this resolved.” She picked up her purse and gave me the once-over. “You seem like a nice boy. A good boy. A person could go very wrong throwing you away.”
    Huh? Whatever. Grandma liked me. Big deal.
    As I saw her out, she turned and put a hand on my chest. “You’re still invited to eat Christmas dinner with us. Anybody who likes my fruitcake can’t be all bad.” She laughed and patted me before she walked down the hall toward Jay’s.
    Oh shit. Now she was going to report back to him. I sighed. At least now he’d understand it wasn’t him cutting the cord, but me.
     
     
    T HE NEXT day I brought half the loaf of fruitcake Grandma gave me to the office. The four guys I’d shared with before rallied everyone to try it. There was a lot of harassing and making fun of the big, burly shop guys who acted like we were about to put rats down their pants.
    Janene not only liked it but appointed herself the keeper of the fruitcake. You had to go through her to get a piece. I would’ve