Food for Thought Read Online Free PDF Page A

comfort’ next to it. And then there’s these notations here.”
    Emmett squinted. “ Cly pdr if bored. What the hell does that mean?”
    “Well see? Nobody else knows either. So this person here—in pencil—wrote ‘Cumin? NO! CUMIN IS A BAD IDEA!’ All in caps, right? And this other person wrote—”
    “‘Could it stand for clay? No. But it’s boring. What else should I put in it?’”
    “Right, see? And this next one says—”
    “‘ Chili powder, dumbasses! It’s perfect! ’” They both read the line together and laughed.
    “Oh my God!” Emmett crowed. “That was awesome. Damn, if I didn’t have to work tomorrow, I’d totally—”
    “Saturday?” Keegan asked excitedly. “You’re not doing anything with the Chris-thing, were y—?”
    “Fuck!” Emmett rarely swore. “Chris! I was going to call her tonight!”
    Keegan rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Call her after my movie, boyfriend. She’ll see you tomorrow.”
    Emmett smiled at him. He really was looking forward to the movie and some time with Kee. “Yeah. Why not? Here, let me go comb my hair.”
    Emmett was standing close to him on the bed so Emmett could stoop over and read over his shoulder. Keegan turned his head and grinned, putting their faces in proximity, and Emmett was struck by how pretty Keegan’s face was in silhouette, how graceful. Emmett smiled at him, just liking all of him, from his snarky humor to his smile. Keegan’s grin faded for a moment, and his expression became unaccountably sober.
    “What?” Emmett whispered, wondering why they were both so quiet all of a sudden.
    “Nothing,” Keegan whispered back. With a movement sudden enough to break the mood, he ruffled Emmett’s wet hair. “Shoo!” he laughed, and Emmett backed up and nodded, trotting to the bathroom to do what Keegan ordered.
    Later, in the dark of the movie theater, Emmett would look at Keegan to see if he was laughing. For some reason, movies were funnier when Keegan laughed—Emmett had never figured out why. Keegan looked back, and the oddest thing happened. The movie went away, and all that remained were Keegan’s bright eyes and full mouth, the glint of his teeth as he smiled.
    Emmett reached for popcorn, slowly, and Keegan’s hand met his in the bucket. For a moment they both froze, hands touching, and Emmett wanted to grab his hand so bad his chest ached with it.
    A collective gasp from the audience jerked Emmett’s attention back to the screen, and he took his handful of popcorn while carefully not meeting Keegan’s eyes. He’d been scrupulous, he thought. This past year, he’d been so careful—he never wanted to give Keegan any reason to think he was available. That would just be cruel.
    His heart thundered, and he felt sweat trickle down the back of his neck in the chilled theater.
    He ignored the little voice in his head that said, Oh yes. This was the taste of pain.
     
     
    I T WASN ’ T until the movie was over, and they were walking through the theater to the still bright day that he felt his phone buzz in text.
    Hey, you back yet?
    He looked up at Keegan. “It’s Chris.”
    “Well by all means tell her you’ve been back in town for hours,” Keegan smirked. “That’s such good behavior in a boyfriend.”
    Emmett grimaced. Yeah. Me and Kee saw a movie.
    I thought you’d call!
    Sorry—Kee got there first.
    Nice to know I rank. Dinner tomorrow?
    Catching up on work tomorrow. Lunch at my desk?
    That’s romantic. Not.
    Dinner Friday?
    Better. See you tomorrow.
    Emmett slipped the phone in his pocket and turned to Keegan. “Dinner?”
    Keegan was looking back, his usually grinning face unexpectedly troubled.
    “You know, it’s not really kosher to ditch your girlfriend for your friends. Somebody told you that, right?”
    Emmett shifted uncomfortably. “Well, she’s not really… I mean, you know. Dinner, movies—not serious.”
    “You mean no sex,” Keegan said, his voice acerbic.
    Emmett shrugged. “Uhm, you