Thomas & January Read Online Free PDF Page A

distracted mind escaped the notice of all but when I caught Cherry’s gaze, I knew she saw right through me. She narrowed her eyes at me.
              “Callum, baby, switch places with me,” she said.
Callum kissed his wife deeply, making me think about January again, before moving to shotgun.
              “Spill, Tommy. What’s up with you? Aren’t you happy to be home?” she asked. She was the only one allowed to call me Tommy. I didn’t feel like I was ten years old the way Cherry said it.
              “Of course, Cherry Bomb. I will never be able to be away from you guys for that long again,” I said honestly, hugging her close.
              “Then why the long face, kemo sabe?”
              Quick, think of something. “It feels bittersweet,” I said. Not a total lie. “I’m leaving for Europe in just a few weeks.”
              “Oh, Tom, you’ll only be gone for the same. It’s okay,” she said, snuggling closely into my side. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and squeezed, happy to be near my friends again.
              That night we all got sloshed on wine and good food. The group sat around telling stories of the  shenanigans I’d missed since my last visit and I almost died laughing hearing them.
              “This is a refreshing side,” Jason said to me as we both settled into chairs on Charlie’s patio.
              “What do you mean?” I asked, my bottle resting on my knee.
              “When you’re with these people,” he said, gesturing through the window, “you’re a different person, Tom.”
              “I’m not,” I said, but even I knew that was a lie.
              “Sure,” he answered. “So, I invited January tonight.”
              “ What ?” I said, sitting up a bit, looking over my shoulder./p>
    Jason smiled widely. “No, but I think I just figured out why you’ve been so effing crazy lately.”
    I shook my head denying it before he’d even spoken another word.
              He ignored me. “She’ll be at the party tomorrow, you know that?”
              “I figured she’d be,” I said, trying to sound absent. I avoided eye contact. “She’s good friends with Casey Donigan.”
              “Yeah, she is, but she’s also kind of responsible for the party arrangements. She practically did all the prep for it. She’s a cool chick.”
              “That’s cool,” I said, trying to be that very word, but the curiosity was killing me. “So, uh,” I said taking a swig of beer, “is she still seeing that dude from the mailroom?” Smooth .
              “No, actually, she’s free as a bird ,” he said, borrowing a line from her the night I’d made a fool of myself.
              “Oh, cool.”
              “God, you idiot. Shall I just set a date at the church then because you’re clearly infatuated with her. Just bite the bullet, Tom. Damn, never thought I’d have to say that to you of all people.”
              “Shut it, Jason.”
              “Yeah, yeah,” he said, lifting up his six pack and heading for the window.
              “Finally,” I said under my breath.
              Jason was right. I was clearly infatuated with her, but that was all. We shared an amazing kiss that nearly flayed the skin from my bones from the sheer razor-sharpness of it, but that was it. I was attracted to her but didn’t want to get to know her. Besides, say, for hypothetical sake, I even wanted to get to know her, I was headed to Europe soon. I didn’t have time to get to know her.

              Saturday night was The Belle Jar’s platinum party. That morning, I woke on Charlie’s