Love Is Always Write Volume 4

the plate and a fork.
    "No, this is fancy," Bob countered and grabbed two crystal wineglasses from his rack. He poured a large splash of orange juice into each glass from the carton in the fridge, and then grinned when Jory raised his glass in a toast.
    "To real food," he said.
    "To real food," Bob repeated and clinked his glass against Jory's.
    They ate for a few minutes and Jory made appreciative sounds and gave Bob the thumbs up, then he said seriously, "I shouldn't stay here. Snyder won't stop looking for me. They'll come back here eventually."
    "Looking for that?" Bob gestured at the code, which now rested next to Jory's plate.
    "Yeah, now that he knows it exists, he won't rest until he gets it, or drives me insane trying."
    "Can't you just destroy it? Set it on fire or whatever?"
    Jory looked so traumatized that Bob nearly laughed.
    "You didn't make a copy? You seriously wrote something like that on a piece of paper and did not make a copy?"
    "The stakes need to be high or the game is pointless."
    Bob did not mention that the whole scenario seemed pointless to him. "There has to be a safer place to keep it than inside a cactus pot. Why don't you just—?" Bob's eyes widened, and he chuckled. "Come on, I know where you can take it." He put the plates in the sink to deal with later and glanced out the window. It was pouring rain. "You need a coat."
    He crossed the room to his "bedroom". The apartment was one large room with a small bathroom, so Bob had created a more private space by hanging large swaths of heavy burgundy fabric from a bars-and-chains setup suspended from the exposed ceiling beams. It even had a makeshift door, although he usually didn't bother to close the space off.
    In one corner stood a large wooden wardrobe cabinet he'd bought at an auction and refurbished. He opened it and flipped through his hanging jackets.
    "Your place is nicer than mine. I like this setup," Jory said, and Bob turned to find him sprawled on his back on Bob's bed. Jory swiveled his head toward him and smiled; for a moment, he looked like a dozen of Bob's fantasies come to life. Bob swallowed hard and thrust a water-resistant black jacket in Jory's direction.
    "Want to borrow this?" he asked and then realized it had been a stupid idea. Jory lived right down the hall. He could fetch one of his own coats on the way out.
    Jory sat up and then pushed off the bed to take the coat. "Yeah, thanks. Good thinking. It will save time." He shrugged into the coat, and it looked only slightly too big for him. He flipped the large hood over his head and added, "Hey, maybe they won't recognize me in this."
    Not unless they catch a glimpse of your perfect ass , Bob thought and smiled. He grabbed a similar coat in tan—his mother had a thing for coats and sent him at least one per year—and made a mental note to return the one he'd been wearing to Alyssa's later.
    "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Jory asked.
    "Just trust me," Bob replied, glad that he was finally gaining some control of the situation.
    They went out into the downpour, watching for anyone that might be lurking, and headed uptown. Jory ducked into doorways twice in order to tap out messages on his phone.
    "I think we're good. The boys led Mallory and Hitch on a goose chase. They lost them in the Market."
    Bob breathed a sigh of relief. He'd had more than enough of crazy people for one day. The bank where Bob worked was only four blocks from his apartment. He had a safety deposit box there; it was the best place he could think of to store Jory's code.
    The rain did not let up as they walked. Bob was glad they had taken the time to dress appropriately. As it was, his shoes and the exposed portions of his jeans were soaked by the time they reached the second stoplight.
    " Still not going to tell me where we're going?" Jory asked.
    Bob shook his head. "I think it's your turn to be in the dark."
    Jory chuckled. "Fair enough."
    "How was this game supposed to work? Before Snyder and his gang got involved? I mean, how did you know I wouldn't just hand over the cactus when they knocked on my door?"
    Jory shrugged. "I had a feeling about you. I rely on my instincts a lot, probably even when I shouldn't. I thought you might rise to the challenge if the opportunity presented itself." He gave Bob a grin and nudged him with an elbow. "Looks like I was right."
    Bob snorted. "You got lucky. If I'd been more awake, I would have traded the cactus for a cup of coffee."
    Jory