Free Bashert by Gale Stanley Page B

right over, and the blond pointed to Jonah’s empty mug and held up two fingers.
    Jonah had never been much of a talker. Chitchat in crowded bars and parties exhausted him. Even after all these years, he still felt like a timid nebbish in the presence of so much Gentile male beauty.
    “My name’s Christian, by the way.”
    Oh. My. God. Christian! The man’s name was Christian, for God’s sake. Follower of Christ. What the hell am I doing here?
    “You okay?” Christian asked. He raised a brow.
    The man he’d been ogling in the mirror like some lovesick cow was sitting next to him, expecting to have a normal conversation with a normal guy, and Jonah could barely get a word past the lump in his throat. He coughed it out and cleared his throat before attempting to speak. “Yeah, sure. Just a little stressed. I’m Joe.” A little? Jonah’s nerves were strung tighter than the strings on his old guitar.
    “Yeah, I get it. Holidays tend to bring out the crazy. Don’t worry, help is on the way.”
    The bartender returned with their beers. Christian held his up and touched it to Jonah’s. “You look like you need this more than me.”
    Jonah combed his fingers through his unruly hair and forced a smile as he raised the bottle. “Thanks.” Jonah downed half the mug. Hot guys intimidated him. Especially hot guys he was lusting over. Christian looked like the type of guy who let everything roll off his back. Jonah wished he could be like that. Unfortunately, his background didn’t permit it. He was more prone to overthink every situation and roll it around in his head until he killed it.
    “Boy, I’m looking forward to the break.” Christian let out a small sigh. “I’m a business major. You?”
    “English.”
    “Guess I better watch my language. You’re not a grammar Nazi, are you?”
    Jonah went cold before he realized it was just a joke. He shook his head and managed a smile. “A grammar queen, maybe.”
    “Well done. I think I may be in grammatical lust. Why haven’t I seen you around?”
    Jonah shrugged. “I’m a freshman.”
    “Oh, okay. That explains it, ’cause I know I would have noticed you.”
    Totally flattered, Jonah could only mumble some unintelligible affirmation.
    Christian’s mouth twitched with amusement. “Nice sweater.”
    “I feel like an idiot.” Truer words were never spoken. But it could have been worse. He almost wore reindeer ears.
    “I love it. You look like a Christmas present just waiting to be unwrapped.”
    Jonah had no idea how to reply. He couldn’t read Christian. Was the man making fun of him or just being friendly? Or was there more to it? Heat crept up his cheeks, and he ran a finger under the collar of his sweater.
    Christian laughed. “It is getting a bit warm in here.” He finished his beer and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I wish I could stay longer, but I just stopped in for a quick one. I’m going home for Christmas, and my ride will be leaving soon. Maybe we can get together after the holidays.”
    The kiss-off. Jonah felt his heart sink, but he nodded in agreement.
    Christian pulled a cell phone from his pocket and held it out.
    Jonah’s confusion must have been written on his face.
    “Do you want to give me your number?”
    “Oh.” Jonah took the phone and added his number to the contacts. He couldn’t help noticing there were a lot. He handed the phone back, and their fingers brushed, setting off a little spark of electricity.
    “Great. I’ll call you when I get back.”
    Christian turned abruptly and brushed a kiss over Jonah’s lips. It was over before it began, and Jonah’s eyes remained closed an instant longer than necessary. When he opened them, Christian was grinning and pointing up.
    “Mistletoe. I couldn’t resist. Enjoy your holiday.”
    Then in one sleek motion, Christian stood and was gone. Just that fast. Shit! When Christian singled him out, Jonah’s hopes had soared so high that he should have been primed for