"Sorry," said AJ, ashing on the ground next to the car then lifting the cigarette to his lips again. "I'm a little busy right now." He knew Justin's protests would be coming before he'd said a word; the guy really didn't like to hear the word no. "Seriously, this isn't a brush off. I got a couple things here I've gotta finish."
He looked up and met Jerry's curious eyes as Justin spouted off another string of protests into his ear. That it wasn't a real job, that he had no obligation to be there, and couldn't he use a break anyway? He smiled and rolled his eyes; Jerry gave him a dubious smile in return. Justin didn't understand yet, not on a gut level, why AJ really did have to be here, but AJ thought maybe someday he would. So he put up with the tirade until Justin had to stop for a breath.
"I'll call you back," he cut in. "I gotta run. We'll hook up later." He disconnected the call before Justin could argue again and stuffed the cell phone back in his pocket. It wasn't even that Justin wanted to get together so badly -- AJ figured that Justin just expected him to say yes, sooner or later, and wasn't planning on giving up until he did.
"Who was that?" asked Jerry, tossing a wrench from hand to hand and cocking his head to the side curiously. "Not that Justin kid."
"Yeah, that Justin kid," said AJ with another roll of his eyes. "He wanted to get together today. I told him I had plans."
"I heard," said Jerry, rounding the car to join AJ beside the propped up hood. "That guy's trouble, AJ. How come he's calling you?"
"Cause I told him to." AJ snorted and watched Jerry's expression change from curiosity to surprise to suspicion out of the corner of his eye. "Long story."
"I'm sure it is," agreed Jerry. "Wondered why I hadn't seen you around in a few days. He's not harassing you, is it? Not making you do anything you don't want to be?"
AJ snorted and gestured vaguely at himself. "You really think someone like him -- hell, anyone -- could make me do something I don't want to?"
"Yeah, I do," said Jerry, his voice low and concerned. "Actually, I think it's very likely that someone could do that to you, if you weren't watching for it, which I'm not sure you are."
"I'm always watching for it," said AJ. He dropped his voice as well and narrowly avoided giving Jerry a knee-jerk response, in favour of actually considering what Jerry was saying. Thinking about it. It was what Jerry expected of him, on those occasions when he was there to listen, or offer advice, and AJ owed him no less than to at least try. "It wouldn't catch me by surprise again."
"Don't get too confident," said Jerry, though he visibly relaxed. "So what's up with that, then? Not often a person turns around from not wanting to be seen by someone to making plans with them."
AJ shrugged, helpless to explain it to him. Jerry helped him with so many things, but he didn't think this -- the love-hate relationship with your peers -- was something that could be explained to someone outside the business.
"Things just change, I guess," he said finally. "He understands a lot, even if he doesn't know he does. We've got a lot in common." At Jerry's raised eyebrows, he shook his head. "No, not like that, just ... he knows what the life is like."
"Well, if that's enough for you," said Jerry, and to his credit he didn't sound dubious, just accepting but protective. "Don't be surprised if I keep an eye on him, though."
AJ gave him and honest-to-god grin. "Wouldn't expect any less of you, Jer," he said. "Guy needs some watching anyway; he gets away with so much these days."
Jerry just grunted and sounded profoundly unsurprised. He trusted AJ's opinion on people, sure, but he also sized them up himself; if he'd pegged Justin as someone to watch then there was nothing AJ could do to dissuade him from that.
"I read stuff about him in the paper," he went on to say, though, just when AJ was getting ready to change the subject. "Doesn't really seem like the sort you'd want to be around is all."
AJ stilled for a moment, took a long drag of his cigarette as he decided how to react to that. He didn't know what paper Jerry'd read the story in, but they'd all pretty much said the same thing anyway. He should've been expecting Jerry to bring it up, but he hadn't been expecting it quite like this. Quite in this … disdainful way.
"I hope you aren't talking about the gay thing," he said finally as he let the smoke out in a steady stream away from them. "I'd hate to find out now that you have a problem with that."
The long silence from Jerry did nothing to quell his worry that he'd finally hit upon something they couldn't manage to see eye to eye on. "No," Jerry said finally, though. "No, no, live and let live is how I see that. But cheating on his girl? That's pretty low."
AJ shook his head at him as he took a last drag then crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray that Jerry kept out for him, rather than on the ground. "Don't believe everything you read," he reminded him. "You know better, after everything I told you."
"So you're saying he didn't cheat on her with guys?" confirmed Jerry.
"I'm saying we don't know if he did or he didn't," said AJ, "but I can guarantee you that there's more to the story than hit the papers; there always is. Always. I may not think too much of him sometimes, but Justin's a decent guy. He's got class."
"Well, like I said, I'm gonna be watching," said Jerry gruffly, and AJ had no doubt whatsoever that he would be. But maybe with a little less antagonism than he would have been before they'd had this conversation.
"So I have a date tonight," said AJ, lighting another cigarette.
"With that same girl again?" asked Jerry, perking up again as AJ had known he would. He nodded. "I like her, she's a sweet thing. Where are you taking her?" He put the wrench down, finally, and showed no sign of getting back to work until AJ told him all about it.
"Making her dinner," he said, even knowing that Jerry was gonna hoot and holler and make a big deal out of that. But what would taking her out for a fancy dinner show her? He could afford to take her to eat any place in the world. This was one of the only ways he could make it special. And besides, it was easier to keep a low profile when you stayed close to home.
"Cooking!" whooped Jerry, predictably. "You do really like this one. What's her name again?"
"Sarah," said AJ obediently, ashing in the tray this time since Jerry was watching. "I dunno. She's nice enough, we'll see. The guys really like her, too."
"And she's clean," added Jerry. "That's a plus."
AJ nodded. That was how they'd met after all, but he didn't want that to be the only thing they had in common. Already he knew that something like that would keep them together for awhile, but not forever. But then again, he wasn't looking for forever.
"You should bring her by again some time," he said, running a dirty hand through his thick, brown hair. "I could get Lindy to cook us up a big dinner, get to know your Sarah a little better. See if she's good enough for you."
"First my mother, then you," joked AJ, "between the two of you you're gonna scare her away before I even get the chance with her!"
"Nah, nah, I'm a pussycat," said Jerry. "Any time, AJ, you know you're both welcome."
"I know," he said, stubbing out his second cigarette and resisting the urge to light another. There was no reason he should be needing one, talking about Sarah. But still ... she was the first girlfriend he'd had since getting sober, and it was a whole new ballgame. "And we'll take you up on it some time. Let's just let her get a little more comfortable first."
Jerry was nodding at him when they both heard the phone ring faintly from inside. "Shit," he said, "gotta get that. Hold that thought, would you?"
"I've just gotta finish changing these sparkplugs anyway," said AJ, waving him into the building. "I won't be long. I'll meet you inside." Jerry gave him a nod as he dashed in, the door slamming shut behind him. A moment later AJ bent over the car again, for the time being happy to be exactly where he was.