Adulting Requires Cheesecake (Book 4, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 17 - Justin

JORDAN

After making my brother feel guilty about my broken foot, I decided it was enough and took him out for lunch. A slice of pizza at an indoor playground used to be sufficient, but he's growing up and fast, and I feel as if I'm speaking to a young adult. Justin is funny and becoming his own person. I try to do this once a month because I feel I'm missing a lot about him since I don't live at home.

"You know what pisses me off?" He asks as we walk towards the ice cream salon. "I told Brent that you worked on the game, and he didn't believe me. I hate it when people think I'm making things up. It's not my style."

"Did you show him the credits?" I ask.

"I did! Then he said there are probably a million other Jordan Tanners. What an asshole!"

I laugh at his cursing, something he doesn't dare to do in front of my parents, but he lets loose when I'm around. He looks so much like Dad, and it makes me wonder if Dad looked like him when he was a kid.

"What do you want?" I ask while I read the ice cream menu on the wall.

"Super sundae, extra whipped cream," he says to the girl behind the counter.

"Bruh! You can't possibly eat that after the meal you had! You ate almost an entire meat lover's pizza by yourself!"

"Watch me! Chances are, I'll be hungry again by the time we get to the club. Sam will jump and offer to make crispy chicken for me if I put on puppy eyes."

"You are evil, Justin." I laugh. "How come you don't gain weight?" I grab the slightly doughy sides hanging atop the edge of my jeans.

"Soccer practice. You should move more instead of sitting the whole day."

I could have moved my usual amount if I didn't have a broken foot for so many weeks, but I had promised myself not to mention that. After placing my order, we watch with greedy eyes as the girl makes our desserts. Dad always complained he had to get groceries several times per week when I was growing up, and I assume things have not changed with Justin.

We take our places at a round table nearby and after loading his spoon and placing it in his mouth, he closes his eyes to enjoy it. Since Justin was little, he's always savored ice cream as if it was the first time every time. A large dollop of whipped cream sticks to his chin and I wipe him with a napkin.

"Bruh, fuck off!" He swats my hand away.

"I only wanted to help. Watch your mouth! One day you will say something like that in front of Mom." I laugh.

"You curse all the time around her!"

"I'm older than you." I tease him.

"Jordan, when can I have sex with a girl?"

The question comes so unexpectedly, I lose control of my spoon full of ice cream and it bounces on the table and then on the floor. I stand up to ask for a cloth to clean the mess I made and when I'm done and sit again, Justin is watching me with interest, expecting an answer.

"Don't make me ask again," he says, and a slight pink tint appears on his cheeks.

"How do you even know what that is?" I say.

"Everyone talks about it in school and it's everywhere on the internet! Have you seen the women in the games your company makes? Don't tell me that there wasn't enough budget to design clothes for them."

"Those games are for adults." I try to justify something I know it's not true.

"Bullshit! You know everyone in my class buys them. You haven't answered my question."