Contents
21: The Cookout
Overview
January and Gus finally sleep together, but a sudden call pulls Gus away, unsettling January. At Pete and Maggie’s lively cookout, Gus shows flashes of ease with family yet retreats emotionally. They agree to a joint bookstore event on August 2. After Gus rebuffs January’s flirtation, she anticipates heartbreak.
Summary
In the aftermath of their charged moment in January’s basement, January and Gus escalate to sex at Gus’s house, revealing mutual long-held desire and unexpected tenderness. Midafterglow, a phone call unsettles Gus; he leaves to take it privately, asking January to meet back at her place, which stings her.
Preparing for Pete and Maggie’s cookout, January receives only a brief text from Gus. Their drive is awkward, contrasting sharply with their intimacy. At the party, Pete and Maggie dote on Gus, serving potent blue punch and sharing childhood anecdotes, including his old love of swimming and a mention of his mother, Rose—prompting Gus to shut down emotionally.
Among faculty friends and Maggie’s sisters, Darcy and Lolly, January watches Gus relax and shine in rare moments. Pete and Maggie propose a joint bookstore event; January, having missed part of the conversation, agrees, and Gus later confirms it by email for August 2 at 7 p.m.
In a secluded garden nook, January checks on Gus after sensing his distance. He deflects. Later, when January teasingly offers to follow him to the bathroom, Gus declines, and his warmth fades again. The mixed signals—tenderness after sex, then withdrawal at the party—leave January feeling rejected.
Alone with her thoughts, January reflects that she understands Gus’s guarded nature yet still wants him exactly as he is. Recognizing she may have set herself up for pain, she braces for the heartbreak she fears is coming.
Who Appears
- JanuaryNarrator; sleeps with Gus, then faces his sudden withdrawal and agrees to a joint bookstore event.
- Gus EverettNeighbor and rival author; tender during sex, then evasive after a call; alternates warmth and distance at the cookout.
- PeteGus’s aunt; hosts the cookout, teases Gus, and helps set the joint August 2 bookstore event.
- MaggiePete’s wife; affectionate with Gus, serves blue punch, reminisces about his childhood, and supports the event plan.
- DarcyMaggie’s younger sister; present among guests at the cookout.
- LollyMaggie’s other sister; present and part of the family gathering.
- GilbertGuest who jokes with Pete and Maggie during the party.