CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
GAbrIEL
“You know why I'm calling, buddy,” Jank said through the phone. “It’s that time of the month again.”
“Have I ever told you how funny I find it that a straight guy organizes a gay bar crawl every month?” I teased.
“Yes, every time I call. You need some new material because it’s getting old,” he said, his tone light.
“Hm, I’m sure I can think of something,” I said in a sing-song voice.
It was my opinion, and the opinion of my circle of friends, that Jank and his best friend, Mike, were in love, they just didn’t know it.
Watching those two finish each other’s sentences was a show of immense entertainment. “When?”
“Tonight.”
“Not much notice. Maybe. I might be bringing a plus one.” I scratched my chin and noted the time. Lunch was quickly becoming the favorite part of my day, superseded by the evening when I got Jake in bed.
“Are you seeing someone?” he asked incredulously. “First Sean and now you.”
“Could be.”
“If you do bring a plus one, you’re going to have to prepare him. You know our clique can be a little…intense.”
“You mean raunchy, outrageous, and over the top?” I bit back, in total agreement. “Who said straight men were uncouth and uncivilized?”
“Yeah, we fit all those words. Anyway, Hole in the Wall at eight. Be there or be square.”
“What does that even mean, anyway?”
“No clue. I just know if you’re not there, you’ll be square.”
He hung up and I leaned into my comfy office chair.
I’d missed the last two times the boys had gotten together so I was kind of obligated to attend this round.
I recalled Jake and I making plans to do a bar crawl and wondered if he’d be into it.
Seeing that it was nearly noon, I hopped into action and made my way to the market.
I sported a grin as I walked into the store.
I immediately spotted Jake stacking some sort of gourd next to a bin of cucumbers.
He was blushing, his cheeks mottled as if he was thinking about our talk.
He had no idea how sexy he was and his embarrassment about using produce to pleasure himself was adorable.
He noticed me and fumbled a gourd, catching it before it could hit the ground.
I had to admit the effect I had on him stroked my ego.
I was flying high, the world was at my feet, and it was all because of my shy and sweet baby boy.
His smile was radiant. “Hello.”
“Good afternoon,” I said. “Looks like you’ve perfected the art of cucumber wrangling.”
“Please, don’t say that word.”
“Cucumber?”
“Ugh.” He leaned in and whispered, “Thanks to you I can’t stop thinking about cucumbers as anything other than nature’s dildos now. I even had a bizarre dream–No, wait! Forget I mentioned that. I’m not telling you.”
“Too late. You eluded. Now you have to. It’s in the rules.”
“Says who?” he scoffed and set the gourd on top of the pile.
“The rules.”
“The rules say those are the rules?”
“Mhm,” I purred and scanned my eyes over his body. His plain uniform didn’t do him justice. My lips tingled as if remembering the taste and feel of his skin. I was looking forward to getting him naked again.
“Well, you’ll have to wait until later,” he said.
“Why?”
“I’m not telling you about my erotic dream in the middle of the produce aisle.”
“I thought you said you coordinated your schedule so that we could have lunch together?”
His cheeks rose. “Lunch, yes. Dirty talk, no.”
“Fine. Save it for later. It’s probably better that way.” I leaned closer and said quietly, “Tonight you can tell me all about it. Maybe even act it out.”
He pulled his lip between his teeth in an effort to hide his smile. “Let me finish up and I’ll be right out.”
“Alright.”
When he was done in the back, he joined me at a table. We each chose a filet of salmon and although I was hungry, my attention was on him.
“I was wondering if you might like to meet some friends of mine, tonight,” I started. “Jank called me this morning and asked If I wanted to tag along. We get together every now and then for drinks. You don’t have to. I can let him know I’m not coming.”
He frowned. “No. Don’t cancel for me. Who is Jank?”
“A friend. You’ll like him. But we made plans for the weekend first. Besides, making you moan is marginally more entertaining than alcohol and chit-chat.”
“You’re terrible. Just when I think I’ve forgotten how you turned me to mush in that motel, you remind me. And I wasn’t moaning. Just…breathing hard.”
“You were moaning. And it was hot.”
He rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. “You’re such a bad boy.”
“But you like it.”
“Don’t cancel. They’re your friends and…I’d like to go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I need to stop hiding all the time. My therapist–” He pinched his eyes closed and looked away, the flush creeping up his neck letting me know he was embarrassed about letting it slip.
I reached across the table and took his hand in mine just like I’d done in the restaurant, wanting him to know I valued him regardless of what he’d gone through. “You don’t have to hide from me.”
He looked at me for a brief moment, the pain in those beautiful eyes stabbing my heart. When he was ready, he’d open up and I’d be there to comfort him. “I don’t want to hide. I want to go with you.”
“Deal. I’m still going to pick you up after your shift. We will go to my place, shower then head out.”
“Okay.”
“I better get going. See you soon?”
“Yes.”
I hesitated for a moment, wanting to kiss him, but figured it was best not to draw attention.
I walked back to the clinic with a skip in my step and a smile on my face.
Things were going remarkably well, and I looked forward to doing a repeat of last weekend.
It sucked that our weekdays were so busy and with his reluctance to sleep over, I’d have to be patient.
I thought about places I could take him, and the wonders I could show him. I’d already booked a slot at Alinea’s, one of Chicago’s top restaurants, but that wasn’t until spring. It was a shame he hadn’t gotten to do much as a child. I made a promise to show him the world, magic carpet, and all.
When I returned to the clinic, I found my father talking to Linda. He spotted me and smiled. “You look like sunshine today.”
I simply beamed. I felt like sunshine.
He followed me into my office. “Your Mom and I were hashing out Thanksgiving dinner plans this morning. She wants to do something a little different this year. A turducken, she said.”
“A chicken stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey. I hear it's delish.”
“Yes, something like that. I mentioned you were seeing someone, and she insisted we invite him over. I told her he’s probably busy with his family, but she ordered me to at least make the invitation. So, we’re inviting…John?”
“Jake,” I corrected.
He nodded. “I will tell her I told you, but not to expect him. I don’t like playing a game of telephone. We haven’t seen you for a while, mister. He’s treating you well, I’m guessing?”
I fought back my smile. “It’s going well. We’re having fun. And I’m sorry I haven’t been by much. Tell Mom to keep a plate open for him. But she has to promise not to smother him. I mean it. He isn’t like a lot of my previous boyfriends. She needs to behave herself.”
“You should talk to her, yourself.”
“I will,” I promised. It was an important talk to have with her. I didn’t want to overwhelm Jake if he did decide to come, which I kind of hoped he wouldn’t if only because I was excited about dating him but meeting the parents was a huge ordeal. “Christmas might be a better option.”
He rubbed his palms together, looking happy. “Well, I hope we get to meet the man that is making you smile so much.”
A raunchy joke teetered on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back. My father left and I sat back in my chair, blissfully in La-la Land.
Just as I was about to meet my appointment, Jank sent me a text to let me know drinks were canceled tonight, for lack of availability, but rescheduled for next week. It was both a plus and a negative, but no commitment meant I’d have Jake all to myself.