Wes
I’m sitting shirtless at my tiny kitchen table, sipping coffee after my run, when I call my mom.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I reached out.
Jett’s been quite the distraction—a sexy distraction.
We’ve been fooling around for over a month, but we’ve only been serious about it for a couple of weeks.
It’s still a little weird to tell people I have a boyfriend after years of dating women, but it’s a good weird.
Jett’s sexy, smart, and amazing. He’s slowly opening up more.
The door hasn’t swung wide open, but it’s cracked just enough to let me in.
I know that in time, he’ll open up even more.
My feelings for him are growing by the minute as we grow closer. I feel at home with him, comfortable.
My family doesn’t know yet, except for what I told them the last time I visited. They have no idea Jett and I are exclusive. But that’s not the only reason for my call.
“Hey, mamasita! Long time no hear. Sorry, I haven’t called in a while. Been busy.”
“Y-your f-f-f…. Fine. How a-are y-you?”
“I’m good. Really good. My job is amazing, and I’m seeing someone now. We’re actually serious. I know. That’s a big deal for me.” I chuckle self-deprecatingly. “And before you ask, it’s a guy. You remember I told you all about Jett Cordier? Well, he’s my boyfriend.”
“I-I w-w-was won… dering. I-is h-h-h… Ugh. He g-g-good t-to y-y-you?”
“It’s okay, Mom. Take your time. And yes, he’s very good to me.
I really like him. We spent Halloween together, and I got to meet his sister and her family.
They’re amazing and fun, just like you all.
But I’m not calling just to tell you about him.
I want to know if it’s okay if I invite him over for Thanksgiving. ”
“Of c-c-course. W-we’d… l-l-love t-to m… meet him.”
“Awesome! You’re going to like him. I know it.”
“If y-you… l-like him, th… then w-we d-d-do t-too.”
We chat for a few more minutes before we hang up, Mom filling me in on everything back home.
It’s a big deal to bring Jett home to meet my family.
They’ve rarely met anyone I’ve dated since nothing ever lasts that long.
I like to wait until I’m sure about someone before I do.
It’s one of the reasons I asked Jett to be my boyfriend in the first place.
Meeting his family was huge and showed me a different side of him. A softer side.
I take a quick shower and get dressed. I put on warm clothes since the temps will be in the mid-30s where Jett and I are headed.
As soon as I get my hiking boots tied, Jett knocks on my door. When I open it, I pull him into a hug and kiss. He chuckles and comes inside.
“What was that for?” he asks.
“What? I can’t kiss my boyfriend?”
His eyes glint, and he smirks as he teases. “We literally just saw each other last night.”
“Psh, you’re hard to resist. You’re like a drug I’m addicted to. A kissing drug.”
“Dork.”
I feign a pout and turn my back on him. “I mean, if you don’t want my perfectly sweet kisses, then…”
Jett spins me around, cups my jaw, and kisses me full of tongue. When he starts to pull away, he sucks on my bottom lip. “Happy?”
“Very, thank you very much.”
In reality, he left me breathless, and my cock threatening to join the party.
“You ready to go?” he asks.
“Yep, just let me grab my backpack.”
I double-check my pack to make sure I have all the essentials for safety and plenty of water and food.
After I get my jacket and beanie on, I shrug on my backpack, and we head downstairs to Jett’s car, parked out front.
“Man, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been to Tamolitch Falls,” I say, throwing my pack in the backseat.
“I’ve never been.”
“It’s amazingly gorgeous. With the trees turning color, the hike is gonna be stunning.”
Jett pulls into traffic as I fiddle with his radio until I find a song. Real Love by Mary J. Blige thumps on the speakers, and I bob my head. “Fucking classic! Mom and I used to dance to this when I was a kid. She loves this song.”
He taps his fingers on the steering wheel as we drive out of town, both of us singing along until the song ends.
“Hey, question,” I say, turning down the radio.
“Yep.”
“So, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Cannon Beach with me for Thanksgiving. You could meet my family. They’d love you. That’s a promise.”
Jett glances at me before his eyes are back on the road.
“Do they… know about us?”
“Sure do. They already knew I was thinking about seeing you before we did. But I told Mom today when I asked her if you could come with me. You can meet my best bro, Dennis, and his husband, Mike. They’re like the sweetest couple ever.
We can run on the beach, hike through Ecola State Park, Dennis’ favorite spot.
Or we can fish. Grandma is the best cook.
She always makes Thanksgiving really special, but we all help out.
We decorate and everything, but if you—”
“I’d love to.”
“Yeah? Will your sis be okay with it?”
“I…” He grips the steering wheel tighter, and he’s tense as hell. Did I say something wrong? “I don’t spend Thanksgiving with my family. They… spend it with our parents.”
“Oh. Gotcha. I’m sorry.”
“It’s… fine. I’ll be happy to spend it with you.”
“Cool!”
I pry his fingers off the steering wheel and hold his hand. I want to ask him more about it, but I don’t want to push. He likes to give me little bits about his life, but I know the closer we get, the more he’ll open up. We’re in no hurry.
The hike to Blue Pool at Tamolitch Falls is about two miles. While it’s a relatively easy hike, there are a lot of cliffs down to the McKenzie River.
“It’s gorgeous out here,” Jett says, adjusting his backpack.
“The leaves are stunning. It’d be prettier if it were sunny.”
Rain is expected today, but we’re prepared for it, since it’s always rainy, especially this time of year.
“And maybe not so cold,” he chuckles.
Despite the popularity of the place, there aren’t a lot of hikers out today, so it’s a pleasant hike. The trees sway in the breeze, the river rushes, and the birds sing. If you’re stressed, this is the place to be.
Despite telling myself not to prod about Jett’s life, I ask him some questions anyway, but nothing to do with running or his dad. “So, what was baby Jett like?”
He looks at me like I just grew a second head. “Baby Jett?”
I snort a laugh. “Yep. What were you like as a child?”
“God, years and years of pushing myself to be the best at running, I sometimes forget what it was like just to be a kid.”
I wasn’t expecting him to say that much, so I shut my yap and let him get it out.
“Of course, I ran all the time, but it was only for fun. Sometimes I miss Cannon Beach. There’s no denying the beauty of the place. The simplicity of a small town.” He ducks under a hanging tree branch. “Say, is Bruce’s Candy Kitchen still around?”
“Sure the hell is. I love that place.”
“They had the most amazing saltwater taffy. I used to run over there on the weekends, using my allowance to buy a bag of it.”
“No, shit? So did I. We need to go there over Thanksgiving.”
I’m not paying attention and trip over a large rock. Before I topple over the edge of the cliff, Jett snags my backpack and yanks me back onto the trail.
“Whoa!” I gasp, my heart threatening to explode out of my chest. I’m never that clumsy. Shit. “That was close.”
Jett’s hand is on his heart, and his eyes are closed. “Jesus… don’t fucking do that again.”
I press up against him and wrap my arms around his body. “My hero.”
He peeks at me with one eye open and grins. “Dork.”
“But I’m a hot and sexy dork, right?”
Jett swipes back my bangs. “Yes, but also a clumsy one.” His smile drops as he stares into my eyes. His gloved fingers brush against my cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
My heart races for a different reason. He said that the other day, too. I’ve been called hot, sexy, or look like I should be a model, but never beautiful. Somehow, it just sounds important or meaningful when it comes from Jett. “Why, Mr. Cordier, I do declare you might like me, sir.”
He smiles again, and I need him to do that more often. “I think I might.”
“And I like you, too. A lot.”
We move on, following the river until we finally arrive at Blue Pool.
Jett looks down at the water from where we stand on a rock ledge. “I thought they called it blue figuratively. That’s the bluest pool of water I’ve ever seen.”
“The underground part of the McKenzie River feeds it. Belknap Crater erupted about 1600 years ago, burying part of the river in lava. The river continues underground, but it filters through the lava rock. The water is about 37°F all year. Fucking cold as hell. It’s so cold that not even microorganisms live in it, which makes it incredibly clear.
You can see every single rock at the bottom. Wanna dive in?”
“I take it back. You’re not a dork. You’re nuts.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I did it once, while in undergrad, but during the summer. You only jump in and jump right back out. It’s exhilarating, but not something I wanna do again.”
“Yeah, I’m never doing that, even in the summer.”
“I’ll get you to do it.” I wink, pulling out my phone. “Picture time.” Jett stands close to me as I hold up my phone and take a few selfies of us. “Sit on the rock ledge. I’m going to go down a bit and take some shots of you over the water.”
Jett removes his pack and sits down, dangling his legs off the rock, swaying them back and forth. I hike down to the water’s edge and take a few shots of him. “Lookin’ sexy, babe,” I yell, my voice echoing around us.
Once I make it back up to him, it’s my turn to pose as he takes several pictures of me.
“You’re ridiculous,” he laughs, when I pose like a pinup model, one finger on my lip, one leg kicked out behind me.
“I’ll keep being ridiculous if it makes you laugh and smile.”
“Deal.”
After our hike, we make a detour to a vineyard for an early dinner and wine tasting. The land is filled with dormant grape vines, but there’s plenty of wine.
We sit on lounge chairs under a large covered porch outside, but it’s warm with the fire pit and space heaters.
I hold Jett’s hand and rest my head on his shoulder as we look out at the beautiful vista, drenched from the rain.
It pounds on the roof, and the fire pops.
I’m grateful the place doesn’t blast music.
Taking in the natural sounds is perfect.
“This is nice,” I say.
Jett kisses the top of my head, then rests his cheek on me. “It is. It’s been a long time since I’ve dated, but the few we’ve been on have been some of the best. No stress. No rushing to get somewhere. We just find things to do that are chill and easygoing, a lot like you, I suppose.”
“Oh, I can get stressed out. I try to be calm and relaxed, but there were days, especially back in school. Like I said before, trying to maintain my grades while being the best that I could be at running wasn’t always easy. Getting my doctorate wasn’t easy either.”
“Striving to be the best never is. Greatness doesn’t come without cost. Cost to oneself, mostly.”
If I think he’s going to tell me more, I’m mistaken. Instead, he asks, “What about your personal life? Ever had a long-term relationship?”
“Eh, most of the time I just liked fooling around. I wasn’t serious about dating or relationships for a long time.
One day I’d be responsible enough, so I wanted just to live life, you know?
I think Rose was the longest relationship I had, but it wasn’t even six months before we went in different directions. She’s still a good friend of mine.”
His body stiffens against me. “Do you… Would you want to get back with her?”
“Rose? Nah. She’s great, don’t get me wrong, but she’s in another relationship. He’s better for her anyway.”
Jett visibly relaxes. “Ah. And what about now?”
“What about it?”
“You asked to get serious with me over Halloween. Do you see… a future for us?”
I sit up to look at him, so he knows I’m not joking around. “Yeah, I do. I’m ready for someone serious in my life. I just haven’t had much luck until you.”
Before I can lean in to kiss him, our server brings out three glasses of wine, each with about two sips worth, so that Jett and I can share.
She describes each one and which grapes were used.
I try to follow, but I’m not a big wine drinker, so it’s lost on me.
She also sets out a charcuterie board with deli meats, cheeses, crusty bread, crackers, olives, and jams.
As soon as she leaves, I dive into the food. “I’m fucking famished.”
Our conversations turn to lighter things with a lot of easy laughter. I don’t learn a lot more about Jett, but we’re getting there.
All in all, this was an amazing date. It’s been a great day.