Chapter 35
AARON
Aaron woke up with a grin on his face. A sense of lightness followed him as he took a shower and brushed his teeth, put on a pale yellow shirt and his favorite suit, and walked the familiar path to the L station.
He smiled at everyone on the train, causing a few raised eyebrows and getting a few smiles in return. With a skip in his step, he hopped out at his stop and walked the few blocks to the coffee shop.
Jay was already there. It was strange to see him wearing slacks and a button-down in the light of day, his casual charm replaced with a nervous formality.
Aaron sympathized with Jay’s anxiety about his new role, but he wasn’t worried.
Jay was patient and kind, but he also had a stern core.
He was destined to be an amazing manager, and he’d see that for himself soon enough.
Until then, all Aaron could do was be supportive.
They ordered and shuffled over to the side. Jay fidgeted with a sugar packet, and the memory of their first time here washed over Aaron. Jay had been nervous about asking Aaron to the shibari workshop, but he’d done it anyway. If he hadn’t, who knew where they’d be right now.
“You’re going to hire the best possible people,” Aaron said, rubbing Jay’s forearm.
“They don’t know you yet, so you can build those relationships brick by brick, show them the side you want them to see.
You’ll learn everything you need as you go, and you can always talk to your boss or to me if you run into something tricky. ”
Jay let out a long breath. “Yeah. Thank you. I know I’m being ridiculous.”
“You’re not.” Aaron placed a chaste kiss on Jay’s lips and threaded their fingers together.
“You’re wonderful, and I love you.” He’d never get tired of saying those words.
Mark was the only other romantic partner Aaron had said them to, and that love had been so different.
Genuine, but softer, calmer. Lacking this overwhelming passion churning in his chest, the intense craving for Jay’s presence and touch.
Jay didn’t get a chance to respond before they were interrupted.
“Good morning, Aaron,” came a gruff voice from behind.
“Good morning, David,” Aaron replied with a smile and kept an iron grip on Jay’s hand when Jay tried to step back.
Aaron wasn’t worried about David—or anyone from work—seeing him with a man.
As an adult, he refused to keep his sexual orientation a secret.
He was lucky enough to have a great support system and a healthy amount of confidence, so he could afford to say Fuck the haters and mean it—for himself, and for anyone who wanted to but couldn’t.
Besides, he’d quizzed the CFO when she called him with the offer, and made sure the place was inclusive.
Jay didn’t know any of that. Tension vibrated through his body, and when Aaron glanced at him, there was panic in his eyes.
“This is my partner, Jay Sharifi.” Aaron lifted their clasped hands before gesturing toward David. “This is my CEO, David Foster.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” David shook Jay’s hand and raised an eyebrow at Aaron. “I’m glad you’ve had the time to go out and find someone with the brutal schedule we’ve put you through.”
Aaron chortled. “It wasn’t easy.”
“How did you two meet?”
Aaron and Jay exchanged an alarmed look before responding at the same time, “Bar.”
David’s laughter took Aaron by surprise. He’d never seen David laugh. He’d barely seen the man smile.
“You have to work on your poker faces.” David pointed between the two of them with a grin. “My husband used to get the same look when someone asked him that question.” He shouldered past Aaron to grab his drink from the counter. “Well, see you at the office.” He nodded at Jay and left.
Aaron was at a loss for words, staring as David walked away. He’d learned more about the notoriously private CEO in the past thirty seconds than in the entire time he’d worked for him. David was married. To a man. Did anyone even know? Zoe definitely didn’t, otherwise she’d have told Aaron already.
Equally shocking was how friendly David could be, especially compared to his brusque work persona.
David contained multitudes.
That was a thought for another time. Aaron tore his eyes away from the door and turned back to Jay, who was staring off into space.
“He’s right. We should work on our cover story,” Jay said, tapping on his lower lip in thought.
At least he wasn’t worried about the interviews anymore.
* * *
JAY: I want to take you out on a date.
AARON: I’d love that. How about tomorrow night?
JAY: How about tomorrow morning?
AARON: Unorthodox, but intriguing.
JAY: Wear something comfortable. I’ll pick you up at 8.
AARON: AM???
JAY: It’ll be fun.
Aaron reread the texts for what had to be the fiftieth time, searching for some hidden clue about what their date might involve.
Jay hadn’t given him much to go on. It was almost time to leave, so Aaron gave up and pulled on an I <3 Chicago T-shirt Mark had bought him as a joke, along with shorts and sneakers.
It would have to do for whatever Jay had planned.
Jay remained tight-lipped as he drove them through the city streets, skyscrapers shrinking in the rearview mirror until they were replaced by the quiet expanse of the suburbs.
“How much longer?” Aaron asked. “Am I at least allowed to know that?”
“Maybe forty minutes or so,” Jay said. “You’ll like it, I promise.”
Aaron believed him. He had no reason not to.
He stretched out and yawned, the last remnants of grogginess still clinging to him.
“You can take a little nap if you want,” Jay offered.
“No, I’d rather talk,” Aaron said, waving away the suggestion.
“If I go back to sleep, I’ll be tired all day.
” He didn’t want to waste a single moment with Jay, and it didn’t matter if they spent that time talking or if Aaron just stared at his boyfriend’s gorgeous profile as he drove. He couldn’t get enough.
Jay darted a quick glance at him and chuckled. “Okay. Tell me something. What about your parents? You haven’t mentioned them much, and now that you’ve met mine, I feel like we need to balance the scales.”
“For the record, I loved your parents. Your mom is such a sweetheart. Really, your whole family’s nice.”
“It’s a Persian thing. We’re very polite.”
“That doesn’t explain Paul.” Aaron snorted in amusement.
Layla’s husband looked and talked like a frat guy, but he’d turned out to be deceptively attentive.
“He spent five minutes listing every single beverage choice in their house when I told him I wasn’t thirsty and then insisted I accept an apple juice box. ”
Jay let out a hearty laugh and shook his head. “Paul’s a special case. He’s been married to Layla for so long, he’s basically Persian at this point. You will—” He snapped his mouth shut, and a hint of color touched his cheeks. “You’ll see for yourself.”
Aaron hummed in agreement and looked away, pretending to focus on the water tower in the distance.
Was Jay about to say something about Aaron becoming more Persian once they got married?
Was he already thinking that far ahead? The thought warmed him, making butterflies flutter around his stomach and into his chest.
Maybe it was too soon to consider marriage—too soon into their relationship, too soon after his divorce—but he couldn’t imagine anything he wanted more than to come home to Jay every day.
Jay cleared his throat. “So, your parents?”
“I don’t see them as often as I should. They moved to Washington after my dad retired.
They spent their entire lives in the tristate area and started to romanticize the whole idea of living on the West Coast.” Aaron chuckled, remembering how worried he’d been when his mom announced their sudden move.
“Thankfully, they love it there. They have a cute little house with a garden, two dogs, and some new friends.”
“Do you ever visit?”
Guilt crept in, as it did every time Aaron thought about how rarely he made the time to go. “Not as often as I should. Maybe you’ll come with me next time I go?”
He wasn’t sure what possessed him to ask, the words tumbling out on their own, but Jay’s shy smile was proof that he didn’t think it was a stupid question.
“I’d like that,” Jay murmured.
They talked through the rest of the drive, sharing childhood stories and teenage dramas, and Aaron realized he hadn’t paid attention to where they were until Jay parked the car and turned to him with a grin.
“We’re here!”
They were parked on gravel, surrounded by tall trees as far as the eye could see. A few feet away, a wooden arch stood tall next to a small signpost with a washed-out map. Aaron had seen setups like this a hundred times, and excitement vibrated through him. “Are we going on a hike?”
“A hike and a picnic,” Jay said, reaching behind them to grab his backpack. “I have bug spray and sunscreen in the glove box.”
Aaron hopped out of the car, quickly slathering his face and arms with sunscreen and spritzing mosquito repellent on his clothes. It had been months since he’d gone on a proper hike, and he couldn’t wait to get going.
Jay handed him a small knapsack with a few bottles of water, then locked the car and gestured to the trailhead, letting Aaron lead the way.
After examining the map, Aaron ambitiously chose the longest trail. There was no rush—they had the whole day ahead of them.
Blinding sunlight was muted by the towering trees, a refreshing breeze carried the scent of damp earth and pines, and the vibrant green colors soothed Aaron’s soul.
As they traversed the trail—climbing uphill, stepping over fallen trees and giant roots, skirting around the marshlands—the initial excitement in Aaron’s stomach slowly morphed into quiet contentment.
This truly was the best date he’d ever been on.
Around lunchtime, they came across a small meadow, and Jay declared it the perfect spot for their picnic. After finding a sufficiently flat spot, he wrestled a blanket out of his bag, shaking it out before neatly spreading it on the grass, and told Aaron to sit down while he unpacked their lunch.
“It’s nothing special,” he warned. “Keep your expectations low.”
Surrounded by fresh air and after hours of exercise, Aaron would have been happy with a piece of plain toast, so the feast Jay laid out in front of him was truly mouthwatering.
Sandwiches, carefully wrapped in cellophane, a container of neatly cut watermelon slices, and two giant chocolate chip cookies.
Aaron unwrapped his sandwich and moaned with satisfaction.
“Caprese is my favorite. How did you know?”
Jay winked and popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth, clearly not planning on giving up his secrets.
Later, when all the food was gone, they lay side by side and squinted at the sky.
A heavy stillness hung around them as the midday sun blazed down, its relentless heat causing sweat to bead on their skin.
They’d have to pack up and get moving soon, but Aaron wanted another minute of feeling Jay’s shoulder against his, of listening to the rustle of leaves and faraway chirps, of watching carefree birds flit from branch to branch.
Of basking in the fact that the man he loved knew him well enough to bring him on a hike and feed him his favorite sandwich.
“I love you,” he murmured, not bothering to turn his head. He knew Jay would hear.
There was a sound of movement, and the sky was gone, replaced with Jay’s beaming face.
“I love you too,” Jay whispered and dipped down to place a soft kiss on Aaron’s lips. It tasted like basil, watermelon, and the future.