40. Chapter 40
Chapter forty
Jake
It was hardly Jake’s first rodeo, but he still hated waiting like this. They’d done it on the channel just like they had to for the show, the crew deposited in appropriate spots around the property to explain what was going on. It made total sense that he would do the breakdown of the gaming room. It made sense for that to wait to the end, since it was the area most specifically customized for Quinn. But standing there with Bunny, nothing but waiting and straining to hear footsteps coming closer, Jake couldn’t stand still. Fidgeting, shifting his weight side-to-side, glancing around as though Quinn might have been hiding in some dark corner the entire time.
“You’re dancing like Marv when he has to potty.” Bunny nudged him in the side. “You good?”
“Just nervous. Hope he likes it.” That wasn’t a lie, but it didn’t go into all the details, all the thoughts chasing themselves in circles around his brain. Thoughts and fantasies and hopeless dreams. He didn’t know how it would work—mostly because it wouldn’t—but Jake couldn’t let go of the idea of somehow being together with Quinn. A guy so sweet he cried about finding his grandpa’s air purifier? A guy so welcoming, he let some stranger into his apartment just to play video games? A guy so emotionally mature that he knew enough to be protective of himself? Something like what happened between Quinn and Hunter would break too many people. It would have broken the hell out of me. There was definitely a part of Jake that wanted to find this Hunter asshole and beat him down.
All of that, constantly spinning inside of him, with no sign that Quinn was any closer to walking through that door. And that was all he was thinking of if everything went well. If Quinn hated the room—
Footsteps straightened his spine and he leaned on Bunny’s shoulder, putting on his best possible face. The door opened and Mason and Evander stepped inside, followed by the slim, familiar frame of Quinn, wearing a checkered button-down and khakis that dragged Jake’s gaze down to his bulge, the curve of his ass, the tightening of the material around his slender thighs…
Before he bricked up completely on camera, Jake gestured around the room. “This is what we came up with. I think it’ll suit your needs.”
He let Quinn take the lead, walking through the space. He ran his fingertips along the curve of the hanging desk. His eyes traveled up the shelves hanging from the wall, which was Jake’s cue to reach into his pocket and hit the button for the lights, turning on slowly cycling rainbow strips tucked along every edge.
Quinn moved to the other corner, with bookshelves and plush chairs in cerulean, gold rivets adorning the arms. Out of nowhere, he flopped into one of them and kicked his feet up onto the oversized ottoman, then tilted his head back and looked upside down at Jake, grinning as wide as he’d ever done the entire time they’d been working here. “You did good.”
Jake smiled back, doing his best to suppress the pang of sorrow from looking at him, while also taking in every detail. He looks so happy. I’m not going to be the one to put a damper on that. “I know this is the really important part of the house, so I made sure it works. Kitchen? Who needs food? Bathroom? Who needs to shower? You can do all that in video games.”
Quinn laughed, then popped back up. “Seriously. You guys all did amazing.” He nodded to Bunny. “Guys and Bunny.”
Evander moved a step closer. “Not to toot our own horn too much, but it really did come together, I think. I don’t just say that every time. It’s really a nice place.”
“With a nice backyard that still needs revealing.” Mason swooped back in to take over. “I think you’re going to continue to be impressed.”
They led him away, and one camera guy stayed behind, hanging in the doorway. “Once we’re done out there, we’ll swing through and grab everyone, do some shots out front of everyone leaving, that sort of thing. I’m sure you know the drill.”
Jake nodded. “Thanks.” Then, once he’d left, Jake slumped into the same chair Quinn had just vacated and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s a damn cool room, Bunny. He deserves it.”
“Yeah. It is a damn cool room. I’ll have to have you and Ev come over and work on something for the kids.” She took the other chair in the reading nook. “You’re going to ruin that pretty face if you keep frowning like that.”
Jake reached up and touched his cheeks, as though he needed to confirm he was down, he was frowning, he was sad. Not something Jake had any doubts about, but it bought him a little time before he had to respond. “Just going to miss him a little. Haven’t been this interested in a guy in a minute.”
“I know.” She grabbed his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “You’re going to find a great guy and it’s going to work out. I know it. But that doesn’t make it suck any less when you have to leave a promising guy behind. Ask me about Brian Wentworth some time.”
“I was there for Brian Wentworth, Bunny.” He lolled his head to the side, pinning her hand between his cheek and shoulder. “You told me repeatedly that you were with him for his tight ass and his dad’s Mustang.”
“Well yeah. I wouldn’t pick him now. But that’s what made a good man when we were in high school.” She wriggled her hand free, then patted his cheek a couple times. “Point is, I know this isn’t fun. But I promise you’re going to get through it. Even if I have to hitch you to the back of my car and drag you through myself.”
“Would that car happen to be a Mustang?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wish. I bet I could still track him down.”
Jake got up. “Should I tell your hubby about this sudden interest in your shitty high school boyfriend?”
She looped an arm up and around his shoulders “If I got a seventy-eight Mustang out of the deal, he would pay for the hotel room himself. We’ve discussed it.”
Jake laughed, but the sound was cut off when Bunny wrapped her arms all the way around him and pulled him tight against her. He swallowed, still trying to keep a lid on his emotions. “What’s going on, Bunny?”
“I think you need a hug. Obviously.” She released some of the pressure, but still kept him in the embrace. “I can’t do much about the root of the problem, but I’m here if you need me. And I just landed this big TV gig, so I can snag a handle of rum when we land at the next place.”
“Drowning my demons in liquor. You must have gotten a psych degree since last time we talked. That’s some good advice.” He patted her back, then pulled away and smiled at her. Forced himself to smile. “Thanks. Sorry for being a sad sack.”
“Shit happens. Now got get someone to fix your hair before we’re supposed to go back on camera.” She reached up and mussed it with her fingers. “Something happened to it.”
It was Jake’s turn to roll his eyes. “Will the mystery ever be solved?” He could play at being fine. He could put on a show. And eventually, he’d probably get over Quinn.
But he doubted that would be any time soon, or any sort of convenient schedule.