42. Chapter 42
Chapter forty-two
Jake
The move went pretty seamlessly. Whatever technique Quinn was using to keep his emotions in check and put on a happy face, it was working. Jake made sure to find other things to occupy himself so he could avoid spending too much time in the same room as Quinn, but any time they crossed paths, he seemed genuinely comfortable and…light. I could use a shot of whatever he took.
In the house, Jake mostly served as muscle, moving things up onto the porch as the sun continued to sink lower in the sky. He didn’t go in more than absolutely necessary. With Linda and her crew, they were able to make quick work of things, and they managed to get his bigger furniture pieces set up. There was still some stuff Quinn would have to do on his own after they left—clothes, personal items, food—but other than that and the unpacking, Quinn was moved in. They closed the door on that house, and Jake closed to the door on Springfield and Quinn and late night crappy food gorges and sexy Epsom salt soaks.
A knock at his hotel door broke him from his funk. He almost didn’t get up and answer it anyway, but so close to their next trip, he couldn’t risk ignoring anyone. Could be a production member giving him some urgent update.
He got up and opened the door, and once more, Ozzy stepped over the threshold. “Just checking on you.”
“Please. Come in.”
Ozzy flopped down on the bed and looked at him. “You good? We can go get drunk if you want. Neither of us have to be, like, functional tomorrow. All getting set up kind of stuff, and that’s mostly on production. Not us.”
“You’re really kissing my butt over this whole thing, aren’t you?” Jake smiled in spite of himself, then sat down in the armchair next to the window. “You do care.”
“Of course I care you jackass.” He stretched his arms up above his head and groaned. “So are we drinking? Hotel bar is still open.”
Jake clicked his tongue a couple times, then eventually shook his head. “Drinking my problems away isn’t a great solution, I don’t think.” In spite of what he implied to Bunny earlier.
Ozzy shrugged. “Suit yourself. Be all mature and shit. Offer stands when we get to Michigan, though.” He leaned forward, hands on his knees. “Seriously, though. You going to be okay?”
“Yeah.” It didn’t feel like it at all, but if he could put any faith in his own history…he’d been okay with actual breakups for long-term relationships, eventually. “I’ll be good at some point. Not tomorrow. But some point.”
Ozzy nodded, looking him up and down. Then he groaned and rose to his feet. “Well, that’s the best I can hope for, I guess. But if you’re sure you don’t want to get drunk, I’m just going to take a leak, then get out of your hair.”
Couldn’t do that in your own hotel room? But Jake didn’t say anything, just sat back and looked up at the ceiling as Ozzy walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Then walked right back out with a phone in his hand, which Jake couldn’t just let slide. “You went into my bathroom to take dick pics? Seriously?”
“In that lighting? Absolutely not.” He tossed the phone on the bed. “Saw that in the pile of clothes and junk you’ve got on the counter. Doesn’t look like yours. Unless you’ve got a secret burner for some reason.”
Jake got up, grabbed it, and pressed the power button. He shook his head and completely failed to suppress a laugh. “How the fuck…this is the third time Quinn left his phone with me.”
“Oh, shit.” Ozzy frowned. “Uh, I can call him if…no. Email’s too slow. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
The reality came clear almost immediately, and Jake would have been lying to say he was mad about it. Nervous, sure, and it certainly wasn’t the way he would have chosen for it all to go down, but he definitely wasn’t mad. “I guess I’ll grab a car and run it back over to him.”
“I could do it if you want.” Ozzy held his hand out and cocked his head to the side. “I don’t want you to find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.”
Jake shook his head, maybe a bit too fast, and pulled out his own phone to set up a ride share. “I’m good. Maybe it’s good for both of us to get a proper goodbye. Alone.” He pocketed Quinn’s phone and turned his attention to his app. “If you can pee quick?”
Ozzy waved it off and headed for the door. “I can hold it until I get to my own room. Go do your knight in shining armor routine.”
Jake flipped him off, then confirmed his ride and looked out the window. Fifteen minutes and I’ll be back with Quinn. He swallowed the surge of acid before it rose too far out of his throat. Yet he was still smiling.
Only the littlest bit of sunlight still hung in the sky as Jake walked across the front porch to the door of Quinn’s house. It was his last chance to make a decision. He could knock, leave the phone, and hide. Which is so mature.
Jake clenched himself tight, took a couple breaths, then rang the doorbell.
Quinn answered fast. Very fast. He was wearing plaid pajama pants that left nothing to the imagination and no shirt, and Jake wanted nothing more than to jump him and ravage him, door open for the neighbors to watch and everything. His cock throbbed.
“Can I help you?”
Quinn’s question drew Jake out of his horny stupor…mostly. While he pulled the phone out of his pocket, his eyes traced along the lines of Quinn’s bare arms, down his chest, to the faint V-lines dipping below the waist band of his pants… “Hi. Um. Would you believe your phone somehow ended up in my stuff again?”
Quinn blinked, then looked at the little table next to the door. “Shit. How the fuck?” He took the phone and checked it, then set it on that same table. “Good thing you found it before you headed out.”
“Thank Ozzy. He spotted it.”
Quinn nodded and smiled. “Do you want to come in for a minute?”
Jake thumbed over his shoulder. “Ride’s waiting. Just wanted to make sure you got that back.” And if I go in, I’m going to want to make out. Take a shower. Fuck you. His eyes flicked once again down to the very obvious outline of Quinn’s dick, but he pulled back up and nodded to Quinn. “I would say see you later, but that doesn’t seem likely.”
He turned and walked away, trying to keep his shoulders from bunching up to his ears.
“Jake!”