2. Jaxon
My eyes start to strain from staring at my computer screen. It has been a long day. We were pretty busy for a Thursday night, and if that’s any sign of how the weekend is going to go, I’m going to be dead on my feet come Sunday. Ink Me, the tattoo shop I own, has been increasing in its customer volume. I couldn't be happier and I also couldn’t be more tired.
I took Finn on board to give myself a breather and relax now that I can afford it. But I still haven’t. Subconsciously, I know the shop will be fine. There’s been no need to take a day off because, outside of work, I have no social life.
Now that we started doing these weekly dinners, it helps get me out and socializing, but most nights I still go home, sit on the couch and stare at a TV screen. Which is what I’m going to do as soon as I finish next week’s schedule .
I can hear the commotion moving down the back hall before they even arrive at my door. I brace for the impact that will be my employees.
First, Jasper comes bouncing in, hair sticking up every which way, like a kid hopped up on sugar sticks and cotton candy. Finn enters, then is followed by Dom who leans against the door frame. At six feet, I’m not a small man, but Dom is so huge he takes up the whole freaking doorway. The only one missing is Mira. She is out of town with Jules and should be back tomorrow, much to the relief of our scheduling system.
“Hey boss,” Finn says. “We’re gonna go next door and grab some food, wanna come?”
Next door is Dragonfly Cafe and Books. Spencer, the owner of Dragonfly, and Finn’s boyfriend, decided to expand the bookstore by adding a cafe a few months ago. They have great food, though I might be slightly biased since Beckett is the chef.
Beckett is the son of my best friend who passed away around 10 years ago. Since his mom is out of the picture, I try to be a father figure to him. Someone he can lean on. He has always referred to me as his uncle, ever since he was a young boy, and I’m totally okay with that. Beckett is an amazing chef but I feel like it's my responsibility to watch out for him, so I’m glad he’s home.
Beckett moved back to Camden after his best friend, Finn, my new employee, moved here to get away from his family. I’ve been worried about Beckett these last couple of years. He had a rough go of it in California. He doesn't talk about it much, but I think he was in a real dark place.
“Yeah, okay. Just give me 10 minutes to finish the schedules and I’ll meet you over there.” Jasper whoops and hollers before jumping out of his seat and walking, no, make that skipping out of my office.
Everyone else follows suit except for Dom. I’ve known him for 10 years, ever since he came to work for me right after I opened the shop. We’ve developed a friendship over the years and now I consider him my best friend.
I nod in greeting.
“You look like shit,” are the first words out of my best friend’s mouth.
“Wow,” I say, faking shock, “you really know the way to a man’s heart.”
“When it’s not your heart I’m after, I can say whatever I want. ”
“So harsh!”
I laugh when Dom growls, “You know what I mean. And it still doesn't change the fact you look like shit.”
“Yeah, Yeah I know,” I say, waving my hands dismissively.
“Jaxon, take tomorrow morning off, get some sleep. Give yourself a break.”
He moves to stand next to my desk, placing his hand on my shoulder, making me stop what I’m doing.
“I work tomorrow. I can handle anything that comes up. If we need you for some reason, which we won’t, I’ll call you.”
“First I look like shit and now you don’t need me,” I tease.
“Dude, shut up.”
I sigh, knowing he’s right. “Okay, fine.”
“I’ll meet you over there,” Dom says, nodding his head next door.
I focus back on the spreadsheet and remove my name from tomorrow morning’s schedule. It will be fine. Totally fine.
I have a tendency to want to be in control, which makes it hard for me to let go. I know I need to in order to find the balance in other parts of my life.
Unless I want to sit at home by myself for the rest of my life, I need to take control of my personal life. I need to put in the effort to try to meet someone.
I shut down my computer and grab my jacket before double checking the front door is locked and the lights are off.
Walking out the back door, I pull my jacket tight against me as a gust of wind blows down the back alley. I love where my shop is, but in the fall and winter it can get pretty brutal. At the far end of the long alley is the ocean, and the breeze comes straight through, acting like a tunnel.
Going two doors down, I enter the cafe through the back door, which leads into the kitchen.
Beckett looks back at me while chopping a bell pepper.
“Pay attention to what you’re doing!” I scold.
He just shakes his head and laughs. “You want your usual? ”
“Yes, please.” I’m a glutton for a good BLT and Beckett’s are the best. He refuses to tell me what his secret is, but it has something to do with the bacon.
Getting out of his way, I push through the double doors and into Dragonfly Cafe.
Upon entering the dining area there’s a giant farm style community table. Stretching the length of the wall is a long bench with giant pillows and tables. The walls are covered in art. Many of the pieces come from the boys at Ink Me. I could not be more proud to see the work on display, as it should be. Jasper's work should be in a gallery. It's so good.
I spot the gang all lounging around our favorite spot. The seating area in the front corner of the cafe consists of two couches facing each other, with two sofa chairs at each end. Tucked in the corner is a small fireplace and a small table butted up against a window.
I wave to Spencer, who’s behind the counter, talking on the phone. He’s wearing a giant blue sweater with his signature blue eyeshadow. My steps falter as I make my way over to the group when I notice his frown, and the way his eyebrows crease with concern.
Whoever he’s talking to, it can’t be good. Finn notices too, because he moves to stand in front of Spencer, hip leaning against the counter.
I hear Alex’s name, and without thinking, I make my way towards them.
Alex is Spencer’s best friend. He’s a nice kid. He owns a video game company with two buddies from college, so I guess he’s not really a kid.
Spencer ends the call, then sighs, “Well, Alex’s apartment flooded.”
My eyes go wide. “Is he okay? How bad is it?” I ask.
“He’s fine, but it’s not good.” Spencer turns to Finn.
“I told him he could stay with us as long as he needs, but…” Spencer turns to me, “his car also broke down, so he needs someone to go get him.”
I chuckle. “Of course it did. Maybe now he’ll finally get a new car.”
Spencer snorts, “Yeah right… Also, there’s something about a fake fiancé, but I can only handle two life crises at once. That issue is a whole separate shit show.”
Spencer flails his arms, almost knocking over a pencil holder before catching it. Sometimes I don’t know which one is worse, Spencer or Alex? Although Spencer is more klutzy, and Alex, well, he’s more unlucky .
It’s been nice getting to know Spencer and his friends better. Since he opened the cafe, we’ve all found ourselves gravitating here at the end of our day.
We still do the weekly dinner, but you will usually find someone from our group milling around here most evenings.
When Spencer's mom passed away, I made her a promise that I would look out for him. Seeing him doing so well running the bookstore and now adding on a cafe, it’s hard to see him as the same kid anymore. In fact, none of them are kids anymore.
Jules is practically living with Mira.
Over the last few months, Alex has been opening up more around me. He can talk your ear off about video games and books. But, he doesn’t talk much about his past. It's this thing that nobody ever brings up. I think the only ones who really know him are Spencer and Jules.
Over the last few months, I’ve found myself being pulled towards Alex whenever we are in the same room. The kid… I mean man , is super smart and funny. And he’s also one of the most beautiful people I know. The way his soft black hair always flops over his deep brown eyes makes my fingers itch to brush it back. But he’s young and I don’t know if I can go there. I don't think my quest to date again should start with someone who is over 10 years younger than me.
“I’ll pick him up, he can stay with me.” The words are out before I even know what I’m saying. “My spare bedroom is empty again now that Beckett moved into the apartment above Ink Me.” What the fuck? It seems my mouth has a mind of its own tonight.
Spencer and Finn glance at each other and smirk before looking back at me with raised eyebrows.
I roll my eyes, “Shut up.”
Spencer claps his hands together. “Well, I for one approve of this plan.” He winks at Finn, giving him a sultry look. “We had plans.”
Oh, for christ’s sake.
“Where is he now?” I ask, because I don’t feel like sitting around to find out what those plans are.
“He’s on the side of the road in front of his apartment building. The car broke down just 50 feet from the parking lot. Can you believe that? ”
“With it being Alex, yes I can,” I mumble.
I walk back through the kitchen, letting Beckett know I’m leaving and to cancel my order. My stomach grumbles in protest and I sigh. I’ll eat later.
Stepping into the back alley, I make my way over to my baby. Yes, my car is my baby. It’s a black ‘67 Chevy Impala. My love of old cars and the Winchester boys led me to restore the car that lives in every car man's wet dreams. I also have a truck and a motorcycle.
I feel the rumble of the car engine beneath me as I pull out onto Main Street.
I’ve been to Alex’s a couple of times. There was this one time, after a night of drinking. Let’s just say the night did not end well for my shoes. It was one of the very few nights he let his guard down, and let his sadness show. But never the reason behind it.
Having Alex stay with me only makes sense. I mean, I do have an extra room. I don’t want him wasting his money when there is a perfectly acceptable solution. So what if the kid, who is my biggest temptation, is going to be sleeping in the room next to me? It’s fine, totally fine.
It’s no secret that Alex has a crush on me. I like him, I really do, but I just can’t let myself go there with him. I’m 37 years old and twelve years older than him. At some point, the novelty will wear off, just like before, and where will that leave me?
I love my tattoo shop. I worked hard to make it a successful business and it’s been my sole focus. I haven’t dated much. My last serious boyfriend was two years ago.
There are times when I get home from work and the house feels so empty, like any noise I make is going to echo back through the walls. I know Dom is right, and I need to open up to the idea of dating again, but it’s scary.
I must be hanging around Finn and Spencer too much because… I want what they have. Yes, I have my friends and the shop, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss having that kind of intimacy with someone. I just need to grow some balls and take the leap.
When I pull onto the street in front of Alex’s apartment, I’m taken aback by the amount of emergency vehicles. The dark night sky is lit up with flashing lights, and the sounds of idling fire rigs fill my senses. I look down at the road, anywhere but the lights.
I pull the car over to the side of the road to catch my breath. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push away the memories from the night my parents died. It’s been years, but every once in a while, something will trigger my brain and stop me in my tracks. It’s been a long time since this has happened to me, but with the amount of flashing lights it was inevitable.
Once my breathing evens out and my heart no longer feels like a caged animal desperate to get out, I go in search of Alex.
It doesn’t take long before I spot his rusted blue car off to the side of the road. As I move closer, my steps fumble when I see Alex bent over his trunk, his perfectly round, tight ass on display.
Yeah, it’s fine, like I said, totally fine.
When I’m done ogling his ass, I clear my throat, “Alex?”
His body jerks up and he hits his head on the trunk when my voice startles him. Hissing, he rubs the spot and turns around.
“Hey, ah Jaxon, how are you?” he says.
I look around, “Well, I’m guessing better than you.”
He waves his hand in the air. “Oh, it’s nothing, really.”
I struggle to hold in the chuckle as another fire truck pulls in.
“Fuck,” Alex swears under his breath.
I take in his appearance, a pair of black dress slacks, hugging the curve of his ass in all the right places, a white button-up shirt, and his black and white tie hanging loose around his neck. It’s different from his normal look. But the color scheme is the same.
Alex’s outfits are always very color coordinated. Even if it’s mostly jeans and t-shirts. It’s his black, thick-rimmed glasses and floppy hair that always does me in. He’s so fucking sexy. Sometimes he acts like he knows it, but in a self deprecating way. I don’t think he really believes it.
“Finn is on his way to give me a lift, so it’s all good,” he says, drawing out the end of the sentence.
I arch my brow, giving him a minute to catch on.
His eyes practically bug out of his head and his jaw goes slack when the light bulb finally goes off.
I simply nod my head .
He schools his features. “Okay, so you’re going to bring me to the cafe.” He turns and continues to search the back of the jeep. “That will work too.” Finally he sighs, pulling out a pair of old sneakers.
“No, that won’t work,” I say, crossing my arms, a teasing smile playing on my lips.
Alex narrows his eyes at me. “What's your game, old man?”
I take a few steps forward, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “There is no game, baby boy. You’re just going home with me.”
The heat that radiates off his body when I brush by him pulls me even closer, like a moth to a flame. I swear his knees almost give out as I stride past him. What am I doing? I’m just playing with fire.
I open the driver’s side door, pop the hood, and look underneath.
When I take a peek over the hood, Alex is still standing at the back of the vehicle, mouth hanging wide open. I chuckle to myself.
Shutting the hood I walk back towards Alex, who still hasn’t moved. “I’ll have your car towed to the auto shop in the morning. Do you have your stuff?”
He sighs, holding up his shoes. “Got it.”
I give him a sad smile, then look back at the apartment building, still running in full chaos. “Come on, get in.”
He slides into the passenger seat with such a defeated look I can't help feeling for the guy.
We sit in silence as I drive down the road, heading to my house on the other side of town. I catch him looking at me like he’s about to say something a few times before he finally does.
“Like I was telling Spencer, I can totally get a hotel room for the night and then try to figure something out in the morning.”
I scoff, “Nope, naw, not going to happen. You are not wasting your money on a hotel room when I have a perfectly acceptable spare bedroom. Plus, who knows how long all this will take to sort out?” I lean closer to him, rubbing my fingers together in the universal sign for moola. “That could cost a lot of dough.”
“Ugh, fine!” he huffs.
I know I should keep my distance, and this is a horrible idea, but I can’t let him stay in a hotel. So I’ll just have to make sure no actual lines are crossed in the process. I peek a glance at Alex, who is chewing on his bottom lip. It’s gonna be fine.