Chapter 16 – David
Rich did as he promised and woke me up when he left a few hours later.
I hated to see him leave, and I could tell he hated leaving.
I tried my best to get him to stay, but we both knew he couldn’t.
For the first time since starting back up with Rich, I was wondering why we were waiting for the end of the season.
But deep down, I knew that if we came out, I would have to sacrifice the last two races of the season, just like Lars.
And this year, with the way I was driving, I couldn’t do that.
When I eventually woke up a few hours later, there was a message on my mobile waiting for me.
Telling me that he was going to go down to breakfast early, and to meet me there if I woke up early enough.
I had rushed downstairs in the hope I hadn’t missed him, but when I had gotten there, he was nowhere in sight.
“Good morning,” a voice sounds behind me, and as I look around, I see Jasper walking over to me.
“Morning,” I reply.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Jasper asks, and I look up to the restaurant door, wondering if this is a good idea. Rich and I might be in a good place, but I’m not sure what his reaction is going to be if he walks in and sees us together. Especially as I was supposed to be meeting him.
“Go ahead,” I decide, Rich isn’t here yet, and I don’t want to send him away. Plus, last night, we both said we wanted to be friends with Jasper.
Jasper pulls out a chair next to me, and places his food on the table, starting to eat, but I’m not really paying him that much attention. I’m looking at the entrance to the restaurant, waiting to see Rich come in.
“I have to say you look a little tired this morning,” Jasper comments.
“It was a busy day yesterday. If you hadn’t noticed, I won.” But I know what he’s alluding to.
“Oh, that’s what it is. Nothing to do with you reconnecting with someone, who maybe turned up at your bedroom door?”
“How the hell do you know about that?” I demand.
“Who do you think gave him the idea? Well, not to come here, I think he was already doing that. But the methods to get you to talk.”
“Jasper, shut the fuck up,” I hiss, looking around the restaurant, but the place is empty. I’m not surprised, due to the early hour, and look over to the main door.
“He hasn’t come in yet.”
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Because I was here when the restaurant opened,” Jasper explains.
“Why are you here so early?” I ask, finally looking over to him.
“Gym. I wanted to get a session in before travelling today. And you remember, I was always an early bird.”
“And fucking chirpy. I see that nothing has changed.” Jasper laughs at my comment, but doesn’t correct me.
“So, how was it? Last night?” Jasper probes, and I know that he’s not going to let it go.
“Fine,” I state.
“Oh, fuck. I was hoping for better than fine. He was always so….”
“Jasper, do not finish that sentence. I don’t need to hear about you and him. Do you understand me?”
“Course. But fine?” Jasper repeats.
“Okay, it was more than fine. It was…” But I can’t seem to find the word to describe last night.
“Oh, fuck me,” Jasper exclaims, as he gets what I’m trying to say.
“Been there, done that. No offence, not doing it again,” I state, and Jasper stares at me for a second before bursting out in laughter.
“Dave, I don’t think you’re my type anymore.”
“After last night. I think you’re right,” I agreed. Last night confirmed that I was a Dom now, especially with Rich.
“If you ever need any tips,” Jasper adds, giving me a wink.
“Good morning, tips on what?” Rich’s voice sounds, and both Jasper and I jump at hearing him. We had both stopped paying attention to the restaurant door.
“Tips,” Jasper repeats and waggles his eyebrows.
“He doesn’t need any,” Rich adds, giving me a smile as he looks around the restaurant again. “Is it okay for me to sit here?”
“Please.”
Rich pulls out the chair opposite from me, and I feel him rub his foot on my ankle. It’s the closest thing we can do to a kiss hello.
Jasper gets up from his chair, mutters something under his breath that sounds like ‘you too’ before whispering, “I will give you two a minute,” then saying louder, “I’m going for some coffee, would you like one?”
“Yes, sir,” Rich and I say automatically. Jasper hadn’t realised that when making his voice louder, it took on a commanding tone, and so we both responded on instinct.
Jasper rolled his eyes at us, turned to walk away. But I definitely heard him say, ‘damn submissives,’ which caused us both to laugh.
“Jesus, we are going to have to be careful around that man,” I say, when Jasper is out of ear shot. “Imagine the questions if we do that when others are around. It’s going to take a lot of explaining.”
“Tell me about it,” Rich confirms. “But how the fuck does he do it?” Rich adds.
“No idea,” I reply, but I’m also pleased that none of us are overthinking this. We both know why we replied like that, but after last night, it no longer matters.
Turning, we both look over to Jasper, and he starts walking back over to us, carrying three coffee mugs. He’s managing to hold two in one hand, and one in the other. As he reaches the table, he places the two cups in front of me and Rich, before placing the other cup in front of his place.
“Jasper, you’re going to have to be careful on how you talk to us.”
Jasper just picks up his mug, and smiles over the rim at us, and takes a sip of his coffee.
“Not my fault you both react to me. I just have a commanding personality,” Jasper finally says, with a smirk.
“Fuck me. He’s going to be the death of me,” Rich says, and I shoot him a look, but I don’t think he realises what he said, well the first part anyway.
“No thanks. I’m not into threesomes. Plus, this one,” and he points to me, “would get pissed off if we went one on one again,” Jasper adds, just as Rich picks up his mug and takes a sip.
Laughter erupts out of me. Last week I had been so scared about what it meant to have Jasper back in my life, but as the three of us sit here together, I know that we have nothing to worry about. Jasper knew this a week ago too, which is why I think he helped us.
“But guys, in all seriousness, are you two good?” Jasper asks.
“Yeah, we’re good. We talked,” I tell him.
“Well, I know you did more than talk. But you need to be careful, look how fucking tired he looks,” Jasper says, pointing over to Rich, and for the first time, I see the dark circles under his eyes. “Scenes can be very overwhelming. Make sure that you’re looking after each other, afterwards.”
“It wasn’t a scene,” Rich states, and I look over to him, surprised. The start of the evening definitely felt that way, but he was right, it didn’t end that way. Hadn’t realised he felt it too.
“Oh,” Jasper replies, but I see the smile on his face.
“But we do, it’s just difficult when we’re travelling. We can’t stay over in each other’s room,” I add.
“Of course you fucking can,” Jasper states.
“No, we really can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried to think of ways. But what if we’re spotted leaving each other’s rooms?” Rich adds, and I think that Jasper finally understands our dilemma.
“I have no idea how you manage it. The pair of you just scream ‘we’re fucking each other’. It took me all of ten seconds to spot it.”
“Because, Jasper, you’ve fucked us both,” Rich states. “But I will tell you, it’s hard. Just look at him.” Pointing to me.
“He has improved with age,” Jasper confirms. “But…”
“What am I, a piece of meat to be ogled over?” I ask. “Hang on, what do you mean but?”
Jasper opens his mouth to answer, but stops before he says anything more. Then I see what Jasper spotted, a few members of the team entering the restaurant.
“We have company,” I whisper over to them, and Rich turns around and waves at the lads, just as Otis walks into the room, and I wonder why he’s here. Did he come with Rich? I make a mental note to ask him when I get the chance.
“Who the fuck is that?” Jasper exclaims.
“Who?” Looking around the crew that just walked in.
“Him. Tall, built, slightly olive skin, dark hair and the goatee. The walking sex on legs,” Jasper adds, and I follow his line of sight to see who he’s talking about, and decide to get a little revenge.
“Otis,” I call over to him, rising from my seat, and beckoning him over with a wave.
Otis smiles at us, and I hear a groan from the side of me. “Bastard,” Jasper mutters, as we watch him walk over to us.
“Hey,” Otis says, standing by the table.
“Care to join us?” I ask, pointing to the last chair at our table.
“Thanks, but I said I would have breakfast with some of the others. Trying to build my relationship with them,” Otis replies, but I see him glancing at Jasper.
“Have you met Jasper?” Rich asks, and I can see that he’s spotted Otis’s reaction, too. “He’s Lars’s new physio. I don’t remember seeing you at the meeting last week.”
“I umm umm, missed it,” Otis confirms. “Please don’t tell Vincent, he thinks I was there.”
“It’s fine, but don’t make a habit of it, okay?” Rich tells him, but his tone has taken on the business edge, reminding me of last night. So that’s where his voice came from.
“Of course. I better go. See you both later,” Otis says, turns, and walks away.
“I fucking hate the pair of you,” Jasper says.
“No, you don’t,” Rich and I say in unison.
“Fine, I don’t. But you need to tell me who he is, and now,” Jasper demands, as he turns his head to look over at Otis again.
“He’s my replacement,” I start.
“He might be your replacement,” Rich adds.
“Rich,” I say to him.
“Oh yeah, you never did tell me the real reason why you are quitting,” Jasper adds.
“I don’t need my ex-boyfriend, and current boyfriend, ganging up on me,” I tell them, straight.
“Yeah, you do,” They both reply.
“Fuck off.”
“Rich, I think we hit a nerve,” Jasper says.
“I think you might be right.”
“Can’t we go back to all of us not talking?” I ask.
“Nope,” Jasper says. “I like you guys. Now, tell me about Otis.”