56. JACKSON
FIFTY-SIX
JACKSON
I’ve barely walked into my hotel room when my phone lights up with an incoming video call from Frankie. It’s late his time, but he’d wanted to have a call as soon as I got home. Home. A huff falls from me as I press to accept the call. This is not home. Not this sterile hotel room.
“Hey, babe.” My voice softens as I take in his face. He’s fresh-faced, hair still slightly damp. Looks like he’s already washed up and ready for bed.
“Hey, dolcezza.”
My stomach flips as the light accent rolls off his tongue. God, he’s sexy. Heat simmers low in my gut. Ever since I bottomed for him, I’ve been craving. Once was not enough. It unlocked something in my brain, in my body. My body needs Frankie filling it.
“I miss you.” My voice comes out huskier than I’d intended.
Frankie’s eyebrows shoot up, and a tiny bit of sin glitters in his eyes. “Apparently so,” he murmurs.
“Sorry.” I try to clear the desire from my tone. “I guess you didn’t fuck me hard enough, because it’s only been a couple days, and I’m already dying for it again.”
“Oh, shit!”
“I did not need to hear that.”
My eyes fly wide, and heat smacks my cheeks.
Frankie’s hand covers his smile, and his shoulders shake. “I’m sorry, Ollie-babe. We aren’t alone.”
The screen swirls, ceiling, bed, and then Shane’s face appears. “Ohmygod! Olander, did you finally get dicked down? Are you on my team, bro?”
Despite my embarrassment, I grin. You can’t not with Shane. “Yeah, man. I’m a fan—to put it lightly.”
“Yes.” He closes his eyes and does a quick, downward fist pump.
All I can picture is Napoleon Dynamite. His blue eyes pop open, and the excitement practically overflows.
“I’ll hit you up. I have suggestions, bro.
Welcome to the blissful world of bottoming.
My favorite position is when you start on all f—”
A hand slaps over Shane’s mouth, and Paulie’s head slips into the screen’s frame. “Dude. There is such a thing as oversharing, you know that?”
Shane glares, then—
“Fucking ouch!” Paulie jerks his hand away. “Did you bite me?”
Shane shakes his nose at Paulie. “Yes. Sex positivity, bro. Don’t shame.”
Paulie slumps back in Frankie’s bed. “Fine. I wasn’t shaming, though. I just don’t think we need every intimate detail of your sex life, is all.”
Easton’s head pops in sideways. “Hey, Olander. Maddy says hi too—or he would, but he’s too busy laughing at Shane and Pauls.”
I send him a wave.
“Do I get to talk to my boyfriend?” Frankie’s annoyed voice comes from off screen.
“Oh, sorry,” Shane says.
The room jerks, and then I’m staring at my man again.
“Hi,” I say.
We share a small smile.
“Hi.”
“So…is there a reason all the guys are with you for this call?”
His gaze darts away, and my gut clenches. There’s a hesitance? A nervousness?
“Um, yeah. So, I have some news…”
“What’s the news?” I prod softly.
Those brown eyes lock on mine. “I quit my job today.”
I inhale sharply. “Y-you did?”
Does this mean… Could this mean… Dear God, let it mean what I want it to mean.
“I was wondering if maybe you had room for an unemployed actuary in your hotel room…while he looks for a new job in San Francisco,” he whispers.
“Yes.” My word bursts out before he even finishes. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Then the reality of what he just said sinks in. My brows crash together.
“What happened, Frankie? Are you okay?” God, I was selfishly just thinking of myself and the joy of having him with me. This is a huge deal. He loves his job.
“Yeah. This is the right decision.” His smile is too wide, though. His face too tight. “I put in my two-week notice, so after that, I’m all yours, loverboy.”
I shake my head slowly. “What are you not saying, Frankie? This wasn’t even on the radar when you left here.”
Frankie is not a rash individual. He wouldn’t just quit his job on a whim. I’m over the moon that he’ll be moving here to be with me, but something’s prickling over my skin, and I don’t like the feeling.
“What happened?”
His gaze drops, and that’s it. I know something happened. I lean closer to the screen. “Francesco Mario Luigi Wario Nebiolo, you tell me what happened right now.”
A bark of laughter comes from Frankie’s side, then Paulie’s head pops into the frame. “Dude, you’re just listing Super Mario characters.”
I grin. I definitely need to work on my repertoire of Italian names. But at least this got a little sparkle back in my guy’s eyes.
Frankie shakes his head at me, lips quirking up. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love with you.”
Gagging and throw-up noises ring through the speakers. Someone yells out a “cheesy, dude” followed up by an “I thought it was kinda cute.”
My grin widens. These guys are the best.
“Okay, let’s get back on track. What happened, babe?”
Frankie lets out a sigh, and his gaze drops again. “I actually asked my boss if I could relocate. I thought it could be kind of perfect. Plan my time in Providence when you’re away, be in San Fran with you when you’re home.”
Silence settles over the call.
My heart withers slightly in my chest. It would have been perfect. Would have given Frankie everything. His job. Being able to be close to family part time.
“But…” I prod.
“There’s a new head of the San Francisco office,” he says quietly. “The person who is in charge of staffing, of merit and bonus…” His gaze flicks up to meet mine. “Nick.”
Paulie growls and swears violently.
My muscles snap taut, and my fists ball. I hate that bastard. God, how I’d love to give him a piece of my mind. And my fist.
I force my voice to stay level. “Did he say no?” I could see him saying no just to be a dick. I may have never met the guy, but I know all I need to know.
“Not exactly.” His attention darts to Paulie and back to me, and he licks his lips.
I frown.
He squeezes his eyes shut. “He basically said the only way he’ll make room for me in San Fran is if I go back to him.”
“What the fucking fuck!” Paulie’s outrage roars through the speaker.
My jaw is on the floor. Yelling and cursing come through the phone, then Frankie placating his brother and roommates. I just blink slowly, because holy fucking shit.
“Report him,” I blurt. Because he can’t get away with that.
“There’s nothing to report,” Frankie says heavily.
“It was verbal, and I have no way to prove it. He’s an asshole, and after that, I don’t want to work in the San Francisco office.
I don’t want to have to see him every day, work with him.
” He shudders. “It made it an easy choice. I need a new job. All corporate jobs have a level of toxicity to them, but this is just too much for me now.”
“I’m really sorry, babe.” I ache for him. I want to reach through the phone to comfort him. I hate that I can’t be there for him right now.
He smiles sadly at me. “Looks like we’ll both be starting over.”
“Together, though.”
“Together.”
As long as we’re together, everything will be okay.
I raise my voice. “Do me a favor, guys?”
A chorus of yeses greets me.
“Hug him tight for me, yeah?”
The screen spins, and when it stabilizes, I can just make out the guys in a cuddle-puddle on Frankie from where the phone landed on the bed.
My chest softens. At least I know he’s well taken care of until he gets back to me.
Then I’ll take over.
Soon.