Caleb hauled himself up out of the chair and reached out ruffling Jamie’s hair with short, thick fingers. “I understand more than you think I do, bud. I hope you get some sleep tonight, and don’t forget about your man.” Caleb turned and looked back over his shoulder before exiting. “Let me know if you need me to bring you a sleeping bag, Jamie.”
The office door closed, and Jamie lowered his head into his hands groaning. He felt like he had done nothing but work the last two days. His eyes were tired, and his brain was tired. He missed Aaron, but he couldn’t even spend the time to think about him.
Jamie opened up a new folder and started to read when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the screen and saw that it was Christy. He whispered to himself, “Please God, don’t let it be anything bad. I can’t handle it right now.”
Jamie answered the phone with as cheerful a “Hello” as he could muster.
Christy sounded frustrated. She said, “So you are alive. I hope you’re sick.”
“Well, that’s some kind of greeting. Why would you hope something like that?”
Christy said, “Because it’s the only acceptable explanation that I can think of.”
“Explanation for what?” asked Jamie, “And please, get to the point, Christy. I’m totally swamped in work.”
“Aaron was just here, and he was sad. Sylvia was barely able to raise a smile on his face. When I finally got him to talk, he said the last he heard from you was yesterday afternoon when you said you would call after you got home.”
Jamie mumbled, “Oh shit. I did say that.” He punched at his desk with a fist.
Christy said, “Jamie, don’t treat him like crap. He’s the best friend I’ve had in a long time, and Sylvia loves him. Get your head out of your ass and…”
Jamie shouted into the phone. “Whoa, wait! I feel like my damn world is falling apart, and all you can do is bitch at me about my boyfriend…”
“Fiance, Jamie. You’re marrying him. Remember?”
He was backed into a corner. He couldn’t believe that he just called Aaron his boyfriend. Aaron was his future husband. Jamie lowered his voice and said, “Look, Christy. I stood up for one of my co-workers, and now the bosses are treating me like shit. Caleb thinks it’s some kind of payback, and maybe it is, but I have to get the work done or I lose my job. I’ll call Aaron right away and explain. Thank you for reminding me.”
He could hear Christy start to calm down when she said, “Okay, I’m sorry. That really sucks, but which is more important in the long run? Please, Jamie, don’t screw this up. It’s not just about you.”
Jamie realized the dangers in developing a relationship with someone who was a close friend of a family member were coming home to roost. It was complicated, and he didn’t have time to deal with it. He had work to do, and he needed to get Christy off the phone so that he could call Aaron.
Jamie said, “Christy, I’ve really gotta go for now. Thank you for the call. I will talk to Aaron, and give Sylvia a big hug and a kiss for me. Just give me two days, and this will be finished. Two days, please.”
It sounded like Christy’s teeth were clenched, but she said the right things. “Hang in there, Jamie, and I’m sure Aaron will be okay. He just misses you, and I had to talk him down from jumping in the car and driving up there to see you. He does get a little anxious sometimes. I love you, little brother, and I love your future husband.”
17
Aaron
Jamie threw his head back and he yelled out. He bellowed like a bull, and he shot so far that the first thick wad of cum landed on his collar bone. Aaron grinned when the last of the load oozed out over his fingers gripped just below the head of Jamie’s cock. He knew that he could be happy edging Jamie with hand jobs for the rest of his life.
Breathlessly, Jamie grunted, “So…fuckin…hot!”
Aaron covered Jamie with his long, lean body and kissed him hard. He said, “Nothing is so underrated as giving a good hand job to such a hot man. And it’s worth getting up with the sunrise” Aaron turned his head and saw the early morning rays of sunlight peeking from behind the blinds.
Jamie laughed. “Yeah, you might be right about that., but, fuck, your cock does a mighty fine job, too, Aaron.”
“It’s that little angle to the right it has. It gives it an extra…something.”
Jamie shoved his hands against Aaron’s pecs and rolled him over onto his back. He began to slowly plant kisses down the center of Aaron’s chest and the lightly hairy trail that led over his belly to the treasure below.
“You mean I get my turn, too?” asked Aaron.
“You get my mouth,” grunted Jamie. “I’m hungry for breakfast.”
Before Aaron could reply, Jamie wrapped his soft lips around the head of Aaron’s cock and slowly swept his tongue across the head.
Aaron’s throat constricted and he choked out the words, “Won’t…be…long. Edge, almost, Jamie…”
Jamie was silent except for sucking sounds and stroking the base of Aaron’s cock. He didn’t slow down in response to Aaron’s warning. He only picked up the speed of stroking.
Aaron felt like he was being chased to the edge of a cliff. He growled, “I’m…close…oh, fuck…” He didn’t have time to look down or try to stop his forward motion. All that he could do was leap forward. “AHHHH…FUCCKK!” Aaron’s cock erupted deep in Jamie’s throat, and he felt like he was flying. In fact, the sensation was so intense, he nearly blacked out with the first wave of orgasm. Aaron reflexively tangled the fingers of both hands into Jamie’s hair holding his head firmly in place while Aaron’s cock pumped out the last drops of the massive load.
Aaron wasn’t sure exactly how much time elapsed while they both lay on their backs naked side by side in the bed staring at the ceiling and trying to catch their breath. Jamie spoke first. “Cabin in the woods, pizza delivery, and sex with you every fucking day until the end of time. I would eventually die a happy, happy man.”
With a grin, Aaron said, “Yeah, the rest of the world is highly overrated.”
Jamie rolled on to his side and reached out a hand to rub at Aaron’s chest. His eyes swept over Aaron’s naked body as he asked, “So what about that app? Still raking in the cash?”
Aaron grinned and kept his eyes focused on the ceiling. He said, “It has slowed down some, but it’s enough padding that I can quit the day job and move up here with plenty of time to look for something new.”
Jamie said, “I can’t wait until we can spend every night together.”
“Just give me another month or two,” said Aaron.
“Oh I won’t rush you. What kind of job do you want up here in the city. Will it be the same kind of IT job that you have now?”
Aaron gestured with his arms in the air pointed upward toward the ceiling. He said, “What I really want to do is design games. I guess that’s probably every programmer’s dream these days. I want to create and not just fix other people’s projects.”
Jamie circled a nipple with his fingertip. He said, “Well, doesn’t the app prove that you can do that? You can do the creative part, and you know how to market it, too.”
Aaron turned his head to smile at Jamie. He loved being able to talk about his dreams and have someone listen and listen closely. Sometimes his friends seemed so focused on their own work that they didn’t really hear what Aaron had to say about his own dreams. Thomas had the great veterinary practice, and Derek and Yale were focused on their bookstore and Derek’s novels. He said, “Well, the apps are really just small pieces of the kind of thing I would really like to do. They are like building a bird feeder when what you really want is a backyard sanctuary.”
Jamie said, “I’m sure you’ll get there. I’ve got complete confidence, and I make enough money from my job to take care of both of us. There’s no rush for you to go back to work, Aaron.”
Aaron reached a hand behind Jamie’s neck and pulled him forward for a kiss. He relished the taste of Jam
ie’s tongue and the feel of his soft lips. Aaron nibbled on the bottom lip and Jamie moaned. Aaron loved to hear the moans. They came from somewhere deep inside and had a low, almost bass level, tone.
Jamie trailed kisses down the side of Aaron’s neck and then performed the little trick that always drove Aaron crazy. He kissed behind Aaron’s ear and then tugged on Aaron’s earlobe with his lips. It was a mixture of sucking and a gentle bite.
“Aww, fuck, you wreck me Jamie!”
* * *
As Jamie kissed Aaron one more time at the door before heading off to work, he said, “This is what it will be like forever. Waking up together, sex together, breakfast together. Rinse and repeat. Over and over again.”
Aaron laughed saying, “And then when we’re old, wrinkled and gray, we get to quit working and never get out of bed again.”
Jamie smiled and said, “Total bliss.”
After Jamie was gone, Aaron decided to stick around Jamie’s apartment for a few more hours. He arranged to take a day of his vacation from work, so he wasn’t planning to be back in Catlett’s Cove until the late afternoon. He sat at the kitchen counter with one more cup of coffee and daydreamed about what kind of job he would have in the city.
IT firms were everywhere now. Finding a job wouldn’t be difficult. Finding one that he liked would be a different issue. He liked his job at home. Most of the clients were great to work with, and his colleagues were a lot of fun. They commiserated when something went wrong and shared in each other’s victories.
Aaron pulled on a light windbreaker jacket and decided to go out for a walk. The immediate neighborhood was full of touristy shops, expensive women’s clothing boutiques, and restaurants attempting to be trendy.
He walked past a florist, and then, after he was a block further down the street, he decided to turn around. Aaron remembered Jamie telling him a story about one Father’s Day when his mother bought a bouquet of flowers instead of a toolbox or a necktie for a Father’s Day gift. Both Jamie and Christy insisted that it wasn’t right for a man, but their dad gushed over the flowers and he sniffed them every single time that he walked through the dining room for the next week.
“Where would you like them delivered?” asked the woman in the florist shop.
Aaron said, “I’m delivering them by hand.”
She smiled and asked, “Oh, do you live in the neighborhood?”
“I’ll be moving in soon. These are for my fiancé.”
The woman said, “Oh, then congratulations to you!” She carefully wrapped the bouquet and placed the flowers in a box before adding, “I’m sure she will love these.”
Aaron paid cash for the bundle and, just before turning toward the door, he pointedly said, “HE will.”
* * *
Aaron looked around the apartment searching for a vase to contain the flowers. Jamie had decorative vases in the living room, but Aaron knew they were part of his collection of mid-century furniture and decorative objects. He didn’t know whether any of them were actually intended to hold water.
Aaron glanced in closets and checked the shelves next to the stacked washer and dryer in the tiny laundry room. Finally, he returned to the kitchen and settled on a summery glass pitcher with etched daisies on the side.
The bouquet was huge and full. Aaron recognized bright blue delphinium, one of his grandmother’s favorite flowers, and cheerful yellow daisies. He didn’t know the names of the rest of the blooms, but they looked great. He smiled thinking about the surprised look that would spread across Jamie’s face when he returned home.
Aaron quickly folded up his clothes and stuffed them into the small suitcase that was quickly racking up mileage shuttling back and forth from Catlett’s Cove to the city. He straightened up the bedroom and made up the bed. Before leaving the bedroom, he bent down and pressed his face to Jamie’s pillow. Aaron inhaled deeply knowing the scent would have to keep him satisfied for nearly a week.
Just before Aaron stepped out the door, his phone rang. Aaron anticipated that it was a call from Jamie, but it was Christy instead. When he answered the call, the first thing he heard was sobs.
“Christy, is that you?”
He heard a loud sniff and then she answered weakly, “Yes.”
“What’s going on? Did he come back? What’s going on? Is Sylvia okay?”
Christy said, “She’s at daycare.” There was a long pause and she added, “Let me pull myself together, Aaron. I need to talk. Don’t hang up.”
Aaron leaned against the doorframe. He said, “Of course I’m not going to hang up. You take the time that you need. Then tell me what’s going on.”
He stood up and walked over to the couch. Aaron put the phone on speaker mode and settled into the plush leather.
Christy sniffled, and then there was silence. A few seconds later she said, “I’m on the couch now. I think I can get it together.”
“Are you okay, Christy?” asked Aaron. “He didn’t come back and hit you, did he?”
Aaron heard the sound of Christy blowing her nose. Then she spoke again in a calmer, lower tone. She said, “I didn’t actually see him, but his lawyer sent a woman to my place.”
“Sent someone? For what?”
Christy said, “I opened the door, and she handed me this folder with a bunch of papers. She said it was official notification that he was seeking shared custody of Sylvia.”
Aaron growled, “That’s what Ethan’s been up to then. We both knew that he was far too quiet.”
Christy’s voice was suddenly more agitated, and the words spilled out of her mouth. She said, “I can’t give her to him and not be around. I would go insane wondering what he was doing, Aaron. He’s not fit to raise a kid. He just isn’t, Aaron.”
“Do you think he would hit her, Christy?”
She said, “No, he’s never hit her, and he slapped me twice, but it wasn’t really that hard. I don’t think he would ever willingly hurt her, but he’s totally totally irresponsible. He wouldn’t keep an eye on her, and he would probably pass out drunk in the evening so he couldn’t keep an eye on her. It would be like leaving Sylvia home alone…and she’s just five years old, Aaron!”
Aaron tried to sound calm and soothing. He said, “Well, he doesn’t have custody yet. They have hearings, right?”
Christy sighed, “Yes, they do, and I’ll call my lawyer again. She does this all gratis for me. One of my work friends sent me to her. She’s able to count her work for me as community service.”
“And you know I’ll be there for you, Christy. Jamie will be, too. We’ll fight all of this together. It will all come out good in the end. Sylvia will be fine. We’ll beat it, Christy.”
18
Jamie
Jamie looked down at the box lunch carefully packaged with a smoked turkey sandwich on freshly baked bread that was still warm to the touch. The elegant delivery meal came at a premium cost, but that was one of the best benefits of his job. He could afford to eat well at any time. The box lunch included apple crisp packaged in a small ceramic ramekin. Jamie leaned back in his desk chair and sipped from his cup of coffee while he contemplated whether to start with the sandwich or dessert first.
Since completing the crazy stack of verification work, Jamie’s job was relatively quiet. He got pulled into the usual last-minute meetings, but he was able to leave at 5:00 p.m. Best of all, when Aaron came up for a surprise visit at the end of the week, Jamie was able to focus and share a wonderful respite from the work world.
Christy’s news about a custody battle dampened his good feelings somewhat, but it sounded like she had solid legal representation. If Christy’s complaints could be demonstrated in court, he couldn’t imagine any judge granting shared custody. Christy had plenty of evidence from Sylvia’s daycare to show the success of her own parenting.
Jamie was just taking the first bite of his sandwich when he heard the knock on his office door. Without getting up, he said, “It’s open, come in.”
“I’m
sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Bradley.” It was Lori, secretary and personal assistant of Jamie’s boss. He liked Lori, but she rarely brought good news. He frowned when he saw that she was struggling carrying a large stack of folders.
He said, “Hi, Lori, is that for me?”
She dropped the stack on the corner of his desk and said, “I hope it’s okay to put them here, and yes, it’s for you. Mr. Sheaves said he needs them back in four days. He wants you to read through all of the documents and make any corrections that are needed.”
Jamie groaned. The stack was even bigger than the one he received the week before. He started to blurt out, “I can’t believe…,” but then he realized who he was speaking with. Jamie twisted his face into a smile that was half clenched-teeth grimace. “Tell him I’ll get it done, Lori, and, yes, it’s fine to leave the stack right there. Have a good day and…” His voice trailed off.
“Was there something I should share with Mr. Sheaves?” asked Lori.
Jamie stared back at the blank look on her face and felt rage start to well up from his gut, but he kept it locked down. He said, “No, just wish him a good day for me. Thank you, Lori. Now I need to get back to my lunch.”
At 2:30 p.m., Caleb stop by Jamie’s office. He poked his face around the edge of the office door and said, “Hey, bud. I was thinking of going out to a movie tonight. It has been ages since I’ve seen a flick on the big screen. I’m looking forward to some superhero special effects. I wondered if you wanted to join me and make an evening of it.”
Jamie growled, “Come on in, Caleb, and you can see my answer.”
Caleb stepped into the office and looked down at Jamie’s desk. “Damn, you’ve been a bad boy again?”
The Experiment Page 11