by Emy Calirel
Jerome’s eyes prickled and he rubbed at them. He didn’t want to cry, but the last month had been so stressful, he didn’t know how to cope with it anymore. Finally talking about it with someone other than Quentin felt good, but it also opened the gates to emotions Jerome wanted to keep buried.
“If you want, I can help you with the supplier,” Trevor said, his deep voice more soothing than Jerome cared to admit.
“That’s nice of you, but you’re busy enough with your own job.”
“You do realize dealing with suppliers is part of my job, right?”
Jerome frowned behind his hand. “I don’t actually know what your job is. Other than managing projects.”
“The company I work for manages projects for other businesses dealing in luxury items. Everything from five-star hotels to jewelry. Right now, I’m working on implementing a new fashion shoe shop in Dublin for my client. Valentina is extremely wealthy, but she’s not known in the market yet, so my job is to not only deal with the architects for the building, the suppliers for the leather, and the budgeting of things, but also to work on her brand with the marketing team.”
“That’s impressive.” Jerome dropped his hand and popped another candy in his mouth. “You must find my little shop problems completely ridiculous.”
“They aren’t. I don’t think that, and that wasn’t my point. My point is, I know how to deal with suppliers. I’ve been doing it for fifteen years, and I’m damn good at my job. I don’t know the laws in Belgium, but I do know lawyers who do or can find out. From there, it’s not that difficult.”
Jerome sighed. “I would need to talk to Quentin about it, but frankly, as much as I appreciate the offer, we can’t afford you.”
“I’m not offering a business transaction, Jerome,” Trevor snapped, sounding offended. “I’m offering to help a friend with my expertise.”
Jerome had to admit it was tempting. Not only would it help them a lot, it might also mean Trevor coming back to Brussels. That thought was even more attractive than getting paid back for their shitty shirts. Trevor had been a lot of fun to hang out with, and the incredible sex had been a nice benefit. He wouldn’t say no to another weekend together.
“I’ll talk to Quentin on Monday then but, either way, thank you.”
“Of course.”
A comfortable silence fell between them. With Trevor’s breathing in his ear, Jerome could close his eyes and almost believe he was back a week ago.
“I should let you go,” Jerome finally said quietly. “I didn’t mean to take so much of your evening.”
“I’m the one who called you,” Trevor reminded him. “I wasn’t doing anything really. Hannah’s having dinner with Eric, and I was invited to drinks with friends, but I didn’t feel like it. It’s been a long week for me too. I was watching The Hurt Locker.”
“Damn, I love that movie. Probably my favorite Renner movie. What scene are you at?”
“It’s still the beginning. I’ve watched maybe twenty minutes of it. Would you…?” Trevor hesitated. “Do you want to watch it with me? If you have it and aren’t too exhausted. It might help you unwind after today.”
Jerome’s heart leaped. He glanced at the book he had planned on finishing that night, but there was no contest.
“I would love to, but I really need a shower first. Call you back in fifteen?”
“Sure. We’ll start over from the beginning. Hurry up.”
Jerome jumped into the shower while his old and beat-up laptop started. He felt lighter than he had all week.
DESPITE HAVING to get up early after a working weekend, Jerome felt more relaxed come Monday morning than he had in a long time. After the movie ended on Saturday night, he and Trevor had talked late into the night before deciding on another movie to watch together the next evening. With only four hours of sleep and a full workday, Jerome had ended up falling asleep in the middle of The Town. Waking up to read the texts he had missed from Trevor during the movie had been a great way to start his day.
“Look who’s in a good mood today,” Quentin said when Jerome entered the shop with coffee and a spring to his step.
Tall with short blond hair, and thin as a string bean, Quentin was Jerome’s opposite. He had a full beard, piercings in his nose and eyebrow, and the colorful tattoo on his shoulder wasn’t entirely covered by his long-sleeved shirt.
“I had a good weekend.” Jerome held the coffee cup out for Quentin on his way to the register. He put his jacket under the counter and started fixing the key chains people always misplaced on the rack.
“Yeah? Good business yesterday?” Quentin asked from the other room where he dusted the shelves.
“Pretty good. A group of Chinese tourists came by in the afternoon. They loved the postcards.”
“We’ll need to print more. I can see there’s only two waving waffles left.”
Jerome took the box of magnets they kept under the counter and went around to start refilling the magnetic board under the register.
“As soon as we can fix the printer.”
Quentin groaned. “I’ll call the shop again today, see if they can help us out. Or at least let us pay them over a few months.”
“Let me know.”
“Will do. Speaking of, we got an email from a certain Mr. McGill. Know anything about that?”
Jerome’s heart jumped. “I wanted to talk to you about it this morning, actually. Trevor deals with suppliers a lot at his job, and he offered to help us if we want to.”
“His email said something like, ‘I won’t get involved before you give me the okay, but you might find this useful.’ He attached a file on the procedure for forcing the supplier to either reimburse us or exchange the products.”
“You think it’s something you want to do?” Jerome asked, turning on his heels so he could look at his friend. Quentin stood at the opening between the two rooms, his hands on his hips.
“I’ll need to read everything more carefully, but it looks like we won’t need to get a lawyer. I hope you told your friend we want his help.”
Jerome stood from his crouch when his thighs started to burn. “I told him I would discuss his offer with you.”
“Jer!” Quentin threw his hands up, the cloth he was using to dust almost hitting him in the face. “I’m slammed between the tutoring and the store, and now Marie is dropping Lee on my doorstep at all hours. I want his help like I fucking want to keep breathing.”
Marie was Quentin’s sister, and she tended to treat him like a babysitter for her son while she planned her move to Canada.
“When do they leave?”
“Three more weeks.” Quentin deflated. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Lee and I’m gonna miss him fiercely when they’re gone. Right now, it feels like I don’t even have time to crap in peace, though.”
Jerome winced. “I can cover for you next weekend if you need.”
“Nah. You deserve your breaks too. If we both end up stressed and exhausted, we’ll kill each other before we can ever make a profit. And you found us some help, so there’s that too.”
“I’ll talk to Trevor and see what he can do.”
They worked in silence for a while, getting the store cleaned, restocked, and ready for a new week.
“So, that Trevor guy, he’s the one from two weeks ago?” Quentin asked when they were done.
Jerome opened the register to check their float, avoiding Quentin’s gaze. “He is.”
“You two are a thing now? I thought that was a weekend fling.”
“We’re not a thing. We’re just friends.”
Despite the phone calls and daily texts, Trevor had given no indication he planned on coming back to Brussels. His voice making Jerome’s body buzz didn’t mean anything when they wouldn’t see each other again.
“Good.” Quentin leaned against the counter. “I have a date for you.”
Jerome slammed the till closed. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely yes. Her name’s Liliane,
and she’s gorgeous. I figured the last two guys were a bust, so maybe a woman would be better for you right now. She’s a veterinarian. Brunet, curvy, and clever. She’s exactly your type.”
“I am not going on anymore of your blind dates. They’re always a disaster. You’re terrible at picking dates.”
“Hey! The last one got you a weekend of sex and apparently a new friend.”
“None of which was thanks to you. I’m sure Liliane is a very nice woman, but I don’t need to find someone.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve been single for far too long. It’s depressing.”
Jerome glared. So what if he had been single for the last three years? A betrayal would dampen anyone’s want for a partner.
“What if instead of meddling with my love life, you focused on fixing yours,” Jerome snapped.
Hurt flashed in Quentin’s clear eyes, and Jerome almost took the words back. Quentin had received his divorce papers the previous week, and it was a low blow to throw that back at him, but Jerome was tired of spending his evenings with people he didn’t like.
He turned away from Quentin and went to unlock the door so they could start their day.
“I’m not going,” he said, turning the open sign the right way.
“I got you two tickets for a comedy show, and she already has hers in hand. You would really let her go by herself?”
“You can always go with her if she’s that great of a woman.”
“No can do. I have tutoring on Friday, and I can’t cancel. I need the money.”
“Then why did you spend some on tickets for a show I don’t want to go to? That’s just ridiculous.”
“The show is free, but you needed to reserve seats. She’s looking forward to it, and the comedian sounds really funny. You’ll have a good time if nothing else.”
“I hate you,” Jerome said, dropping his head against the glass door and closing his eyes briefly.
“But you’ll go?”
When Jerome turned around, Quentin was smiling smugly. He knew Jerome well enough to know how to guilt him into things.
“I’ll go. But I swear if it’s a disaster again, I’m switching your coffee to decaf for a month.”
Chapter 9—Trevor
QUENTIN SET me up on another date this Friday. Wish me luck.
Trevor reread the text a few times before answering with a simple Good luck. He had no grounds or reason to be jealous, and yet knowing Jerome would date someone was bugging him. He knew wishing it would be a disaster made him an asshole, but he couldn’t help himself. Not when the souvenir of Jerome’s mouth and the feel of his body under Trevor’s hands still fueled his fantasies.
He spent the rest of the week distracted and distant. They texted, but Trevor cut every phone call short, claiming he was too busy with work. Truth was, he had gotten way more attached than he had realized. If he valued his new friendship with Jerome, he needed to back off before he got hurt again.
FRIDAY NIGHT found him working late. He could have gone home like everyone else, but he needed the distraction. Needed to work so he wouldn’t think about Jerome and his date. Wondering if they were having a good time. If Jerome would bring her to his place or go to hers. If he was kissing her the way he had kissed Trevor.
Trevor was tweaking Valentina’s budget spreadsheet when his phone rang, and he answered without looking away from the numbers on his screen.
“McGill.”
“Hey,” Jerome said.
Trevor froze.
“I just got back home. I was wondering if you wanted to rewatch The Town with me? I know you’ve seen it already, but I fell asleep halfway through it last Sunday.”
“I’m still at work,” Trevor said, his voice thick. He glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even ten. Not only had Jerome not spent the night with his date, he wanted to spend the rest of his evening with Trevor.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I figured you would be off for the weekend, but I’ll leave you to it.”
“Wait!” Trevor called, eager to keep Jerome on the phone. “I’m only here because I needed the distraction. It’s nothing that can’t wait till Monday.” He bit his lower lip and glanced at the postcard he had put back against the cactus on his desk. “You’re home early. Another disaster?” He hated himself for feeling hopeful.
“No, it went well. The comedian wasn’t bad, even if it wasn’t my type of humor. Very crass and sometimes even gross. Liliane was nice and interesting. Very pretty, too, but….” Jerome hesitated, and his voice was quieter when he spoke again. “We didn’t connect. I guess my mind is on someone else.”
“I want to see you again,” Trevor said before he could second-guess himself. He couldn’t ignore how painful the idea of Jerome dating someone else had been. If Jerome was hinting at liking him more than just as a long-distance friend, then Trevor wanted to jump on the opportunity. Follow Hannah’s advice and take a chance. “I would like to come spend another weekend in Brussels with you. I mean if, you know, if….” Trevor fumbled with his words and took a deep breath. “If I was the one on your mind.”
Jerome didn’t answer right away, and Trevor slouched back in his chair. He wiped his sweaty palm on his thigh, his heart beating wildly.
“You are,” Jerome finally said. “I would like to see you again.”
The butterflies in Trevor’s stomach fluttered. “I’m going to Italy next week. I could book a flight to Belgium from there for Friday evening.”
“I’ll pick you up at the airport. It’s last minute, but I’ll call Quentin and see if we can switch our weekends. He appreciated your email, so I’m sure it’ll be no problem.”
The smile Trevor could hear in Jerome’s voice matched his own. He relaxed against his chair and swirled it around, facing the large window. Dublin was twinkling with lights, groups of friends and couples walking along the river Liffey on their way to and back from pubs.
“I’m really looking forward to it.” Trevor sighed. The lights turned on in the hallway and Trevor glanced at his watch automatically. “The cleaners are here. I should probably go home and let them work.”
“The cleaners come by this late?”
“We often work into the night when we’re on deadline, so the cleaning service is scheduled for late evening.” Trevor started the process of saving everything before he shut down his computer for the weekend. “It’s not unusual around here.”
“Well, good luck to them. You definitely should go home and rest.”
“You know, at this hour, it’ll only take me thirty minutes to get to my place. We could still have that movie night if you feel like it.”
“Sure. Call back when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”
WITH THE trip to Italy, the week flew by, and yet it still went too slowly. By the time Friday finally came around, Trevor was jittery with nerves and anticipation. He and Jerome had texted during the week but hadn’t had time to talk on the phone again, and Trevor wasn’t sure what to expect.
Jerome was waiting for him at the baggage claim exit, looking incredible in tight jeans and his leather jacket. Despite his impatience to finally be with him again, Trevor slowed down so he could watch him a bit longer before Jerome saw him. When their eyes met through the crowd, Jerome’s expression lit up. The butterflies in Trevor’s stomach went into overdrive as he weaved his way around people to join Jerome.
“Hiya,” Trevor said, unsure if he was supposed to kiss Jerome or not.
He didn’t need to wonder for long. Jerome threw his arms around Trevor’s neck and made him bend down for a deep kiss. He tasted like mint and coffee, and Trevor embraced him, letting go of his suitcase so he could hold Jerome closer.
“I’ve wanted to do that again since the morning you walked out my door,” Jerome said when the need for air forced them apart.
“I want you,” Trevor breathed, lust clouding everything. He didn’t even care about the people around them. Now that he had Jerome in his arms, all he wanted was for them to be
alone and together.
“I can feel that,” Jerome teased, shifting so that his thigh brushed against Trevor’s erection.
Trevor felt himself blushing, and when Jerome stepped back, he pulled his shirt from his pants to hide the bulge at his crotch.
Jerome laughed and took Trevor’s hand. “Come on, let’s go home. I want you naked and in my bed as soon as humanly possible.”
THE TRIP back from the airport felt like forever, and Jerome spent the whole time teasing Trevor, telling him how much he wanted him and what he wanted to do to him. He made dirty talk sound sexy, using his words expertly and never crossing the line to crass. His accent made everything even better. By the time they finally made it back to Jerome’s place, Trevor was at his limit, so excited he was scared he would come at the first touch. Clothes started flying as soon as Jerome’s front door closed, their hands pawing at fabrics to reach skin, their lips fused in desperate kisses.
Trevor tripped on his pants leg as he tried to take them off while walking backward, and Jerome used the opportunity to push him onto the bed. Trevor landed on his back, and half a second later, Jerome was on top of him. He trailed kisses down Trevor’s chest, lighting his skin on fire, before closing his lips around the tip of Trevor’s cock. It felt amazing, wet and warm with just the right amount of pressure. When Jerome used his piercing under the crown, Trevor saw stars. He arched his back, his fists clenched on the sheets as his brain short-circuited. It felt so good, it stole Trevor’s breath away.
“Wait!” He gasped. “So good, please. Fuck, you’re gonna make me come.” A groan escaped as Jerome twirled his tongue around the sensitive head. “Slow down. I want to last. Please.”