Audrey looked up, and he could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Tell me what's wrong," he bid of her.
"Lyla left me. She claims our engagement is a sham. She moved out and is staying at a hotel for now. She gave me back the ring, and she told me she's moving to California. She was offered a place with a ballet company in San Francisco as an assistant choreographer. She…shedidn'taskmetoGOWITHHER!" Audrey wailed.
Jon held onto her, not really seeing a downside to the bitch leaving. The evil elf was out of their lives and he could move Audrey onto better pastures…women who were charming and would love his best friend for the woman she was, not because they could lord over her as Lyla had done since she and Audrey had met.
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Aud, this offer couldn't have come out of the blue. What's been going on with you two lately," he asked, not really wanting to delve into their privacy. She sniffled, so he offered her his shirt sleeve. She'd already destroyed his linen handkerchief.
"Gross, Jonny. Tissues in my second drawer," she ordered. He hopped up and approached the desk, opening it slowly in the event there was anything inside he didn't want to see…tampons, Kotex, or dildos. None of it would have been welcomed.
For an hour and thirty minutes, Jon listened to her outlining the very evil he believed Lyla had inside her since the first day she pranced into a Christmas party at his parents' house with Audrey. The devil's spawn had played on every insecurity Audrey ever held, and she'd completely ruined his best friend's confidence for the immediate future.
"I'm not trying to gloat, Audie, I swear. I honestly had no idea the imp could be so evil. Why don't you go get a full spa day, my treat? I'll make sure your docket's squared away, okay? After I finish work today, I'll come by with Thai and wine. We'll search the house for anything she left behind and burn it in a barrel in the backyard. If we can't find anything, I'll make an effigy of her and we can burn that just as well. A few popsicle sticks and a piece of toilet paper should suffice," he offered with a smile.
When she started laughing, he knew he had a chance of bringing her back from purgatory. She believed she loved Lyla, but he believed there was someone better for her out there somewhere. It would be interesting to see which of them was right.
After he'd sent his friend off to lick her wounds, he went to her assistant and explained he'd be taking Audrey's calls for the rest of the day. Sara smiled, nodded, and pointed toward his father's office door. He turned to see Ham Wells standing there in shirtsleeves with a big smile on his face. "Lunch?" his father asked.
"I thought you were in Court? Hell, it's only just after ten. Didn't Mom feed ya?" Jon asked as he approached his father with open arms. The man was an inspiration to him, and he loved him dearly. The hug they exchanged when they saw each other the first time of the day reminded Jon how fortunate he'd been in his life and made him determined to show Mickey the same.
"I had a pretrial conference this morning so I missed breakfast. What's new?" his father asked, bringing a bright smile to Jon's face.
"Well, Audrey's been jilted, and I'm in love. How much detail do you want?" he teased, hearing his father's deep chuckle.
His father shook his head before he invited Jon inside his office, closing the door behind him. "Sit, sit. Audrey doesn't know how lucky she is that mean-spirited little woman left her. I didn't like her the first time I met her at our Christmas party before we knew they were more than just roommates. She was critical of everything Marnie and Mom did from the decorations to the food, and she was talking to that old bitty, Evelyn Martin. That woman's just pissed because Ally and Marnie look as young as they do and they've never had any work done. Women are so damn petty," Ham complained as he took a seat in the chair next to Jon's.
Jon was a little surprised at his father's comments, but his mother had always said Ham and Sherm were as bad as two old washer women when it came to gossip. He chuckled a little as his father continued his monolog regarding the vileness that was Lyla, bringing a grin to Jon's face.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat and you can tell me about your fella," his father offered.
Jon laughed and followed his father out to Sara's desk. "Sara, I'm taking my son to lunch. Will you tell Sherm I'd like to meet with him this afternoon before he goes home for the day? It's about the Hawthorne divorce," Ham explained.
Jon walked down the hall to his office to gather his coat. He saw Audrey's office was empty and dark, so he hoped she’d taken him up on his offer of a spa day. He grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and walked out to Karen's desk. "Pop and I are going to lunch. Did Audrey go home for the day?" he asked as he slipped on his jacket.
"Not exactly. I made her an appointment at 'Bliss' on your dime. She said it was okay," Karen told him with a smirk.
Jon laughed. After the lovely weekend he'd had, nothing could bring him down. "No problem. Say, can you ask Sammy Williams to come see me before the end of the day? I'll be back by noon, and I'm taking Aud's calls this afternoon so just send them to my voicemail if I'm not back yet, please." Karen nodded just as Ham walked up.
"Let's go. I'm starved. Your mother's back on that kick about my damn diet. I had a physical last week, and my pressure's up a little, so I'm back on egg white omelets again. I hate egg white omelets, Jonny," he complained.
Jon laughed all the way down the hall, hoping he had the same complaints to tell a child of his own someday. He knew his parents would be happy to learn his special someone was Mickey Warren. They'd both been impressed with him when he brought Charlie to Dillwyn for breeding the mares. When they learned the two were beginning a relationship, he was sure they'd want Mickey to come for a visit…soon. The thought made his heart take flight.
Chapter Nineteen
Mickey checked the GPS one last time as he turned down a side street wherein there were several condo buildings which looked a lot alike. It was twilight, so he was able to read the building numbers as he slowly drove down the block in Tim's F150. He had the weekend off, and Jon had asked him to come to Richmond to spend time with him. He was giddy as a fangirl to see Jon in his home. He'd been dreaming of it since the invitation was conveyed on Tuesday evening.
"So, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come to Richmond this weekend? I'd like us to go out to lunch or dinner, and maybe get Audrey to hang out with us on Saturday afternoon. She's still down in the dumps about Lyla, and I know she thinks you're great, so maybe between the two of us, we can cheer her up," Jon had requested. The plans they'd made over the last three weekends had been pre-empted by Jon's workload, so Mickey was quite anxious to see his man, hoping and praying Jon Wells was still ‘his man’.
Mickey thought for about three seconds before he jumped on the idea. "I'd love to come. Uh, what kind of clothes should I bring?" he asked nervously. All he had was one nice suit he wore for special occasions. He needed another because Tim had asked him to be his best man for the September wedding. Mickey felt honored at the request and decided maybe Jon could help him find something appropriate.
"Casual, babe. Jeans are fine. We're not doing anything fancy. We're just going to relax and spend time together. Besides, I hate putting on a suit on the weekend. I can't wait for you to be here. I've missed you a lot," Jon told him.
As Mickey turned to follow the curve of the road, he saw a beautiful sight…Jon was sitting on the front steps of a building which Mickey figured out was his own. He was drinking a beer as he watched traffic pass. When he turned to see the familiar truck pull up, Jon hopped down the stairs and opened the passenger door, climbing inside with a bright smile on his face.
"It's good to see you, baby. Make a left up here and we can go into the underground garage," Jon instructed as he pointed to an alley. After Jon handed him a plastic card to lift the gate to the garage, he followed directions to the third floor and parked next to Jon's navy sports coupe.
"Okay, so what's got you so worked up? Your messages today tipped me off you were pretty amped up about som
ethin'," Mickey stated as he shut off the engine of the truck.
Jon took his right hand and kissed the top of it. "Let's get your stuff upstairs. I bought this craft beer selection I'm eager for you to try out. I know you drink Budweiser, and I bought some of that, but I thought maybe we could do a beer tasting to see if we like any of them. How are the boys?" Jon asked as he released Mickey's hand before he got out of the truck.
Mickey reached into the back seat and grabbed his overnight bag…a gift from Tim when he asked the first time for the weekend off to go to Richmond, which fell through, but Mickey was there now and that was all that mattered.
He followed Jon to the elevator and after he saw the button was pushed, he pulled the man into his arms and kissed him, nipping at the man’s soft lips until the bell chimed, alerting the two of them the doors were about to open.
"I missed ya, Jonny," Mickey told him as they boarded the elevator where Mickey pulled Jon into his chest, settling behind him to rub his hard cock against Jon's cargo-shorts covered ass. It felt as great to touch him as Mickey remembered.
Jon turned to gaze at him over his shoulder and smiled. "I missed you as well, Cowboy. Now, let's get upstairs so I can welcome you to my home…properly," Jon taunted. Oh, Mickey was ready for a proper welcome.
After they disembarked the elevator, they walked down the hallway connected at the lips with Jon walking backward. Mickey had forgotten how soft and delicious Jon's lips were over the time apart. It was hard to separate himself from the man when they reached the front door.
He watched as Jon turned the knob and opened the door, stepping inside with Mickey's hand firmly in his to lead him inside as well. "Welcome to my home, baby," Jon teased as he nipped at Mickey's neck and jaw, driving the younger man crazy.
Mickey wanted the full tour, but first, some other hungers needed to be fed…namely, his hunger for Jon's thick cock on his tongue. Mickey dropped his bag and knelt down in front of Jon, pulling his shorts down as he went. He wasn't disappointed to learn Jon wasn't wearing anything under his shorts, and the man smelled faintly of soap, likely from his morning shower, and more of Jon's personal scent, pleasing Mickey very much.
"God, I've been thinkin' about doin' this all fuckin' day," Mickey moaned as he ran his nose up and down Jon's cock and through the neatly trimmed patch of pubic hair surrounding the impressive member. His balls were clean shaven, and it turned Mickey on more than he'd ever thought it would. The last time when Jon had fucked him, they certainly weren't clean shaved. Mickey damn well would have remembered something of the sort, he was sure.
Mickey quickly sucked Jon's long, hard cock into his mouth and began deep throating the man, remembering to breathe through his nose. He'd practiced with a banana when he was alone in the kitchen at the Circle C, and he'd made inroads in training his gag reflex to stay at bay. He'd never been with a guy who had been so well gifted as Jon, so he was damn well gonna take advantage of the opportunity. He was reaping the fruits of his labor, so to speak, based on the moaning and groaning Jon was giving him as he worked his man over.
A few minutes later, Mickey's diligence was rewarded when Jon released into his throat with a breathy, "Fuuuuck." Mickey was proud of himself for making Jon weak in the knees. He wanted to show the man he could be an attentive lover, and he hoped he'd started the night off right.
Jon pulled him up from his knees and smiled at him. "I missed you, too, baby. Kiss me."
Mickey didn't hesitate to share Jon's taste with him. It was so wonderful to feel the man's tongue swirling with his as they stood in the living room of the condo, Jon half naked but not seeming to notice or care.
When Mickey's hands landed on Jon's bare ass as the two men continued to kiss, he couldn't help squeezing a little. He hoped that sometime over the weekend, the two of them could make love, this time with Mickey topping the lawyer. They'd both admitted they were versatile. He prayed Jon was as on board with the idea of bottoming as Mickey had fantasized over the week. They'd spoken every night, and after they hung up the phone, Mickey would jack himself to the fantasy of his tight fist being Jon's hot channel. The anticipation was nearly killing him.
They ended the kiss and smiled at each other. "Hmmm, that was quite a greeting, baby," Jon told him with a sexy grin on his face. Mickey's face was flushed with excitement as well.
"I've been thinkin' about it for almost twenty-one days. So, should we taste those beers, or would you like me to take ya out for dinner first?" Mickey offered. He didn't want to go anywhere, but he felt it was his place to offer to take Jon out since he was the guest. He wanted to spend time with Jon alone, but he didn't want to mess up their first official weekend together.
Jon reached down to his ankles to pick up his shorts, unbuttoning them so he could tuck himself in properly. "I was thinking maybe we could order some barbecue take-out and stay in tonight? Audrey wants to get together with us tomorrow, if you're up for it," Jon suggested.
Mickey nodded. "Sounds great to me. Where should I put my bag? I'd like to brush my teeth if that's okay?"
"Come on, Cowboy. I'll show you to our room," Jon told him, making Mickey's heart pick up. He said 'our', Mickey thought. Maybe his visions of the future weren't getting too far ahead of Jon's. It had been a struggle all week to maintain control over his emotions. He didn't want to come across as a needy pussy boy, so he kept his thoughts to himself, though he truly thought of Jon every waking moment. However, he wasn't about to tell the man. No good would come of that amount of honesty. It was definitely a time to play shit cool.
After Mickey brushed his teeth and washed his face, he combed his newly shorn locks and smiled because he'd gone to see Mr. Reggie in Blacksburg for his new haircut. It was short on the sides and in the back, but the top was a little longer which allowed Mickey to style it if he deemed it necessary. He raked his fingers through it, remembering Mr. Reggie asking him about the boys and Jonny.
"Now, that handsome young guy who brought y'all in, he your man?" Reggie asked him as he combed through Mickey's too-long hair.
Mickey looked up into the mirror and met the bright grin of the older gentleman. "Yessir. We're just startin' out, but he's all I can think about. I'm not sure if he feels the same," Mickey confessed.
The man chuckled a little. "Now, I wouldn't worry none if I was you. It took some brass balls for that boy to walk in here and announce you was his boyfriend. Our people aren't acceptin' of anything that's not normal. Hell, a lot of my friends still have a hard time with a mixed-race couple. I just learned a while ago that it's better for my nerves and business if I learn to be acceptin' of things, even if I don't understand 'em outright.
"My granddaughter, Gina, she likes women, and I could sooner do without my heart than lose that girl, so I decided I'd learn all I can about things that are new to me so I can support the people in my life who matter most, regardless of the issue."
Mickey saw an opportunity that might not come along again. "How old is your granddaughter?"
Mr. Reggie chuckled. "She's 'bout your age, I 'spect. She's teachin' school in Richmond. Fifth grade. It's some private, fancy school, but they know she's gay, and they don't hold it agin her. She can't find a nice girl to date, but she says it don't mean no never mind 'cause she loves her students. Myself, I'd like to have her meet a nice young woman," he teased and the two of them laughed together, putting Mickey at ease. It was one of the best conversations he'd ever had, and his hair looked damn good as well.
He walked back into the living room to see Jon sitting on the couch with the phone to his ear, a takeout menu on the coffee table in front of him. "Babe, what kind of ribs you like? They got babyback, spare, and country style," Jon offered as he held his hand over the mouthpiece on the receiver.
"I like all kinds, Jonny. Oh, do they have beans? I love barbecue beans," Mickey offered as he sat down next to Jon, glancing at the menu.
Jon laughed. "Maybe we get the beans next time?" The smirk on his face made Mickey laugh. He hadn't
thought of the side effects associated with beans. For their first weekend together, it was probably best to skip "the musical fruit," as the old rhyme called them.
After Jon finished ordering, he took Mickey's hand. "Come on, let's try some of this beer," he insisted.
They decided to try three of the bottles…one IPA, one Hefeweizen, and one Porter. They had funny names… "Wreck the Halls," "In Heat Wheat," and "Polygamy Porter." They laughed as they sampled each offering. They agreed that neither of them cared much for the wheat beer, and while they both liked the IPA and the Porter, they were split about which they liked most. It was fun to discuss the tastes and what they liked about each beer. It gave Mickey a little more insight into Jon and his tastes than he'd had before.
"So, I'da thought you more of a wine connoisseur," Mickey suggested as they sipped their beer.
Jon smiled, taking his hand. "Another ten-dollar word? I'm impressed. How'd you do on your practice test? When's the real deal?"
Mickey took a deep breath and let it out, offering a small smile. "Yesterday. I took it yesterday morning at New River Community in Dublin. I think I did well. On the practice test, I did pretty good, so my confidence was high. Miss Ruthie urged me to take it while everything was fresh on my mind, so I did. I'll get the results by the end of the month."
Jon smiled brightly at him. "Well, then we'll have to plan a celebration when you get them," he offered as he took Mickey's hands in his, kissing the top of each of them.
"Well, it's not anything big to celebrate if I pass it, but maybe you can come to the ranch for the weekend? If the news is good, I'd like you to be there to share it with me. If the news is bad, I'll need somebody to console me. Can you come to Holloway?" Mickey asked, hopeful the answer was yes.
Jon stood and walked around the table, plopping himself in Mickey's arms and on his lap. "I couldn't be anywhere else, sweetheart. I…I want to support you in everything you do, Mick. I've finally figured out something very important," he paused before looking deep into Mickey's eyes, "I'm in love with you."
Loving the Lawyer (The Cowboys of Katydid Farm Book 2) Page 21