Kiss Me

by Joseph James Hunt

  “You go up first,” Chris said, standing back to speak to the receptionist.

  Blake nodded, his heart jumping around, thumping at his throat and the temples beside his eyes.

  Ava sat in Blake’s office chair with an expectant look on her face. “So?”

  “So?”

  She stood, opening her eyes wider. “I know.”

  “Uh?”

  “About you, last night, and those clothes, they’re not yours.” She walked around his desk and pulled at the t-shirt.

  “Yeah, they are.”

  “How come I’ve never seen them?”

  With his jacket over his arm, he placed it on his desk. “Well, I have a lot of clothes, you can’t possibly have seen all of them.”

  “You rarely wear t-shirts.” She rolled her eyes. “Well, Dannika told me.”

  Blake pressed his hands to Ava’s mouth. “My god, no.” He pushed his office door shut with his foot. “What did she say?”

  Ava removed Blake’s fingers. “You went behind enemy lines.” She winked. “Got a little frisky?”

  “I said I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  She waved a hand in the air. “Well, I’m not anyone, am I?”

  “You gossip though.”

  She zipped her lips, pinching with two fingers. “I would never.” She flicked her hair, revealing a small neck hickey.

  “Oh, and who’ve you been seeing?”

  She brushed her hair over it. “Nobody.”

  “Well, everything is off. No more sabotage, so if you have anything planned, unplan it.”

  She nodded. “Good news is, I don’t, and question, is this a way for you to play him and get him to give up his page?”

  Blake shook his head and moved around his desk. “No. But if it was, that would be genius, right?”

  “Right!”

  On Danny’s neck, there was a hickey matching in size and placement to Ava’s. He waited outside Chris’ office with a coffee and a croissant, inhaling deeply and pacing back and forth. Chris approached, glancing at his watch and peeling himself from his jacket.

  “Late?” Danny asked.

  “No. I was talking to Irene on the reception.”

  Danny chuckled and winked. “I know what you were really doing?”

  “Huh?” Chris took the coffee from Danny. “Enlighten me.”

  “You got some, didn’t ya?”

  Chris grinned.

  “Well you’ve not been to the gym, so I take that as a yes.” Danny held his hand in the air for a high five. “So? Who’s the lucky guy? I’ll give you this is you tell me.” He waved the paper bag with the croissant in Chris’ front.

  “Bribing me with a croissant? I don’t need it.”

  “Full from all the sex?” Danny nodded his head and grinned. “That’s my guy!”

  Chris placed his jacket over the chair. “And I can see you and Ava are still keeping up a whole neck leech thing going.”

  Danny’s reached for his neck in a knee-jerk reaction. “Me and Ava?”

  Chris looked at Danny’s blank stare. “Obviously.”

  “Ahh, whatever.” Danny laughed and threw the paper bag on Chris’ desk. “I hope this guy is better than the other one.”

  He grinned. “Too soon to tell.”

  “I mean, the last one came into the office telling everyone he was your brother.”

  He sighed, taking his seat in his office chair. “Better than him outing me to everyone.” He looked at Danny’s smiling face. “And no, it’s not why we broke up, but it should’ve been.”

  Blake sat in his office, unable to work on anything, other than the erection he nursed over his pants. The sensation of wearing someone else’s clothes tingled through his body, and when he thought about it, his dick sprang to action. He chewed on his bottom lip, thinking about going into Chris’ office, locking the door and climbing across his desk.

  He let out a shallow breath, rubbing himself. He closed his eyes, playing out the scene.

  A knock pulled Blake from his daydream.

  “C—come in,” he called, a cold sweat washed over his face, drenching the collar of his t-shirt.

  The door swung open and Dannika stood in the doorway. “I cannot believe you.”

  “Danni?”

  “Blakey, I had to tell them I was your sister.”

  Dannika threw herself into the seat opposite Blake. “I had to come and see this man, I mean, if Ava was fawning over him, then I need to see who he is. And we need to discuss.”

  Blake grumbled and pouted out his bottom lip. “I have work to do.”

  Dannika shook her head. “Nope, not while I’m around. I want a tour. It’s been two years.”

  “We don’t even look similar, you have curly blonde hair.”

  She pressed a hand to her chest. “We have different fathers.”

  “And mothers. They’re called different families.”

  She squinted at him. “That’s offensive.” She reached over the desk and grabbed his hand. “I’m on my lunch break. Let me see.”

  He took her on a short tour around the office floor, and at every sign of a man, she would stop and ask if that was the person he’d slept with. He refused to answer her for the most part, trudging through everyone. Ava joined them as they walked passed Ruby’s office.

  “Dannika!” Ava squealed and hugged her.

  “Ava, my god. Blake won’t show me who Chris is?”

  From the staff room, metres away from where they stood, Chris appeared. He turned, smiled and gave a wave. “Chris who?” he asked, in earshot.

  Blake pressed his hands to his head.

  “That’s him,” Ava whispered to Dannika.

  Dannika ran to Chris and groped his arms. “You do have the nicest arms.”

  Chris grinned and let her squeeze some more. “Your friend?” he called down to Blake.

  He nodded. “Sorry.”

  “I’m Dannika,” she said.

  “Ahhh.” His eyes widened with a new understanding. “You live with Blake, right?”

  She laughed. “I can tell you anything you want to know, I’ve known him for like eight years.”

  Blake rushed up behind her and grabbed her by the waist. “No, you will not.”

  “But Blakey,” she groaned.

  “Blakey?” Chris chuckled.

  He shook his head. “No.” He took a deep breath. “No, no, no.” Blake continued, forcing Dannika down the hallway back to his office. He shut the door behind them.

  “He is hot, damn, he’s—he’s whoa.”

  “But he’s strange about all of it.”

  She pulled herself upright. “Strange?”

  “Like, says his private life stays private, and no PDA.”

  She shrugged. “Some guys are like that, if the sex is good, if he’s making you breakfast, I’d say go with those rules, I mean, what harm can come of that?”

  Blake sat back, his heart rate settling once again. “What if he’s not really into me? Or I’m some rebound.”

  She waved a hand at him. “Stop thinking so much about it. Gah.” She sat again. “What if he’s your rebound? I say sail that ship, get yourself some, and what’s the worst that could possibly happen?”

  He scoffed. “You wanna know? He wins and I lose my page in the magazine.”

  “Then don’t let it distract you. Use the energy a healthy sex life provides you.”

  Blake banged his head on his desk and groaned. “Why can’t it all be simple?”

  Dannika pushed her fingers through Blake’s hair. “It can. Be upfront, straightforward, and go ride that pony!”

  He groaned harder. “Not helping.”

  “I didn’t say I came here to help. I came here to see that.” She pulled away from him. “And now I have, I need to go back to work.” She chuckled to herself. “Enjoy.”

  NINE

  Kiss me, quick

  When something spreads like wildfire, it happens in an instant, catching everyone and everything, even if they
didn’t want to be caught, the same thing happens with gossip. When one person knew, everyone knew; an occupational hazard of working in a magazine where gossip is second nature.

  Like twins, Archie Iverson and Sienna Granger matched perfectly; the two gossip columnists whose jobs were perfectly safe, because there was one thing that never went out of style and certainly never went out of fashion – gossip.

  Both dressed in the newest fashions, Archie with his slicked brown hair and a thin layer of foundation contoured on his face. He walked into Blake’s office with Sienna on his arm and her black hair, short in a bob at her neck and a skin tight black dress.

  “Were you going to tell us?” Sienna settled into the office chair opposite Blake.

  He closed his eyes and pressed them with his thumb slightly. “Guys, I don’t have time for this.”

  Archie pouted. “I can’t believe you.”

  Blake puffed out his cheeks and looked at them as they fawned over his chair. “What?”

  “You and Christian.” Sienna pushed a finger inside a circle made with her fingers.

  Blake’s tongue became thick in his throat.

  Archie gasped. “So, it’s true?”

  “How long has this been going on?” Sienna tapped her fingers on Blake’s desk, pulling his focus.

  “I heard rumours he was gay. I knew that guy who came in as his brother was clearly lying.”

  “Huh? Who?”

  Sienna tutted. “Answer my question.”

  “Leave it alone.” Blake waved them away with the back of his hand.

  Archie sighed, forcing a hand under Sienna’s arm to pull her from the chair. “We’ll have to go interrogate one of the assistants then.”

  Sienna sighed, leaving Blake’s office with Archie.

  A pop up in the corner of Blake’s computer revealed a new email.

  From: Christian Mendoza, Film Columnist

  To: Blake Harris, Lifestyle Columnist

  Subject: WHAT?!

  Who did you tell? Someone just asked me if I was having a coming out party!

  This is the last thing I wanted to happen. Now everyone knows.

  Followed moments later by another email.

  From: Christian Mendoza, Film Columnist

  To: Blake Harris, Lifestyle Columnist

  Subject: Sorry

  I knew it would happen. We work in the same building.

  Let me make dinner for you tonight?

  Tell me if I’m coming on too strong or you’re not interested.

  Blake blinked rapidly. He stood and paced his office for a moment before leaving. He walked approximately 40 feet before reaching Chris’ office. He didn’t bother knocking, he pushed the door open and entered.

  Chris stared at Blake. “Um.”

  Blake closed the door and quickly rushed to the desk. “I want to clear some things up.”

  Chris nodded. “Go on.”

  “I didn’t tell anyone.”

  He continued to nod, his lip breaking into the curve of a smile. “Oh?”

  “No, I didn’t. Well, Ava knows, and so does Dannika, but who are they going to tell?”

  He chuckled. “I have to admit, it feels kinda nice.”

  Blake gently let himself down into the seat opposite Chris. “It does?”

  “Yeah. I’ve guarded my life.”

  “Right, so, whatever this is, and it’s nothing right now, we slept together, once, and now I’m wearing your clothes.”

  Chris chewed on his lip, looking at Blake. “And you look good in them.” He waved a hand. “I don’t want this to be a big deal, I mean, I don’t mind too many people knowing.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I didn’t think I’d like it, but, the number of people who are talking to me instead of ignoring me, it feels nice.”

  “When you don’t go around being a dick online, people are usually nice.”

  “I’m not a dick.”

  “You write really critically, and that comes off like you’re a dick in real life.”

  Chris shook his head slightly. “Whatever.” He gnashed his teeth together. “So, tonight, I’ll make us dinner. But we’re still keeping this on the DL.”

  “I’m down for dinner, as long as it’s not all blended into a high-protein shake.” Blake stood.

  “Good. I’ll make sure yours is lumpy then.” He smiled and stood. “I’ve been told I’m an amazing cook, actually.” He walked around his desk, he stood taller than Blake, dipping his head to him. He placed a hand behind his neck, resting another on his shoulder, and pressed his lips to Blake’s, taking his breath away and stealing a kiss.

  Blake moaned and pulled away. “Please cook naked.”

  “Risk burning myself?”

  “Don’t you have an apron?”

  He nodded, pulling Blake back in for another kiss.

  When two people, out of luck and love, walk into each other’s lives, they connect, they cling, they compromise themselves for intimacy, finding any common ground and mutual interest to base their affection on.

  In the excitement, Blake found time to go back to his apartment and change clothes. He packed a small bag with overnight clothes, treading the fine line of staying overnight meant packing the essentials, but not too much so it seemed they were moving in, or having a drawer cleaned out for their things, even though that was the next step in any relationship, no matter how fast or slow they moved.

  Blake stood outside the door to Chris’ apartment. He pushed the buzzer, taking a deep breath as he waited.

  The door opened to reveal Chris, dressed only in an apron wrapped around him at the waist and held up at the neck. Blake stood back with wide eyes as he absorbed the image.

  Chris tugged Blake’s arm and pulled him in for a kiss. “You said.”

  He grinned. “You’re right. I did.”

  “Okay. I made dinner.” Chris led Blake to the kitchen and dining area. At the centre of the table there was a large ceramic white pot with the lid on and a ladle sticking out the side.

  Blake took a seat, releasing his bag on the floor.

  “What did you pack?” Chris took the bag on his arm.

  “Overnight stuff.”

  He hauled the bag into the bedroom, revealing his perky bum as he turned. “I have plenty of clothes.”

  Blake hummed. “That’s nice, but I have clothes.”

  “I know, I know, I’m secretly trying to get rid of the clothes that don’t fit.” He chuckled.

  Chris pulled away the lid from the ceramic pot, a small puff of steam evaporated into air. Blake pushed his head over to see pasta in a white sauce.

  “What is it?”

  “This is homemade ravioli, stuffed with ham, and it’s in a white sauce with black pepper.”

  Blake inhaled the creamy scent. “I think the only ravioli I’ve had was the one you buy in a tin with tomato sauce.”

  “I made this by hand.”

  “What? You did?”

  Chris held his hands up and wiggled his fingers. “I’m good with my hands.” He grabbed the ladle and spooned portions on each plate. “Plus, I have a machine I can press fresh pasta with.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Do you cook?”

  Blake’s eyes darted to the corner. “No, but I know the best places to eat.”

  He hummed. “Tell me more about you.” He stuck a fork into one of the raviolis.

  Blake tried the sauce with the tip of his little finger. “It’s a good sauce, like lasagne sauce.”

  “Yeah. White sauce.” Chris smiled.

  “Ah. Gotcha.”

  “So, go on, tell me more about you.”

  He grumbled. “I hate that question.” He piled two raviolis on one fork. “What do you want to know?”

  “Siblings?”

  Blake nodded, chewing. “One. A sister, she’s thirty-three, lives in Exeter, I think. I probably see her once a year. My dad died ten years ago, when I was sixteen, and my mum lives in Wales with her sister, so
I don’t see her a lot.”

  “Both of my parents live in Manchester, I have an older brother and a younger sister. I have a huge family, but most of them are either living in Turin, Italy, or San Sebastian, Spain. I’ve visited them once or twice, in my life, but that’s about it.”

  “And you speak Italian and Spanish?”

  He chuckled. “Italian was never spoken, but Spanish, sure.”

  Blake clapped his hands together like an excited child. “Say something in Spanish.”

  “Algo en español.”

  He wrinkled his eyes and knitted his brows, staring at Chris. “What?”

  Chris forked another ravioli into his mouth. “Basically, something in Spanish.”

  Blake rolled his eyes. “Continue, you were talking about your family.”

  “Yeah, so, my sister is currently at university in Liverpool, and my brother works on a ship.”

  “Like a cruise.”

  He shrugged. “Like the Royal Navy.” He grinned. “I was gonna join the army, actually, feel that sense of British pride, but instead, I fell in love with a guy and followed him to university, where he inevitably broke my heart.”

  “Ahhh. And that’s why you put on a front to everyone?”

  Chris wrestled Blake’s legs beneath the table. “I don’t put on a front, I just don’t let people in.”

  “This is the last thing I expected to be doing.”

  “You’re the last person I expected to be cooking for.”

  “So, you have a degree?”

  Chris stuffed his face with more food, forking in the pasta.

  “Do you?” Blake waited for him to finish chewing.

  “No, I quit. I told you, I followed some guy I was in love with, when he broke my heart, I gave up. I got an internship at a few magazines before landing a paid gig at Vague, then I worked my way to a writing position.”

  Blake nodded. “I get it, that’s why you think it was handed to me.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Wasn’t it?”

  Blake creased his forehead. “No. I mean, kinda, they approached me. First, I wrote a couple freelance pieces, then they offered me a job with an office.”