by Jerry Cole
I ended up staying to watch a friend’s game for a while, sending Peter a text to ask if he wanted me to bring home dinner. He suggested going out, and I rushed home for a shower before we headed to our favorite place for Indian food.
We got a seat against the window, watching the people pass as we sipped our water. “How was your work today?” I asked him as he smiled.
“I got three projects done. It felt great, and I plan to keep it up. I’d like time off for the holidays.” Peter touched my hand as he leaned forward, and I squeezed it.
“I feel like you’re never not working, babe. Are you okay with that?” I asked him, and he shrugged.
“I’m my boss and can work when I want to. Nothing is better than that. I can organize my time just fine,” he smiled at me, and I nodded.
“I do admire that about you,” I admitted as he shot me a confused look.
“You sort of do the same thing.”
“I work for the rink, but yeah. I work on my own for the most part.” The waitress brought our food, and we dug in. Rosa sent a message that she was headed home, and we decided to bring her dinner home to her once we finished. “I think we should do a date night every week. It’s fun getting out with you, Peter.”
“I agree. I think we’re stuck in the day to day thing. We need to shake things up a bit. I just hate the idea of Rosa alone when the person she’s dating is out of town.” We waited for the to-go order at the table since it was slower now.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. They’re both locked into their lives here,” I looked out of the window at the cars passing, thoughtfully weighing their predicament.
“I know. I hate the idea of Rosa moving away, but it might come down to that. She can get a similar job there, and they have a place to live.” Peter seemed down all of a sudden, and I took his hand.
“Do you regret meeting me?” I asked as he turned to face me.
“No. Never. I love you.” He leaned in to kiss me gently, touching my cheek with his hand. “I’ll show you how much later.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Chapter Eighteen
Peter
I ran into a difficult client the following week that demanded me to redo everything that I sent to him. Unfortunately, though he was new, he also paid well and would give me some savings in the bank. I cursed at his request, reaching for my coffee.
I wanted to give Owen more money for how often I stayed here. He was generous in how much he gave Rosa and me in every way, but he needed more rent. This place wasn’t cheap being in the city, and there was the fact that I still had the loft that held all of my things.
Losing this client would suck, but his attitude toward my hard work frustrated me. We left the conversation open and tense at the end of the day, and I took out my aggression, cooking dinner for Owen that night. He walked in, staring at me as I slammed a plate down to the counter.
“Is everything okay?” Owen asked as I glanced up. “You look like you’re going to throw a plate across the room.”
“Asshole client. I never get them, but he wants everything perfect. It just so happens that he’s the highest paying one I have at the moment.” I stirred the rice before plating it, topping it with the chicken and steamed broccoli. I handed him the first one, and he grinned down at it. “I think you should be angry more often. This looks amazing.”
“No, thanks. I like being happy with my job.”
“So, what happened?” Owen asked once we were settled at the table with food and beer.
“He wants me to redo everything. I created his website for a media company for him, and he wants to wipe it all. I don’t know what he’s looking for.” I shrugged, sipping my beer.
“Cut him loose, babe. You have more than one client.” His logic was simple, but I didn’t want to lose the money.
“I’m trying to save up a bit. I’ll figure out a way to make this work.” I shrugged as he frowned at me.
“Give up the loft. You’re never there, Peter. Just move in here.” God, it sounded easy.
“I love being here. You know that. I just have stuff there, Owen. What am I going to do with it?”
“We’ll rent a storage unit. It’ll be cheaper than paying rent to store everything.” I heard the edge of irritation in his voice and needed to ease his concern.
“If I give up the apartment, will you let me pay you more money?” I asked as he scowled for a moment.
“Fine. That’s a fair trade.” He broke into a beaming smile. “You’ll make this official, Peter?”
“I will, babe.” I smiled back, seeing the love in his face. We finished dinner, and I made a plate for Rosa when she arrived home.
“Peter is going to move in,” Owen told her as she raised a brow at me.
“You haven’t already?” She asked as I laughed.
“I am giving up the loft. We’re going to split the bills here until we want to kill each other.” I cheerfully announced as she burst out laughing. “Are you okay with that?”
“We’ve been living together in one way or another for years. Of course!” She assured me, stabbing a piece of broccoli. “I’ll have two brothers…officially.”
We clinked our glasses together to celebrate, and Rosa told us about her busy day. She always spoke to Taryn on the phone before bed, being in the same time zone. We usually got the time before that. We discussed what she might want from the loft to determine how big of a storage unit I’d need, and she hugged me to thank me for dinner.
“I’ll call the landlord tomorrow to give him my notice,” I told Owen on the couch as we watched a show together.
“Good. I’m excited.” I could hear it in his voice.
“We’ve slept together every night forever now.” I knew this was a big move, one I never made with anyone before now. I just knew that Owen was different.
“Yeah, but now this is your home, too. That’s a big deal, babe.” He took my hand, kissing me as I smiled at him. “I love you.”
“I love you.” We finished the show and locked up the apartment before heading to bed. Rosa’s room was silent, and I assumed that she went to sleep right after the nightly phone call. Owen closed the door, kissing me hard as he pushed me up against it. I moaned, cupping his ass as our tongues danced together.
We made love again in the morning before getting up for the day. Rosa was already gone, and we went to the gym before making breakfast together. We ate on the couch, and I stared at my laptop accusingly.
Once I logged in to work, I saw that the client asked for an example of what else I could do, which I agreed to this time. After that, I’d charge more or walk away. Not paying rent on the other apartment made it easier not to burn myself out.
Owen went to the rink after lunch and a long kiss goodbye. I focused on a different project at that time, finishing it within a couple of hours. I grabbed some water, stretching in the kitchen before I went back to work.
I called the landlord on my next break, telling him that I’d be out of the loft within the month. I almost hated to give that place up, but it didn’t make sense for the three of us to share it. This apartment was big enough for all of us and a guest when there was one, even though the only person that visited regularly was Taryn. I also checked out storage units between the apartments and found a deal on the biggest one to fit my furniture. I’d been buying it piece by piece and loved all of it. I just didn’t know when I’d use it again at this moment.
I was going to live with someone. I never thought I’d see the day, and Rosa was part of the package deal. I knew that she might end up on her own at some point, possibly soon. I felt like I needed her a little longer in my life, especially since we were both getting closer to Owen and Taryn’s family.
They were both happy when they got home, and we ordered a pizza to be delivered since it was a little on the late side. By that time, the client appreciated my second effort and increased the pay for me. Owen had friends with trucks that could help us m
ove the furniture to the unit, which we agreed to do slowly. It worked better with our schedules.
Taryn came in a couple of weeks to spend the weekend. We did the usual dinner and dancing, all excited about Thanksgiving in three weeks. The vibe in the club was hot, making me love New York when Summer was on the way out. It was cooler out, and everyone anticipated the holidays. Mel and Amber even wanted to come one weekend to see the decorations and play tourist with Taryn.
I never felt excited about the holiday season before this. I had no issues spending it with Rosa and whatever friends we picked to spend them with. I loved Rosa as my sister. I just looked forward to the feeling of being surrounded by family and friends. Owen warned us there was a lot of tradition involved. Amber was hardcore when it came to anything related to the holidays, and had been since her kids were smaller.
Taryn told us the same thing at the diner after dancing, over breakfast and coffee. She smiled as she did, clearly loving her family. We headed home late in the night and fell into bed with plans to sleep in.
We did brunch at the last minute since we didn’t drink too much at the club. There were a million places that served it, and we went to one of the best restaurants in the city. The girls had their hair in messy buns and wore leggings with sweatshirts. Neither had any makeup on, and they seemed content as we nibbled on food and sipped juice and coffee.
We were ready to pay when someone cleared their throat. “Rosa?”
“Jake. What are you doing here?” She asked, squinting at her ex-fiancé.
“I brought Brooke to brunch.” He was staring at Rosa as she relaxed in Taryn’s embrace. The blonde beside him looked from Jake to Rosa, shifting uncomfortably. She must be the one he was cheating with. “Are you a lesbian now? Is that what I did to you?”
“Fuck off. No. I just happened to find this great girl. She has nothing to do with you.” Rosa said, glaring at him. “I see that you’ve been with the same girl for a while. Are you faithful to this one?”
Brooke paled at her words as Jake glanced at her. “Shut the hell up. You don’t know me anymore.” He told her as I looked at Owen.
“Let’s go. We have the bill paid. So, there’s no reason to continue this.” He stood up, blocking Jake’s view of Rosa. The girls moved out of the booth, and Rosa took Taryn’s hand as she led the way to the door.
“Let it go. You’ve seen each other twice and started shit. I’m sick of it.” I told Jake, glancing at Brooke.
“Come on. Let’s get a table and eat.” She smiled sweetly, looking embarrassed as I felt pity for her. She’d figure out who he was soon enough. I threw a bill on the table, walking out with Owen to meet the girls outside.
“Was that gesture for me or to prove a point to him?” Taryn was asking Rosa as I stopped and stared. “Is this just an experiment for you?”
“No. I can’t believe that you’re asking me that.” Rosa stared into her girlfriend’s eyes as pain crossed her face. “You’re one of my best friends, Tar. I love you!”
“Good. I love you, too.” Taryn jumped at Rosa, pulling her into her arms. They kissed sweetly, remembering where we were as people around us clapped.
“I didn’t plan to tell you the way I did. Fucking Jake.” Rosa grinned at Taryn apologetically. “Is that okay?”
“I’ve been wanting to tell you the same thing. I was just waiting.” Taryn hugged her again, and they held hands as we started to walk to the apartment. Owen grinned at me as we followed them, and I reached out to squeeze his hand.
“They said it,” he told me quietly as I nodded.
“What now?” I asked as we fell quiet. We’d either be gaining a sister or losing one, and I didn’t like the latter idea. The girls were happy when we arrived home, and we went along with it as they hung out until Taryn needed to drive home. She kissed Rosa on the couch for several moments before dragging herself down to the car for another hug. I wrapped an arm around Rosa as we walked back to the apartment, and she started crying inside.
“Long-distance sucks. I just told Taryn the most important thing in the world, and she’s going to her house two hours away. Am I stupid?” Rosa asked, plopping down alone on the couch.
“No. You feel that, and you’ll work this out. I wish Jake wasn’t the push you needed, but it is what it is.” I shrugged, sitting beside her.
“My sister doesn’t throw that word around. She meant it.” Owen handed us each a beer before joining us on the couch. “She is fiercely loyal to the people in her circle.”
“That isn’t a question in my mind at all. We’re great together.” Rosa was quick to speak and blushed afterward. “She’s not Jake. Nobody is.”
“No. I’m glad you see this for what it is.” I smiled at her.
“I just don’t know what happens now. I mean, you guys made it official, and you’re moving in together. That’s a bigger step than one of us hopping states. Shit. I messed things up.” She was babbling at this point, and I took her beer, setting it on the table to hug her.
“It’s okay. You’ll talk about this and figure it out.” I assured her as she sucked in her breath. I knew this was a lot for her after Jake, but we were here for her. I stroked her hair as she leaned into me, feeling her pain mixed with joy. “We’ve got this.”
“I know. I just didn’t expect this at all. I love her so much.” She breathed out and slumped against me.
“That’s how it happens.” I smiled at Owen as he watched us warmly.
“She’ll never hurt you as Jake did.” His tone was soothing, and I thanked him with a subtle nod.
She finally calmed down, falling asleep in my arms. We were all up late and probably up too early, so I carried her to bed. I made sure it was dark inside and went back to the living room to hug Owen. “That was heavy.”
“Yep. Love often is.” He kissed me, and I closed my eyes as I tasted juice on his lips. “The holidays will be good for them since we’ll be there longer. I’m sure they’ll have decided by then.”
“Want to lock up and just nap through the rest of the day? I’m beat.” I smiled, and he nodded. “We’ll order something for dinner later if we’re hungry, but I ate a lot before Jake got to Rosa.”
“That was so good. We’ll have to go again.” He kissed me again before going to lock the door. We went back to our room, changing into lounge pants and turning on the TV.
We dozed through the day, waking up for brief periods to cuddle or make love. I felt a little hungry later, but we ignored it and went back to sleep.
I had the sense to set the alarm for Rosa with plenty of time to get ready, and she was in the shower while the apartment was still dark. I rose to greet her, and she kissed my cheek. “Thank you for yesterday.”
“No problem. I’m always here for you.” I hugged her, smiling as the coconut scent of her hair product surrounded me. “Have a good day at work.”
“You, too. I love you. I’ll bring you guys dinner home. Don’t cook or anything.” She slipped on her heels and was ready to go, and I locked the door behind her. I padded back to the bedroom, slipping under the covers to pull Owen against me.
“How is she?” He asked, slipping a hand between our bodies.
“Good. I think she’s in a better headspace today. So am I, for that matter,” I smiled as my cock grew in his hand.
“I hope so.” He jerked me off until I was on the edge before taking me in his mouth. “I want to stay in bed today. Can you skip work?”
“For a while. I have to deal with the asshole today. Let’s sleep a bit longer.” I pressed close to him with a soft laugh. “I’ll return the favor when we wake up.”
I finally got up at ten to make some coffee. I warmed up my computer as it brewed, planning ahead as I watched the screen light up. Owen only had practice later, so he stayed in bed until eleven. He insisted on buying brunch for us, ordering in soup, and sandwiches from our favorite deli. We ate as I worked, chatting about the weekend and Thanksgiving in a few weeks. We were leaving on Wednesday and
driving back Sunday to get back to work. We planned to stay two weeks for Christmas, assuming Rosa didn’t live there by that time.
He lounged on the couch for a while after we ate, letting me work. I heard him whispering on the phone, guessing that one call was to his mom and the other to someone on the team. He asked about borrowing a truck the next weekend to move some stuff out of his apartment, seemingly happy with the answer.
He rose to shower, coming up behind me before he left for the day. “I’ll be home around seven. Love you.”
“Love you,” I told him as I smiled. “Rosa is bringing dinner home. Come back hungry.”
“Hungry for you.” He moved beside me to kiss me, making me moan.
“Can we even do it again in the next few hours? Last night was a bit insane.” I reminded him as he kissed me again.
“Poor baby. I’ll let you rest.” He laughed and walked away as I smacked his ass.
When the house was empty, I went to get more coffee. I was nearly finished with the new web page, and happy with it as I hoped the client would be. I cleaned it up and submitted it, stretching once I finished.
I finished an email campaign from there, submitting that before I stood to walk around the apartment. It was now four, and Rosa should be home in a couple of hours. I felt restless, deciding to go to the gym for a while. I dressed and took my car there since it was a bit further. I hit the machines and weights hard, knowing Rosa might beat me home. At least, I’d be hungry.
I pulled up at the same time she did. Rosa hugged me, holding up bags from our favorite BBQ place once she finished. “Man, Owen is going to love that. He should be home soon.”
“That’s the idea.” Her smile was huge, and I followed her into the apartment.
“You’re in a good mood,” I observed as she smiled at me.
“I talked to Taryn at lunch. We’re just going to focus on seeing each other as much as we can with the distance. We can decide further when we’re there for the holidays.” I closed the door, and she headed to the kitchen to unload the food. “Nothing is going to change our feelings.”