“Yeah. We’re good.”
“Good.”
Tyler felt a knot in his stomach as Randy walked out to meet Sarah. Holding back the truth felt just as bad as lying. When Tyler walked out with them, Jaime was nowhere in sight. Tyler said goodbye to Randy and Sarah then headed for his car with the hope he hadn’t seen Jaime for the last time that night.
He spotted Jaime’s car parked next to his and didn’t suppress the stupid grin when he saw Jaime leaning against his car. Tyler knew Jaime would wait for him. Their after-class meetups had become a welcome routine. Tyler felt his anticipation of another night with Jaime grow as he approached. The distance between them gave Tyler time to take in the sight of Jaime. His casual stance in the dying light of day presented an enticing profile. Tyler knew every inch of the man, yet each time he saw Jaime he felt the same nervousness as the first time they had crossed that boundary between friends and something more.
Tyler didn’t want to define it, which is what he would have to do if he dared tell Randy. He couldn’t imagine the words crossing his lips. What were Jaime and he? Lovers? Fuck buddies? Neither felt right. All Tyler knew was that he got hard thinking of Jaime and wanted nothing more than to see Jaime smile.
“You’re late.” Jaime looked up from his smart phone. Even though his eyes were inviting, he made no movement from his car.
Even after all these weeks, Tyler could still sense a reserve in Jaime. He was always cautious not to make the first move unless they were in private. Then he became a different, more confident person. Tyler wondered if he would ever break down that last wall.
“I didn’t know I was on the clock.” The grin on Tyler’s face widened as he leaned against his car. Only a few feet separated them, yet it was all he could do to keep himself from closing that distance and taking Jaime in his arms. Tyler could almost see himself pinning Jaime against the car, kissing the length of his neck until his knees weakened. That third person view reminded him someone could be watching, and that Tyler had to be careful. “You get a good workout tonight?”
Jaime rubbed his ribs. “Steve got in a few good shots.”
Ever since Steve had been chastised for his lack of control, he had shown a marked increase in his tolerance toward Jaime. They weren’t each other’s first choice of partner, but Steve seemed more cautious than ever not to do anything that could be interpreted as aggression toward Jaime. Still, Tyler’s fingers twitched into a fist whenever he thought of Jaime being hurt.
“Let me see.”
Jaime pulled up his shirt. The light from the streetlamp highlighted the purplish bruise.
“Just a little love tap.”
“Does it hurt?”
“If I say yes, will you kiss it and make it all better?” The look Jaime gave Tyler ignited the air in his lungs. Even at a distance, Jaime could kindle Tyler’s passion with a word or a glance.
“Maybe.” Tyler pushed off his car and took a step toward Jaime. “But the parking lot isn’t exactly the place to play doctor.”
Jaime mimicked Tyler’s movement and halved the space between them. Tyler’s fingers that were eager to defend him now twitched with the need to feel Jaime’s naked skin beneath them. He took another step toward Jaime. He had to look up to keep hold of Tyler’s gaze.
“Your place or mine?”
“Your place?” Tyler asked.
In the weeks that they had been fooling around, they had never gone to Jaime’s place. It had been hard enough to convince Jaime he could sleep over at Tyler’s. Tyler didn’t think Jaime wanted Tyler to know that much about him. Everything Jaime did seemed designed for Tyler’s comfort and ease. Tyler hadn’t ever asked Jaime if he would prefer to go to his apartment. Tyler was suddenly struck with the desire to see the place Jaime called home.
“Unless you aren’t comfortable with that.” Jaime quickly tried to retract his invitation. “We can go to your place.”
“Oh, no.” Tyler wasn’t going to pass up the chance to get to know a little more about Jaime. He wondered what Jaime’s apartment would look like. Tyler doubted he would find any piles of dirty clothes like he was always cleaning up every time Jaime came over. “Definitely your place.”
* * * *
“It might be a bit messy,” Jaime said as he hovered at the door to his apartment. “I wasn’t really expecting you to come over. Normally I’d clean up.”
He still wasn’t sure what possessed him to invite Tyler over. He never invited guys over. Tyler had a way of inspiring Jaime to do a lot of things he never did. Maybe he’d said it as a witty comeback, but the truth was, Jaime wanted to let Tyler into his life in any way Tyler wanted to be a part of.
“Then you’ll have to find some way to distract me so I don’t notice.”
Jaime nodded and opened the door to his place.
“Oh yes, so messy,” Tyler said as he looked around the small apartment, decorated in black glass and chrome. “I don’t know how you live in this sty.”
Jaime slammed his fist into Tyler’s shoulder before he headed to the bedroom.
“Let me just pick up a few things. Make yourself at home,” Jaime said as he disappeared behind the door.
By his standards, the place needed a going-over. Last month’s issue of Studio was on the coffee table along with a stray cup of cold coffee. The baseboards had a layer of dust on them. And he was certain he spotted some dust bunnies under the white mid-century sofa. None of those things seemed to matter to Tyler, who made a beeline for the mirrored cabinets lining two of the living room walls. They contained a massive collection of DVDs organized by genre and title. The collection was something Jaime had prided himself on; it held
