“I’m looking forward to having an income again,” Jack agreed. “Plus, it’ll be nice to have a routine.”
“What’s it like staying with Landon and Verity?”
“Not as good as staying with you,” Jack admitted.
Callum wanted to protest. So badly, he wanted to beg Jack to come home with him, but he bit his tongue. “Oh.”
“Kitten,” Jack chided. “This is our first date, don’t be sad.”
He smiled at Jack and took another bite of cheese.
“I’m not,” he said after he swallowed. “I’m just so full ofwant.”
He put more emphasis on the last word than he’d intended, but it rolled out of his mouth like hot butter. Jack noticed, his nostrils flaring in the dim light. He reached into the picnic basket and opened the brownies.
“Tell me about when you were younger,” Jack said, but Callum snatched a brownie from him and wagged his finger.
“No, no, Daddy,” he said. “I went, now it’s your turn. Tell me something about you.”
Jack shrugged. “Uhm, I don’t know. I’m thirty-six; I have a PhD from Columbia…”
“You have a PhD?” Callum interrupted.
Jack chortled and nodded. “Comes with the career path, kitten.”
“So I’m fucking a doctor?” Callum said, his voice dropping low.
“A doctor is fucking you,” Jack corrected.
“For now,” Callum smirked, popping the brownie into his mouth.
Jack gave him a disdainful look in response that sent him into a fit of laughter. “It’s not bad, Daddy,” he said leaning across the basket. “I promise I’d make you feel so good.”
Jack blinked, a slow and heavy movement of his eyelids in response to Callum’s words.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of all that,” Callum said, “but your job isn’t who you are. I want to know about you.”
Jack tilted his head and squinted at him for long enough that Callum was able to eat three more bites of meat, one slice of cheese, and a brownie.
“That hard?” he finally asked.
“It’s just been me for a long time, kitten, Just me and my job.”
“You’ll have to think further back then. Tell me about your first kiss,” Callum suggested.
Jack laughed and rolled his eyes. “Lori Monarch, behind the bleachers after homecoming our freshman year.”
“A girl?”
“Is that shocking?”
“I just assumed…”
“I’m not gay, Callum. I’m pan.”
“Equal opportunity.”
“I’m attracted to people, kitten. Who they are, the way they make me feel, the way I can make them feel. The parts are inconsequential.”
