This’ll be interesting.
No, we don’t go grocery shopping. We pack as much of his stuff as we can easily transport tonight, catch a cab to my building, and then I call in a delivery order for Chinese food, which we eat naked in my bed while watching TV and I teach him how to use chopsticks.
I text Elliot before I go to sleep, as always, and he responds.
All I can do is move forward.
And I sleep better that night than I have in years.
* * * *
Monday morning, I can’t believe Jordan’s still in my bed, but it already feels perfect having him there. We shower together, eat breakfast together, and head to work together.
This is really nice, because I can sleep in later, since I’m not going to Jordan’s hotel first.
I might even be able to start working out again. Once Shae takes office, my mornings will start early and my nights will run late.
The feeling that I’ve made the right decision only grows stronger as the days pass. Elliot goes to Nebraska to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, which is melancholy for me but allows me to spend the day focused on Jordan. We cook a small turkey and everything.
He loves to cook. He’s a damned good cook, too. And because I know time is short before the inauguration, I start implementing easy rituals for us, chores for him to do, that kind of thing.
We’re both thriving.
Poor Elliot is miserable in Nebraska and cuts his visit short when it looks like a weather front is coming through.
As good an excuse as any to get away from his family.
At least he doesn’t have to sleep in the back of his congressional office any longer. Secret Service wouldn’t allow it. He takes a hotel room.
Elliot and Jordan leave marks on me for each other, and it’s adorable in a way, and heartbreaking in another.
My pet is terrified he’s going to lose me, when even my boy knows nothing’s farther from the truth. My boy’s actually eager to try to win Elliot over.
I think he can do it, too.
Later.
For now, I’m keeping their contact to a minimum to reduce Elliot’s stress, and Jordan is busting his ass to make sure Elliot’s residence will be perfect for him, and that the move happens without a hitch. He’s damn near desperate to impress Elliot.
I’ll let them try to find their levelafterthe inauguration.
By the second week of December, Jordan’s talking about maybe making a trip to Florida after the inauguration to retrieve some things from his storage unit, and I’m pricing out rental cars so we can drive it and make it a weekend mini vacation.
Yet there’s one more thing I need to do, since I kind of promised Jordan I would.
I need to find him a job.
I do not like being beholden to anyone.
Anyone.
Which makes what I’m about to do even more difficult, personally.
The next Wednesday, Shae and Elliot aren’t at the campaign headquarters. They’re at their respective official offices on the Hill, and I had things to do here. Jordan and Kev are meeting with White House staff about moving day logistics.
Leaving me a prime opportunity to handle this.
I force myself to clench my guts and walk down the corridor to Chris’ office, to talk to him.
