MARK: What’s the point of spending sixteen years married to someone if you can’t take advantage of them for the rest of your life?
Aaron grinned at Mark’s snarky response. He’d seen other couples go through divorce—it was never effortless and rarely friendly. He got lucky with Mark, both for the quiet happiness of their relationship and its gentle dissolution. Mark’s next message reinforced that feeling.
MARK: We don’t need much. A bed, maybe some chairs if you’re feeling generous. We can go shopping with you to figure out the rest.
AARON: I doubt Rachel wants to take time off to buy furniture instead of, I don’t know, going to a museum.
MARK: You’d be surprised. She’s amazing.
MARK: Anyway, I’ll send you our itinerary. Better crack open those boxes. Tick tock, tick tock.
Aaron sent a middle-finger emoji in return and shook his head. He knew that Mark’s offer of help was genuine, but it wasn’t Mark’s job to help Aaron run his errands. Not anymore.
He opened a new browser tab and searched for nearby furniture stores.
Chapter 8
AARON
Friday morning found Aaron in a great mood. He’d unpacked most of the kitchen boxes the previous evening and found several furniture stores to visit over the weekend. Best of all—it was almost Friday night.
Almost time to visit Chain Reaction and see Jay.
He wasn’t under any illusions that their tentative friendship would lead to anything. Jay was young, handsome, experienced—a contrast to Aaron in every way. And yet, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he got ready for work, giddy with the anticipation of another night in Jay’s presence.
He put on his favorite suit, a slim-fit dark blue number. The slacks fit him like a second skin, their soft fabric cupping his ass and emphasizing the gentle curves. The lining felt like silk, cool and smooth, sliding along with no friction. The jacket, slipped over a dusty-pink button-up shirt, clung to his shoulders and tapered at the waist. His favorite indigo tie completed the look.
He eyed himself with appreciation in the mirror before heading out to work. The traffic was cooperative, leaving Aaron with plenty of time to stop by a nearby coffee shop for a large dose of caffeine.
He was deep in thought as he entered, running through the talking points of his morning meeting, when he heard his name. Looking around, he spotted Jay waving at him from the corner table, an open laptop and a bottle of water in front of him. It made no sense for him to be working in a coffee shop just downthe street from his office, but Aaron was too excited to question it.
He moved toward Jay, his gaze lingering on the handsome man, drinking in the details of his body. He certainly had a consistent sense of style, wearing yet another dark tee and black jeans. Aaron couldn’t complain—the outfit suited him perfectly. There was nothing to distract from Jay’s broad shoulders and powerful chest, the outline of his muscles obvious under the taut fabric. Aaron wanted to let his hands roam free, tracing each peak and valley with his fingertips. And his tongue.
Even better if Jay ordered him to do it. If he slowly stripped away the thin fabric and ordered Aaron to worship his body the way it deserved.
Blood rushed to Aaron’s face when he stopped in front of Jay, and he shook away the inappropriate thoughts. He could only hope that Jay didn’t realize the true reason behind his blush.
“Jay! Fancy meeting you here. Did you get kicked out of your office for poor behavior?”
“Funny. They would probably faint if they saw me in the office this early in the morning.”
Aaron checked his watch. “It’s already past seven.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Jay scrunched up his face. “I try to waltz in sometime around nine.”
“So everyone assumes you sleep in, but in reality, you’re being a productive member of society just down the block?” Aaron asked.
“No, I usually do sleep in. I’m here to catch you before your meetings.”
Aaron couldn’t stop his lips from spreading in a satisfied smile.
“Since you performed that very sneaky lunch-and-run, I had to get you back,” Jay continued. “So I’m here to get you a coffee and wish you luck in your meetings.”
“That’s really sweet,” Aaron said. “Let me go check the menu for the most expensive drink, and I’ll get back to you.”
Jay chuckled and followed Aaron to the counter, weaving around the empty tables. The shop was quiet, the hum of the espresso machine and the faint sounds of the street filling the space. Before long, Aaron was in front of the register, drawing a blank on what his regular coffee order was. Jay’s admission that he’d gotten up early and staked out the coffee shop waiting for Aaron had scrambled his brains. It was a lovely gesture, but was it simply a repayment for lunch or something more?
Concentrating as hard as he could, Aaron managed to read a familiar word off the menu, “Uhhh, mocha?”
