Jay’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his head. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I think we’ve reached our furniture shopping limit for the next decade.”
Aaron wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment, following Jay toward the exit. Jackie caught up to them before they had the chance to escape, worry etched on her face.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should sit down and have something to drink? You shouldn’t drive right now.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Aaron glanced at Jay, who looked a little pale. “Can we go somewhere really far away from tall furniture?”
Jackie guided them to a small lounge and sat Jay down on the plush loveseat, repeatedly asking him if he was okay before leaving.
“Water? Soda? Juice box?” Aaron rifled through the drinks and snacks on the counter. “I think you’re supposed to have something sweet after a shock.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s a myth,” Jay said. “But I’ll gladly take some sugar anyway.”
Aaron brought over apple juice and two bags of cookies, immediately ripping into his. He fished out a cookie and wordlessly held it up to Jay’s mouth. Jay leaned in and took a bite, brushing his lips against Aaron’s fingers. “First, you save my life, then you feed me. A boy could get used to this,” he quipped with a soft smile.
“Ihadto save your life. You haven’t taken me to that vintage store yet.”
Jay let out a quiet laugh and took a sip from his bottle.
A comfortable silence came over them as they ate. The warmth of Jay’s thigh against his own was grounding, a quiet reminder that they were both okay. Aaron quickly finished his bag, crumbs sticking to his fingers, while Jay sipped his juice with a contented sigh.
The buzz of leftover adrenaline still hummed beneath Aaron’s skin, but it was slowly being replaced by the calm relief of being next to Jay.
“Hi there.” A tall man in a suit walked up to them. “I’m Dan Whitman, the store manager.”
Neither of them made any move to get up.
“Jackie let me know what happened.” Dan dragged a chair over to the loveseat and sat across from them, his focus on Jay. “I’m very sorry about this unfortunate incident. I want you to know we’re shutting down the showcase until we can examine the furniture to ensure it’s been properly installed.”
Aaron sighed. This was aDon’t sue usconversation, and he really wasn’t feeling it. Leaning forward, he assumed his professional voice. “We appreciate that, but we’re exhausted and a little shaken, so you’ll forgive me for being blunt. Are you here to get us to sign something saying we won’t sue?”
Dan nodded slowly, looking between them with a confused expression. No one ever expected the skinny guy wearing a dash of eyeliner to sound authoritative, and normally Aaron would find this interaction amusing, but he just wanted it to be over. Glancing over at Jay, he could see they were on the same page.
“We will sign whatever you want if you get us a nice, steep discount on the dresser and the cabinet we want and get us out of here in under twenty minutes.”
Dan eyed Aaron for a moment, sizing him up, before a satisfied smile spread across his face. “I’ll do you one better. You can have them for free, and I’ll have you out the door in ten minutes. Be right back.”
True to his word, he returned shortly with a liability waiver and delivery forms. Aaron signed the waiver and handed it to Jay, along with one of the forms. “Fill out your sister’s address.”
Halfway through, he looked up at Dan. “I’m not going back for the item numbers. Can we just describe them to you? It’s the dresser from the main bedroom and the tall china cabinet from the living room.”
Dan nodded and collected the paperwork. “I got it. You’re all set. Once again, we’re very sorry, and you’ll have your items delivered tomorrow afternoon.”
Walking out into the parking lot, Jay nudged Aaron. “You didn’t have to do that with the cabinet. You wanted to get the vanity, and you still need your useless bench.”
“I think I’ll survive without the useless bench.” Aaron reached the truck and waited for Jay to unlock the door. “You’re the one that almost died. You deserve half of the spoils. Now, take me to a very late lunch.”
Chapter 11
JAY
Jay drove back to his sister’s house with a smile on his lips. He’d truly enjoyed his time with Aaron—from the astonishment of watching the man fly through his shopping list to grabbing some tacos and driving to the vintage store, where Aaron had oohed and aahed over a weathered pirate-chest-style trunk and an ornate mirror that he declared would clash with everything else in the apartment but that hehadto have.
Aaron was incredible. Impossible to resist. Jay tried, but it was only a matter of time before his crush would become obvious. He was still astonished at Aaron’s speed and precision in pulling Jay out of harm’s way. They’d turned the experience into a bit of a joke by the end of the day, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that Aaron had saved him from serious injury. As a lifelong athlete, he’d seen his fair share of head trauma, and he was grateful to emerge unscathed.
But it was more than that.
Aaron’s protective instinct stirred something deep inside Jay, something that made him feel seen, sending the butterflies in his stomach into overdrive.
