“Maybe at first,” he finally admitted. “But it didn’t seem like you. You wouldn’t hide behind silence if you wanted to stop talking to someone. You’d march right up and tell them before executing a perfect mic drop.”
The tension in Aaron’s tightly set jaw wasn’t obvious until it melted away, replaced with a smile that softened his features.
“I’m glad you know me so well,” he murmured, turning his attention to the forgotten meal in front of him. Despite his obvious hunger, he ate with surprising grace, chopsticks expertly lifting each piece of sushi to his mouth, the tip of his tongue making an occasional appearance to swipe across his lips.
Jay forced himself to stop watching Aaron eat and focused on his own food. His chopstick skills were far less elegant, but he was hungry enough to not care.
“So, private courier? Fucking fancy.” Aaron shook his head and chewed thoughtfully before continuing. “I should have thought of that. Could have sent you a nice handwritten letter on some parchment.”
“I’m just glad it worked out. I was worried it wouldn’t arrive on time, or you wouldn’t be home.”
“Me too! Can you imagine missing out on Saturday night?” Aaron’s lighthearted expression shifted, the smoldering heat in his eyes sparking a fire under Jay’s skin. He wanted to lurch forward and kiss Aaron, feel the curve of his suggestive smile, taste the words coming out of those lush lips. Shaking off the sudden urge, he tried to concentrate on what Aaron was saying. “Mark and Rach are leaving on Thursday. I wouldn’t mind coming over for another visit on Friday, if you’re available.”
Aaron was so different. So unafraid of voicing what he wanted despite the potential for failure or rejection. It was inspirational.
“Absolutely,” Jay said with a grin he hoped came off as flirty rather than maniacal. “What are your thoughts on full-body bondage?”
“You know I’ll go along with whatever you want.”
The words were simple, but their weight was significant. He’d earned Aaron’s trust. That was huge, and he would never do anything to compromise it.
A startled sound escaped Aaron as his eyes darted past Jay’s face at something behind him. He straightened in his seat and cleared his throat. “How do you feel about meeting Mark and Rachel before they leave?”
“I can’t say it’s at the top of my list, but I wouldn’t mind.”
“Good. Because they’re here.” Aaron scowled at the couple weaving their way across the restaurant. The lunch rush was almost over, allowing them to claim an empty table next to theirs.
“Hi, Jay, I’m Rachel!” The tall, exuberant redhead thrust her hand at him with vigor. He shook it politely, amused by her enthusiasm. “I’m so excited to meet you! Air’s been talking about you nonstop—and he wasn’t kidding about how handsome you are.”
Jay stared at her in stunned silence until Mark cleared his throat.
“Rach, boundaries?” He gave his girlfriend a pointed look, then hesitantly offered his hand to Jay. “I’m Mark. I apologize for crashing your lunch. Rachel was…determined.”
Aaron crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his seat. “Well,” he said, glaring daggers at his ex-husband. “Thanks for dropping by.” There was an undertone of levity under the frustration, a hint of mirth dancing at the corners of his lips. It reminded Jay of joking around with his sisters. Everything Aaron had told him about his relationship with Mark suddenly made sense—they were best friends, maybe even platonic soulmates, but there wasn’t a hint of romance between them.
Silence stretched, and Jay realized it was his turn to say something. “It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you. I’ve heard great things.”
“You won’t anymore. I don’t think he’ll ever talk to us again after we leave,” Mark said with a nervous laugh, his gaze flicking between Aaron and Jay. Everything about him seemed tentative, a sharp contrast to his girlfriend’s explosive energy.
“How did you and Rachel meet?” he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
“Aaron never told you?” Mark looked surprised.
“It’s never come up.”
“Okay then.” Mark rubbed his hands together, a spark of excitement in his voice. It was clear he enjoyed telling the story. “Aaron and I were on our way to our divorce attorney—”
“Both of you went to the same divorce attorney?” Jay interrupted, not sure he’d heard correctly.
Aaron sighed. “Stop being dramatic. It wasn’t a divorce attorney—we just wanted to make sure the paperwork was in order so there wouldn’t be any problems with taxes.”
“Anyway,” Mark continued without acknowledging the correction, “we stopped by this cute little coffee shop on the way, and I saw Rachel at one of the tables, working on her laptop. She looked so beautiful and intriguing, and of course, Aaron immediately noticed me staring. He came up with some excuse to sit at her table. We chatted for a bit, and she was so funny and smart…” He trailed off, reaching for Rachel’s hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I think I fell in love right there, but we had to leave, and I was too shy to ask for her details. A week later, she called me. Apparently, Aaron went back to the coffee shop, tracked her down, and gave her my number.”
“That’s…” Jay was at a loss for words. Aaron never stopped surprising him, revealing himself one impressive and complex layer at a time.
“Come on, who’s gonna be a better wingman than your ex-husband?” A sly smirk stretched across Aaron’s face as he raised his glass and took a sip. “Besides, that coffee shop was sort of on my way home. Only a tiny forty-minute detour.”
“You can see it when you come to visit! We just moved into the neighborhood.” Rachel clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. “Air, you can see the new place in person, and we can show your boyfriend around Philadelphia. Jay, have you ever been?”
