“I’ll let my sister know that she’s a twink now.” Jay turned around with a plate of eggs and bacon, sliding it toward Aaron. Before Aaron could protest, he added, “Don’t worry, it’s fake bacon. I buy it for the boys. Layla doesn’t like them eating pork.”
Aaron stared at him like a cartoon character with hearts in his eyes, his throat tight with the tide of feelings crashing over him. The beautiful, sweet, thoughtful man in front of him couldn’t be any more perfect.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.” He accepted the plate and waited for Jay to join him before starting. The eggs were perfectly prepared—fluffy and covered in melted cheese—and the fake bacon strips were just the right amount of crispy.
“Are you feeling better?” Jay asked after a few minutes of eating in silence.
“Yeah…” Aaron sighed. Despite his attempts to ignore his concerns, he’d have to face them sooner or later. “I’m sorry I was in such a shitty mood last night.”
“You were fine. And you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am, thanks to you.” He gave Jay a grateful smile. “It wasn’t anything big. I was already stressing out about the CEO canceling on me, and then I got home to this absolute fucking chaos, and it was too much.”
“Mark and Rachel left a mess?”
“Eh. They offered to help clean, but I wanted them to enjoy their last day of vacation. It’s not even that bad—just dishes inthe sink, linens to wash, vacuuming, clearing a million take-out containers from the fridge, and dealing with piles of random stuff on every surface. If I’d had the energy, it was probably only a couple of hours of work, but I was already feeling…blah.”
“I totally get it. Clutter makes me restless too, and that sounds pretty bad.” Jay took a bite of the eggs and held his gaze. “What’s going on with the CEO?”
“I don’t know. He’s a bit of an enigma. We barely see him around the office, and the only time we actually get to have a conversation with him is at our monthly one-on-ones. And his emails are ridiculously short! Yesterday, ten minutes before our meeting, I got aHave to cancel. Let’s touch base soon.What does that even mean?”
“Maybe something came up?”
“He met with Zoe a few hours later, and according to her, everything seemed fine.”
Jay’s eyes clouded with concern. “Are you worried about your job?”
Aaron shook his head. “Not really. It’s hard to explain. I know I’m doing good work—there’s been a lot of progress, and the board is happy with most of what I’ve pushed through. It’s just…I can’t get a read on David, and I just want him to acknowledge how hard my team and I have been working. Silly, right?”
Jay bumped his elbow lightly and gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s not silly. After a while, money stops being the point. You just want your boss to take an interest in what you’re doing. And he’d be stupid not to. I have no idea what you actually do, but I’m sure you’re amazing at it.”
Aaron was about to respond when Jay took a bite of bacon and let out a quiet, satisfied sound. Aaron’s stomach fluttered.
Mark had never done that. In all their years together, he’d stayed a firm omnivore, occasionally sampling Aaron’s meatless substitutes out of politeness. At least he’d been supportive.Everyone else, though… In a city known for its cheesesteaks, his dietary choices didn’t always get the best reaction. Too many friends and colleagues had pulled exaggerated faces at his food and loudly proclaimed they could never eat something so gross. Maybe those reactions weren't always personal, but they didn’t feel great either. Aaron learned not to volunteer that information unless necessary.
But he didn’t have to be cautious around Jay. His quiet acceptance meant more than Aaron could say.
“Something wrong?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been staring at my plate for a while now.”
“Yeah. I just…Thank you for the bacon. For eating it with me. I wouldn’t have a problem with you eating the real thing if you wanted to.” Aaron cleared his throat, feeling a little off-kilter from how emotional he was getting over breakfast.
Jay’s features softened. He placed his hand on Aaron’s forearm and rubbed in a soothing motion. “It’s not like I’m obsessed with meat. I don’t have to have it at every meal. Or even every day. Besides, this stuff tastes pretty good.”
Aaron nodded with gratitude. When they finished eating, he hopped up to rinse their plates before placing them in the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that,” Jay said.
“Nope. You cooked, I clean.” Aaron didn’t even hesitate—it was the rule. When he finished, he turned around, about to ask what was next, but Jay beat him to the punch.
“How about the zoo?”
“The zoo?”
“You were bummed you didn’t get to go with Mark and Rachel because of work, so how about we go today? It should be a nice day.”
Aaron didn’t have to think about it. He loved going to the zoo, and Jay’s company would only make it better. Within minutes, they were out the door and on their way.
Jay drove with the windows open, grinning as Aaron sang along with the radio. The sun was bright, almost blinding, its warmth soaking into Aaron’s skin and filling him with effervescent energy. While they stood in the ticket line, Aaron bounced on his toes and studied the zoo map, earning an amused chuckle from Jay.
