chapter
eight
jay
I think about Loren the entire time I'm home for Christmas. I want him to feel comfortable with my family but I also want to avoid anything that may trigger him. Since I don't know what that is, every picture is carefully scrutinized before sending. No Christmas ornaments, no tree, no group photos.
I haven't told my family about Loren but they know there is someone. We suck at hiding stuff.
"I promise to fill you in soon enough." It's not much but it's all they get, for now.
The mess of presents aren't even cleaned up before I'm rushing out of the house and catching my flight back to Seattle.
"Hey," I say into the phone as I deboard the plane. "I just landed."
"I'm thirty minutes from your house. See you soon," Loren says over the road noise and the rain. His van is cool looking but not quiet.
It's pouring buckets so I hike my bag up and run to the waiting car. Seattle doesn't get white Christmases; it gets wet Christmases.
I look at the time when I get home, I have just enough time to shower and change. I finish getting dressed and rush down stairs; dripping hair and all.
Loren stands there in expensive grey joggers and a matching zip hoodie damp from the rain. The way it hugs his body is worth every penny he didn't pay because I'm positive they were gifted. I went with him to his post office once and ended up picking up twice as many packages as we dropped off. '
People want me to show their stuff
,' he'd said.
I quickly pull him in for a long, hard kiss.
"It's only been three days," he says, his eyes alight with humor. He's so beautiful and he knows it.
"A long three days," I tell him as I pull him to the living room and set him on the couch. I push him back and lay next to him. "Can we please just do nothing tonight? I'm tired."
Loren wraps his arms around me. We spend the rest of the evening just like that. I feel guilty that I'm not more entertaining, but Loren doesn't complain. He's sneaky though. His hand drifts south, grazing my junk a half dozen times.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," he chastises. "It was an accident."
Accident or not, his subtle touching has me horned up and I can't stop myself from kissing him. Again, he doesn't complain. He also doesn't let me get as far as I want. When I try to get in his pants, he shakes his finger at me, teasing me. "I don't want to compromise your virtue."
Two can play this game.
"I'd hate to put you in an uncomfortable position," I say as I push my pants down a few inches. Once I have my dick out, I start stroking it. "I'll just take care of this real quick. Gimme a minute."
Loren can't stay away. He quickly pushes his pants down and rolls on top of me. Loren hot as he ribs against me. It's over embarrassingly fast for both of us. I'd like to say we last twenty minutes but...
Once we catch our breath, I reach out like I'm trying to grab a fly.
"What are you doing?"
"My virtue, it's getting away."
He laughs harder than he should. I love the sound of it. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. It's getting late and he'll be heading home soon.
"I really missed you."
"I missed you, too."
"Are you coming to the game day after tomorrow? You know you have tickets in willcall."
"Oh, I don't know. We'll see."
"I know you don't enjoy watching football but you can still go and cheer for me."
"But there's parking and crowds, and people--"
"Okay, okay, I get it. You don't have to go."
Loren moves until his hugging me from under my shirt. He does this a lot. I don't think he realizes how desperate he is for skin-to-skin. I don't say anything because I love it and, if I bring it up, he'll stop.
Once he's snuggled in, he mumbles, "I'll try."
****
Loren doesn't make it to the game, which is fine because we lose. The loss hurts more now because we're so close to the playoffs. Luckily, we're still having a good season and I'm hopeful we'll go the distance.
I opt to fly commercial since Denver is so close. Any time I fly like this, I give myself an extra hour for photos and autographs. I make it to security before the crowd forms.
It starts with a few whispers and discrete pictures but once the first person approaches me, it's chaos. I love it.
I have an incredible fan base who are kind and respectful. I get to do a lot of stuff in my day-to-day without people in my face, so moments like these are fine. I've had a fair ride considering what other players go through.
I give Will a heads up. He's parked on the curb when I make it outside. A few more autographs and pictures and then I'm a free man.
"You always do this to yourself. Why didn't you fly private?" He asks as we pull away from the curb. Will is another one of my homies from college. When Seamus got married to Kelly and moved out, Scott and Will moved in. I loved living with them but it wasn't nearly as easy as it was with Seamus.
"It's only a few times a year and people love it."
"
You
love it."
"I do. All these years and it's still bizarre to know all those people are going home and sharing their story, how they saw Jay Petermeyer at the airport or that we shared a flight. It's not much, but it's a cool feeling to know I made their day."
"More like their year, but yeah, I know what you're saying."
****
The trip is quick but packed. I spend every minute I can with my buddies. I even babysit little Aidan one night so Seamus and Matt can go out.
It's my last day. I'm walking down the beverage aisle with honey-to-do-list from Seamus when I see a kid on his hands and knees reaching deep into the bottom shelf while his friends watch.
"Just get whatever's left," a pretty brunette says. "It's going to sell out if we don't."
"She's right. We barely got here in time for the coconut creamer."
The poor soul on his knees manages to secure three cases of soda. He stands up and brushes off his pants then hefts all three cases in his arms. "This can't taste good. There's just no way."
With three cases of Dr. Pepper, two giant containers of coconut creamer, and the largest bottle of lime juice I've ever seen, they leave. Honestly, I never would have given them a second glance except the ingredients looked awfully similar to a weekly special I saw at Seamus's café. Loelife's Drink of the Week.
Loe. My sweet Loren.
He posts a drink in the morning and the shelves are baren by the afternoon.
I toss a case of water in the cart and dial his number.
"
Hey you,"
I say after the beep.
"I just watched a group of kids clean Safeway of all their Dr. Pepper, coconut creamer, and lime juice. It made me think of you. The drink is surprising good, by the way. The baristo, as you call them, scammed me of sixty-dollars. Not sure it was worth that much,
" I laugh. Remembering how Matt made me tip him and his two friends twenty bones each. Pretty steep for a soda.
"Hope the trailer reno is going well. Call me when you're free."
