First Flight (12 page)

“Kiss me,” Chris gasped, running his hands over Jesse’s body, trying to touch as much as he could reach. “Kiss me and do that
again
.”

“Okay,” Jesse said, and leaned down. The kiss was sloppy, all need and no grace, their bodies rising and falling together as thought was subsumed by desire. Chris’s hands swept over him, leaving an electric thrill in their wake, and Jesse was losing what was left of his self-control.

Chris couldn’t keep kissing Jesse. There was something coiling, pushing, driving him to arch up and pull Jesse down and he could not get
enough
.

Jesse could feel it, in the way Chris was tensing beneath him, could hear it in every needy pant. “C’mon, Chris,” he said, grinding down, “c’mon, c’m
on
.”

That
was it, what he needed, just that much more friction and Chris cried out as he slipped away, into a fiery brilliance that held him close.

Jesse put his head down and redoubled his efforts, mumbling against the side of Chris’s neck. “Please, please, pleasepleaseplease—God,
God
—” He came, shuddering and gasping. As his orgasm faded, he went boneless, draped over Chris.

“Jesse?” Chris’s voice was soft.

He slid off to Chris’s left. “Hm.” Jesse knew they should really get up and shower before his parents came home, but it was really,
really
nice to just lie there.

“Jesse, that was, that was liver and brains and flying and eggs all at once,” he said, swiping fingers through the viscous stuff on his skin. He sucked them clean and hummed. “You taste good.”

“That good?” Jesse made an amused sound. “I do? You’re not bad yourself.”

“Maybe
better
. But eggs and liver
are
very good. Hm.” He turned over and kissed Jesse, briefly. “Good. Now what?”

He laughed. “I’ll help you compare them whenever you want,” he said. “Now… we should clean up and put on some clothes, at least before Mom and Dad get home.”

“Good, because I will need to. I might forget which is best.” He grinned brightly, then sighed in contentment. “All right. But first I think I will kiss you again.”

“And that would be bad.” Chris’s kiss forestalled further conversation, not that Jesse cared.

The phone rang again, in the middle of everything. Chris grumbled and picked up the handset, passing it over to Jesse.

“Uh, hey, Swanson’s,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound too winded.

“Aw, did you run to answer the phone? See, I knew you’d change your mind about me.”

“No. I didn’t. I haven’t. I
won’t
. Stop calling.” He hung up, his pleasant mood shattered.

“Kevin, again?” Chris sat up and pulled his legs in, wrapping his arms around them. “I don’t like that.”

“I don’t, either,” Jesse said, looking at him. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up and see who’s winning the game.”

“
H
ELLO
,
Swanson’s,” Leanna said, her mouth turning down as the caller spoke. “Yes, he’s right here. Just a moment. Jesse, it’s Kevin, for you.”

“I’m eating dinner,” Jesse said, but he got up and went into the kitchen anyhow. “What?”

Leanna’s brows pinched together as she returned to the table, but she didn’t say anything.

“Jesse, come on. I’m gonna change, you’ll see. I’ll come out to everyone! And then you’ll be happy, right? Come back to me. I’ll let you fuck me.”

“No. I’m not interested. I’ve got to go, it’s dinner time. Bye.” He hung up and sat down again, scowling at his peas.

“You told him not to call,” Chris said, turning his favorite spoon over and over again. “But he did.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jesse said, shaking his head.

“Kevin’s been calling you? I thought you broke up with him,” Desmond said, pulling the pot roast toward himself.

“I did. He doesn’t seem to feel the same way, and he keeps trying to convince me to come back to him.” Jesse shrugged. “I don’t want to. And I’m not available anyhow, and even if I
was
I wouldn’t be for him. So, um, if he calls back in the future, I’m not around or available or whatever.”

“Not available?” Desmond’s brows rose.

“Um.” Jesse ducked his head and raised his shoulders. “Um, Chris and I, we’re going out. I asked him a little while ago.
After
I told you we weren’t.”

“Ah.” Desmond looked back and forth between the two of them. “Okay. Just….”

“I know, you don’t wanna know,” Jesse said.

“Right,” Desmond said, waving a hand. “You don’t wanna know about me and your mother, so it’s only fair.”

Jesse laughed. “Yeah, that’s true,” he said.

“Why not?” Chris said, looking up from stacking slices of his potatoes au gratin.

“Because they’re my
parents
,” Jesse said, making a face. “I love them, but I don’t want to know anything more than they still love one another.”

“Okay,” Chris said, pressing his fork through the stack and lifting it from his plate. He still didn’t really understand it, but apparently “no details” applied to
why
as well.

“I’d be the same way if you were, uh, dating a girl,” Desmond said with a shrug. “Just so you know.”

Chapter Sixteen

“
G
OOD
morning!” Kevin smiled and waved at the two who approached him.

“Good morning,” Chris said politely, though he was not at all pleased to see the other man.

“Go home, Kevin,” Jesse said, scowling at him. “I don’t know why you’re here, but if it’s to ask me—”

“No! I’m here to apologize.” He looked sad, hanging his head and folding his hands together. “To Chris.”

“Apologize?” Chris frowned. “Why?”

“For hitting you. For the whole produce thing. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. Will you forgive me?” He looked up, eyes wide and face guileless.

Jesse frowned but kept his mouth shut. Chris deserved the apology, and he could just keep his doubt about Kevin’s sincerity to himself.

“You should not have,” Chris agreed with a nod. “Okay.”

“Thanks! So, maybe we could be friends?”

There was something about the way Kevin spoke that bothered Chris, but Leanna’s examples of politeness overrode his discomfort. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe?”

“That would be awesome,” Kevin said, smiling and nodding. “We could go to the movies tonight!”

Chris looked at Jesse, then shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I have to work tomorrow morning. I can’t be up late.”

“Maybe tomorrow night?” Kevin leaned forward, a bit of anxiety on his face. “Or this afternoon? You still have the afternoon off, right?”

“I’m going to be late,” Chris said, gesturing at the building beside them as Jesse pulled at his sleeve. “So is Jesse. We have to go.”

“Okay, sure,” Kevin said. “I’ll ask you later, okay? Have a good day!”

“Yeah, sure, you too,” Jesse said and tugged Chris along as they went into the store.

“That was
strange
,” Chris said, looking over his shoulder, just in case. “Is he sick?”

“Sick? I don’t know,” Jesse said, “but he’s definitely creepy. I don’t think you should go anywhere with him, especially not alone.”

“I don’t want to,” Chris said. The idea of being alone with Kevin made him want to hide or put his back up against a wall so that he could see everyone and everything. “I will not.”

“Glad to hear it.” Jesse sighed, then turned his thoughts toward more cheerful topics. “Let’s go out for lunch, okay? I’ll drive you home after.”

“Out? Oh! Could we go to Betzalel’s Deli?” Chris closed his eyes for a moment of contemplative bliss.
“Liverwurst.”

Jesse laughed and nodded. “Sure thing.”

“
C
ALL
holding line two for Christopher. Call holding line two Christopher.”

“Hello?”

“Hi, Chris,” a vaguely familiar voice said. “So how about that movie?”

“Um, I’m sorry, who are you?” A few girls had tried to invite him to movies, but the voice was a man’s. It wasn’t Jesse’s, either; maybe it was Jesse’s friend Lucas?

“It’s me. Kevin. You didn’t recognize me?”

“I’m sorry, you sounded different. I didn’t know it was Jesse the first time he called on the phone.”
Kevin
. He wondered if it would be a bad thing to just hang up.

“Oh! That’s okay then. So, we’re still going to the movies this afternoon, right?”

“Um….” Chris tried to remember agreeing to go. “I don’t want to.”

“But we’re friends,” Kevin said, sounding hurt. “Why not?”

“We aren’t friends. I said maybe, that is, not
are
. And I do not know you. I do not like you. I do not like the way you make me feel. I do not want to go anywhere with you.” Chris hung up and rubbed his hands on his apron, unsettled.

“Excuse me,” a woman’s voice said from behind him. He jumped slightly and turned around.

“How can I help you?” Chris tried to smile.

“I was just wondering if you knew anything about avocados,” she said, holding out a couple of them. Her hair was a strange mixture of dark brown, caramel, and bright pink. “I’m supposed to be making guacamole for a party tonight, and I can’t remember how to tell if they’re ripe or not.”

The business of fruit and vegetables helped to restore some of his usual calm. “Um, yes. Let’s see. They’re ripe if, when you squeeze them, they’re very faintly squishy.” Chris took the avocado from her left hand and squeezed it gently. “This one seems about right.”

“And this one, too,” she said, holding up the other one with a smile. “Great, thanks so much.”

“You are welcome,” he said, solemnly handing over the avocado.

“Liverwurst, liverwurst, liverwurst,” Chris sang to himself, ten minutes later, as he straightened up the carrots. “Livery livery liverwurst.”

“You like liverwurst?”

“Yeeark!” Chris jerked around, hands and a carrot held up in front of him. “Oh, it’s
you
. Are you shopping for fruit or vegetables?”

Kevin shook his head. “No. I came by to see you. Do you like liverwurst? I could get you some.”

“I hate liverwurst,” Chris said, even though part of him didn’t want to. “I just like the way the word sounds. You don’t have to get me anything. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“What kind of things do you like? I’ll get you those instead,” Kevin said, moving closer to Chris. “You can help me, sure. If I’m nice to you, Jesse will love me again.”

“You don’t have to get me anything and I don’t want you to be nice to me,” Chris said, backing up and putting the carrot down. “I want you to go away, please.”

“Why are you so mean? Why do you hate me?” Kevin glared at him, crossing his arms and taking another step forward. “What did I ever do to
you?
”

“I don’t hate you!” Chris shook his head and backed up again. “But I am not your friend. You scare me. I don’t like that. And you hit me.”

“I’m a nice guy,” Kevin said, stepping forward again, ignoring the last statement. “Come on, hang out with me. You want to go to lunch? To the movies, or to a bar? Anywhere you want, we can go.”

“I—” Chris looked around and spotted Mr. Bunting frowning at the broccoli. “I need to help Mr. Bunting. Excuse me.” He turned and hurried off toward the older man.

“Christopher!” Mr. Bunting smiled at him. “I was just thinking about finding you. I want to have a word with you about cauliflower.”

“
H
EY
, ready to go?” Jesse smiled at Chris and headed for his own locker.

“Yes please,” he said, pulling his jacket on without bothering to remove his apron. “Now.”

“Okay,” Jesse said, giving him a funny look. “Is everything all right?”

“Kevin came to see me.” Chris crossed his arms and looked at the floor. “Can we go now?”

“God,” Jesse groaned, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

Fifteen minutes later, Chris was leaning against him as they waited for their sandwiches. “He scares me,” he said.

“Yeah? I’m not excited about him, either,” Jesse said. He sighed and moved so he could put his arm around the other man. “But I don’t know what we can
do
about it. I mean, he’s not doing anything really
wrong
, so it’s not like we can call the police.”

“He wanted me to go to the movies. He wanted to bring me liverwurst, so I told him I hate it.” Chris wished he could kiss Jesse, but his little voice told him not to. “I said I didn’t want to go. He said if he was nice to me you would love him again.”

“That is very wrong,” Jesse said, his stomach complaining at him with hunger and stress alike. “So wrong I can’t even tell you how wrong it is.”

“You said you did not love him,” Chris said, worry gnawing at him. “Did—”

“I
didn’t
,” Jesse said, his arm tightening around Chris’s shoulders. “And no matter what he says, I’m not
going
to love him. Because he’s being an asshole and he’s scaring you and, honestly, he’s kind of scaring me too.”

“Okay,” Chris said. He looked up and spotted a waitress with a tray coming their way. “Food!”

Chapter Seventeen

C
HRIS
squinted at the nightstand, where Jesse’s phone was ringing. He reached over and answered. “H’llo?”

“Chris! Thank God. Is Jesse there? I need to talk to him.”

“Wha’time’s it?” Chris rubbed his face with his free hand and stared at the clock until it came into focus. “Is two thirty. Um. Jesse’s’sleep. Bye.” He pressed the key that made the phone hang up and put it back on the table.

A minute later, Chris jumped as the silence was fractured by the ringing of the house phone. He grabbed the handset and answered. “Swanson!”

“I
need
to talk to Jesse. Right now. It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Jesse’s
asleep
,” Chris said, as quietly as he could. “Quit callin’. Time to sleep.”

“Fine. But I’m going to kill myself.”

“Okay.” Chris hung up and dropped the phone on the floor, then turned over and snuggled up to Jesse.

“Phone?” Jesse mumbled, pulling Chris close with an arm and a leg thrown over him. “Mm.”