Page 25 of Poles Apart
At five minutes to eight, Jacob walked through the door looking fucking delicious. His hair was styled, and he’d shaved. He wore a snug pair of grey trousers and a pale-blue shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes. His face lit up when he saw Dom, and he reminded him of eighteen-year-old Jacob. Fuck, he remembered how attracted he’d been to him all those years ago and could see the same thing happening again if he wasn’t careful.
As he walked over to him, he didn’t know whether to shake his hand, kiss his cheek or hug the man. So instead, he settled for a small wave. Jacob seemed equally unsure, and they stood there looking expectantly at each other.
“Hi,” Dom said with a nervous laugh. “Well, here we are.”
“Yep, here we are,” Jacob replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Would you like to come this way, gentlemen? Your table is ready.” They were saved by the waitress, and Dom couldn’t have been happier. He was so nervous.
They were led to a table for two, set into a small, secluded area, hidden away from many of the other diners. She took their drinks order and handed them menus. Dom loved Thai food and chose a roast duck red curry, Jacob chose Pad Thai.
When they were left alone, they both stared at each other, neither of them knowing what to say. Dom fidgeted in his seat, and Jacob took pity on him.
“You look great, Dom. I see you’re still rocking the make-up.”
Dom glanced at his hands. “I remember the last time you saw me wear it.”
Jacob snorted. “Yeah, me too. That was some night. I’m sorry it ended like it did.”
“Yeah, me too. Do you think we would have been more if you’d stayed, or would we have drifted apart and gone our separate ways anyway? I wanted London, and you didn’t. You were going to stay with Abby.” Dom had always wondered about that.
Jacob looked at him. “Things definitely turned out different to what I’d imagined. I know we might not have stayed together, but maybe that was for the best.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t you want to stay with me?” Dom was a little perplexed at Jacob’s comment. He’d said he loved him.
“I would have loved nothing more than to stay with you or for you to stay here in Chester with me. In an ideal world, we would have both stayed here, fallen in love and got married.” Jacob smiled ruefully. “But at eighteen, did we know what we wanted? Would we have stayed together? We wanted different things, and if you’d have stayed with me, I’m not sure we’d still be together.
“Resentment can break a relationship, and you would have resented me, us, if you’d have stayed. But things didn’t turn out that way. At least now, we both know what we want. I do know that I didn’t get what I wanted back then. Did you?”
Dom felt bad for Jacob. He’d had his whole world ripped away from him that night, and Dom? He’d been upset for sure, but it hadn’t stopped him from doing what he wanted. If truth be told, the opposite had happened. He’d travelled the world, followed his dream, and if it weren’t for Jordan, he’d probably still be doing it. Perhaps he was judging Jacob too harshly.
“As bad as it might sound, I got to live my dream, but I’m sorry that you didn’t. What about now, though? Are you happy, Jacob?” Dom wanted to know. Jacob didn’t look happy. He looked tired. Still fucking handsome, but tired.
They were interrupted by a waiter bringing over their drinks, and Dom held up his glass to Jacob.
“To old times.” He clicked his glass against Jacob’s.
“To old and new times,” Jacob replied.
Yeah, Dom liked the sound of that even though he’d promised they couldn’t be anything more. Spending time with him, talking to him. He realised he’d missed him. Just maybe…
Dom changed the subject and started talking about Abby and her lessons. He wanted to lighten the mood a little, so they chatted until their food arrived. He had to admit, the food was great, and when Jacob admitted to only liking some Thai dishes, Dom suggested he try his.
He put some on his fork and lifted it to Jacob’s mouth. Jacob looked at him, confused by what he was doing.
“Open up,” he said suggestively. Jacob did as asked, and Dom slid his fork into his mouth. Jacob took the food from Dom’s fork and ran his tongue around his lips. Dom watched, a pool of heat settling in his groin. Fuck, that shouldn’t have been sexy, so why had it turned him on so much?
“Your turn.” Jacob fed Dom a forkful of his own dish. A dribble of sauce ran from his lips, and Jacob watched it as it dripped down his chin. Jacob wiped it away with his thumb and licked it off, sucking the digit into his mouth.
“Mmm, so good.” Jacob closed his eyes as he savoured the flavour.
Dom’s dick hardened in his jeans, and he picked up his drink, gulping down the cold liquid. Jacob smirked. A smile he’d seen far too many times to mention.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” They both laughed, and Dom noticed Jacob trying to adjust himself without making it obvious.
“A little uncomfortable, are we?” Dom asked, and Jacob grinned wickedly.
“You could help me out with it if you wanted to.” Dom was about to flirt some more when an unknown voice spoke from the side.
