Page 29 of Poles Apart
Fuck. He’d got lost in Jacob and hadn’t heard that tosser, Toby, come up behind them. It was a good thing that Jacob had pulled away when he did, even if he had been disappointed. It wouldn’t have done for them to be caught in a compromising position, and that was certainly the way things had been headed.
He couldn’t believe how quickly he’d been drawn back into Jacob’s world, how he’d given in so easily as soon as he’d started talking to him again. But the pull he felt towards Jacob had always been strong, and whereas he thought it would have lessened over the years, the fire was still there, smouldering between them.
Jacob led him back to the dance floor, but Dom turned and walked toward the bar. He needed a drink first and to cool down, dancing with Jacob would not be a good idea right now. Jacob allowed himself to be led to their waiting drinks, reaching for his beer, but Dom stopped him.
“Let’s get some water.” Their drinks had been left unattended for quite some time, next to where Toby and Owen had been. He wasn’t saying he didn’t trust them, but Dom got a weird vibe from them and, well, let’s just say he didn’t want to risk it. Jacob nodded and ordered a couple of bottles of water from the barman. They drank them greedily, both needing to quench their thirst. After putting their empty bottles on the bar, Dom moved towards Jacob, a cheeky glint in his eye and a huge smile on his face.
“Come on, I wanna dance now.” He reached up and placed a swift kiss on Jacob’s lips, much to his surprise.
Jacob walked behind him, his hands firmly placed on Dom’s hips. He fucking loved that he was being so possessive. It wasn’t something he usually liked, but from Jacob, it was perfect.
They danced for a while longer, sometimes together, sometimes apart but always within touching distance. Jacob would touch his hand, his hip, and when they danced together, he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close.
A commotion brought them out of the little world they’d created around themselves, and Dom looked across to where the dickhead from the restaurant and his bunch of friends were brawling at the bar. He looked up to see Jacob’s face grow taut, and the tension that had left him was back.
Dom leaned up to whisper in his ear, “Let’s get out of here.” He took Jacob’s hand and turned away from the scuffle. Jacob followed him, keeping his eyes averted. Neither of them wanted to run into that man again and his homophobic slurs.
“Where’s your car parked?” Dom asked as they left the club. Jacob had his arm around his shoulders, Dom’s was around Jacob’s waist.
“I’m parked back by the restaurant. Can I give you a lift anywhere? Or…” Jacob trailed off, and Dom wasn’t sure what he was asking. Did he want him to come back to his place? He’d already said Abby was staying with his friends, but Dom wasn’t sure if he was ready for what he knew would happen if they went back to Jacob’s house.
“Actually, a lift would be great. I have to get back to Jordan.” Dom felt Jacob stiffen at his side, and he realised he hadn’t explained about his brother. Jacob knew he had one, but at college, they’d been horny teenagers who were more intent on getting each other off than talking about mundane shit like family.
Dom’s parents weren’t the best, and he’d avoided talking about them wherever possible. His father had left his mother, Jordan and him when he was only three. He’d been a no-show ever since. His mother had been great for a while, but as he and Jordan got older, she started to leave them home alone more. Jordan had looked after him, making sure they were both fed.
As the years wore on, her parenting skills became a suggestion more than a necessity, and when Dom had left for London, Jordan had already moved out and his mother had moved in at least four boyfriends and then moved them back out again. Dom inched closer to Jacob and slipped his hand into his back pocket, giving his arse a squeeze.
“Jordan’s my older brother.” He felt Jacob relax and continued. “He had an accident at work, fell thirty feet out of a tree, which put him in a coma and then traction for six months, broke a couple of his vertebrae too. That’s why I came back to Chester. I needed to be here to look after him. My mum is… Well, she wouldn’t look after him, so I came back to do it.”
Speaking about Jordan like this, to Jacob, caused a knot to form in his throat, and his eyes stung with unshed tears. Jacob stopped and turned to face Dom.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Jacob stroked his face. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to Abby.”
“There was no need at college. He was fine then, and I haven’t had the time this week to tell you. It never felt like the right time, you know?” Dom pressed his cheek to Jacob’s chest and sighed as Jacob stroked his hair. Had it only been a week since they’d reconnected?
“I promised myself I wouldn’t let you back in. I have so much going on with Jordan. I can’t afford to lose focus with him. He’s all I have.” Dom could feel himself edging towards tears, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
“Then we’ll be friends. You and me.” Jacob tilted Dom’s face so he could look him in the eye. “If that’s all you can give me, then I’ll take it. I want you back in my life, Dom.” Jacob kissed his nose. “Although I enjoyed the kisses earlier, very much, and if you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend to get those two perverts from the club off your back, I’d be happy to oblige. Very fucking happy.”
As they stood there, in the middle of the pavement, Dom was aware of the people milling around them. He took Jacob’s hand, and they slowly walked back to Jacob’s car. Dom didn’t want to talk about it any further. Jacob understood; he knew that, and he also knew Jacob wouldn’t push him into anything he wasn’t ready for.
Jacob finally brought them to a halt next to a blue Mini Cooper, the same model as Dom’s.
“Hey, we have the same car, but mine’s red. Great taste, Jacob.” Dom ran his hand appreciatively along the roof.
Jacob groaned. “This was Abby’s idea. She picked it out for me, but I have to admit it is a great little car, especially for getting around the city.” He unlocked the car and gestured to Dom. “Get in anyway and tell me where I’m going.”
As Dom directed him to Jordan’s apartment, they chatted about their plans for the rest of the weekend. Jacob was still having to organise the weekend away for the school, and Dom, much to his disgust, was visiting his mother with Jordan. They tried to stay away as much as possible and usually only spoke on the phone, but this weekend, his mother wanted them around for lunch. No doubt to introduce boyfriend number, what? Dom had lost count after the number crept into double digits.
“Well, this is me,” Dom said a little shyly, not quite knowing how to end this. He wasn’t sure if he should kiss Jacob or just say ‘thanks for the lift’ and get out of the car. Jacob being Jacob, though, wouldn’t let him go without saying something.
He reached for Dom’s hand and held it. “Thank you for tonight. I haven’t been out for so long, and this was perfect. I know you said earlier about being there for Jordan. I get that. I totally do, but, well…” Jacob looked out of the window and then back to him, his blue eyes seeming almost black in the dark car. “…if you… Would you—” Dom put the guy out of his misery and leaned across to kiss his lips.
A brief, sweet brush of lips, a kiss that lingered for the barest of moments before he pulled away. Jacob’s eyes were closed, but he slowly opened them and pressed his lips together.
Dom finished the sentence for him. “You’ll be the first to know.” He squeezed the hand that Jacob still held and got out of the car. He bent low so he could speak through the open door.
“I’ll see you Tuesday, and I had a great time tonight too. Don’t think you’re getting out of going to the club either when I’m dancing there. I’m going to need you.” Dom felt more like his old self and gave Jacob a cheeky smile and a wink before closing the car door.
