Page 62 of Poles Apart
“I just wanted to update you on today’s meeting with the board. They’d like you to come back in on Monday to go over all this and to discuss the complaint. In all honesty, I don’t think anything will come of it, but, well, I can’t make that call. It’s their decision at the end of the day.”
“OK, well, thanks for letting me know.”
“And I also don’t want you to worry. This will all get sorted one way or the other.”
That was what Jacob was worried about, though, that it wouldn’t get sorted in his favour. He knew the complaint was ludicrous, but you just never knew what could happen. So as much as she said, don’t worry, he was still going to worry.
Her words did go some way to placate him, but he still had a bad taste in his mouth over the entire thing. Why was there any doubt as to whose fault it was? He had witnesses for most interactions with that wanker, bar the one he’d reported to Jodie, but he’d have to wait until next week to find out what was going on. That meant a week off with fuck all to do. He didn’t have a green thumb, which is why the garden out back had decking and a gravelled area. Plants and grass he could kill without even trying.
“Why aren’t you going to school?” Abby asked as they sat on the sofa later that evening.
Jacob contemplated how much to tell her but, in the end, decided to tell her everything. He told her all about his encounters with Mr Wilkins, including the one when he was out with Dom. The words they’d had in the classroom, and while he didn’t recount it word for word, he did tell her about the slurs the man had thrown his way. When he finished, Jacob had never seen her so cross. She leapt from the sofa, throwing her arms in the air.
“How can they do this to you? Because you love a guy? That’s bullshit, Jacob, and you know it. And don’t even think of telling me off for swearing.” She paced around the room, muttering to herself until he finally got her to sit next to him. He cuddled her into his side. “I know it’s upsetting, but there’s nothing I can do until next week. There are people out there that will never accept what I am, what many people in the world are. It’s something I have to put up with from homophobic people like Noah’s dad. I have to hope that the board knows what they’re doing and find in my favour so I can stay at the school.”
“Well, I’m not happy, Jakey boy. It’s 2021! You’d think they’d accept it by now.” She crossed her arms. “It’s not on at all.”
“I know, but it is what it is, and at least you can have a bit of a lie-in this week. No rushing in the morning to get us both to work and school on time.”
“Thank God, at least there’s that.”
“But you still have to go to bed at a reasonable time, and it’s ten thirty already, so off with you.” She kissed him goodnight and disappeared off upstairs. He knew for a fact she’d be on her phone until late catching up on her social media. He was going to have to borrow Ivy at this rate, but at least the summer holidays were almost here, and they could both have a lie-in.
He sat there for a while longer, debating whether to text Dom but seeing how late it was, decided to leave it. He’d be seeing him soon enough tomorrow, so after making sure all was in order, he, too, went up to bed, thoughts of Dom running through his mind on a constant loop. He was quickly becoming obsessed with the man; the colour of his hair, the way his vivid green eyes stood out against his pale skin, the toned muscle on his body, and again he imagined himself licking and tasting him.
Fuck. He needed to get himself under control, but the constant barrage of thoughts was making it difficult to sleep, and as much as he wanted to act on his fantasies, he knew he needed sleep. He was about to give in to temptation when there was a knock at his bedroom door. He quickly covered his growing erection, got up and opened the door.
“You OK?” Abby stood outside his door, her phone in hand.
“I’ve had a message from Rachel to see if I want to go for a sleepover on Saturday night.”
“Couldn’t this have waited until tomorrow?” Her knock couldn’t have come at a more inopportune moment. He hoped the door was hiding any evidence of his arousal.
“Well, I suppose so, but I said I’d ask. Can I? You know I don’t have many friends, and we’ve been getting on well. Her mum’s lovely too and said she didn’t mind if you didn’t. Come on, Jakey, I’m nearly seventeen and have never had a sleepover with a friend before.” She popped her lip out in her familiar pout, confident it was going to get her what she wanted.
Jacob knew he was far too protective of his sister, and she needed to start living a little if she intended to apply to university and move away.
“Do they need a decision tonight, or can it wait until the morning? It is getting late, Abby.”
“I suppose it can wait.” She turned away from him but not before he saw her epic eye roll.
He shook his head and watched as she went back to her room. He closed the door and got back in bed. His urge had now passed, and he snuggled under the thin sheet covering his bed.
The days had become warmer, a mini heatwave, they’d said. In other words, it’d be warm for a few days where the entire country would complain about being too hot. ‘We’re not used to these temperatures’, ‘is it warm or is it me’? The Brits were obsessed, but he knew that in a week’s time, they’d be back to cooling temperatures and torrential rain.
He looked at his alarm clock. He had precisely seven hours and thirty-six minutes if he went to sleep now. He tossed and turned and watched as the time ticked by, but at some point, he fell asleep.
* * *
The following day, he woke to the sound of his alarm far sooner than he wanted. He went through his usual routine. The only difference, he didn’t need to dress for work. He threw on a pair of sweats and, after finally getting her out of bed and fed, he dropped Abby off at school early, stopping off for coffee on the way back home because he could.
As he neared home, he thought of all the jobs he could get done today. He had plans for later with Dom after Abby’s lesson, and she’d be coming with them for their stroll along the city walls, but in the meantime, he could get on with some chores he’d been putting off for months.
Most of all, though, he was looking forward to seeing Dom again. Even though he’d only seen him yesterday. It was getting more and more difficult to stay away from him, and he found his thoughts wandering during the day, going over moments they’d shared. Not only the sex, how could he forget that, but the tender moments too. The looks he caught when Dom thought he wasn’t looking, the gentle touches between them, the small kisses.
Jacob was well and truly hooked, but he was scared of getting hurt again. He was fairly sure he knew where Dom stood, but sometimes, he thought he saw doubt cross his face. It seemed Dom still worried he might run at any time.
Jacob was determined to prove to him that he wouldn’t be leaving him again, that his feelings for him were stronger than ever. The urge to tell Dom he loved him was growing by the day, but he needed to wait a little longer. He’d know when the time was right.
