Page 64 of Poles Apart
“Yeah, I’d like that. Abby wants to go for a sleepover on Saturday, so that would work perfectly, wouldn’t it? Maybe you could stay the night?” Jacob asked sheepishly.
“I think that sounds like a great idea. I still have that thing I need to do to you. You know what I’m talking about.”
Jacob shushed him. “Quiet, Abby might hear you.” He nudged him, almost knocking him off his feet.
“She can’t hear anything; she’s got her earbuds in. But I mean it. It’s you and me, babe, you and me.” He winked at him to emphasise his point and watched as Jacob blushed. It was fucking adorable, and he grinned, knowing he had that effect on him.
They continued to walk along the walls around the city and after about a mile, took a detour to stroll by the riverside. Many of the restaurants were full, but they wanted somewhere quiet where they could talk. Before long, they arrived at Molly’s Tea Room.
“Do you think they’re still serving?” Jacob asked. “I didn’t get to finish my cake last time we were here.”
“I feel partly responsible for that, sorry,” Dom said quietly. “I was upset and angry, and I shouldn’t have said the things I did to you. I shouldn’t have belittled you. I still feel bad about that.”
“Hey, I shouldn’t have pushed you. We both needed time and space to get used to seeing each other again.” Jacob stopped and stroked his cheek. “It was a shock for me, and I’m sure it was for you too.”
He looked down at the menu. “They’re still serving food. We could eat here or try the pub a bit further along the river if you want.”
“No, here will be perfect. They serve evening meals too and wine.”
Jacob turned to Abby. “Are you OK to eat here?”
“Are you kidding? I love it here; you know I do.”
They were greeted by the elderly waitress that had served them before.
“Ooh, my favourite boys. I knew I’d see you here again, and you have someone else with you too. You’ve been in here before, haven’t you?”
“Yes, we usually come here after school, though,” Abby replied.
“Well, take a seat anywhere. As you can see, we’re a bit quiet tonight. I’ll be back in a moment to take your order,” she said, handing them the menus.
They picked a cosy table by the window and, after choosing and ordering, chatted about Seb’s studio and how Abby was going to love dancing there.
She was excited. “Are you sure it’s OK? Seb won’t mind?”
“Of course not. We can get you into some group classes too.”
Jacob asked about Seb and Joe, the man he was crushing on according to Dom, and about how things were going with the stalker.
“Honestly, I’m worried about Seb. He’s getting in deeper and deeper with Joe, and the stalker doesn’t seem to be letting up. I think he needs to drop out of the spotlight for a while, but he’s a stubborn git when he wants to be and won’t even consider going away for a bit.” Dom sat quietly for a moment as this thought took hold.
“I’m sure it’ll work out, but I can understand how worried you are.” Jacob held his hand gently, and Dom was grateful for the contact.
“Anyway, let’s not think about that tonight.” Dom shook himself. He didn’t want to bring down the mood by worrying about his friend. “How about pudding?”
After looking at the menu, they decided to forgo dessert, but the lure of the cake was too much for Jacob. He asked for a couple of slices of the luscious lemon cake to be boxed up for him to take home.
As they stood to leave, Dom’s phone rang.
“Hi, Toby,” he answered. He looked over at Jacob and rolled his eyes. What the fuck did he want now?
“Hiii, Dom.” Even the sound of his voice gave him shivers, and not in a good way.
“What can I do for you? I didn’t think I’d hear from you again after last time.”
“Well, yes, and I did apologise for that and paid you extra for your trouble.”
“Get to the point, Toby. I’m busy right now.” Dom was losing patience. He was ruining what had been, up until now, a great date.
