Page 23 of Best Man
“Did Jesse actually headbutt Patrick? Because this day is getting better and better. I might buy a lottery ticket later on.”
“No, of course he didn’t. But he was very challenging towards him. Like two dogs fighting over a piece of bacon,” I say glumly.
“Zeb, it’s like the fairies sprinkled magic dust over you when you were a baby and then promptly dropped you on your head.”
“I can’t talk to you,” I say solemnly.
“No, don’t. Go and shag that beautiful man and fuck the others off. Just spend the time in bed with him.”
“Goodbye,” I say sadly.
I click End, aware of him laughing in the background, but all my attention is on the bathroom door which has just opened to reveal Jesse. If this were a film, triumphant music would definitely play because he’s a glorious sight.
He’s naked apart from a white towel wrapped around his narrow hips that accentuates the swarthy tone of his skin. I always wondered whether he used a sunbed but now I’m unfortunately aware that every inch of him is covered in olive-coloured skin. I’m also faintly surprised that he has hair on his chest. I don’t know why. I suppose because he’s so smooth, I expected him to be more boyish, I guess. Not very obviously a man. I swallow hard, and to my horror, I feel my cock stiffen, so I spring into action.
“Good shower?” I ask briskly.
He looks at me curiously and then gives me his wide, wonderful smile. It always strikes somewhere inside me like there’s a bell that only he rings. It’s full of humour, the warm, plush lips curved into a quirky tilt, and he smiles with his eyes. Very few people do. It’s one of the reasons so many people warm to him. He’s very puckish. Funny and kind but with a strong undercurrent of wildness about him. Like he’s keeping the mischievous side of him only barely reined in.
He scrubs another towel over his hair, emerging from its folds with all that dark mink-brown hair falling over his face in silky strands.
“It’s lush,” he pronounces.
“Pardon?”
He smiles. “Lush. It’s brilliant.” He shrugs. “We lived in Waleswhen I was seven and my best friend is Welsh. Can’t help picking up a few things.”
“Oh.” I’m startled. Every time he talks to me now, I uncover another fact. He’s like one of those Chinese puzzle boxes that, if turned the right way, spills out its secrets.
“Did you live in many places?” I ask.
He nods. “We moved all over the country until my dad got the church in Devon. They’ve lived there for the last fifteen years.”
He raises a quizzical brow, and I flush, realising that I’m standing staring at him. “We need to talk,” I say abruptly.
“Okay,” he says easily. He settles into a chair, his long legs dusted in black hair stretched comfortably out.
“Erm, don’t you want to get dressed?” I say. Then I realise that I’m standing here and his clothes are here. “Oh shit. I’ll go out on the balcony and–”
“Why?” He’s full-on staring at me now.
“Well, because you’ll want to get dressed.”
“Zeb, I’m presuming that we have the same body parts. I’ve got changed in front of loads of people. I’m fine with being naked in front of you.” He shrugs. “It’s just flesh, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I say slowly, my mouth watering at the scent of his damp skin. I shake my head firmly to clear it. “That brings me to another problem.”
“How happy you must be,” he says cheerfully, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfied grunt.
I narrow my eyes at him. I swear he’s doing this on purpose. “Why?”
“So many problems. You must admit you live to sort them out. This is like Christmas and birthdays to you with all these potential areas of trouble just tumbling out around you.”
I shake my head. “Jesse, you’re a pisstaking prat,” I say baldly, hearing the sound of his laughter with a surge of warm pleasure. Mostly everyone around me treats me warily, like I’m going to leap on them and organise their cupboards before sacking them and casting them onto the street. Jesse never has. He’s always treated me with this warm friendliness, and I savour it so much more than I should.
He stops laughing and rubs his eyes. “Okay, let’s have the problem.”
“The bed,” I say firmly.
