Page 11 of Meeting Mr. Christmas
Gomer, after a scratch and a halfhearted wriggle around on the rug, decided it was time to amble back downstairs to his basket. Jed finished his bourbon and pushed the bottle aside. He was a beer drinker, not a hard liquor man, but the events of the evening had made it feel like a hard liquor night.
The app, the one he regretted mentioning. He pulled his cell out of the pocket of his jeans.
Love Heartz: Bringing friendship and a whole lot more to Collier’s Creek LGBTQ+ community! If you’re looking for your special someone, join today!Jed scrolled through. How the app worked; what it was and what it wasn’t; how to join up; how much it cost — not very much — his brows arched. Not very much at all. Jed’s fingers hovered over the screen.
“Jesus, Mason. What are you thinking?” There was no way, no way at all, he was going to join up to keep tabs on the kinds of guys Noel might be dating. What was he, some kind of crazy stalker? He turned his cell over and over in his hands. It had been Noel and Kent’s third date, and Jed reckoned he’d just about managed to hide his shock. But would Kent still be a feature in Noel’s life, after the evening’s shit show? There was only one way to find out. He pulled up Noel’s contact details,hesitating for a moment before he punched in a message. If Noel replied with a conciseFuck You, he’d only have himself to blame.
Hey, sorry I had to rush off like that. It was good meeting Kent.Jed made a face as he keyed that part in.Are you guys still there?Jed pressed his lips together, because meeting Kent had really, honestly, truly, been about as good as a dose of the shits.
Jed stared at the screen, clutching his cell hard as he waited for a return message that wasn’t coming. If he were Noel, he’d ignore him too, but as the three little dots began to dance, Jed couldn’t stop the smile loosening and lifting his lips.
No.
Jed swallowed.No. That was all. Maybe they were — his stomach flipped over. He really didn’t want to think about where Noel might be, or what he might be doing, about what he might have interrupted… The three dots started dancing again.
Kent bumped into some friends. I decided to go home.
Jed’s heart did a jump that felt too much like relief, but he hesitated before replying.
I was an ass tonight. Sorry. Kent seems like a nice guy.Yeah, right. His fingers tingled as he typed in the words he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to.You gonna see him again?
No dancing dots, just minutes of silence. Jed glared at the screen, willing Noel’s answer. Maybe he’d switched his phone off. Maybe he was hunkering down on the couch with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and Peter, wearing his dachshund motif PJs and watching one of his sappy rom coms… Jed smiled, the thought thawing the frozen pebble in the pit of his stomach, which had been there since he’d watched Noel walk towards him, hand in hand with Kent. With a ‘t’.
Three dots and a message lit up the screen.
You weren’t an ass. You were a dick. To everybody. Not made any arrangements.
A dick? It was exactly what he’d been. But… No further arrangements? Was it right to want to fist punch the air?
You’re right. Not just a dick but a huge, fat, prize dick. Even more than usual. Had a bad day. Didn’t mean to take it out on you guys.The lie made his insides twist.You want to get some takeout tomorrow? On me for being a dick? Have that movie night?Jed stared at the screen, willing Noel to answer.
Not tomorrow. I’ll call. Night.
No more dancing dots. Jed threw his cell aside and climbed into bed. At least Noel’s final message wasn’t ayou just totally crashed my love life, you fucker, which meant they were kind of back on track.
I’ll get pizza… even get the pizza with pineapple… Noel can never resist pineapple pizza… and the sappiest, most syrupy movie I can find… with puppies… just us on the couch… no Kent, no anybody else… because I’m not jealous, Noel’s my best bud… just protective, always have been, always will be…Jed’s lips lifted in a tiny smile as his eyes fluttered to a close.
Yeah, just protective, that’s all…
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Peter, stop trying to crawl under my sweater. You have a perfectly good blanket to burrow into.” Noel extracted the wriggling dog and deposited him on the floor, from where Peter gave him the side eye before digging a tunnel through not one but a pile of soft blankets.
Noel looked down at his sweater. Why any self-respecting small dog would want to crawl under it was a mystery. Slutty looking elves in tight green leggings lined up in front of a Santa who was giving off a very definite Daddy vibe in his well-filled red breeches, with suspenders which looked more like a harness, and black thigh length boots. Noel ran a finger tip over Daddy Christmas and his shiny, sequin covered boots. It really was horrible, but that was the point. He’d bought it for the tree lighting ceremony when he’d spent a couple of days at company HQ in San Diego the month before, only to shove it to the back of the closet when Jed had suggested they double date.
Noel groaned. “Kent’s got it wrong, Peter. Because how can Jed be jealous? He’s straight. He likes girls. He’s always had girlfriends. He’s never without a date. Except when he’s with me, and we’re doing stuff.”
Peter gave him the side eye. Again.Then why was he acting all jealous and super pissy? Huh? Got no answer for that, have ya? Yeah, that gotcha. Don’t you know I’m waiting for my second breakfast? Why are you starving me to death?
Noel shook his head. How could Peter say all that in one side eye?
“He wasn’t acting jealous, okay? He had a bad day at work.”
Peter snorted. Did miniature dachshunds snort? “Ah, Jesus.” Noel jumped up and flung the window open, letting the freezing air flood in. They might not snort, but they sure did fart.
“You know, I could have got myself a miniature poodle, or a Bichon. Or even a house rabbit. But no, I got you. And you repay me by arguing and farting and?—”
Peter balanced himself on his stumpy hind legs, waggling his ridiculous oversized front paws in time to his whimpers.
