knew, his office was darker as the sun began to set for the day. Lucky for him, he was almost finished anyway. He flipped the small, green desk lamp on, leaned back in his chair, and stretched his arms over his head.
Damn, it had been a long day.
The bell from the office door jingled, and he mentally groaned.
Who would come at this time of night?
"Hello?" Jackson called and stood up to welcome his unexpected company.
"Jack?"
Oh my God… it's Eli. What is he doing here?
Jackson quickly tried to smooth his wrinkled shirt and pants with his hands. "I'm in my office, Eli. Come on back."
Eli suddenly appeared at his doorway with a huge smile. He looked crisp and clean in his tight, navy blue t-shirt, and form-fitting jeans. The fading sunlight accented the red highlights in his windblown brown hair, making him look carefree and full of youth. Eli's bright golden eyes seemed to sparkle, and his face lit up with happiness as he walked into Jackson's office.
His friend definitely looked happy to see him, and it made Jackson's heart beat stronger in his chest. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone excited to see him.
It had been a couple of weeks since Eli had spent those sick days and nights at his house, but they were some of the best moments Jackson remembered since Ben's death. Just about every day Eli came over to his house. They ate so many meals with each other, Eli suggested they go grocery shopping together and split the cost. At first, Jackson protested, but his young friend insisted, saying he ate more at Jackson's house than he did his own. After some bantering back and forth about it, Jackson finally relented, and Eli split the cost with him.
They had an easy camaraderie that Jackson couldn't remember having with anyone else in a long time. Although Eli was not one to talk about his past, he was forthcoming about what he wanted for himself in the future. It didn't take a genius to figure out Eli was making efforts in his life to change it for the better. Jackson just hoped that one day his sweet friend would confide in him about his mysterious past. Until then, Jackson was content to let it go.
Only one thing kept Jackson from sleeping well at night.
His desire for Eli was starting to make him miserable. He had a feeling it might be a mutual attraction, but Jackson figured it was just because Eli hadn't gotten out much and met other people. But sometimes, Jackson could swear that Eli fought the pull of attraction between them. It scared Jackson, but for the first time since Ben's death, he had the hope of possibly having more.
Jackson smiled at his gorgeous friend and motioned for him to enter his office.
"Sorry to pop in on you like this, but I thought since you were working late tonight, I would bring you something to eat," Eli said. He held up a big, brown bag and gave him a flirty wink.
He brought me supper.
Jackson grinned at his friend and his heart fluttered with an unnamed emotion. His stomach rumbled as the delicious smells from the bag filled his senses. Jackson motioned to one of the two black leather chairs in front of his desk. "Wow, thanks Eli! Have a seat. I haven't eaten since noon, and I'm starved."
Eli sat down, opened the bag, and started pulling red and white Chinese food containers from it. "I had a feeling you'd be starving. Have you gotten most of your work done? How are the new accounts going?"
Jackson was surprised that Eli remembered him talking about the new clients. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been asked about his job. It was accounting after all, and a lot of people, including Ben, found it quite boring.
Not that he blamed them. Not everyone loved working with numbers like Jackson did.
"It's actually going pretty smoothly, thank you," Jackson said, watching him unpack the food. Eli took a can of Coke out of the bag and handed it to him. Jackson popped the tab open and gave Eli another grateful smile.
The man had thought of everything.
"What
Damn, it had been a long day.
The bell from the office door jingled, and he mentally groaned.
Who would come at this time of night?
"Hello?" Jackson called and stood up to welcome his unexpected company.
"Jack?"
Oh my God… it's Eli. What is he doing here?
Jackson quickly tried to smooth his wrinkled shirt and pants with his hands. "I'm in my office, Eli. Come on back."
Eli suddenly appeared at his doorway with a huge smile. He looked crisp and clean in his tight, navy blue t-shirt, and form-fitting jeans. The fading sunlight accented the red highlights in his windblown brown hair, making him look carefree and full of youth. Eli's bright golden eyes seemed to sparkle, and his face lit up with happiness as he walked into Jackson's office.
His friend definitely looked happy to see him, and it made Jackson's heart beat stronger in his chest. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone excited to see him.
It had been a couple of weeks since Eli had spent those sick days and nights at his house, but they were some of the best moments Jackson remembered since Ben's death. Just about every day Eli came over to his house. They ate so many meals with each other, Eli suggested they go grocery shopping together and split the cost. At first, Jackson protested, but his young friend insisted, saying he ate more at Jackson's house than he did his own. After some bantering back and forth about it, Jackson finally relented, and Eli split the cost with him.
They had an easy camaraderie that Jackson couldn't remember having with anyone else in a long time. Although Eli was not one to talk about his past, he was forthcoming about what he wanted for himself in the future. It didn't take a genius to figure out Eli was making efforts in his life to change it for the better. Jackson just hoped that one day his sweet friend would confide in him about his mysterious past. Until then, Jackson was content to let it go.
Only one thing kept Jackson from sleeping well at night.
His desire for Eli was starting to make him miserable. He had a feeling it might be a mutual attraction, but Jackson figured it was just because Eli hadn't gotten out much and met other people. But sometimes, Jackson could swear that Eli fought the pull of attraction between them. It scared Jackson, but for the first time since Ben's death, he had the hope of possibly having more.
Jackson smiled at his gorgeous friend and motioned for him to enter his office.
"Sorry to pop in on you like this, but I thought since you were working late tonight, I would bring you something to eat," Eli said. He held up a big, brown bag and gave him a flirty wink.
He brought me supper.
Jackson grinned at his friend and his heart fluttered with an unnamed emotion. His stomach rumbled as the delicious smells from the bag filled his senses. Jackson motioned to one of the two black leather chairs in front of his desk. "Wow, thanks Eli! Have a seat. I haven't eaten since noon, and I'm starved."
Eli sat down, opened the bag, and started pulling red and white Chinese food containers from it. "I had a feeling you'd be starving. Have you gotten most of your work done? How are the new accounts going?"
Jackson was surprised that Eli remembered him talking about the new clients. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been asked about his job. It was accounting after all, and a lot of people, including Ben, found it quite boring.
Not that he blamed them. Not everyone loved working with numbers like Jackson did.
"It's actually going pretty smoothly, thank you," Jackson said, watching him unpack the food. Eli took a can of Coke out of the bag and handed it to him. Jackson popped the tab open and gave Eli another grateful smile.
The man had thought of everything.
"What
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