stressed and livelier now. “Well, if they weren't deceiving you about the kind of person they are. I mean, if they clearly want to work to grow the relationship and be honest from the start...”
“Well, yeah, but they could just be... I don't know, tricking you.”
Jackson furrowed his brow. “How? By saying they want to be real and then... not being real?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Jackson hummed and leaned back in his chair. His lips pursed, and Chase watched them without meaning to. “Yeah, I see your point. But – I dunno. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
He was sweet all over, then. Chase just hoped not too many guys would take advantage of him while he was dating. Speaking of which...
“Have you met anyone from online?”
“Nah, not yet,” Jackson shook his head. “I haven't been looking. I don't know, I just think it's weird. Like, how would I know if I'm going to click with someone and have conversations like this on our first date or not?”
Chase felt heat flush to his cheeks. He was being used as an example of someone who clicked with Jackson? Something about that made his heart flutter in a familiar way that he hadn't felt in a long time. Was it possible Jackson thought he was hot, too?
No way... He's always been a gentleman. Wait. Unless that's just the way he is...
Chase leaned forward a little, but he didn't have the balls to follow through on the response he wanted to give. Instead, he answered, “You try it out just to see.”
I... I wouldn't mind trying him out. Just to see.
Chase drained the rest of his beer, his gaze sliding to their food order that was now arriving. That made for an easy subject change, at least.
They lapsed into comfortable conversation for dinner. Jackson agreed to come over tomorrow evening after the tattoo shop closed. They'd talk then about the services they wanted to trade.
Chase couldn't get that sudden thought out of his mind the whole time, even as he waved goodbye.
Why was Jackson suddenly catching his eye in a way he hadn't thought possible? He had to stop thinking about his friends like this.
Chapter 12
Jackson
“Hey, Chase. How's it goin'?”
Was that too casual? Or too flirty? Was he too early? Jackson tried to stop his mind from wandering and worrying over what he was doing seeing Chase again so soon. He was definitely not interested in Chase, right? Not if Chase wasn't interested in him...
The way Chase smiled at him in greeting made him wonder. His body warmed up as Chase's brown eyes lit up at the sight of him. Chase unfolded his arms and straightened up from where he leaned against the counter. “Hi! Good, you?” His smile was so cute.
“Great, thanks. This too early?”
“No, no. It's usually slow for the last bit. People don't come in to get work done right before closing. Just to book appointments, if that.”
Jackson nodded and approached the counter, setting his sketchbook down on it. “So, ready to go over what we're looking for?”
“Yeah. Hold on, let me grab my book.” Chase stepped into the back office. In the meantime, Jackson flipped through the photo albums on the counter.
One was labelled Floyd and one Teri , but there wasn't one for Chase. Were these the tattooists? When Chase returned, Jackson pointed them out. “None for you?”
Chase's eyes flickered up to Jackson's, his shoulders rising. The defensive moment was gone as fast as that before he pointed to his arms. “There's my portfolio.”
Jackson laughed. “I bet you use that line a lot.”
“I do, yeah,” Chase joined in the laugh. He came around the counter to stand next to Jackson, flipping his own sketchbook open.
“Can I check them out, then?”
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Chase leaned his hip on the counter and offered his arm, turning it this way and that. Jackson sidled closer, trying not to brush too close to him.
A lion stood proud on one arm, its every contour rippling with majesty. It blended into a rippling series of
“Well, yeah, but they could just be... I don't know, tricking you.”
Jackson furrowed his brow. “How? By saying they want to be real and then... not being real?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Jackson hummed and leaned back in his chair. His lips pursed, and Chase watched them without meaning to. “Yeah, I see your point. But – I dunno. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
He was sweet all over, then. Chase just hoped not too many guys would take advantage of him while he was dating. Speaking of which...
“Have you met anyone from online?”
“Nah, not yet,” Jackson shook his head. “I haven't been looking. I don't know, I just think it's weird. Like, how would I know if I'm going to click with someone and have conversations like this on our first date or not?”
Chase felt heat flush to his cheeks. He was being used as an example of someone who clicked with Jackson? Something about that made his heart flutter in a familiar way that he hadn't felt in a long time. Was it possible Jackson thought he was hot, too?
No way... He's always been a gentleman. Wait. Unless that's just the way he is...
Chase leaned forward a little, but he didn't have the balls to follow through on the response he wanted to give. Instead, he answered, “You try it out just to see.”
I... I wouldn't mind trying him out. Just to see.
Chase drained the rest of his beer, his gaze sliding to their food order that was now arriving. That made for an easy subject change, at least.
They lapsed into comfortable conversation for dinner. Jackson agreed to come over tomorrow evening after the tattoo shop closed. They'd talk then about the services they wanted to trade.
Chase couldn't get that sudden thought out of his mind the whole time, even as he waved goodbye.
Why was Jackson suddenly catching his eye in a way he hadn't thought possible? He had to stop thinking about his friends like this.
Chapter 12
Jackson
“Hey, Chase. How's it goin'?”
Was that too casual? Or too flirty? Was he too early? Jackson tried to stop his mind from wandering and worrying over what he was doing seeing Chase again so soon. He was definitely not interested in Chase, right? Not if Chase wasn't interested in him...
The way Chase smiled at him in greeting made him wonder. His body warmed up as Chase's brown eyes lit up at the sight of him. Chase unfolded his arms and straightened up from where he leaned against the counter. “Hi! Good, you?” His smile was so cute.
“Great, thanks. This too early?”
“No, no. It's usually slow for the last bit. People don't come in to get work done right before closing. Just to book appointments, if that.”
Jackson nodded and approached the counter, setting his sketchbook down on it. “So, ready to go over what we're looking for?”
“Yeah. Hold on, let me grab my book.” Chase stepped into the back office. In the meantime, Jackson flipped through the photo albums on the counter.
One was labelled Floyd and one Teri , but there wasn't one for Chase. Were these the tattooists? When Chase returned, Jackson pointed them out. “None for you?”
Chase's eyes flickered up to Jackson's, his shoulders rising. The defensive moment was gone as fast as that before he pointed to his arms. “There's my portfolio.”
Jackson laughed. “I bet you use that line a lot.”
“I do, yeah,” Chase joined in the laugh. He came around the counter to stand next to Jackson, flipping his own sketchbook open.
“Can I check them out, then?”
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Chase leaned his hip on the counter and offered his arm, turning it this way and that. Jackson sidled closer, trying not to brush too close to him.
A lion stood proud on one arm, its every contour rippling with majesty. It blended into a rippling series of
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