her to agree.
Kim raised her eyebrows skeptically but conceded, “Fair enough. So tell me how you’re going to make him pay?”
Abe smiled.
* * *
Geoff managed to secure a table at The Ridgeway, a pub in the next town over from their small hometown. It was pretty crowded, probably due to the happy hour drink and food specials that wrapped up at six, with everyone stopping in to let off some steam after their work weeks.
He had stopped by the salon on the way to work Friday morning to see how Abe was doing, but his assistant had told him that Abe took the day off, deciding to get a jump on the Friday traffic by leaving for his parents’ early. Disappointed at not getting to see Abe once more before he left, Geoff headed up to the office. He was surprised at a message from Kim that she was taking a sick day. Alone in the office, finding it hard to concentrate with the looming excitement of the upcoming reunion with Jesse, he had decided to close the office a day early. There wasn’t much left to do since he had already planned to close the office for the two holiday weeks anyway. He wrapped up a few loose ends, and was headed back down to the underground parking garage before lunch.
Geoff watched the pub door open and started when Jesse came walking in. God, he looks just the same. It was like going back in time. Jesse didn’t seem to have changed at all, other than looking a bit broader through the shoulders, and maybe an inch or two taller. Same dark brown hair, a shorter cut. Damn it, no grey hair on him. That same athletic stride, long legs easily chewing up the distance between them. His light blue-green eyes were now fixed on Geoff, and he felt pinned in his chair by the gaze.
Jesse also wore faded jeans and a simple black long-sleeved T-shirt, almost exactly like Geoff’s. We look like twins. The thought brought a smile to Geoff’s lips, breaking the spell, and he rose to his feet with a grin. Then Jesse was there, pulling him into a confident embrace. They thumped each other’s backs, both a little conscious of their public display, and quickly separated to sit on opposite sides of the high-backed booth.
“Wow, Geoff. Look at you! You look fantastic!” Jesse’s deep voice resonated as it always had.
Geoff looked down at himself for a moment, self-consciously smoothing his shirt over his chest, before looking up at his old flame. “ You’re the one who looks fantastic, Jesse. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Well, you have. You’re even better-looking than you used to be.”
Geoff made a self-deprecating grimace. “That’s not too tough. I was pretty geeky when I knew you.”
Jesse reached across the table, touching Geoff’s hand lightly. “No. Not geeky. Sweet. And sexy.”
Visions of what had passed between them hung in the air, and both men leaned back at once. Geoff was flattered by Jesse’s response, but with the good came the bad, and the memory of how it had ended between them. He grabbed a menu to give him some space. They placed their order with the waitress, then after she returned with their beers, they were once again alone with their past.
“What was I to you?” Geoff began quietly, looking at his glass, needing to get this part behind them now, before they touched again. He waited tensely for the answer, and when the silence stretched out longer than he could stand, he looked up, shocked to see tears in Jesse’s eyes. He felt a reciprocal sting in his own at the sight, and yet forced himself not to break eye contact.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Jesse finally admitted hoarsely. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. “It’s hard to talk about. Ya know? Feelings and shit.” They both smiled, the tension somewhat relieved.
“I guess I was scared. Scared to be… gay. You know what it was like around here back then.” Jesse’s face was as serious as Geoff had ever seen it. “It was just alien and scary to the best of people, and a good reason to
Kim raised her eyebrows skeptically but conceded, “Fair enough. So tell me how you’re going to make him pay?”
Abe smiled.
* * *
Geoff managed to secure a table at The Ridgeway, a pub in the next town over from their small hometown. It was pretty crowded, probably due to the happy hour drink and food specials that wrapped up at six, with everyone stopping in to let off some steam after their work weeks.
He had stopped by the salon on the way to work Friday morning to see how Abe was doing, but his assistant had told him that Abe took the day off, deciding to get a jump on the Friday traffic by leaving for his parents’ early. Disappointed at not getting to see Abe once more before he left, Geoff headed up to the office. He was surprised at a message from Kim that she was taking a sick day. Alone in the office, finding it hard to concentrate with the looming excitement of the upcoming reunion with Jesse, he had decided to close the office a day early. There wasn’t much left to do since he had already planned to close the office for the two holiday weeks anyway. He wrapped up a few loose ends, and was headed back down to the underground parking garage before lunch.
Geoff watched the pub door open and started when Jesse came walking in. God, he looks just the same. It was like going back in time. Jesse didn’t seem to have changed at all, other than looking a bit broader through the shoulders, and maybe an inch or two taller. Same dark brown hair, a shorter cut. Damn it, no grey hair on him. That same athletic stride, long legs easily chewing up the distance between them. His light blue-green eyes were now fixed on Geoff, and he felt pinned in his chair by the gaze.
Jesse also wore faded jeans and a simple black long-sleeved T-shirt, almost exactly like Geoff’s. We look like twins. The thought brought a smile to Geoff’s lips, breaking the spell, and he rose to his feet with a grin. Then Jesse was there, pulling him into a confident embrace. They thumped each other’s backs, both a little conscious of their public display, and quickly separated to sit on opposite sides of the high-backed booth.
“Wow, Geoff. Look at you! You look fantastic!” Jesse’s deep voice resonated as it always had.
Geoff looked down at himself for a moment, self-consciously smoothing his shirt over his chest, before looking up at his old flame. “ You’re the one who looks fantastic, Jesse. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Well, you have. You’re even better-looking than you used to be.”
Geoff made a self-deprecating grimace. “That’s not too tough. I was pretty geeky when I knew you.”
Jesse reached across the table, touching Geoff’s hand lightly. “No. Not geeky. Sweet. And sexy.”
Visions of what had passed between them hung in the air, and both men leaned back at once. Geoff was flattered by Jesse’s response, but with the good came the bad, and the memory of how it had ended between them. He grabbed a menu to give him some space. They placed their order with the waitress, then after she returned with their beers, they were once again alone with their past.
“What was I to you?” Geoff began quietly, looking at his glass, needing to get this part behind them now, before they touched again. He waited tensely for the answer, and when the silence stretched out longer than he could stand, he looked up, shocked to see tears in Jesse’s eyes. He felt a reciprocal sting in his own at the sight, and yet forced himself not to break eye contact.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Jesse finally admitted hoarsely. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. “It’s hard to talk about. Ya know? Feelings and shit.” They both smiled, the tension somewhat relieved.
“I guess I was scared. Scared to be… gay. You know what it was like around here back then.” Jesse’s face was as serious as Geoff had ever seen it. “It was just alien and scary to the best of people, and a good reason to
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