Better Than Chance(9)

“Hi, honey, how did you sleep last night? Do you have a busy day on tap at work?”

“Ha-ha. Dish! Tell me all about him, Jaybird. I’m all about the details. Go!”

I laughed and checked the time. I had less than ten minutes before I needed to leave for the office. I gave Aaron a brief rundown. At the end of the day, there really wasn’t much to tell. It was sex. Good sex, yes… but not earth-shattering. I did share the one thing that I couldn’t seem to shake.

“One thing is kind of bugging me, though.”

“You used a condom, right?”

“Of course! Don’t be an idiot!”

“Okay, well what, then? You had safe sex with a consenting cute guy. End of story. You didn’t fall for him, did you? Will you see him again? You know, repeats get messy if you aren’t up-front about your expectations or lack thereof.”

I stared at the phone for a second. Geez, when did Aaron get to be so clued-in and wise about the world of one-night stands? Or maybe he was used to having low expectations.

“No, I didn’t fall for him. He’s not my type. Period. We just had sex.”

“Don’t tell me… he was strictly a bottom.” Aaron’s guess wasn’t too far off, but it wasn’t what I was thinking.

“No. Actually, it was his preference to bottom, but we both got what we needed. That isn’t it, though.”

“Spill it! I have to get moving!”

“Well… okay. He was on top of me, you know and… well….”

“Jay? I’m your best friend and I adore you, but spit it out, honey. We’re working on a time limit here. This isn’t a good time to decide you’re a little shy.”

“Fuck off. Okay, fine. He was on top and just about to come, and I was almost there too, so I looked up to say something to him, like….”

“Like? ‘That’s it, baby, do me harder’?” Aaron supplied with a slight chuckle.

“Who knows? But what freaked me out was… get this… I saw my boss’s face. Kid you not. It was like I was fantasizing about having hot, steamy sex with the one man I truly hate more than any other at the moment. What the hell? What do you think it means?”

“Whoa. That is an odd one.”

“I know. Whatever. We have one last meeting this morning and I will hopefully be free of him for a while. Forever would be great, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Good luck. Dinner later? I’ll make you something delish.”

I smiled into the phone and agreed. The thought of being home at a reasonable hour was enough to make going to work and dealing with Peter Morgan one more time palatable. Plus, Aaron really was a great cook.





THE MEETING was sweet and short. Thank God. Unfortunately, that was because after congratulating our team on a job well-done, Peter announced that there would be a celebratory cocktail party that Friday evening held in our honor. We were encouraged to bring a significant other if we wished to do so. The party was being held in the banquet room of a very posh hotel, which meant it was a suit-and-tie affair. Ugh. Would the torture never end? Usually, I love a party, any party. A quiet affair with a few friends or a tuxedo ballroom soiree. It didn’t matter to me. But I didn’t want to prolong this assignment. And that’s what this felt like. Prolonged torture.





LATER THAT evening, I opened my front door and immediately felt Aaron’s presence. Techno music was playing at dance-club volume, and delicious smells were wafting from the general vicinity of the kitchen. I smiled as I set my briefcase on the bench in the foyer and tugged at the sleeves of my suit jacket. There was no point calling out a greeting because he certainly wouldn’t hear me over the speakers. I found him swinging his hips in time with the beat as he chopped vegetables at my kitchen island. The room was alight with soft, late-afternoon sunshine beaming through the bank of windows above the breakfast nook. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been home before sunset. I’m sure I had a stupid grin on my face as I drank in the warm atmosphere.

Aaron pivoted to the music and started when he spotted me standing near the doorway.

“Hi, honey, I’m home,” I shouted above the din. Aaron adjusted the sound, dramatically placing his right hand over his heart.

“Oh my! Warn a guy, would you? You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry.” I let out a heavy sigh as I made my way toward the wine refrigerator. “I wish I were in love with you, Aar. This would be the perfect scenario to come home to… a handsome boy shakin’ his ass while he makes me dinner.”

“Well you love me at least, don’t you?”