Simple Things(20)

"There's always your trust," Dale said carefully.

"Which I won't use, and you know it."

That made Dale smile wide. "Same stubborn son-of-a-bitch." Jeremy's only  saving grace for the longest time had been that he'd never cashed in a  dime of his trust fund, even after it got turned over to him at  twenty-one. His dad had fought it getting turned over, worried he'd blow  it on coke or hookers, or doing lines of coke off hookers' dicks.

"And proud of it." He straightened up. "Well, I'm gonna get back to the  house. Me, Carter, and Sarah are going into town tonight."

"Alright. Get me that contract ASAP. I'll get to looking over it. Send  me your manager's number too. I'll see if she's a haggler."

Lucy? Shit. Jeremy doubted that seriously.

"Cool." He headed for the door, but stopped just as he got to it and  tossed over his shoulder, "Thanks, dad." He probably hadn't said those  words, sincerely, in a decade. He rapped his knuckles on the door frame  and headed back toward the house.



* * *



Carter sighed as he ended the call with his mother. It honestly hadn't  been that bad, but she was becoming more insistent on his assistance  with what looked to be an upcoming apology tour.

She seemed as surprised as Carter at his lack of willingness to fall in  line like he had in the past. It wasn't even really that he disapproved  of whatever it was she and his dad did amongst themselves. He was  probably as embarrassed as any kid would be in that situation, but he  didn't really give a damn what they did.

What he did care about, still, was how they could have been so hard on  him about what they perceived as "bedroom issues"-her gay constituents  would love that turn of phrase-when they didn't exactly follow tradition  themselves. He had supported his mother, even when he had been  mortified to be in the public eye. He had been the good son. He still  needed time to let go of some of this resentment. He was annoyed with  himself for feeling so childish. He was a grown man, for God's sake. He  was a veteran. But right now, just for a little longer, he was tired of  being an "old soul", tired of smiling and nodding.                       
       
           



       

He rubbed his hand down his face. He had to laugh inwardly at the fact  he had at one time been judgmental of Jeremy not growing the fuck up,  meanwhile he seemed to be regressing.

The opening of a door and approaching footsteps drew Carter's attention.

"It's not as dramatic as all that, is it?"

"Not really, no. Just my mom."

"How's the Senator this fine afternoon?"

Carter huffed. "Considering not tendering her resignation."

Jeremy's brows went up. "Oh. I thought it wasn't up to her after … "  Jeremy made a face, like he didn't know how to finish the thought.

"Technically, they'd have to go through a process to actually fire her.  It's all complicated." Carter pocketed his cell phone. "She wants me to  cut my ‘little vacation from life' short and help."

"And you told her to fuck herself, naturally." Jeremy said it like he knew Carter would do no such thing.

And Carter hadn't. Certainly not in so many words. "She's not really  some villain twirling her mustache, waiting to sick her goons on me if I  don't come back. She's just frustrated and I'm being stubborn."

"Which is a positive step if I ever heard one," Jeremy said on a laugh.  "I don't think I've ever heard you so much as openly complain about your  parents. Even when we were teenagers." Jeremy raked his eyes over  Carter in a way that made Carter's cock wake up and take interest. "You  don't even have so much as one rebellious little tattoo on your body."  Jeremy stepped a little closer so only Carter could hear his next words  if someone else were listening. "Not one rebellious bone in your body."  He stepped closer still. "But I'm working on that."

Carter's head fell back and a burst of laughter erupted from his chest. "You're an idiot."

"You love it," Jeremy tossed over his shoulder as he turned to walk back  toward the kitchen. Carter blinked, then swallowed thickly as the words  one day, maybe popped through his mind.

Fuck. No. No, no, no.

He shook his head to erase all that like a mental Etch-A-Sketch. He  followed Jeremy when he heard the soft tones of Sarah greeting Jeremy.  When he rounded the corner, Sarah waved. "You guys ready to head out  soon?"

"I don't understand what you need us for," Jeremy whined. Sarah punched  his shoulder, harder than just playfully, judging by Jeremy's grimace.

"The whole point is introducing you guys to my new boyfriend. Trial run for the parentals, and all."

Carter snorted and pointed at Jeremy. "You think he'll be easier to meet  first than your parents?" Carter tried to convey with his tone that,  no, Jeremy would not take it easy on the guy.

"I'm not that bad." Jeremy couldn't even say the words with a straight  face. Carter imagined someone meeting him for the first time. The man  had a tattoo over his left brow for fuck's sake.

"Nope. Not intimidating at all," Carter replied drily.

"That's why I wanted Carter there too." She turned to him. "Your timing  on this trip is perfect. We've been talking about meeting parents for a  while."

"Oh? Must be getting serious." Carter almost cracked up at the scowl his words had made appear on Jeremy's face.

"Yeah. You'll remember him. He was a counselor at that day camp we  worked at the summer after junior year." Her smile turned positively  evil. "Chris Holder. I believe you were quite fond of his ass back  then."

Carter and Jeremy both scowled at her for that, and she cackled. "Jerk," Carter mumbled.

"It's okay." Sarah winked. "It is a nice ass." She checked her phone  when it dinged and Carter felt his cheeks heat when Jeremy looked at him  with a quirked brow. "Anyway," Sarah continued when she finished with  her phone. "He was excited to see you again, too. I'd told him about  your boxing. He's opening a gym downtown and when I told him about the  gym you worked out in up in New York, he wanted to pick your brain about  the facilities."

"I'm just an amateur, at best. Not like I can tell him much more than  stuff about equipment." Sarah made a please just get on board face,  nudging her head imperceptibly in Jeremy's direction. Carter rolled his  eyes slightly but said, "I'd love to." He didn't mind. It was kind of  cool he would be seeing Chris again. They hadn't been super close, but  Chris had spent enough time with him and Sarah that summer to have  considered them friendly.                       
       
           



       

"Excellent." She gestured between Jeremy and Carter. "It won't kill you  two to get away from this damn house, anyway." Opening the refrigerator  and looking inside, she missed the way Jeremy raked over Carter with his  eyes again.

"Plenty of entertainment around here."

She shut the fridge door and said, "Right. Well, you'll survive one  night out, hermits." She opened the bottled water she had retrieved and  took a drink before turning back to Carter. "I'll be ready to leave in  about an hour. Don't let that one go hide in his cave just yet." She  looked back at Jeremy. "And Chris is driving me back tomorrow, so we can  just go in your truck. Please don't go smoke and get too baked to  drive."

Jeremy made a childish face, intoning please don't get too baked to drive. "Yes, Ms. Daisy. Move along. I'll be ready."

Sarah turned to Carter, who just rolled his eyes and shrugged. When she  left, Jeremy asked, "Do you really think they're that serious?"

Carter shrugged again. "Guess we'll find out."

Jeremy's scowl was cute. He wanted to kiss those slightly pouting lips,  but thought better of it. Damn, he was getting himself in trouble with  his mind playing games, trying to make things with Jeremy out to be more  than they really were. Yes, he was having a great time with the man,  and yes, they had great sex. But that was as far as Jeremy had said it  would go. That was as far as it could go.

"Stop whatever you're overthinking over there," Jeremy said. "Looks painful."

Carter jutted his chin out, trying to gather a little dignity after  having been busted being a drama queen. "I'm going to go get ready."

Maybe a night out would be good. He would have to keep his distance from  Jeremy. Seemed like breathing room might be a good idea.





12





Walking out of the restaurant, Carter tugged on his jacket. Jeremy's  face was still settled in a disgruntled line, which amused Carter to no  end. Honestly, the dinner had gone pretty well. Jeremy had been  surprisingly quiet, thoughtful, rather than ribbing on Chris.