Beginners luck, p.7
Beginner's Luck, page 7
Aaron sighed in relief, hoping their easy back-and-forth would help skip past any awkwardness. He sent Jay his address and started getting ready.
The first hurdle was deciding what to wear. A boring weekend errand didn’t warrant a suit, but he hated wearing jeans and T-shirts, his body rejecting the feel of rough denim and bare arms. After examining his choices, Aaron settled on a silky lavender button-down and a pair of thin gray slacks that looked formal despite the comfortable, stretchy fabric.
There was still time, so he skimmed the list of furniture he’d made earlier and walked around the apartment, appraising each room to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. He had a lot of empty space to fill. This shopping trip would be expensive.
When his phone chirped with Jay’s message, Aaron flew out the door in nervous anticipation, finding Jay casually leaning against a truck.
“How many cars do you own?” Aaron asked with amusement. Despite being out of it when Jay drove them to the diner, he distinctly remembered a practical blue sedan.
“Borrowed it from my sister.” Jay stepped up to give Aaron a brief hug before opening the passenger door. “In case we needed to move some furniture.”
“We?” Aaron climbed in and waited for Jay to walk around to the driver’s seat. “You know I have a bad back and a good job, right? I am not moving anything heavy. It’s delivery or nothing.”
“Fair enough. But if there’s time, I want to take you to this cute little shop that sells vintage pieces, and they definitely don’t deliver.”
His days of picking up heavy things were over, and no amount of cute vintage furniture would change that, but Aaron loved that Jay went to the trouble of borrowing a truck for him. It made his heart flutter. “That’s sweet of you.”
“I’m a sweet guy,” Jay smirked. “Where to?”
Aaron had a few stores in mind. Ideally, he’d get everything he needed at one store, but Jay laughed at that plan, joking that they’d be lucky to get it done in one day.
He was proven wrong almost immediately.
Though it couldn’t be done at one store, Aaron took pride in impressing Jay with his efficiency by picking everything for the guest bedroom within the first thirty minutes. Furnishing the living room took longer, since he wanted to match his existing decor—a few abstract paintings he’d collected over the years, a glass sculpture, the giant turquoise vase from his wedding reception. Eventually, he settled on a minimalist look of clean lines and muted colors.
Jay surprised him by chiming in with insightful opinions as they strolled around, picking out the perfect coffee table and even suggesting a matching liquor cabinet. Aaron asked how he knew what to pick, to which Jay shrugged, saying he could just tell.
Being with him was easy, as if they’d known each other for years instead of weeks. There hadn’t been a trace of awkwardness in their conversation, and Aaron’s earlier concerns slowly faded away, replaced with the coil of heat in his stomach that flared every time Jay’s gaze lingered on him a second too long.
“This is going to be quick.” Aaron rubbed his hands in anticipation as Jay pulled into the parking lot of the next store on the list. “A dresser, some bookshelves, maybe one of those fancy benches that interior decorators put at the foot of the bed for some reason. In and out.”
Jay chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m now a believer that it is, indeed, possible to furnish an entire apartment in three hours.”
“After this, I’m taking you out to a late lunch slash early dinner for all your help,” Aaron promised as they walked into the large space filled with a crowd of people navigating around the closely crammed furniture.
Jay looked around. “Wow, this is a zoo.”
“It’s not ideal,” Aaron agreed. “But I know what I want from the website. I just need to look at it first.”
Jay pointed to the nearest employee, and Aaron mapped out his approach before squeezing between two nightstands and skirting a giant couch. Jay got stuck behind, his broad frame too bulky to fit in the narrow space, and Aaron watched in amusement before turning to the employee and reading her name tag.
“Hi, Jackie! I’m looking for the dresser from the…” He checked his phone. “The Infinity Collection? The one with the fun handles?”
Jackie beamed at him. “Oh, that’s a good one. All the Infinitè has been moved to the showcase. The dresser’s in the main bedroom area.”
“Oh, like those tiny little cubicles that are set up like real rooms? I love those,” Jay said from behind, finally caught up.
“They’re so much fun to create.” Jackie clasped her hands in delight. “They finished setting up yesterday, so you’re just in time.”
Aaron thanked her and moved toward the signs leading to the showcase, Jay right on his heels. They ran into several obstacles on their way, having to backtrack and change directions multiple times.
“It’s like the wild west out here,” Jay huffed after two young boys ran across their path, leaping from one couch to another. Their father was several couches behind, yelling their names to no avail.
“In and out,” Aaron repeated like a mantra as he continued forward. Spotting a shortcut, he eased between two dining tables, stumbling over the chairs before righting himself in triumph. “We did it!”
“This is rough.” Jay glared at him before sucking in his stomach and trying to shuffle through the same gap. “I’m leading the way back. Some of us don’t have the figure to fit in these narrow spaces you keep finding.”
Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and with his face flushed from the exertion, Jay looked unbelievably sexy. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, his dense stubble on the verge of turning into a beard, and Aaron had an urge to rub it against his cheek.
Existing in Jay’s presence was a constant exercise in restraint.
He turned and walked through the low doorway to escape the temptation. The space resembled a small apartment, and they easily found the main bedroom. After examining the drawers and poking at the swirly handles, Aaron declared the dresser sufficient. The vanity next to it wasn’t on his list, but it was too pretty to pass up.
He tapped his phone screen to cross off the final item with satisfaction. “I’m done.”
“That was fast. Let’s go back to the living room. I saw a china cabinet my sister would love.”
“Lead the way, Cap’n.” Aaron gestured for Jay to go first.
“Such a smart-ass,” Jay muttered, stalking out of the bedroom and heading straight to the tall, gorgeous piece with rippled glass panels in the corner of the living room. Jay took his time examining it while Aaron wandered around, noting little details.
“Did you know the fake books for staging bookshelves are sold by the foot?” Aaron shared, his fingers tracing the embossed leathery spines. “Like fabric. I’ll take three and a half feet of antique encyclopedia and a yard of bright contemporary young adult.”
“Think the same place sells those fake books to open secret doors?” Jay bent down to test out the drawers, and Aaron’s gaze lingered on Jay’s powerful thighs. The way his jeans stretched over the rippling muscles should have been illegal.
“I think those are regular books, just attached to some mechanism,” Aaron responded, mesmerized by the deliciously sculpted ass presented to him like a tempting treat, begging for a lick. He tore his eyes away before Jay caught him staring.
Suddenly, the wall shuddered with a loud thump from the other side. There was a loud yell, and Aaron’s muscles tensed.
He moved on pure instinct, lunging forward and wrapping his fingers around Jay’s wrist in a steel grip before tugging in a single powerful burst. He had no chance of moving Jay’s body by force—his best bet was to throw Jay off-balance in the right direction.
His gamble paid off. Jay took a step to keep from falling, stumbling along as Aaron pulled on him with all his strength.
A deafening crash filled the room. They turned toward the source, finally making sense of what happened. The bookshelf in the corner had fallen forward, crashing into the space right in front of the cabinet—where Jay had stood a moment ago.
Scattered shards of glass from a large vase littered the ground, glittering in the light.
Silence rang in Aaron’s ears. Was it the sound of his blood pounding or did high doses of adrenaline come with their own sound effects? He became aware of tightly squeezing Jay’s wrist and eased his grip without letting go. He couldn’t let go right now. He needed to keep touching Jay, making sure he was okay.
“Holy shit,” Jay whispered, echoing Aaron’s thoughts.
Two employees rushed into the room, stopping short at the doorway—a wide-eyed woman and an older man frowning, his phone already to his ear.
“What happened?” she asked, staring in shock at the mess on the floor.
“Looks like the bookshelf wasn’t anchored properly,” her coworker replied, shaking his head. “The kids bumping into the wall probably made it tilt. I’m calling Dan.”
Jackie came in from behind and spotted Aaron and Jay. “Are you okay? Were you near the bookshelf when it fell?”
“I was…” Jay cleared his throat. “I was standing right there. Right in front of it.” He turned to Aaron, his eyes shining with gratitude. “You saved me.”
Aaron’s face heated at the weight of Jay’s words. “You would have been fine.”
“No, I would have gotten a severe concussion at the least,” Jay argued. “That was incredible. How did you move so fast?”
“I just…moved on instinct, I guess. I didn’t really understand what was happening. Lizard brain,” Aaron said, reluctantly letting go of Jay. Now that the rush was wearing off, it seemed strange to keep holding on.
Jay’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his head. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I think we’ve reached our furniture shopping limit for the next decade.”
Aaron wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment, following Jay toward the exit. Jackie caught up to them before they had the chance to escape, worry etched on her face.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should sit down and have something to drink? You shouldn’t drive right now.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Aaron glanced at Jay, who looked a little pale. “Can we go somewhere really far away from tall furniture?”
Jackie guided them to a small lounge and sat Jay down on the plush loveseat, repeatedly asking him if he was okay before leaving.
“Water? Soda? Juice box?” Aaron rifled through the drinks and snacks on the counter. “I think you’re supposed to have something sweet after a shock.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s a myth,” Jay said. “But I’ll gladly take some sugar anyway.”
Aaron brought over apple juice and two bags of cookies, immediately ripping into his. He fished out a cookie and wordlessly held it up to Jay’s mouth. Jay leaned in and took a bite, brushing his lips against Aaron’s fingers. “First, you save my life, then you feed me. A boy could get used to this,” he quipped with a soft smile.
“I had to save your life. You haven’t taken me to that vintage store yet.”
Jay let out a quiet laugh and took a sip from his bottle.
A comfortable silence came over them as they ate. The warmth of Jay’s thigh against his own was grounding, a quiet reminder that they were both okay. Aaron quickly finished his bag, crumbs sticking to his fingers, while Jay sipped his juice with a contented sigh.
The buzz of leftover adrenaline still hummed beneath Aaron’s skin, but it was slowly being replaced by the calm relief of being next to Jay.
“Hi there.” A tall man in a suit walked up to them. “I’m Dan Whitman, the store manager.”
Neither of them made any move to get up.
“Jackie let me know what happened.” Dan dragged a chair over to the loveseat and sat across from them, his focus on Jay. “I’m very sorry about this unfortunate incident. I want you to know we’re shutting down the showcase until we can examine the furniture to ensure it’s been properly installed.”
Aaron sighed. This was a Don’t sue us conversation, and he really wasn’t feeling it. Leaning forward, he assumed his professional voice. “We appreciate that, but we’re exhausted and a little shaken, so you’ll forgive me for being blunt. Are you here to get us to sign something saying we won’t sue?”
Dan nodded slowly, looking between them with a confused expression. No one ever expected the skinny guy wearing a dash of eyeliner to sound authoritative, and normally Aaron would find this interaction amusing, but he just wanted it to be over. Glancing over at Jay, he could see they were on the same page.
“We will sign whatever you want if you get us a nice, steep discount on the dresser and the cabinet we want and get us out of here in under twenty minutes.”
Dan eyed Aaron for a moment, sizing him up, before a satisfied smile spread across his face. “I’ll do you one better. You can have them for free, and I’ll have you out the door in ten minutes. Be right back.”
True to his word, he returned shortly with a liability waiver and delivery forms. Aaron signed the waiver and handed it to Jay, along with one of the forms. “Fill out your sister’s address.”
Halfway through, he looked up at Dan. “I’m not going back for the item numbers. Can we just describe them to you? It’s the dresser from the main bedroom and the tall china cabinet from the living room.”
Dan nodded and collected the paperwork. “I got it. You’re all set. Once again, we’re very sorry, and you’ll have your items delivered tomorrow afternoon.”
Walking out into the parking lot, Jay nudged Aaron. “You didn’t have to do that with the cabinet. You wanted to get the vanity, and you still need your useless bench.”
“I think I’ll survive without the useless bench.” Aaron reached the truck and waited for Jay to unlock the door. “You’re the one that almost died. You deserve half of the spoils. Now, take me to a very late lunch.”
Chapter 11
JAY
Jay drove back to his sister’s house with a smile on his lips. He’d truly enjoyed his time with Aaron—from the astonishment of watching the man fly through his shopping list to grabbing some tacos and driving to the vintage store, where Aaron had oohed and aahed over a weathered pirate-chest-style trunk and an ornate mirror that he declared would clash with everything else in the apartment but that he had to have.
Aaron was incredible. Impossible to resist. Jay tried, but it was only a matter of time before his crush would become obvious. He was still astonished at Aaron’s speed and precision in pulling Jay out of harm’s way. They’d turned the experience into a bit of a joke by the end of the day, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that Aaron had saved him from serious injury. As a lifelong athlete, he’d seen his fair share of head trauma, and he was grateful to emerge unscathed.
But it was more than that.
Aaron’s protective instinct stirred something deep inside Jay, something that made him feel seen, sending the butterflies in his stomach into overdrive.
They hadn’t made plans to see each other again, but Jay wasn’t worried. He had Aaron’s phone number and a warm, bubbly sense of anticipation dancing in his stomach.
He pulled into Layla’s driveway and parked next to his own car. There was no time to hop in and drive away before the front door creaked open and two adorable faces peeked out at him. He waved at his nephews and strolled over, bits of sidewalk chalk crunching under his feet.
“Hi, Uncle Jahan,” they said in unison. Simon was a year older than Teddy, but they looked like they could be twins, their faces wearing matching too-innocent grins.
“Hey, kiddos.” Jay squatted in front of them. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” they both responded.
Jay wasn’t buying it. “Where’s your mom?”
“Making dinner,” Teddy said.
“You can go talk to her,” Simon added. “In the kitchen.”
“Yes. The kitchen.” Teddy nodded.
The kids were up to something, but Jay enjoyed his role as the fun uncle too much to ask questions. He slowly moved through the house, glancing around for sign of shenanigans. A brief peek into the living room had him breathing a sigh of relief. Judging by the absolute chaos, the boys were building an illicit blanket fort.
Simon and Teddy escorted him to the kitchen, making sure he didn’t stray off the path, and disappeared as soon as he stepped through the doorway. Layla was chopping vegetables, pausing when Jay walked up and greeted her with the customary kiss on the cheek.
“I hope you know there’s trouble afoot in the living room,” he said, lifting an eyebrow.
“They haven’t exactly been able to contain their excitement.” Layla bit back a laugh. “I finished dinner half an hour ago, but I wanted to give them a little more time to be adorable, so I’ve been prepping their lunches for the week. Did you help your friend move?”
Jay hadn’t been forthcoming about his plans when he came by in the morning, aware of the avalanche of questions that would follow, but Layla deserved some honesty for letting him borrow Paul’s truck.
“I helped him do some furniture shopping,” he said, popping a piece of raw cauliflower into his mouth. “It was fun.”
Layla whirled around with a gasp, the knife clutched in her hand. “Fun? Furniture shopping? What is this, invasion of the middle-aged body snatchers?”
“I think you’ll want to take your insults back when a special something gets delivered to your house tomorrow,” Jay teased, carefully prying her fingers open to remove the knife and set it down.
“You bought me something?” Layla’s eyes could not get any wider. “Are you dying? Am I?”
Jay grinned and handed her the truck key, dangling from a keychain with a mini-bottle of hot sauce. He’d been meaning to ask why Paul needed emergency condiments, but it was late, and Jay was ready to call it a night. He could question Paul’s habits another time.
“Thanks for letting me borrow the truck. I filled it up.”
Layla didn’t move, her concerned gaze fixed on Jay. “You’ve been acting weird lately. Do you want to stay for dinner?”
