Sometime in the past twenty seconds, his hands had gone clammy. He hoped Ari didn’t notice.
“It’s just really nice,” Jax went on, babbling helplessly with no way to stop himself, heart pounding, “to be on the same page for once.”
Ari dropped his hand. In the dim light of the streetlamp, his eyes were very dark and velvet soft. He raised his palms to Jax’s cheeks and held his face gently as he kissed him slowly and toe-curlingly deep.
When he broke away, it took Jax a moment to gather enough spare vocabulary from the couch cushions of his brain to make a sentence. He licked his lips, chasing Ari’s taste. “So.” His voice came out in a warm rasp. “Do you put out on the first date?”
Ari hummed. “For you? Definitely.”
Chapter Fourteen
JAX WOKEthe next morning feeling pleasantly used. A glance at the clock said it was past eight already.
He shuffled into the bathroom for a pee and to brush his teeth. They had showered last night after getting thoroughly dirty. Of course, they did get dirty again in the shower, but the water was handy.
In Ari’s bedroom, Jax slipped on his boxers and then, after some consideration of last night’s trousers, raided Ari’s closet for soft pants and a T-shirt. Maybe he should stash a couple of items here for mornings after.
Yawning, he went into the kitchen, poured himself a mango juice, and took his pill.
After another sip of sugar, Jax looked around and realized he’d walked right past Ari, who stood next to his piano with his electric violin under his chin, running the bow roughly over the strings. He was frowning, pressing the bow in rough jerks.
Not wanting to interfere, Jax clutched his glass and waited.
Ari yanked the bow away with a discordant sound, and for a moment, Jax thought he might throw it across the room.
Instead he dropped both arms and let out a gusty sigh. The instrument almost looked sad, hanging limply from his grip.
“Having trouble?”
Ari jerked and turned toward Jax. He smiled, his gaze tender and then heated as he took Jax in. Not doing much to hide his pleased smile, Jax sipped his juice. Ari cleared his throat and turned to put away his violin.
“So,” Jax said when Ari stepped toward him. “Trouble?”
Ari shook his head. “Composing has not come easy this morning. But that is not unusual.”
“Ah. Writer’s block. How did you shake it the last time?”
The poker face was back. Ari gave nothing away, even as he leaned in to kiss Jax. “It’s nothing, I’m sure. Only I have been incredibly spoiled recently and forgot what a difficult piece feels like. Now.” He ran one hand down Jax’s arm and threaded their fingers together. A sense memory of last night flashed through Jax. He squeezed back. “How about we get you some breakfast.”
“Breakfast sounds great,” Jax agreed and followed Ari back to the kitchen.
Ari pulled fruit, cheese, and eggs out of the fridge, and a loaf of bread—some sort of baguette?—out of the cupboard. It struck Jax that Ari was feeding him yet again, and maybe he should even that score, though Jax’s roommate, and Ari’s lack thereof, made dates and sleepovers somewhat impractical. He’d have to think on it.
“What can I do?” He set his glass aside.
Ari gave him a knife and free rein over the fruit and turned his attention to the eggs.
Starting with half a cantaloupe, Jax cut off wedges, sliced into them, and then ran the knife along the rind to detach the pieces. As he worked, he considered the problem of a date in which Jax provided food.
He couldn’t take Ari home, not without coordinating with Hobbes, who’d been hollow-eyed with exhaustion lately. Jax wasn’t going to risk interrupting his sleep when Hobbes was already not getting enough of it. Not to mention, why sleep in Jax’s old queen-size when Ari’s plush king sat waiting for them? Equally, Jax couldn’t really afford to take Ari out. Well, he could afford a McD’s feast, but that seemed inappropriate. He certainly couldn’t afford the chef’s table at one of the city’s best restaurants.
Jax washed the grapes and considered the apples. Should he cut those too? A glance at Ari showed that he was scrambling the eggs still. Apple slices it was.
And sure, you didn’tneedmoney to make a date special, butspecialusually involved a place of meaning or something of significance. Jax and Ari didn’t really have that yet. Well, other than the bar, since that’s where they met. But what was Jax going to do? Serve Ari homemade meals on Murph’s bar top?
Jax paused, the knife halfway through an apple.
Huh.
