Diplomacy

shower, he wrapped a towel around his hips and returned to Jack’s room, finding the bed empty.
    “Jack? You better?” he asked, still keeping his voice down.

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    Jack was getting out of the shower as well and Lucas couldn’t help dwelling on his lover’s lean, muscled body, but his eyes stopped at Jack’s dark rimmed eyes.
    “Yeah, better. Not great yet.” Jack coughed loudly, holding on to the sink.
    “Maybe you should call a doctor when you get back home though,” Lucas suggested.
    Jack shrugged and smiled faintly. “I’ll be fine. I feel much better than last night, thanks to you.”
    Lucas moved closer and put his arm around Jack, but the American pulled away.
    After seeing Lucas’s confused face, he explained, “Don’t want to make you sick as well.”
    “You slept in my arms, Jack. If you could infect me, I’m sure the damage is done already.” Lucas sighed and let his gaze drop to the floor.
    “Or is it just an excuse? If you want to end this, just tell me. I can take a lot of crap, Jack, but in a relationship… a real relationship, I want honesty.
    I didn’t break up with Lucy to land myself in another delusional liaison.”
    “It wasn’t an excuse, Lucas. I’m sorry I pushed you away. Come here.” Jack extended his arm and motioned to Lucas to come closer. “The honesty bit is hard. I told you I needed time to tell Maria.” Lucas moved closer, facing the mirror and let Jack wrap his arms around him. “This isn’t about Maria, Jack, it’s about us.” Lucas’s face relaxed a bit as he took in the sight of them, semi-naked, hugging in front of the mirror. “You really look like shit, Jack.”
    “Yeah, I guess I do, but I feel better than yesterday. Not great yet, but getting there.” He coughed to stress the point.
    Lucas smiled defiantly back at him in the mirror. “Too bad… I would have enjoyed fucking you in front of this mirror.” Jack smiled too. “Believe me, it’s not as much fun as you might think.”
    Lucas turned around with a teasing look on his face. “You mean, you and… Maria… in front of the mirror?”
    Jack nodded shyly, rolling his eyes.

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    Lucas chuckled. “I always figured she would be a bit of a kinky woman. Now why don’t I order us some room service so we can have breakfast here before we go home, lover boy?” He kissed Jack’s forehead and gave him a tight hug before leaving the bathroom.
    Jack looked at the dark circles around his eyes. Why did he tell Lucas about what he and his wife had done in front of the mirror? And even more strangely, there wasn’t any jealousy in Lucas’s eyes when they talked about Maria. Did Lucas know she was no competition?
    He sighed. His only consolation was that he looked marginally better than he felt.

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Chapter Sixteen
    LIFE returned to normal after the Paris meeting and Lucas and Jack settled into a routine. They would meet at Jack’s office at least once a week to discuss all kind of work related business and managed to keep their passion for after hours, when they would make love at Lucas’s apartment before Jack went home to Maria.
    Jack hadn’t told Maria anything yet, though, and Lucas didn’t push the issue. Their professional lives were going well and they were fairly secure in their feelings for each other.

    THE American National Security Advisor was scheduled to spend exactly twenty-two hours on Belgian soil to address the European Union, so Maria had been kept busy organizing the social part of the visit. A buffet lunch would be held at the embassy after an official welcome at the airport, requiring Maria to spend several hours a day at the Embassy.
    Gertje walked into Jack’s office with the security details of the visit for him to sign.
    “I’ll be glad when this whole visit thing is over,” she sighed.
    Jack chuckled “So Maria will be out of your hair?”
    “What would make you say such a thing?” she asked, feigning innocence.
    “You and Maria just rub each other the wrong way. No need to hide it,” Jack answered her amusedly.
    “Well I don’t have to like her; I’m not married to her,” she teased,
    “but I won’t deny it’ll be nice, for both of us, when all this is over again.” 124 | Z a h r a O w e n s

    She was sorting the papers, which were strewn haphazardly across Jack’s desk as usual. “Your calendar is clear for the rest of the day. Would it be okay if I leave a little early