Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

Okay. Right." Nodding and looking stunned, Jimmy turned the corner, navigating the narrow streets out of Rob's neighborhood and heading into downtown. "Right." He wasn't really answering anything or talking to anyone. Scott could tell he was trying to wrap his head around the idea.
    "We'll talk about it later," Tina said, still smiling as she checked her makeup in the mirror, "Just wanted to throw it out there, give you some time to digest it."
    "I think he'd have an easier time digesting a hand grenade. Just sayin'." Scott told her. Tina laughed, but he really wasn't joking.
    "What he said." Jimmy muttered, taking a deep breath and tightening his grip on the wheel.
    Laughing again, "It's not like you need to decide tonight, or even this month. I wanted to let you know so you could think about it, talk it over with—" She stopped herself there, but glanced at Scott in the mirror. "With the family or whatever."
    "Right." Jimmy said again, "Okay. I'll… Okay, right. Think about it. I'll consult my balls and get back to you when they climb back out."
    Leaning over close to Scott, Rob whispered, "He looks a little… Think he's still okay to drive?"
    "For now. I think after the wine tasting we might need to carry him back to the car, though."
    ****
    Jimmy surprised them all and didn't touch a drop of alcohol the entire night. It took him nearly an hour, but he finally managed to say something other than right and okay and in the end they had a good time. Tina was her charming self, as if she hadn't asked the end-all-be-all of favors on their way to the restaurant. She pulled Scott aside at one point and confided in him that she'd done it on purpose, had wanted Scott to be there when she asked and knew it could be months before the three of them were together again. Something about that warmed Scott up inside and he'd smiled at her, kissing her cheek.
    Not even Rob seemed to enjoy the music and offered sincere apologies as they left at the end of the night, Jimmy telling him they should have just gone out in the alley and listened to the cats in heat for free.
    Scott walked Rob to his door and kissed him goodnight. Jimmy and Tina were waiting for him since Rob had said he had to be up early and needed to get to bed. Scott was starting to wonder if things would ever progress between them beyond a few handjobs and some—admittedly mind blowing—frottage.
    At Tina's house, the woman let him out of the back seat and gave him a warm hug, the kind he got from his sister, and told him she needed to talk to Jimmy for a few minutes. He nodded and got back in the car, watching the two of them disappear behind her front door.
    A half hour later, after updating his Facebook and checking his email from his phone, Scott started to feel the twist of jealousy rising in him again. It wasn't the first time, and probably wouldn't be the last, that Jimmy asked him to wait while he got himself a quickie, but it was making his blood boil more than usual. By the time Jimmy got back in the car, looking a little more disheveled than he had on his way out of the car, Scott was in a full pout.
    "Sorry that took so long." Jimmy told him, starting the car again and putting on his seatbelt.
    "Have a nice talk ?" Scott asked, sounding like a petulant child.
    "Not exactly." Jimmy told him, not seeming to catch Scott's tone.
    "I'll bet."
    He did catch the sullen note in Scott's voice that time, glancing at him, "What—Oh," managing to laugh and sound grim at the same time, "Hell no. I might never have sex again after tonight."
    Snorting, "Odds are against that." Scott told him, but the knot that had tied itself in his stomach loosened, "You two seriously didn't…?"
    "I don't think I could've gotten it up if she'd given me a lap dance." Jimmy told him, shaking his head as he turned on the wipers, a light rain starting to smatter the windshield. "She just wanted to talk."
    "Oh. About the baby thing?"
    "Among other things, yeah."
    Furrowing his brow, curious, "What other things?"
    "Just…" Sighing like it was too much effort to think, Jimmy trailed off, "Stuff." He finally said, showing Scott how distracted he was by grinding his gears as he shifted.
    Scott left him to his thoughts the rest of the way home.
    ****
    Despite the fact that Jimmy was spending more nights in his own bed, Scott had expected the soft squeak of his door and the shift of blankets after they'd said their goodnights. He didn't even have to move over, having left Jimmy plenty of