A Decision for Jarren - 3. Chapter 3

The next couple of weeks saw Jarren and Danny establishing an easygoing camaraderie. The days when Danny worked from home he usually fixed dinner for them. Jarren got into the habit of texting him in the afternoon to let him know when he would be home. On the days that Danny knew he would be at the office Jarren usually set up something in the crock pot the night before and then he or Danny would turn it on before leaving. Certain meals like beef stew and chili were easy to cook and tasted awesome when they were simmered slowly.

The two men were pretty compatible when it came to living habits. Neither one was a neat freak nor a slob. Jarren didn’t care if Danny left his coffee mug in the sink and Danny didn’t care if Jarren didn’t bother to make his bed. They both agreed that wet towels had to be hung up so they wouldn’t get moldy and musty smelling.

Danny invited Jarren to go rock wall climbing with his friends and Jarren took him up on it. Danny’s friends were pretty fun. Jarren had a good time and discovered he really liked rock wall climbing.

Work was going pretty well too. Nash didn’t offer much in the way of conversation other than what was required for the job. Jarren didn’t pry either. He often took notice of the man though. He couldn’t help it. There was something about Nash that seemed to pull Jarren in and Jarren couldn’t figure it out. More often than not Jarren found himself thinking about Nash at night when he was in bed, and more than once Nash had been the focus of some pretty hot jack off sessions. Jarren had to focus on thoughts of old ladies hula dancing naked when he found himself getting hard at work when Nash was around.

There were a few times when Jarren could feel Nash’s attention on him as well. He had caught him a few times checking out various body parts of his. Jarren just didn’t know what to do. It didn’t help matters any that occasionally Jaren caught a glimpse of a sad expression on Nash’s face like he was remembering something painful.

They had been working together for almost two weeks when Nash seemed to be in a particularly bad mood one afternoon. He was snappy and actually rude to one of the clients. Jarren knew he had to say something.

“Nash, she thought she was helping, you can’t bitch at a client like that.” Jarren told him when they went outside to get some tools.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do. She just caused us an extra hour of time. Time that I’d rather not be wasting because some idiot decided to duct tape her pipes together instead of calling us out three weeks ago when the damn leak started. Now we have to refit twice as much as we should because she’s stupid!” Nash snapped.

“She’s stupid, I agree. You just can’t tell her that. I’d like to keep my job, not lose it because my partner decided to be rude and insult a client, OK? So I really don’t know what bug crawled up your ass, but you better shit it out before I take you to the ER and have them remove it with forceps!” Jarren shot right back at him.

Nash just glared at him before grabbing the supplies they would need to replace the leaking pipes. The two men worked in strained silence for the remainder of the job. It was over two hours before they were done and were able to sign off on the work order. It was nearly six o’clock and Jarren was starving. Danny was at his office and Jarren had thrown some white chicken chili in the crockpot that morning and set it on low. He hoped it wasn’t overcooked.

Jarren sat sullenly in the passenger seat as Nash maneuvered through traffic. It was heavier than normal and they were slowing down to a crawl. Unfortunately the last job had been in one of the suburbs south of Atlanta and they had to make their way back through heavy rush hour traffic. They had just passed the airport and Jarren sighed knowing they would be stuck for a while.

Nash looked over at him and sighed too. “I’m sorry about all that. Today is just a bad day for me and I took it out on the client and on you. You don’t have to worry about your job. If she complains to Andre I’ll tell him it was my fault. He’ll understand.”

Jarren looked over at Nash and saw a sadness that had settled around his beautiful blue eyes. At that moment he had an overwhelming urge to kiss that sadness away. Jarren quickly looked away and told him “You’re forgiven. I’m sorry you’re having a bad day. I hope tomorrow is better for you.”

“Thanks,” Nash responded.

Jarren snuck another peek at him. Nash looked broken, he looked like someone who had lost everything that was important to him. Jarren felt his heart squeeze tight and wanted nothing more than to be the one who could erase that look. Damn, he was really starting to fall for his coworker. That could be bad, really, really bad.

The remainder of the ride was made in silence, but instead of a tense silence like it had been when they left the job, it has returned to the easy going silence they were accustomed to.

When they got back to the main office Jarren noticed his truck was off kilter. As they pulled up he saw that one of the back tires was flat. He probably picked up a nail or something.

“Well fuck, this sucks!” he complained.

Nash looked at the truck and told Jarren “Why don’t I just drive you home? I can pick you up in the morning and Andre can have someone come and get the tire fixed while we’re working. It’s getting late and I’m starving and I know you have to be too.”

Jarren saw that it was after seven. He had road service but God only knew how long they would take and Nash was right, he was starving and all he could think about was the chili waiting for him at the apartment. He just hoped it wasn’t way overdone.

“If you don’t mind, that would probably be the easiest thing to do right now. Thanks,” Jarren replied. He gave Nash directions and when they pulled into the apartment complex Jarren made a split decision. “If you’re hungry I’ve got white chicken chili in the crock pot. You’re welcome to join me.”

Nash looked at him for a moment, Jarren could almost see his thoughts spinning. “If you’re sure you have enough, it sounds good.” he said.

Jarren told him “There’s more than enough, I just hope it’s not overcooked. You can park over in that lot there.” Jarren indicated the large lot on the side of the building.

He led Nash up to his and Danny’s apartment which was empty when he opened the door. He could smell the chili. He told Nash “Make yourself at home, I’m going to check to see if dinner is edible.” Nash asked him where the bathroom was and Jarren pointed down the hall as he turned to go into the kitchen.

Next to the crockpot was a note from Danny. He had already eaten and turned off the appliance so thankfully the chili hadn’t been blackened. Danny’s note said he was going out to the movies with some friends and maybe a drink or two after.

Jarren pulled out a couple of bowls and filled them with the chili that was still hot. He grabbed a couple of soft rolls from the breadbox and was putting them on the table when Nash walked in.

“You don’t need to give me a roll.” he said. “I don’t really like bread.”

Jarren’s eyes widened slightly. “I think you’re the first person I’ve ever met that doesn’t like bread.”

Nash managed a small smile and replied “Yeah, most people have that same look on their face when I tell them. I don’t know, it just never appealed to me. I’ve tried a few different kinds and never found anything I liked. Pizza is probably the only bread I really eat."

Jarren smiled back and said “I guess that explains why you usually have a salad and soup for lunch.”

Nash just shrugged as he scooped up a spoonful of the chili and blew on it slightly. Jarren’s eyes followed the spoon as it was raised to those full red lips. He felt his cock twitch as Nash’s tongue came out to greet the spoon. Jarren quickly turned and went to the fridge saying “I’ve got milk, water, beer and lemonade. What would you like to drink?”

“Water is good,” Nash requested.

Jarren grabbed two bottles of water and sat at the table across from Nash.

Nash looked up at him and said “I know that they call me Sully and I know why. I’m sorry that you got stuck with me for a partner. I’m not the most outgoing person there is. I think you’re a decent guy and you deserve better.”

“I don’t want another partner Nash. I used to be that outgoing, friendly guy that everyone wanted to hang out with. People change. I’m not him anymore. Hell, I don’t even know who I am anymore.” Jarren spoke without really realizing what he said.

Nash gave him a sad smile at that statement and replied “I think I know what you mean. I guess we both have some issues and I’ll tell you what, I won’t bother you about whatever it is that bothers you, as long as you don’t bother me about what bothers me.”

Jarren gave a small chuckle and commented “Somehow that made sense. Deal.”

Instead of the silence that had enveloped them all day, Jarren and Nash had their first real conversation. When Jarren mentioned his brother, Nash asked him about his family. Nash’s eyebrow, the one with the scar, went up when Jarren told him that in addition to Mazen he had two older sisters and two younger brothers, not to mention nine nieces and nephews.

“Are you and your brother identical twins?” asked Nash.

“No, we’re fraternal, but we do look a lot alike. All of my siblings share a resemblance. My mom had to write names on the back of all the old photographs she has, and for years I had my initials in the waistband of my underwear because three of us wore the same size. It’s hard to tell us apart when we were little. My sisters are three years apart and if you put their kindergarten pictures side by side the only difference is what they were wearing and Bailey’s hair was longer than Kelsey’s. Bailey’s the oldest, she’s married and has four kids. She and her husband Chris wanted three kids and ended up with twins on the third go around. She blames me and Mazen, said we cursed her when we were ten. She got stuck babysitting a lot and we did our best to drive her up the wall.” Jarren smiled at the memory.

“Like I said, Kelsey is three years younger than Bailey and two years older than me and Mazen. She’s married and has three kids. Troy came along two and a half years after us and he just got married a couple of years ago. His wife already had a daughter and they added a son. Robbie is what we call the family oops. There’s almost seven years between him and Troy. He’s a senior in high school and graduates in May. He’s planning on going to college. Last I heard he had it narrowed down between two of the state universities, but who knows?. My dad, Bill, has his own general contracting business and my mom, Maggie, takes care of the family. That’s about it for the family history lesson. What about you?” Jarren asked.

Nash finished swallowing a bite of chili and Jarren found himself staring at his Adam’s apple as it bobbed with the motion. Nash licked his top lip to catch a speck of chili and Jarren had to swallow hard at the sight of the pink tongue flicking out. Jarren blushed when he saw Nash watching him.

Nash’s eyes narrowed slightly before he replied “I have an older brother, Knox, who lives in Texas, outside of Houston. I don’t get to see him too often, but we keep in touch. My parents, well let’s just say they really don’t play a big part in my life anymore. A whole bunch of shit happened and we no longer speak. They were never really comfortable with me being gay. I’m just glad my brother is OK with it.” Nash hesitated a moment before asking “What about you Jarren? Are you OK with it?”

Jarren could only nod his head. Nash had a deep voice which Jarren found extremely sexy. He found himself taking a deep breath before replying “I’m OK with it. I live with Danny and he’s gay.” Jarren didn’t offer anything else. He had just blown an opening to admit he was gay and he just couldn’t do it. It was no wonder he didn’t like himself very much.

Wanting to take the focus off of himself he asked Nash “How did you get that scar above your eye, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Nash actually smiled and told him “Ken, my best friend growing up gave it to me. I think we were maybe nine? We were arguing about something, I don’t even remember what, when he hurled his glass of milk at me. It hit my face and the glass broke, cutting my eyebrow in two and it broke my nose. He freaked out at all the blood. We were at his house and his mom nearly had a heart attack when she saw me bleeding all over the place. It’s true what they say, head wounds do bleed a lot. Her kitchen looked like a mass murderer had gone on a killing spree. Ken just stood there screaming like a girl. His mom finally screamed at him to shut the fuck up. Neither of us had ever heard her swear before. I think the shock of hearing her say ‘fuck’ shut him up more than her yelling. She ended up calling an ambulance and I ended up with ten stitches. My parents ended up with the bills. They almost ruined our friendship. They considered suing Ken’s family. Ken’s dad ended up paying whatever the insurance didn’t cover. I wasn’t allowed over Ken’s anymore, but we stayed friends. I still talk to him every once in a while.”

The two men finished off their bowls of chili and Nash thanked Jarren for the meal and said he needed to get going. Jarren walked with him toward the door and stopped abruptly when Nash came to a sudden halt before reaching for the knob. When Nash turned, his lips were mere inches from Jarren’s. Jarren’s back was against the wall as he watched as those lips came a little closer and his breath hitched. Nash hesitated and then put his lips close to Jarren’s ear and said “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be here at six-thirty to pick you up.”

The door closed behind Nash and Jarren felt himself sliding to the floor as his lungs deflated from the breath he had been holding. He was such a pathetic asshole. He mentally berated himself for not being able to admit he was gay to Nash. He was definitely attracted to the man. His rock hard dick could attest to that.

Jarren pulled himself up and went to clean the kitchen. He tried watching some more Santa Clarita Diet but stopped after half an episode. He just couldn’t concentrate. He shot off a text to Mazen and chuckled when the answering text was a meme that said ‘I wonder if jellyfish are sad because there are no peanut butter fish?’ His brother’s girlfriend must have gotten a hold of his phone. Cassie was the opposite of Mazen, she could be loud and quite obnoxious, whereas he was quiet and laid back, but she was fiercely loyal to those she loved and she was smart as a whip and sarcastically funny as all hell. She was best friends with his friend Lex. He and Mazen had found Lex on the side of the road next to his broken down motorcycle right before a big thunderstorm had swept through and they had given him and the bike a ride into town. Lex ended up staying and falling in love with Ian, who owned a local tattoo shop. They had just gotten married in October. Lex and Ian had become good friends and Mazen had started dating Cassie after meeting her at the wedding. Jarren was jealous. He really wished he could find it in himself to accept and like being gay. Then maybe, just maybe, he could find somebody to build a relationship with. Someone like Nash.

It was eleven o’clock and he was getting ready for bed when he heard Danny come in. He flicked off his light, not really in the mood for Danny’s cheerfulness. He slid under the covers and tried to fall asleep. Images of Nash and his wet, pink tongue licking those full, red lips kept creeping into his thoughts. The harder he tried to ignore those thoughts the more they popped into his head and his cock wouldn’t let him push those thoughts out of his mind. Finally giving in, he slid his hand down his firm chest through the soft pelt of hair leading a trail down his belly to the waistband of his sleep pants. He pushed the pants down his thighs and grasped the hard shaft that had been begging for attention. The engorged crown was already slick and Jarren rubbed his thumb through the wetness and down onto the shaft. His grip tightened and he stroked firmly. Each time his hand reached the top he gave a slight twist, his calloused thumb dragging across the sensitive underside. Clear juice oozed out, adding to the slickness, allowing him to stroke faster. He could feel his balls tightening and soon his fist was a blur. He pictured Nash’s lips wrapped around his cock, his head bobbing up and down, Jarren let out a muffled grunt as he shot cum up his torso. He was a volume shooter and the first volley landed up near his neck. Seven or eight more shot out rapidly, aided by his squeezing fingers, each one landing closer to its source until finally his cock gave up one last drop onto his thumb. Jarren gave a few final caresses to his softening shaft and finally just laid there until his panting settled back into an even breathing pattern.

He glanced over at a towel hanging on the back of the door wishing he could just levitate it over to him. Sighing he sat up and quickly went to grab the towel before the puddle of cum could slide off of him. He cleaned himself off and went back in the bathroom to pee and wash the residual goo off before it got all crusty. This time when he slid under the covers he was able to curb his thoughts and drift off into a fitful sleep.