Knocking quietly on the door, I paused a second to let them wrap up before stepping in. I froze on the spot as I saw my dad sitting on the hardwood floor, Jax cradled in his lap and tear stains on his shirt. I blinked down at them, confused for a second until I saw Jax trembling and it made a whole lot more sense. My dad’s eyes met mine and I could see a bit of panic and protectiveness, clearly his dad instincts kicking in and helping Jax when he needed it. I nodded at his unspoken plea for me to go, backing out slowly and letting him calm down some more.
“I need to hire someone,” I admitted to Talon, walking back up as I went over numbers in my head. We were successful, but I needed to do some more events like the auction so I could hire some backup bartenders and at least one bouncer. Talon had been nice enough to help on his days off, but this wasn’t permanent for him.
“Agreed,” Talon said, handing me a beer before taking a swig of his own. “You need security if you’re going to hire these adorable bartenders.”
“I’ll put up a sign at the door tomorrow after printing off some applications, maybe put a few flyers up around town,” I mused.
By the time the bar cleared out, Jax and my dad finally left the back room. Jax mumbled a few words before I told him to take some time off and call me when he was ready. Dad waved us off before taking him home. Dad was never a touchy feely kind of dad, but right now I was thankful he’d found it in him to help my friend. The way Jax was clinging to him as they left gave me a bit of hope that he’d found what he needed in my dad. Sometimes you just needed someone to listen.
When everyone was gone for the night, I headed for my office to bury myself in numbers and paperwork. After coming to the conclusion that I needed more themed nights, I panicked, I wasn’t exactly the most creative guy. I started a list but the ideas were super generic and not very exciting. I pulled out my phone, needing a distraction in the worst way.
Jasper: Hey, sorry for running out on you.
Ezra: It’s okay, I hope everything is alright? I saw the cop cars...
Jasper: Yeah, we had someone assault my bartender. Talon managed to get in a punch at least.
Ezra: Oh no!
Ezra: Poor Jax? I think him and Leo are friends, maybe I’ll close for a long lunch so we can go check on him tomorrow.
Jasper: That’d be awesome. I’m working on getting some more staff in, along with security.
Ezra: Good plan. If you need help with anything, let me know.
Jasper: Thanks, Ezra.
Jasper: Why are you awake?
Ezra: Well, someone talked through the first part of my movie, so I figured I’d watch another, but I’m about to pass out. I’m not used to the night life, lol.
Jasper: You going to dream about anything good?
Ezra: Hmm, I don’t know if anything amazing has happened lately for me to dream about.
Jasper: You wound me, Ezra. *Clutches chest in pain*
Ezra: I think you’ll live.
Ezra: If you need mouth to mouth, let me know.
Ezra: Goodnight, Jasper.
Jasper: Get some sleep. Sweet Dreams ;)
Putting my phone down, I dropped my head into my hands. I needed more ideas but after everything that happened tonight I was wrung out. My brain was being pulled in lots of different directions from work, how Jax was doing, and Ezra who was right next door tangled up in his sheets. Alone. Groaning in frustration I stood up and double checked everything was locked up before turning off all the lights to head upstairs.
Walking into my apartment after spending time at Ezra’s, was a bit surreal. Where his had a homey feel and books galore, my apartment was simple, minimalistic, and almost bare. No warm colors here unless you counted the dark red bricks of one of the walls. The apartment had a city loft appeal that I loved the moment I saw it, but now it seemed a bit empty. Shaking my head of these dangerous thoughts I walked past the gourmet kitchen and down the hall to my master.
In keeping with the minimalistic vibe, I had a platform bed and no clutter stacked on the one bedside table. But while there wasn’t much in the apartment everything was high quality. Egyptian cotton comforter and sheets with a memory foam bed made the bedroom luxurious to me. Needing to release the residing tension from tonight I continued through to the simple master bathroom. A vanity, toilet, and shower stall were all that resided here since I hadn’t had the time to renovate this yet either, but it all worked.
I turned the shower on. I stripped out of my clothes while I waited for the water to heat up, throwing them in the nearby hamper. Catching sight of my new tattoo in the mirror I brushed a finger down it slowly. And forgot all about the shower as I remembered her lame jokes and ringing laughter that filled my childhood. Maybe it was seeing Dad’s protective instincts come out with Jax but the memory of my mom seemed to feel stronger today, the image of her in my mind a little more clear around the edges.
Mom. I know it’s been a while since I’ve talked to you. Hell, I’ve never been able to make it to your grave since the service three years ago. It’s never where I felt you anyway. I’d much rather remember you joking and laughing.
I rubbed my tattoo for a few minutes collecting my thoughts.
I don’t know what to do. My bar is successful, but I can’t seem to protect Jax when he needs it most. No matter how successful my bar is, I don’t think dad will ever really be proud of me, like maybe he thought I could always do something more. Like my old attempts at chef jobs in the city, ignoring the business degree you helped pay for.
This thing with Ezra is already spinning me and we haven’t even gone on an official date. I think you would have liked him. Actually I know you would have.
I just wish you were here with me because I could really use your help.
Wiping away the tears that had at some point started falling I looked around to see the small room was full of steam. Stepping quickly into the shower to collect my thoughts I was hit by icy cold water that brought my thoughts to a halt. Shit, how long was I lost in thought talking to my mom? Like she could even hear me. Getting myself together I quickly washed up so I could get out from under the cold spray. Within minutes I was slipping under the sheets praying they warmed up quickly against my bare skin.
Right when I was starting to warm up I heard my phone vibrate faintly. Shit, it’s still in my pants pocket. When I heard it vibrate a few more times I grumpily got up and dug it out of the hamper checking the missed messages. Jax and Dad.
Pacing back to the bed so I could get under the covers I opened the messages as I lay back down.
Dad: Dropped Jax off at his apartment. I’ll see you tomorrow for family dinner.
Shit tomorrow is family dinner night. Well, our weekly night where we meet up at Corny’s diner to eat together. I’ll have to call in the morning to double check the time since I’m going to make sure Jax takes the night off.
Jax: I wanted to apologize about what happened tonight. It’s all my fault.
Oh fuck, no. This wasn’t going to wait until tomorrow. I immediately hit dial and waited until I heard Jax’s timid answer on the other end.
“Jax, I got your message.”
“Jasper, I’m really s—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” My vehement reply cut him off. I took a deep breath to calm down before I continued because I could feel his distress over the phone.
“None of this is your fault. None. It’s all on that asshole. I want you to know that I’m getting a bouncer and a photo of that guy to make sure he never comes into the bar again. Ever.”
“But bartenders always get hit on. It’s part of the job.”
I made sure to keep my voice soft when I managed to reply to him. “Jaxtyn, I need you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Can you promise me that?”
Pause. “Yes.” I could feel his breathing catch on the other end like he was trying to hold back more tears.
“Your job is not an invitation to be violated. No matter what job you are doing. No means
no. I don’t care if that’s someone hitting on you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or someone trying to molest you. I will always be on your side and if you are uncomfortable in any way, it will be taken care of, no explanations needed.”
I only heard his harsh breathing over the phone in answer. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
An intake of breath that shuddered slightly. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” He paused again but I could feel he wanted to say something else so I waited him out. “Do you know what I did for a living before coming to Echo Bay?”
I thought over my interview with him and shook my head slightly, even though he couldn’t see me. “I remember you said you had just come into town a few days before your interview, but you never said what brought you here.”
Jax let out a small bitter laugh. “I did a lot of things I’m not proud of before getting the courage to leave. And in all my twenty-two years you’re one of the only people to say that you would always be on my side, no questions asked. And funny enough, I believe you.”
He took another deep breath that sounded loud over the phone and I closed my eyes from what he was hinting at.
“Jax. You don’t have to tell me all the details. I will always listen if you want to, but don’t feel like you have to explain. It’s your history and you do with it what you want. I’m your boss and I hope your friend.”
“Thank you.”
His whispered words into the phone had me letting out a small smile. “And you’re not coming in tomorrow. I’ll figure something out, but you need a day or two off after last night.”
“If you’re sure…”
“If I wasn’t then I wouldn’t have offered,” I responded briskly. “Now it’s late as fuck and we both need to get some sleep. So I’ll call you tomorrow to check in. If you don’t answer I will come by to check on you in person.”
Jax let out a real laugh. “Good to know. Night Jasper and... thanks for calling.”
“You’ve got it.”
I put down the phone after he disconnected the call and stared up at the ceiling intently. Recalling what happened at the auction, then again tonight, along with hints that Jax just dropped during our conversation, I knew I wouldn’t be getting any sleep. I heaved myself off the bed and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt I had thrown over the chair in the corner of the room, before walking down to my kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
I’d definitely be running on coffee and energy drinks until tomorrow night.
Ezra
I tossed and turned all night long, so the next morning when I woke up, I was a walking zombie. Even trying to relieve some pressure in the shower did nothing to shake the intensity of how bad I wanted Jasper.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t worried about Jaxtyn and everything that happened to him last night. Jasper didn’t go into details, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t just a simple catcalling type of harassment. Especially if the guy left in cuffs. I pulled out my phone as soon as the morning rush tapered off, hoping Leo was awake by now.
“Dude, it’s not even nine,” Leo rasped, his morning voice sounding like he’d smoked an entire carton of cigarettes before bed.
“Listen, we have a problem,” I said quickly, ignoring his whining. He cleared his throat and I could hear shuffling on the other end as he sat up.
“Did he hurt you?” he growled, his voice back to normal. I chuckled, because Jasper wasn’t that type unless you call the accidental blue balls as ‘hurting’ me.
“No. But you’re friends with Jax, right?” I asked as I paced behind the counter. My heart clenched at the thought of someone being alone through that. I’d seen the kind of hell people faced in my childhood, and nobody should have to face anything traumatic alone. And from what I’d seen around town, Jax was usually alone.
“Kind of…” Leo trailed off. I could tell by his tone he was not following the direction of the conversation, which thankfully meant that word hadn’t gotten around. It was a miracle in such a small town.
“Something happened at the bar last night. Jasper was over here and we were… watching a movie. He got a call from Talon and he ran out. Someone did something to Jax and they were arrested, but I don’t think he has a lot of support. I don’t need to know the details, you know I’m not the gossiping type, but you also know I can’t watch someone suffer alone. That scares me,” I rambled, my old insecurities popping up.
“I’m going to go write a message on the outside message board and run a quick sale and close at one. Does that work?”
“Yup.” He didn’t even say goodbye before he hung up, his mind likely already in four different places.
The cold wind bit into my face as I ran to the board announcing a fifty percent off sale and that we closed at one today. I didn’t have any order pickups today, and an afternoon off was sounding better by the minute. Maybe it was time to consider a part-time employee to help out during the week, especially since it was nearly Christmas.
Word clearly spread fast. Around a half hour after I changed the sign, I had a steady flow of customers and sold more than my usual stock around noon. I took the last hour to clean up and locked the door at one so I could change and clean up before we went out. I wasn’t even surprised when I walked out of the shower to find Leo waiting on my couch. It might be time to start making sure I locked the door. At least he didn’t have Jax with him, since I was just wearing a towel.
“All right, so I figured since it’s early, we could drive out to Port Grayson, hit up a gay bar and get our dance on. After we get some food in us, of course,” Leo informed me, following me into my room and raiding my closet. I rolled my eyes, but pulled on a pair of boxers and let him do his thing. He could dress me better than I could dress myself.
He tossed a pair of dark skinny jeans and a henley on the bed next to me. I had a suspicion he chose it so I couldn’t throw on a bow tie, but dammit, I loved my bow ties. Rolling my eyes at him, I pulled on the jeans and shirt and looked in the mirror. I looked good, but not like myself and I hated that. Not wanting to fight with him, I left it and pulled on my favorite shoes and grabbed my coat, following him into the icy air.
The drive to Jax’s place was quick, he just had a tiny apartment on the other side of town. What I hadn’t expected was his roommate when we knocked on the door. The guy who opened it was surly and rugged, looking like he belonged in prison, not with someone like Jax. He had a deep scar on his cheek and tattoos on every inch of his arms and his neck. His glare was piercing and instead of words he just grunted at us.
“Well, hello there. Is this Jaxtyn’s apartment? We came by to check on him,” Leo said, his usual sunshine making the guy wince, but he just stepped out of the way and pointed to a door off of the living room. The place was dingy and messy, clutter everywhere. We stepped delicately around the junk until we got to the door, knocking softly and eventually pushing our way in when he didn't answer.
“Jax, it’s Leo. I brought Ezra, too. Get up and get dressed, I heard you needed a day out,” Leo said softly, his usual exuberance toned down as he approached Jax. He peeked out of his covers, clearly disoriented but putting it together quickly.
“I don’t want to go out today, Leo. I appreciate the offer, though,” Jax tried, his eyes going wide when Leo dove onto his covers and snuggled into Jax’s side. Leo had a way of inviting himself in and making himself at home. That’s how he wormed his way past my shy barriers. I could see Jax’s resolve falling away slowly.
“Listen, it’s a friends only day. We’re going to Port Grayson and getting some food, then dancing at the gay bar. We will kee
p everyone away from your adorable ass and just get drinks and have fun. I’ll even call us an Uber up there and back so nobody has to drive. We can all crash at Ezra’s place since he’s all alone and has a comfy couch,” Leo offered, letting the words settle over the room for a minute while Jax processed it.
“I love dancing,” he said quietly, “and I sure as fuck could use a distraction.”
“Yes! This will be so much fun!” Leo cheered, yanking his covers off, then laughing at the fully dressed Jax the covers revealed. “You sleep in your clothes?”
“Leo,” I chastised, giving him a pointed look until realization dawned on him.
“Shit, sorry dude. Come on, go shower and change, we’ll be waiting for you downstairs because your roommate is a scary dude.”
“He’s not bad. He’s just quiet and recently divorced. He’s straight but he doesn't judge me, so he’s all right,” Jax said with a soft laugh, standing up as we hurried out the door. The roommate in question was standing in the same spot we left him in, glaring at us as we waved and Leo blew a kiss, before hurrying down the stairs, laughing.
“You shouldn’t blow kisses at angry straight men, Leo. It’ll get you in trouble someday.”
“Until then, I’ll keep doing it,” he snorted, completely unapologetic as he hurried to the lobby and pulled up his Uber app. Port Grayson was only a twenty-five minute drive so it was honestly the best choice if we all wanted to drink. By the time Jax was downstairs with us, the Uber had just pulled up. Leo grabbed his hand and pulled him along, sticking him in between us in the back seat.
“So, you’re Ezra?” Jax asked. “Nice to officially meet you.”
“Nice to officially meet you too. I’m not a super outgoing guy, but I’m glad we’re going out tonight. This will be fun,” I said in a pseudo-cheerful voice. I was internally panicking about going to a bar and dancing. I was more the stay in and hang out kind, unlike Leo. But maybe it was time to relax and let myself have some fun.