Page 7 of Sweet Surrender
I can kiss you in public now.
There’s an awful amount of emojis after the text causing me to smile. Axel taps the table, silently requiring me to explain why I’m staring down at my phone like an idiot. “Reggie’s birthday party was last night.”
Axel grunts at the admission, stuffing more into his mouth until he looks like a little chipmunk. I procure a glass of water for him knowing that he’ll start choking in the next second. He always avoids a conversation with food—whether it’s to eat it, to choke on it, or to go make it. His girlfriend is the same fucking way but she’s a little more subtle with it.
I also didn’t mean to start the conversation with that. “I only went to make the dessert but it got late and I stayed over with Jay.” Axel’s eyes grow wide as he leans forward, pounding his chest as he starts choking. He drains the cup of water, waiting for me to continue. “We told Reggie this morning. Well, I kind of just marched into the kitchen and told Jay to date me.” A nervous chuckle falls from my lips because I had no idea how Jameson would take that.
Would he reject me? Would he have told me that we needed to talk?
“And I can assume by that stupid smile on your face that you kissed the shit out of him after he said yes. Excellent. I finally have an older brother I don’t fucking hate.” Axel pumps his fist into the air as he taps the counter again. “Are we celebrating? When’s dinner?”
“Didn’t really get that far. I think we’ll figure something out. This is… new.”
“Fuck no, it isn’t. Jameson has been coming over to the house since you all were in high school. It’s too bad that I don’t still attend those dinners with Grams and Gramps but I swear, they already know you two are endgame.” He slides out his phone and starts punching in a number before laying it on the counter. I’m not expecting to hear my new official boyfriend on the other line.
“Hello, Axel. I’m assuming you’re sitting in front of my boyfriend right now about to give him shit for finally making a splash.”
“Well, yes. Actually. I also came to steal a bagel. When’s dinner? When are we celebrating? This calls for a celebration. Please tell me that you’re at least taking my brother out on a date.” Axel speaks a thousand words a minute, barely giving Jameson a moment to speak. When there’s finally a bit of silence, I hear Jameson’s laughter through the phone.
“There will be a lot of celebrations. However, we need to take this at our own pace. Whatever is comfortable for Wyatt works with me.”
My face warms at how absolutely selfless Jameson always is. It’s always what works for me. He works around my schedule, my needs, my desires, and my trauma. He never pushes or demands answers and seems perfectly content with what I’m able to give. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s something he needs that I’m not measuring up to.
Axel throws out an exaggerated sigh. “God, you guys are too fucking cute. Gag, really. I’ll see you in a few days.” Then my brother hangs up and hops off the stool. “Take it easy, Wyatt but god, I’m so happy for you. You deserve all of this and more. Also, you’re a fucking saint for going to Reggie’s party. I applaud you.”
“Do you ever think you’ll talk to him again, Axel?” I’m on the verge of cutting Reggie out of my life too but that’s not a conversation I want to have with my younger brother right now.
“I’ve thought about it but no, I don’t think so. Not unless I’m required to. He’s messaged a few times but his apologies are always a front for something else. He asked me for money a few weeks ago and then decided it was appropriate to demand my interior design services to fix up Mom’s house. No apology for how he acts with me. No apology for all the hateful words. Until I see some genuine change, I don’t think it’s going to work.”
Axel waves goodbye and slips out the front without another word. I can’t blame him, though. We’ve all tried so fucking hard to cater to Reggie within our boundaries and he just bulldozes right through them. It makes me wonder how many of Jameson’s boundaries he’s destroyed and how much of a fucking saint my boyfriend has to be to have stuck around for so long.
I dial Jameson, feeling the need to actually celebrate. After all, we’ve been working toward boyfriend status for a long time.
“Yes, babe? What’s up? Ah, the dinner thing. Are you ready for something like that?”
To anyone else, Jameson sounds heartless. To me, it’s the sweetest thing out of his mouth because he knows how much I hate spending time in public spaces where I can’t control the outcome. We’ve ordered out and sat in parks or walked along beaches but never spent time in a restaurant. It isn’t my scene and as much as Jameson tries to play the suave accountant, he prefers a burger over escargot.
“I think so. Can we try?”
“Absolutely. I’ll find somewhere with a private booth but clean off your kitchen table just in case. Oh and package up that new green tea cake you made a few days ago. I can’t stop dreaming about it.”
How has it taken me this long to publicly claim him?
Chapter 8
JAMESON
The day passes with very few incidents, every company’s books lining up as they should. I don’t audit the huge accounts so if anything does go wrong with the smaller accounts, they tend to be quick fixes. Something someone missed in a general audit or a few pennies off here and there. The closer it gets to 5 pm, the more excited I am to be spending my first-ever dinner date with Wyatt.
This has been years in the making and I’ve scoured every last restaurant in the city before finding a small Italian place a few blocks from his house. It’s not usually busy on Monday evenings and I’m hoping it stays that way long enough for me to dote on my new boyfriend.
“Looks like someone took a new step, eh?” Kylie pops into my office, hugging a portfolio to her chest. She wiggles her eyebrows before plopping into the chair in front of my desk. “That big teddy bear of a baker, right? God, tell him to make more of those blueberry cupcakes. I’ll pay double if they’re out of season or whatever.”
I snort. “Kylie, that’s not how it works. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to know someone enjoys his creations and yes, I’ll ask him.”
“It’s not fair that you’re not 300 pounds with all the sugar I’ve seen you consume. You’ll come in with all these treats and half of them are gone before they even hit the break room. And yet, you look like this.” She waves to my body and then sighs before placing the portfolio aside. “Jokes aside, I have something for you.”
“It’s 4 pm, Kylie. Don’t give me anything. I have a date tonight.”