Page 14 of Can't Stop Now
“Well… I made Jacob cum straight onto my hand and then the next day he invited me on a cross-country road trip with him,” Will said, matter-of-factly.
Maya laughed hard on the other end of the phone.
“I love you, Will. That was the hardest I’ve laughed all day. But really, jokes aside, how are you doing?”
Will paused. “Well, other than being incredibly nervous for my upcoming road trip, I’d say I’m doing pretty well. By the way, we’re passing through Denver, so I hope you have a couch for me to sleep on, girl. Because we’re coming to visit you in Boulder,” Will said, beginning to smile.
“Wait a minute. You… youcannotbe serious, Will. What? What?! Tell me everything, right now!” Maya’s voice got an octave higher as she realized that Will was actually telling the truth.
Will told Maya everything that had happened over the past 24 hours, in great detail.
“Wow. So… when do you guys leave?” Maya asked, stunned.
“The day after tomorrow. I know. It’s soon,” Will said.
“Well, holy shit Will, even for you this is surprising,” Maya said.
“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘even for me?’” Will said, grinning.
“I don’t know. I feel like you always get yourself into these…interestingsituations. You make friends fast. But it’s never been anything like this. So, do you think Jacob wants more? It certainly sounds like he was into the massage, and he invited you on a road trip, for god’s sake…” Maya trailed off.
“It really doesn’t seem like it to me. He specifically said he wanted to be friends, and I definitely don’t see him changing his mind anytime soon. He seems like the type who wants a wife, two kids, a house with a picket fence. In other words, not only am I too gay for him, I’m probably too crazy for him also. I’m an artist with no career prospects,” Will said.
“Well, whatever. If you ask me, no guy would let you touch his cock if he didn’t kinda want you bad,” Maya said.
Will laughed. “Anyway. How are things with you, Maya? I wanna think about something other than my dumb crushes for once,” Will asked.
“Pretty good actually! The first few days of grad school were terrifying, but I think I met some people who I could become friends with. People aresmartin grad school, Will. It’s really intimidating.”
“Oh, shut up, Maya. You are the smartest person I know, and you are gonna show everyone in that Art History department how badass you are.”
“Aw, shucks,” Maya said sarcastically.
“You know it’s true. What about any juicy gossip? You meet anyone cute?”
“Well… there was this really cute guy at the bar I went to last night, you woulddiefor him, Will. He has that whole rugged thing you like. And there is a girl in one of my summer classes who Ithinkis gay and I think was giving me the eyes the other day,” Maya said.
“Ugh, I’m so jealous. You dirty bisexuals have it so easy. So much more to choose from!” Will said.
“That is a lie and you know it. Everyone assumes you’re gay if you’re with a girl, straight if you’re with a guy. Don’t get me started about bi people problems, Will!” Maya said, laughing.
“Oh trust me, you’ve already told me enough about it for a lifetime. But honestly, I’m glad there are at least some prospects on your horizon. Hopefully I can meet one of them when we visit Boulder,” Will said.
“I can’t wait, Will. I’m so glad I get to see you so soon,” Maya said.
They talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. He needed to get his mind off what Maya had said about Jacob – there was no use wondering if Jacob wanted him. Will knew it would only end up getting him hurt in the end.
He took out his sketchbook and started drawing a big open road that disappeared into the horizon. It was what he imagined the big sky, middle of America landscape would look like, and he couldn’t believe he’d be out there soon.
Nine
Jacob
The next day, Jacob was in his car, driving on winding roads through upstate New York, feeling bittersweet. The leaves on the trees had become fully grown, as late spring became summer. He loved driving through these roads when the leaves were full – he hated it in winter when they all just became gray, barren and skeletal. But he would miss these tree-lined roads in summer, when you looked out and all you could see was green.
Jacob had no clue when he’d be in New York again. He had lived here his whole life and would soon be leaving behind everything he knew.
He was driving to his childhood home, where his mom and sister still lived. It was about an hour away from where he went to college, but he didn’t visit all too often. He had always been so busy in school, and now he was slightly regretting not spending more time with his family.They were an hour away, and I didn’t visit enough, he thought,what’s it gonna be like when I’m 3,000 miles away? The thought worried him.