Page 37

Jesse

Jesse had been at work until three in the morning and then he’d slept like a log until it was time to get up and go to class. Jamie, meanwhile, was at his job at Hazel’s dance studio, and according to the calendar hanging in the kitchen, he had practice after work.

They had literally not seen each other all day.

So, when six o’clock rolled around, instead of just sitting around and waiting for Jamie to get back, Jesse packed up a picnic lunch—or at least, as much of a picnic as he could scrounge from the cupboards—grabbed a small blanket, and took the bus down to the studio.

It was a sunny day, so his plan was to go to the park that wasn’t far from there, and then head home together.

How Jesse wished he could take Jamie out to some nice, romantic restaurant, and treat him to a good meal cooked by some fancy chef and washed down with a glass of expensive red wine.

But he wouldn’t have been able to afford dates like that even if he didn’t have medical bills, so for now, ‘snacks in the park’ would have to do.

Of course, he knew that spending time with Jamie didn’t actually need lots of money.

It was the smaller things that mattered.

Like cooking for him (because whenever Jamie tried to cook for them, it kind of ended in disaster), giving him a gentle massage, or taking him around to some of the few nice places that Carson City had to offer.

But, after his attempted ‘date’ in the waterpark had turned into a group outing, Jesse wanted to take Jamie on a real date.

Specifically, he wanted to go on a trip—and even for just a short one, he needed to save some money first. Still, he was determined.

Seriously, who cared about fancy restaurants where you spent sixty bucks a plate for too-little food and the night was over an hour later, when you could go on a whole weekend trip instead ?

Walking into the studio, Jesse spotted Jamie’s group just finishing up their rehearsal.

He took a seat against the back wall to watch as he waited, marveling once again at how effortless Jamie’s moves were.

All of the dancers in his group were talented, no doubt, but to Jesse’s eyes, none were half as skilled as Jamie.

His every movement was captivating; starting from the light press of his toes, traveling smoothly through his legs and spine, up his neck, and ending in the precise flick of his fingertips.

Each motion connected naturally, and even though his skills had always been remarkable—so much that Jesse had believed there wasn’t any room left for improvement—somehow Jamie had managed to do exactly that.

His movements were fast, but they flowed so beautifully, so gracefully, into the unfolding narrative of the song.

It was only practice, but Jamie obviously put his all into it, and it made the dance feel less like a rehearsed show and more like an expression of soul. It left Jesse watching in awe.

When the music died down, Jesse stood up and clapped, and everyone turned to him in surprise.

“Jesse!” Jamie called at once. A wide grin lit his face as he ran over to hug him. “I didn’t even see you come in!”

The hug felt wonderful, but to be honest, Jesse wanted more.

Jamie had been really careful to keep his word and not kiss Jesse in public, but…

Jesse was changing his mind about the arrangement, and Hazel had said the studio was safe.

So he gave into his impulse and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on Jamie’s mouth and then reveling in the sparkle it brought to Jamie’s eyes.

“I thought you said not to kiss in public,” Jamie whispered. “My crew can see us!”

And Jesse still wasn’t quite used to that part, but he ignored the heat in his cheeks and just shrugged with a smile. “You’re worth it.”

Jamie beamed.

“How long have you been there?” asked Ayda, offering Jesse a smile of her own as she and the others drifted over as well. “You could give an opinion on how we did! ”

“Oh, I only got here about a minute ago,” Jesse answered. “I didn’t see the whole thing. But the ending was great!”

“Thanks,” Dave said. “I’m glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure it flowed right.”

Jamie looked back at Dave. “Of course it does, you’re the genius behind our dancing!”

“That’s not even sort of true, but thanks for the compliment,” Dave said with a laugh. “I can only make up the moves; you’re the one who actually does all the fanciest footwork.”

“Yeah, Jamie, everyone knows you’re the real star,” Ayda agreed. “I have no idea how you can do all those backflips all the time. I can manage one, maybe two per dance, and my arms are already killing me.”

“Well, you just need to build up your muscle for a while,” Jamie told her encouragingly. “I’ve been conditioning for—” He trailed off, a strange look coming over his face.

“What is it?” Jesse asked, a flicker of hope coming over him. “Did you remember something?”

“…No,” Jamie sighed. “I just felt like I was about to.” He reached up and rubbed at his temples as if trying to coax the memories out, but then gave up with another sigh. “It didn’t come. Sorry, Ayda, I have no idea how long I’ve been building up my muscles.”

“Nevermind,” Ayda said, patting Jamie’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. “The important thing is, you can do a ton of backflips, and you’re gonna help us win big bucks!”

“She means that the important thing is you’re a part of our lives,” Dave said. “The money is just a greatly appreciated coincidence.”

“Yeah,” Ayda shrugged. “What he said.”

“What?” Jesse looked between the couple and Jamie, noting his wide grin. “Wait. Did you get accepted into that big contest?”

Jamie nodded. “We’re in! Now all we have to do is perfect the dance, and then rehearse non-stop until September ninth.”

“That’s right!” Ayda beamed, her black eyes crinkling up and sparkling in excitement. “Hey, we should all go out and celebrate! ”

A chorus of agreements echoed from the team—all except for Jamie, that is.

Jamie was just watching Jesse.

Oh, shit, he was trying to see if it was okay!

Jesse hurriedly fixed a smile on his face, trying hard to swallow down the surge of disappointment he had just felt at the thought of spending the evening with a group he barely even knew, instead of having Jamie all to himself.

He really needed to work on that. Jamie should have his own life outside their relationship; that was what was healthiest, and what was best for Jamie.

“Sure,” he made himself say. “That sounds fun!”

But Jamie didn’t seem to buy it. He looked at Jesse for a moment more, and then turned back to the group. “Actually, I’m really tired,” he said. “I can join you next time, though!”

“Oh,” Ayda’s face fell in disappointment, before she rallied and offered another smile instead. “That’s okay! Next time it is, then!”

Well, now Jesse felt like a jerk.

He was quiet as the group all said their goodbyes, everyone filing off to get changed back into their street clothes and head out one by one. Jamie was the last to come back out of the changing rooms, his bag slung over his shoulder as he joined Jesse by the door. “Ready to go?”

“Uh, sure,” Jesse said, holding the door open for Jamie as they stepped outside. “I brought some snacks, by the way. Thought maybe we could head for the park and have a little picnic.”

“Oh my god, that’s the best news I’ve ever heard!” Jamie exclaimed, his eyes widening eagerly as he immediately pulled Jesse’s shoulder bag closer and raided it for the snacks. “I’m always so hungry after rehearsal.”

“You’re always so hungry all the time,” Jesse corrected with a chuckle. “I still have no idea where you put all the food you eat.”

“Ha ha,” Jamie said dryly. “I burn thousands of calories every time I dance. I need to recharge. Ooh, chocolate!” He pulled one of his prize-money chocolate bars from the pouch, smiling as he unwrapped it. “You’re right that fifty bars was too many, but at least it’s lasting us a long time.”

“Forty-six,” Jesse reminded him with a laugh as they walked.

“Right, forty-six,” Jamie laughed back.

It was so nice, being able to be with him out here, in the mild Spring weather that marked the change from May to June, and just laugh and eat sweets together. But… Jamie honestly should have gone with his friends.

“Hey,” Jesse broached the subject when they reached the park and headed for a nice spot. “I hope that you didn’t turn down Ayda’s invitation just because of me. I want you to be able to go out and have fun with your friends, without having to worry about pleasing me or anything like that.”

Jamie sobered a little, giving Jesse an unreadable look.

As if he were trying to mask whatever he was feeling—and it was working far too well.

“It didn’t seem like you wanted to go,” he said carefully.

“I figured, maybe it’s because you don’t really know the others in the group very well, and don’t feel like going out with a bunch of people that are like strangers to you. ”

“Well… I mean, that’s kind of true,” Jesse had to admit, unfolding the picnic blanket under a big tree.

Curse his promise never to lie. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to ever have any fun.

They’re your friends, and you all had something to celebrate.

What kind of boyfriend would I be to get in the way of that? ”

“One who doesn’t like to share me,” Jamie said with a teasing smile.

Jesse chuckled with a shake of his head. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Never.” Jamie sat down, and took a bite of his chocolate. “…Hey,” he said after a moment, turning back to Jesse curiously. “Didn’t Jazmine invite you to go hang out with her and Nate the other day? But you turned her down?”

“Er, yeah,” Jesse said. He sat down as well and unzipped the backpack, taking out the snacks. “Why are you asking? ”