I woke up the next morning with a slight sense of unease. After our encounter, Jake cleaned himself off and stumbled to bed without another word, so I ended up finishing myself off. It was easy, though. I was so turned on by that point, that I came in under a minute.
I wasn't sure how Jake would feel about me sleeping beside him, so I chose the couch. Fortunately, it was comfy, and I found a blanket in a nearby closet.
I rose from the couch and scanned the room. The open bedroom door revealed a pristine space with a perfectly made bed that looked untouched. Either Jake was remarkably meticulous, or I had imagined the whole event.
After a quick wash-up, I stepped outside to a radiant morning. A clear sky and vibrant field greeted me, and I took a moment to absorb the beauty before heading to the main house.
As I entered the living room, a mouth-watering scent filled the air. Bob emerged from the kitchen, holding a platter of sausages, with pancakes, bacon and eggs already on the table.
"Morning, Stephen," Bob said, smiling. "Sleep well?"
"Very well, thank you. Your guesthouse is fantastic. I was just telling Jake how impressed I am with what you've done with it."
"That's good to hear," Bob replied. "Jake's out riding but told me we should start breakfast without him."
"Ah, I see," I said, managing to keep my surprise in check as I sat down.
"So, what's on the agenda for you two today?" he asked.
"Actually, I'm thinking of heading back home," I responded as I took a seat at the table. "You both seem busy, and I don't want to impose."
"Don't be silly, we're glad you're here," Bob assured me. "Jake speaks so highly of you and how you flew all the way to LA to live your dream. I always tell him to be a little more adventurous, but he seems happy just being here with me, doing the same old thing. Maybe you can help him break out of his shell a little. You know, try new things." He then walked over and spooned a large sausage onto my plate.
"Believe me, Jake's more adventurous than you might think," I said, biting my lip.
After breakfast, I courteously told Bob I had to go. As we walked to the door, he insisted on Jake saying goodbye. Scanning the yard, he called for him, but Jake was nowhere to be found. I gave a reassuring smile, telling him it was okay, and then took my leave.
For days, my phone was as useful as a brick--zero texts, zilch from Jake. I'd pretty much convinced myself that he'd regretted the whole thing and didn't want anything to do with me anymore. So, I didn't text him either.
Then, while I'm in my room dancing full-out to Pon de Replay, pretending I'm Rihanna, my phone vibrates.
"Hey"
It was him! I immediately hit pause on my iPod and stared intently at the single word text. How the hell was I supposed to respond? After agonizing for a few minutes, typing and deleting various replies, I settle on:
"Hey"
Not exactly Pulitzer-worthy, I know. But come on, what else was I supposed to say?
"Sorry I didn't say bye to you that day. Something came up and I had to handle it."
Uh huh.
"Don't worry about it," I texted back. "I'm sure you were busy."
It took a full fifteen minutes before he responded. (Yes, I counted)
"Let me make it up to you. I'm at Blockbuster now and Mean Girls is available to rent. You wanna watch it together? I remember you recommending it. No horseback riding, I promise."
Anxiety churned within me, my heart pounding like a drum. How could I possibly turn down an invitation like that?
"Sure. When?"
"I'm free anytime this week. How about tomorrow?"
I couldn't help but grin. Clearly, he was eager to see me. Keep it together, Stephen.
"I should be free. "
"Cool, I'll be around. Swing by whenever."
I arrived at the main house the next afternoon, having given Jake a heads-up via text an hour earlier. He was waiting outside as I pulled in, dressed in flannel and jeans for once. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal tanned, muscular forearms lightly covered with hair. As soon as I stepped out of the car, his face lit up with a broad smile.
"Good to see you again," he said, pulling me into a friendly hug, which I happily reciprocated. "You want some water or anything? And hey, you like popcorn, right? A movie just isn't the same without it for me."
"Thought I'd give her another go," I said, grinning.
"Really? After that puddle incident, I thought you'd had enough."
"I'm a big believer in second chances," I replied, maintaining my smile. "The first time's just a trial run. The second is when you really dive in."
"I guess we'll see," he said, his green eyes lighting up.
We made our way to the stables, the aroma of hay and leather permeating the air. Before mounting my horse, I peeled off my shirt, revealing my lean physique. It wasn't as chiseled as Jake's, but I was proud of what countless laps in the community pool had sculpted. I maintained my poise, yet my eyes couldn't help but wander. I caught Jake stealing a few furtive glances in my direction, his eyes quickly darting away each time our gazes nearly met.
Under the guidance of Jake, who effortlessly resumed his role as my riding instructor, we navigated through a course outlined by rustic wooden fences and aged barrels. The afternoon sun seemed almost unforgiving, casting its intense heat upon us and making the leather reins slippery in our grasp. A sheen of sweat started to form on both of our brows that slowly trickled down. By the time we finally dismounted, it was as if we had both run a marathon. Jake's shirt clung to him, soaked through with perspiration, accentuating the muscles he had worked so hard to maintain.
"Shower time?" I ventured. Jake didn't say a word, just nodded, his expression unreadable.
Once the horses were safely returned to their stalls, we walked toward the guest house. The entire journey was wrapped in silence, each step on the gravel pathway amplifying the tension that hung in the air like a heavy fog. It felt as though we were both holding our breath, waiting for something--though what, neither of us seemed to know.
Soon, we returned to the stone shower, but this time, I was the first to remove my clothes. I then stepped in the stone shower and twisted the faucet handle, relishing the sensation as warm water began to cascade over my shoulders and down my back. I turned back at Jake, and our eyes connected for a fleeting moment, his striking green gaze seemingly penetrating my very soul.
"You go ahead," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "I have some errands to run."
The tension that had been building between us quickly evaporated as he turned to leave. What just happened? Everything felt like it was on the right track. Shaking off my disappointment, I returned to my shower.
Back inside the cozy guest house, I sank into the plush couch, deep in thought. What was I doing here, really? Was I just wasting my time? He was clearly not interested in pursuing anything further.
Just as I mustered the resolve to get up and leave, the front door swung open with a flourish. In strode Jake, his arms laden with a large ceramic bowl overflowing with popcorn, a family-sized bag of potato chips, and a six-pack of beer. His shirt was different from the one he had on earlier--this one a fresh, crisp cotton--and his hair had the damp, tousled look of someone who'd just stepped out of a shower.
"Hey man," he greeted me, a slight hint of surprise in his eyes. "Were you about to leave?"
"Uh, no," I responded, a bit too quickly to be convincing. "I was just wondering where you went."
"I popped over to the main house to grab some snacks. By the way, you're in for a treat later--my dad's cooking up his famous beef bourguignon for dinner. You seriously don't want to miss it."
Feeling a sense of relief wash over me, I sank back into the plush cushions of the sofa. Jake placed his armful of snacks on the coffee table in front of us before sliding in beside me. As I reached for a generous handful of popcorn, I noticed him turning subtly in my direction, a look of interest flickering in his eyes.
"I gotta get something off my chest about the other day," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry I went MIA on you like that. It wasn't cool. But I had a lot on my mind and needed to sort some stuff out."
"Don't sweat it," I said. "I totally understand."
