Decisions Ch. 02

"Come on my back and ass, Jake. Get me all wet with you so I can drive home with it. Please, I want to feel it on my skin."

This was standard, which was why Jacob held off shooting. It made him feel good to have Stan ask for it, though, so he always waited. He stroked in a couple more times before pulling out and removing the condom. He threw his head back as he exploded, decorating the bare skin in front of him with hot jets of come. A good thing Stan had the presence of mind to lift up his shirt, because it was the last thought on Jacob's mind.

They went into the bathroom together to clean up, Stan settling for splashing water on his face and genitals. Jacob walked him to the door and brushed their lips together. This was exactly what he needed to settle himself. Now he could read all the documents and get up to speed without getting distracted. It was likely to be a long night and he had that meeting with the private investigator in the morning.

"Thanks for the special delivery, Stan," he said with a soft smile. A niggling thought came up, and though he knew he should ignore it, he couldn't help asking the question. "Stan, do you think I'm superficial?"

"I guess it depends on what you mean exactly."

"Someone told me that I don't bother to look beneath the surface. I don't think I'm that bad, but I do have to wonder."

"You're not that bad," Stan reassured him. His next comment negated that reassurance. "On the other hand, I do know that if I'm going to see you, I take the time to clean up first. If I show up anything less than combed and tucked in, you don't invite me in for coffee. That's not bad, though. Everyone's like that for people they aren't serious about."

Maybe Stan wasn't the best person to ask about that, Jacob mused, since they were only interested in each other for the occasional fling. He sighed and tried to push all his doubts from his mind. Tomorrow afternoon, after the meeting, he would call Rose and talk things over with her. He trusted his twin sister to be honest with him. If necessary, she would help him change whatever needed changing in his life. Right now, he had a packet of information to look over and make notes on.

After a shower. He wanted a shower and a mug of strong coffee before he tackled a long night of reading.

DiAngelo's was nothing like what the name suggested. People might think of an Italian restaurant or a pizza place, when in fact it was a coffee shop. The same coffee shop he'd passed by the night before, right next to the antique shop. He went inside and bought himself a large, regular coffee and a blueberry muffin, since he didn't have time for breakfast before rushing out the door. He'd gotten barely five hours of sleep, closing his eyes at four in the morning. It seemed like only seconds later that the alarm clock blared to wake him.

He found his notebook and started making a list for the weekend. Two hours for a meeting with the investigator, then he needed to work on the case some more, and finally a long conversation with Rose. Tomorrow he needed to do some shopping and maybe look at a few things to change the way his apartment looked. Nothing major, just a few items to scatter around that appealed to him rather than fit in with his supposed image.

"Hello again, Mr. Evans. I should have known I'd see you here this morning." Jacob glanced up to see Riley slide into the chair opposite him, setting a briefcase down beside the table.

Riley looked amazing. He wore a shirt that matched his green eyes exactly, the top few buttons left undone to show a gold chain and a delicious patch of honey-tinted skin. Unless Jacob was mistaken, there was just the edge of a purple bruise, most likely a hickey, showing at the side of his neck. Slender hands clasped on the tabletop, fingers rubbing together in what might be nerves. Jacob determinedly brought his eyes back up to the handsome face. He would not get lost in the packaging today.

"Riley, hello. Do you come here often?"

"No, this is only the third time I've been here. I enjoyed the coffee, so I thought it would be a good place to meet." Riley smirked at him, setting down a notebook of his own, this one paper rather than computer. "It was the first place that came to mind while on the phone with Mr. Foster."

"You can't be the investigator! I'm supposed to be meeting someone named Scott. You're pulling my chain, aren't you?"

"My name is Riley Scott and I most definitely am the private investigator hired by the firm to dig up information on one Shane MacCready. Is that really so hard for you to believe?"

If Jacob were paying closer attention, he would have heard the challenge in the soft-spoken voice, or seen the dangerous glint in Riley's narrowed eyes. As it was, he was so surprised that he spoke without thinking.

"Well, yes! I mean, a private eye is supposed to be big and bulky. It can be a dangerous job and a person has to be able to handle himself in any kind of risky situation that might come up."

"I see. I'll be on my way then. When I get to the office, I'll call your boss to tell him you've decided his choice was too small, skinny and stupid to do the job."

Riley was halfway to the door before Jacob recovered from the anger he'd seen and moved to stop Riley. He knew he'd put his foot in it as soon as the words left his mouth and regretted it.

"Come on, I was just surprised. Let's sit and have some coffee while we go over the information we got on Mr. MacCready."

Riley seemed to hesitate, staring intently out the front window as though something out there would give him a clue on how to proceed. Finally he turned, and Jacob released the breath he'd been holding. "I'm licensed to do my job, and I've never failed to do what I set out to do. My appearance has nothing to do with my abilities."

I've really got to learn to watch my tongue around him, Jacob told himself while digging out the folder. The younger man was quick to take insult at the slightest provocation. With all that had happened a year ago, both the misunderstanding with Blue and then his supposed lover telling him he had a fiancée, Jacob could understand why Riley was wary. Then there was the whole 'I'm not gay anymore' thing.

Jacob wanted to know everything about Riley, but knew he couldn't ask. They needed to become at least friends, good friends, before he could ask about something so personal. Over the next hour, they read the information about Shane MacCready that Andrew Baxter gave the firm.

Every question Riley asked was a good one, many that Jacob hadn't even thought of until Riley brought them up. He got a look at the notes Riley made and admitted, to himself only, that Riley did know what he was doing.

Finally, they finished up and planned to meet on Tuesday afternoon, unless something important came up before then. They exchanged cell numbers to get in touch, and agreed that the coffee shop was a good place for them to meet. While Riley gathered his things together, Jacob glanced up and saw someone familiar standing on the sidewalk. It took a while, but he finally identified her as Riley's fiancée.

He'd only just pointed her out when a man walked up and the two kissed. Jacob wished he'd kept his mouth shut, although he also knew that it was probably best for Riley to know. Still, it had to hurt Riley to see something like that after what already happened to him.

Riley was pale as he watched the display. He sighed and absently bade Jacob goodbye as he walked outside to confront the woman. Jacob decided it was best for him to wait inside until the others moved on. He didn't want to make Riley uncomfortable by going out there to witness things more than he was. It wasn't long before Riley stalked off and Sara and the other man moved in the opposite direction.

Damn, Riley had the worst luck. Jacob hoped this was the last of it. It would be, if Jacob had anything to say about it. He tried not to dwell on why he wanted to have every say in what happened to Riley from now on.