Bittersweet Irish Cream Ch. 02

Jack, "R&B."

Ethan, "Tupac or Biggie?"

Jack "Tupac."

Ethan, "Biggie."

Jack, "Summer or Winter?"

Ethan, "Winter."

Jack, "Winter."

Ethan, "Black or White?"

Jack paused. "In terms of...."

Ethan, "I don't know, color, mood, the way you see the world."

Jack, "OK. I would...I want to say white, but it's black. This world is full of darkness."

Ethan, "I'm the opposite; a year ago I would have said black, but it's white now. It gets better."

Jack smiled at that. "1 or 100?"

Ethan, "1"

Jack, "1."

Ethan, "California Coast or Florida Coast?"

Jack, "I've never been to California."

Ethan, "I've never been to Florida."

Jack, "Then...California."

Ethan smiled. "Florida."

Jack, "Sunrise or Sunset?"

Ethan, "Sunrise."

Jack, "Sunrise."

Ethan, "Up or down?"

Jack, "Up."

Ethan, "Up."

Jack, "Top or Bottom?"

Ethan paused. "In terms of...." Jack gave Ethan a sideways knowing look.

Ethan chuckled. "Okaaaay. Top. But I don't mind being on the bottom. I can dominate from any position, especially from the bottom."

Jack laughed loudly, "Say what!? You sir, have control issues."

Ethan laughed. "Answer the question."

Jack said, "Um...verse. I'm pretty equal."

"Nope, this is your game, you have to choose."

"It would depend on the partner, honestly. If I'm with some dominating asshole with control issues-" Jack poked Ethan on the side making him laugh, "I'll be a bottom, no problem. But if I'm with someone who wants to let go, I can take over."

"You really don't have a preference?" Ethan asked curiously.

"I really don't. I can cum either way." He looked at Ethan with his sideways smile and winked.

Ethan's stomach jolted and his dick twitched, thankful for the jeans he was wearing. He quickly turned his eyes back to the road as to not reveal his deepest thoughts. He would give anything at this moment to pull the car over and test that theory but alas, he drove on.

Ethan's turn to ask, "OK. Honest and true love but no sex, or mind blowing, toes curling, multiple orgasms, multiple times a day, but no love at all."

Jack hesitated, then said, "Well since I'm doing the latter, I choose the former."

Ethan's heart sank and his eyes grew wide. "You're...seeing someone?"

"Seeing is a bit of a stretch. It's more like, getting a need met when I need it."

"With who?"

"Um...OK. Yosef. The manager at Shoprite."

Ethan scoffed. "Get the fuck outta here. The Arab uptight dude that barely smiles?" He thought of all the times he sent Jack to the store with a grocery list, wondering how many times he came back with his dick sucked and satiated. Ethan was annoyed now.

"Well he's uptight with me. But he is tight..." He smiled.

Ethan said with more force than he intended, "How the fuck did I not know this!?"

Jack shrugged. "You never asked. And nobody knows. Except June because we tell each other everything. And Liam because he's my best friend and we tell each other everything."

Not everything, Ethan thought, as a fleeting image of them kissing a few weeks back popped in his head. Ethan didn't want to know but he wanted to know so he asked. "So when was the last time?"

"After my birthday gathering in April, I went over there. Birthday sex is kind of our thing."

Ethan's heart lifted just a bit. "That was months ago, why so long?"

Jack shrugged again."Just been busy. Working. Haven't really felt the need to." Jack didn't tell him the real reason - Ethan. "So anyway, right now I'd take the love."

Ethan blurted out, "Well fuck, can I have the sex then!?"

Jack busted out laughing as Ethan turned red with embarrassment of his outburst. He had to reverse course now!, he brain screamed at him. "Nah," Ethan said coolly. "Been there done that. I'd take the love too."

A moment passed in silence. Jack asked, "Boy or girl?"

Ethan, "Boy."

Jack, "Girl."

Ethan, "Pink or blue."

Jack asked, "Not the same question?"

Ethan, "Not the same question."

Jack, "Okay. Blue."

Ethan, "Blue."

Jack, "Pen or Pencil?"

Ethan, "Pen, for permanency."

Jack smiled. "Pencil, for erasing mistakes and starting over."

Ethan smiled. "River or lake?"

Jack, "Lake."

Ethan, "Lake."

Jack, "Left or Right?"

Ethan, "Left."

Jack, "Left."

Ethan, "Obama or Clinton?"

Jack, "Clinton."

Ethan, "Fuck no. Obama!"

Jack, "Clinton is a proven leader."

Ethan, "She's a corporate sheep in liberal clothing."

Jack, "And Obama is inexperienced with no clue how he is going to lead the country."

Ethan, "Did you read his book?"

Jack, "Yes. Both of them. Did you read hers?"

Ethan, "No, I know all I need to know abut the Clintons."

Jack, "It has to be Hillary...." and they continued to discuss politics.

When they finally arrived Jack's mouth dropped open and he looked at Ethan. Ethan shook his head. "Dude. Not my house. Not my money."

They entered a circular driveway of a Georgian English style brick home overlooking the peninsula, easily 7000 square feet. Ethan pulled around to the side of the detached garage and parked in front, then they walked around to the front of the home to ring the doorbell. Almost comically expected, a housekeeper wearing all black with a heavy Spanish accent opened the door.

"Mr. Ethan, Good morning. They are in the family room."

Ethan spoke to her in Spanish, "Gracias Flur, ¿estás lista para la mierda? (Thanks Flur. You ready for the bullshit?)" Flur chuckled a bit, but did not respond.

Jack turned to him. "You speak Spanish?"

Ethan smiled. "Un poco. Just enough to get me by."

Jack followed Ethan down the marbled floor hall to the last room on the left. She opened the double doors to a room of windows and sunlight. Toys of all kinds were scattered about. A mature blonde woman stood up from the nearest couch.

"Ethan, good to see you. We just saw your parents at Mass. You remember Mass don't you?" Mallory Reedlin liked to dig in how Ethan doesn't go to church anymore. Ethan didn't bother to correct her as she came over to kiss his cheek.

"Hello Mallory," he said.

Tim Reedlin was in the chair in the corner reading the paper. "Who's your friend?" he asked accusingly.

"Good to see you, Tim. Pleasure as always. This is my friend, Jack."

Jack said, "hello" to both Mallory and Tim. Instead of acknowledging Jack, he said to Ethan, "So you bought your boyfriend over to rub in our faces, huh?"

Ethan pushed out air through his nose and said, "Jack's not my boyfriend. We're just friends."

Jack said, "It's true, I would know." He smiled.

Mallory laughed out loud. "Oh Tim, stop. It's all water under the bridge now."

EJ's ears perked up at the sound of Jack's voice. He got up from the living room floor and the toy he was playing with and said, "Jack!" He ran over to him. Jack picked him up and gave him a hug.

EJ hung onto Jack's neck as Tim growled, "Not the boyfriend huh?"

"Not the boyfriend, Tim." He turned to Mallory, "Has she been by to see him?"

Mallory looked uncomfortable. "Well, no. But she just started a new job and between that and therapy and her meetings it's hard for her to be here."

Ethan pushed out air through his nose again. "That's not the arrangement. I'm happy for EJ to be here with you but the purpose of him being here a full week is so that she can spend time and actually parent her son. If she's not doing that, why am I doing this?"

"Give her a break, she's doing the best she can," Tim said.

"Well her best is not good enough. She needs to do more. Do better. Or just give me full custody and then I can make arrangements for when she is available."

Tim growled again, "Everything on your terms right? You just want to control her."

Ethan muttered, "Well someone needs to give her structure because obviously...."

Tim barked, "What's that boy!?"

"Nothing, sir. Is his bag ready? Flur, do you mind?"

Flur who was standing by the door anticipating her role said, "Not at all." She left to retrieve his bag.

Mallory touched Ethan's shoulder. "Just give her until next time, I'm sure we can get her to come down."

"Mallory, EJ hasn't laid eyes on his mother in two months. I'm not doing a third month of disappointment. Tell her if she wants to see her son, call me. Or better yet, come up and get him."

He turned around to leave and Jack followed still holding EJ. Tim yelled after him, "You'll be violating a court order! I will call my lawyer."

"Not anymore than she has. Guess who the courts will side with this time."

Ethan met Flur at the front door with EJ's bag. He kissed her cheek as he took it from her. "Gracias."

She said, "De nada."

They got back in Ethan's car and drove another fifteen minutes with EJ in his car seat. They came upon a much less grandiose home, a two story colonial. Again, Ethan parked along the side where the garage was, but this time they walked around to the back of the house, passed the gardens and the pool and came in through the kitchen french doors.

His mother was sitting at the island with her back turned cutting up vegetables. EJ ran inside and grabbed her leg.

"Oh my goodness," Suzanne Starling exclaimed. "Hi Little Ethan, mom-mom can't hug you right now but I will real soon OK? Go say hi to pop-pop."

EJ sang, "Okaaaay!" He ran into the adjacent room.

Ethan came over and kissed her cheek and fluffed her hair. "You highlighted."

"Oh I did that ages ago. You pay no attention to me," she said amusingly.

"Well it looks good today," he and smiled at her. She smiled back, noticing how relaxed he was today, then noticed Jack, standing there with his hands in his jean pockets.

She looked back at Ethan knowingly and asked, "Who's your friend?"

Ethan stepped back. "Mom, this is Jack. He's a really good friend from Rockville. Jack, my mom Suzanne."

Jack said, "It's nice to meet you."

Suzanne did not answer, instead looked at her son again, then at Jack. She wiped her hands on a nearby dishtowel and walked over to shake his hand. After she did, she looked him up and down. "You're adorable." She smiled.

Jack smiled widely despite himself and said, "Thanks."

Suzanne exclaimed, "Oh my, are those dimples?" She reached out and put her finger in one of them, making Jack blush and laugh harder.

"It's really nice to meet you, Jack. Come meet Alan." She looked at Ethan again as she passed him. "Hmmmmm...." she said, smiling at him.

Ethan laughed. "Stop it. We're just friends." She shrugged and walked to the front of the room, followed by Ethan and Jack. Alan was sitting in an armchair watching the Sunday News shows.

"Hey, Dad," Ethan said, and plopped in the armchair next to him, leg hanging over one of the arms of the chair.

"Hey Ethan, just in time." Alan said. He looked over at Jack quizzically and said, "New boyfriend?"

Jack started laughing. Ethan looked exasperated. "Oh my God, why is everyone acting like I can't just have friends?"

Alan raised his hands up. "Hey, I just asked a question, you're the one getting all worked up."

"Uh-huh. Are you trying to convince us or yourselves?" Suzanne said, winking at Jack who laughed again.

Ethan shook his head. "OK, for the fourth time in the last thirty minutes, Jack's not my boyfriend, we're just friends. Tell them, Jack."

"Not the boyfriend. Scouts honor," said Jack.

"See?"

"Although there was that one moment we had..." His voice trailed off.

Ethan looked at him alarmed. "The fuck are you doing?"

Jack busted out laughing again and so did both of his parents. Then EJ laughed and soon they were all laughing.

Jack sat down on the couch and Suzanne sat on the armrest of her husband's chair. "Don't feel bad," he said. "I had the same conversation with my family after you came over that first Sunday."

"Oh your family does Sunday dinner?" Suzanne asked.

"More like a Sunday heavy late lunch, early dinner thing, right after Mass."

"Well you should tell Ethan he's not allowed to come over unless he actually goes to Mass," Alan said.

"Good thing he's going then," said Jack and smiled.

Alan and Suzanne looked at each other, than Suzanne asked her son, "You've gone back to Mass?"

"Yea.. The last three Sundays at least," he said nonchalantly. "Jack kind of persuaded me to go. And it's been fine. You'd like Father O'Donnell, he's a real down to earth guy."

Suzanne turned to Jack. "Thank you for that. Boyfriend or not, you're good for Ethan to be around." She stood up. "You boys hungry from your road trip? I'll make some quick BLT's for you."

Suzanne served them lunch then went back to making Sunday dinner. Alan watched the news with Ethan and Jack, complaining about the state of affairs. By 2pm Suzanne came out of the kitchen. "I'm going to dip in the pool. Anyone else wants to join me? Little Ethan would you like to swim with mom-mom?"

EJ yelled, "yay!"

She turned to Jack. "Jack we have extra swim trunks in the pool shed if you want to join us."

Jack said, "Sure!" He followed Suzanne to the back of the house with EJ in tow.

Ethan talked with his father a bit about the Inn and where they were financially. Then he went out to the pool. It was 90 degrees outside in the late August month and a perfect swim day. His mother was swimming laps on the far side of the pool. EJ was in floaters with Jack on the shallow end who was teaching him how to swim.

Ethan loved how good Jack was with EJ. He found himself admiring Jack's physic now that he was completed unobstructed by clothes. What an amazing body he had, no body fat, just lean and fit, a perfect runner's body. He also found himself thinking about his mother commenting on how adorable Jack is. Ethan agreed. He was pretty much the perfect package, inside and out. But Jack made no indication that he wanted this to go any further than friendship, so he left it alone.

Jack caught Ethan looking at him and teased, "Stop staring at your Not Boyfriend."

Ethan laughed. "I was just thinking about how good you are with EJ." Which wasn't a lie.

"He's cool little dude. Just like his dad." He smiled. Those fucking dimples. Those green eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. Ethan was starting to think he was in trouble.

He tore his eyes away, took his shirt off and went to find swim trunks to join them in the pool. He went to the far end and jumped in. The cool water felt good in his skin. He started swimming with his mother doing laps.

Jack, who was playing with EJ, got distracted watching Ethan swim back and forth. He was long and muscular, even his back muscles were defined, down to his strong calves. Jack had a fleeting image of seeing that same back flex and curve in front of him as he was thrusting from behind, and his dick twitched. Shit, he thought. He pushed the thoughts of sex with Ethan down, as usual and turned away.

Jack put EJ in the round floater tube made for toddlers and stretched out to float in the water face up. Ethan swam over and Jack's eyes were closed. "What's up? You OK?"

Jack murmured, "Um-hum." He was afraid that if he looked at Ethan his eyes would betray him and expose his feelings.

Ethan watched Jack float for a minute then flipped his leg over and Jack fell over face down into the water. Ethan swam away and laughed as Jack reached the surface pretending to scowl.

After two hours or so, they showered, changed back into their clothes and had dinner with Ethan's parents. Afterwards, Ethan took Jack on a tour of the house and the grounds and they talked about his brother in California, his wife Rebecca and their two kids. They were standing by the back fence under the tree when his phone rang. Ethan looked at it, then put it back in his pocket.

"That was mysterious. You can answer it if you want. Or was that the real boyfriend you never told me about?" Jack asked. The sun was setting and the light hit Ethan in a way where his light brown eyes looked almost golden.

Ethan looked at him. "I'm not fucking anybody." He held his gaze, hypnotizing Jack and Jack had to looked away first. "It's just Carlos, my best friend. He knows I'm here. Sometimes he comes up to meet me and we hang out for a bit."

"So why didn't you invite him up to hang out with us?" Jack asked.

"Nah. Not today." Today Ethan just wanted to be with Jack. And Jack smiled internally knowing that Ethan wanted his company alone. They talked a little more about Ethan's friends in the New York that he rarely gets to see since he moved out to Rhode Island.

They got back on the road by 8pm with his parents making Ethan promise to bring Jack back. Jack drove with Ethan behind the music as they agreed. Ethan choose a 90's R&B Pandora station since he knows now that Jack likes it. They were mostly quiet on the way home, and EJ fell asleep quickly. Song after song played making them both feel like the universe was trying to tell them something.

Chemistry was crazy from the get-go/Neither one of us knew why

We didn't build nothing overnight 'cause/ a love like this takes some time...

Jack was thoughtful. For some reason it really bothered him how insistent Ethan was in telling everyone that he wasn't his boyfriend. Jack knows he's not the boyfriend. Ethan knows he's not the boyfriend. But shit, he made it sound like they could never be more than friends, ever. He knew he cared about Ethan, but he didn't realize how much he cared until today. He had to figure out a way to either pull back or make these feelings go away. The last thing he wanted to do was pine for someone who would never see him as more than just a friend.

And if I ever (ever fall) in love again/I will be sure that the lady is a friend...

Ethan was thoughtful as well. He knew he liked Jack and he was definitely physically attracted to him. He just didn't know what to do with those feelings. If he made a move he could be rejected as Jack seems pretty content with just their friendship. Or if they did start something and it ended badly, he would then lose a really great friend and so would EJ. He couldn't risk it. It was easier for him to just fantasize about him rather than act on it. And so he did.

Like a moth to a flame burned by the fire/My love is blind; Can't you see my desire?

He closed his eyes and visualized taking Jack from behind nice and slow, long, deep strokes. Jack's normal voice was pretty even toned with low pitches, so he alternated imaging Jack moaning low and moaning high. He saw himself grabbing Jack by his bedhead hair and licking his neck as he buried his dick in deeper and deeper. It was so real he almost reached out and touched Jack whose hand was on the armrest between them.

Ethan's eyes flew open, he was breathing a little too hard. He glanced at Jack who was concentrating on the road. Ethan leaned back and smiled to himself. He doesn't typically jerk off, but he just might tonight.

~~~~~

Ethan texted Jack: Thanks for taking the ride with me today. I had fun.

Jack texted back: Sure, anytime. I had fun too. Your family is cool.

Ethan texted: It's just that, I don't have a lot of friends. I have the same circle of friends I've had since I was a kid and I keep it small for a reason. I just wanted you to know I value our friendship, a lot.

Jack texted: I know you do, E. I do too.

Ethan: You've become someone I can talk to about anything and I know I won't get judged. I don't let a lot of people in, for a lot of reasons....

Jack: :)

Ethan began to text: But you are someone-

But Jack interrupted with 10 violin emojis: Are you going to give a speech on how important I am to you? Just want to prepare myself for it.

[Ethan's eyes narrowed at his phone] Ethan: You are such an asshole.

[Jack laughed out loud] Jack: LOL

Jack: I'm glad we're friends too.

Ethan: I was just going to say that you are someone in my circle of friends now. I don't let a lot of people in, but I've let you in.