Chapter 16 - JayceNamid

Chapter 16

Jayce

My breath catches in my lungs as I step out of the bathroom to the vision of Namid pulling a deep-blue V-neck cashmere sweater over his head. The patterns on his chest and belly swirl brightly; they always do these days. He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen, and my chest aches at the fact I get to call him mine. He smiles and ghosts his lips across my cheek as he walks past me and into the bathroom I've just vacated to fix his hair. He still keeps the sides shaved tight, but the raven-black tresses on top are longer than they were when we first met. He usually lets them fall wildly free, and it takes him a few moments to actively convince them to behave when he wants them to.

We spent the day lazily wandering around the neighborhood and lounging in the window seats in one another's arms as we read books from the condo's large collection. When I told him I'd made plans for this evening, we'd both felt like some downtime beforehand would be nice. When he'd asked what we were going to do and I told him it was a surprise, he'd simply grinned and said okay. The way he trusts without reservation that I'll consider his needs, the way he trusts me to care for him, always astonishes me.

I pull on the black jeans that I still think are too tight. I've never owned skinny jeans before, but Namid looks so delicious in them that I ordered a pair online to surprise him when he'd agreed to come on this trip with me. I know he won't take long with his hair, so I hurry as I button the cream and white plaid that Ken told me looked both modern and fancy yet still somehow like me. I'm still working the top button when he steps back into the room.

"Jesus, Jayce." His face lights up as I spin in a slow circle, warmed by the way he's looking at me with enough love and lust that I'm afraid we may not end up leaving the apartment.

"You like?"

He crosses the room as I spin, and his fingers reach out to trail down my chest.

"You look unbelievable." He nearly growls as he raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure we can't just stay here tonight?"

I can't help the laugh that explodes out of me at the fact I'd just been thinking he might say that very thing.

"I'm very, very sure. I put a lot of work into tonight. "

"Still a secret?" He cocks his head to the side, his hair staying largely in place as he does.

"Yep." I pop the P for emphasis.

"Let's do it then." While he offers his hand, palm up, an indication that he's ready for us to head out, his leering smile and suggestive tone are clearly meant to hold two meanings.

It's a twenty-minute drive to the Space Needle parking lot, and Namid's clearly growing concerned as we head into the city center and park at one of the busiest tourist attractions in town. I know he trusts me, but I'm sure this doesn't make any sense to him yet.

Our hands link as soon as we're at one another's sides, and I lead him toward the entrance.

"Jayce." He stops us, confusion written across his face.

"I'm taking you to dinner. I've never gotten to take you on a romantic restaurant date the way most folks can."

"Jayce. All of our dates are romantic to me. Every breakfast and coffee we've ever had, our dinners at home together, the first date you ever set up for me at the shop. Hell, even when we walked around the park together when we first met. Our dates were romantic for me before you even realized they were dates."

"I know, beautiful. They are for me too." I lean in to taste his lips tenderly. "But let me do this."

"Jayce, I really want to, but you know restaurants are hard for me. "

I kiss him again and again. Small, light pecks that travel from his lips along his cheekbone and forehead.

"You really need to trust me."

His exasperated snort is almost hysterical. I know that he trusts me, and I know that he knows that I know.

I grin at his fake glare and tighten my hand in his as I drag him to the entrance.

A single security guard stands in the empty lobby beside the elevator.

"Good evening, sirs." He nods quickly as he presses the elevator button.

"Good evening," we reply at the same time, my voice chipper and struggling to contain my excitement, Namid's a bit warier.

His voice is laced with suspicion as we ride to the Sky Lounge on the top floor. "Why do I feel like there are only…five people in this entire building?"

For the life of me, I can't rein in my smile. It's probably wide enough that it's borderline creepy at this point.

"Jayce…What did you do?"

I'm saved by the ding as the elevator opens, and an elegant grey-haired man greets us with a kind smile and leads us to a table. We're the only ones here.

The Sky Lounge is one of the most popular and high-end restaurants in the city. It's located at the top of the Space Needle and takes up the entire floor just below the observation deck. It's walled entirely by windows, and they serve five-course, Michelin-star gourmet meals and have an extensive wine collection, in addition to keeping one of the city's hottest bartenders on staff. It can take more than a year to get reservations.

Namid is both trying to glare at me and repress his blinding smile as we settle in at the table and the grey-haired gentleman walks away.

"What did you do?" he repeats, almost laughing through hissed teeth.

I reach across the table, and he lays his palm against mine without hesitation.

"Jordyn saved our whole lives. He never used any of it. He never got the chance. He never found anyone worth spending it on. I never thought I would either. While I'm not some millionaire who can buy out the city's hottest restaurant with two weeks' notice very often, this matters to me. Giving you this matters to me."

The tears that threaten to fall from the corners of his eyes make the indigo sparkle like lapis in the golden sunset light that streams in through the windows surrounding us.

He shakes his head with a long, deliberate, laughing exhale as he squeezes my hand.

"I shall only allow such a ridiculous gesture once a year at most."

"Done."

His eyes are my world as his gaze holds mine across the table, his fingers strong and warm in my hand. I could stare into them until the world stopped spinning, and I'd never even notice that anything around us had changed .

The sound of a throat clearing shakes me from my revelry.

"Champagne, sirs?" a smiling server with wild teal hair and eyebrow piercings asks in an amused tone. His gaze is soft as he watches us, clearly approving of whatever it is he can see flowing between us.

Dinner is long and leisurely, and we laugh and talk and make exaggerated, nearly sexual moans as we move through course after course and finish the bottle of champagne. There are only five people on staff tonight, and Namid tells me that every one of them is radiating joy and happiness. Maybe they're simply happy to have such a relaxed evening with only one table to cook for and serve, but I like to think it's because they can see what Namid and I have together. I like to think that they can see how in love we are and that they find joy in that. I've spent my whole life hiding who I am, so afraid that I'd never find love. So afraid that no one would accept me for who I am, but Namid accepts all of me. These people here tonight, Max and the other two gallery owners, everyone we've encountered at bakeries and bars on this trip have accepted us together without question. I know that's not really how the world is. I know there are many people who won't like seeing us together, but this week has been a gift, a glimpse of the future we can have together. I never want to let it go, and I know that I'm going to hold onto Namid for the rest of my life.