The Experiment

by Grant C. Holland

  Aaron stared back across the table at Jamie, but he was still not convinced. He could easily see a better life for everyone involved but himself. Then he thought about Sylvia growing up in an apartment on the 20th floor without easy access to outdoors. He hung his head for a moment, but he came up smiling. Aaron Austin never ruined life for others out of his own selfish needs. He helped others get what they most needed and wanted.

  Aaron asked, “Did you have a few more apartments for us to see?”

  Jamie pulled out his phone and stared at the screen. He said, “There are three more left. One is close to my building. It might be a little out of Christy’s price range, but I could help them out a little until she gets her feet planted here in the city. I’m sure she could find a job quickly that makes more than she’s earning right now.

  Aaron said, “I’ll take photos of these so Christy will know what the options look like. It will be a lot easier to have the conversation with illustrations handy.” He pushed back from the table and stood up.

  “There’s no rush,” said Jamie. “Are you sure you’re ready to go?”

  “Things move fast here in the city,” said Aaron. “Let’s get back at it. Then maybe we can relax for the evening.”

  Jamie winked and said, “I’m all for that.”

  Aaron thought that what he wanted most was just a nap. He wanted to forget about the tension that was roiling his gut. He wasn’t completely sure what it was all about, and he guessed that maybe a good long nap would take some of it away.

  The next apartment was a little more interesting. It was in a six-flat building, and it was one of the two units on the top floor. Aaron said, “This would be a lot of steps to climb every day.”

  Jamie grinned. “It would keep them both in shape. I don’t see that as a bad thing.”

  The apartment itself had quirky corners and interesting nooks in a few of the rooms. It had more character than what they saw before, but it also had a tiny kitchen and a bathroom that felt like a closet with a toilet. Aaron blurted out, “Would you want to live with a bathroom like this?” Then he was immediately sorry that he asked the question.

  They weren’t talking about Jamie. He could afford to live in exactly the kind of place that he wanted. He had a gorgeous view over the city and a kitchen outfitted with the latest in stove and refrigerator technology.

  Jamie began to reply saying, “I won’t be living…” Then his voice trailed off. He looked back at Aaron and something unspoken passed between them.

  While looking at the last two apartments, they were both more quiet than before. Aaron took photos to share with Christy, but he didn’t comment on the space. The final apartment was just four blocks from Jamie’s building, but it was far enough away to be in an edgy neighborhood, and it was the smallest unit they saw all day. Jamie simply stood and stared out the living room while Aaron took his photos.

  “I’m ready to go back to my place,” said Jamie. “We can talk about all of this with Christy when you get back home.”

  Aaron said, “That sounds like a good idea.” Then he turned to Jamie and offered a hug. They clung to each other as they hugged but both were silent.

  11

  Jamie

  The night was one of the most low-key Jamie and Aaron spent together so far. Jamie could sense that Aaron was wrapped up in thoughts about Christy and Sylvia moving to the city. He was still adamant that he didn’t want to leave Catlett’s Cove himself, but Jamie hoped that might change. There were so many options for all of them in the city.

  Jamie chose not to push the issue, and instead he watched old movies on TV with Aaron. Old black and white movies about monsters and creatures from outer space, or insect plagues that took over the country were favorites of Aaron’s. They snuggled together on the couch while sharing microwave popcorn.

  Aaron murmured, “This is so good. This is perfect.”

  Jamie nodded and said, “It really is.” They both laughed about the giant praying mantis on the screen, and then Jamie asked, “Is there any possibility you can stay over Sunday night? You don’t go to work until noon, right? That’s plenty of time to drive back to the Cove.”

  Aaron leaned his head back and looked up at Jamie. He said, “I might be able to be convinced.”

  Jamie held him tighter. “What would push you over the edge? How about dinner out tomorrow night?”

  “With a handsome man?” asked Aaron.

  “I might be able to arrange that,” said Jamie. “I just think today was pretty stressful with the apartment stuff and all. Tomorrow we could just have the time to ourselves.”

  Aaron gave his ass a wiggle against Jamie and then leaned as far back as he could to kiss the side of Jamie’s neck. He said, “Okay, I’m convinced, but only if we get to sleep in tomorrow. I don’t get up early on weekend mornings.”

  Jamie rubbed Aaron’s belly. He said, “You can sleep as late as you want, and then I’ll even make breakfast for us.”

  Aaron shook his head no.

  “No?” asked Jamie.

  “Brunch,” said Aaron. “I insist on brunch.”

  * * *

  At 9:30 a.m. Aaron was sprawled flat on his back sound asleep. He often looked serious with his glasses on, but lying in Jamie’s bed, glasses off and comfortably sleeping with his arms and legs both spread to his sides, there was something about Aaron that drove Jamie crazy.

  It didn’t help matters that the sheet was pushed down to Aaron’s waist, and Jamie could see a small tent indicating morning wood. He wanted to touch Aaron’s body. He wanted to kiss Aaron’s lips. He wanted to whisper Aaron’s name in his ear. It was excruciating to just let him lie there.

  Jamie tugged on a pair of silk boxers and slipped out of the room to stare out at the city from the living room windows. Throngs of people were already out stretching their legs with walks past clothing boutiques and specialty restaurants. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was out, and it was neither hot nor cold. The temperature was expected to hover in the low 70s all day long. Maybe a walk after brunch with Aaron would be in order.

  Jamie returned to the bedroom, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He carefully climbed on to the edge of the bed, and, in his best Prince Charming manner, he kissed the Sleeping Beauty in his bed. It wasn’t just a quick peck. It was a kiss designed to wake the comatose.

  For a moment, Jamie was worried that Aaron would continue to lie sound asleep oblivious to Jamie’s amorous efforts, but then suddenly those long thin arms wrapped tight around his body. Aaron parted his lips and kissed Jamie hard. Then he whispered, “I wondered how long it was going to take.”

  Jamie grumbled, “You said not to wake you up.”

  Aaron said, “I’ve been awake for half an hour. How about something quick to start the day? Then I’ll be starving.”

  Without another word, Jamie slowly peeled back the sheet to reveal Aaron’s fully naked body. He slipped down between Aaron’s legs and kissed the head of Aaron’s already stiff cock before taking it into his mouth.

  Jamie wrapped his fingers tight around the base of Aaron’s cock while he licked and sucked the head. Soon Aaron was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling while his back arched upward and he balled the sheet up in his fists.

  When he sensed that Aaron was at the edge of an explosive orgasm, Jamie stopped. He held the head in his warm, wet mouth and kept his fingers wrapped tight around the base of Aaron’s cock, but the movement stopped.

  Aaron pounded the bed with his open hands, “No, don’t stop!”

  Jamie started up again and Aaron pushed his head back hard against the pillow moaning, “Oh man, that’s so good! So so good!”

  Jamie stopped three more times before he pushed Aaron over the edge. Each time Aaron’s shouts grew louder and more feverish. Jamie whispered, “It only makes it better in the end.”

  Jamie gulped and swallowed hard when he finally pushed Aaron over the edge. He grinned when the load was so big that some of it oozed out of the corners
of his mouth.

  “Starving now?” asked Jamie with a grin.

  Aaron growled, “Fuck, give me a kiss. You drive me insane.”

  Sliding up along Aaron’s long, slim body, Jamie knew that Aaron was the one. He didn’t ever want to be separated again. He wanted Aaron in his bed forever.

  They kissed, and then Aaron asked, “Do we really need to get out of bed today?”

  Jamie laughed and said, “We have a great day ahead, and that will make it feel even better when we climb back between the sheets tonight.

  Aaron sighed and said, “Well I guess you’ve got a point there. What’s on the agenda?”

  “I thought a shower, and then brunch. There’s a cute little cafe just a block away. Then I thought about going for a walk, a nice dinner tonight, and whatever we wanted to do after.”

  Aaron stared into Jamie’s eyes and said, “You mean sex. I know when you mean sex.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” asked Jamie.

  Aaron chuckled from deep in his chest. He said, “You would be really confused right now if I said that it was, wouldn’t you?”

  Jamie gave his chest a slap and said, “Yes, I would be, and you had better not say something like that.”

  Aaron grinned with a smile that made Jamie feel like he was melting. Then he said, “It’s a perfect thing. Sex with you is as close as this world gets to perfect, Jamie. I’m serious about that. It’s a little bit of heaven right here on earth.”

  “Are you sure you don’t say that to all of the guys?” asked Jamie.

  “I’ve never said that to another guy.”

  * * *

  While he waited for Aaron to finish getting dressed, Jamie thought about the future of their relationship. He knew they were moving quickly, but everything with Aaron just felt right. In his long string of short relationships and even one-night stands, Jamie never felt anything like the attraction, emotion, and pure lust that surged back and forth with Aaron.

  Both were dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, and button-up plaid shirts, but Jamie thought they looked perfect together. Aaron was taller and thinner, while Jamie was proud to wear clothes that fit just tight enough to show off the body that he developed through hard work in the gym.

  Aaron said, “I am starving. I hope this brunch place puts together a real meal. I won’t make it on a mimosa and a tiny danish.”

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Hollow Leg, they do solid midwestern eggs, bacon, sausage, omelets, and pancakes. But they make a mean mimosa, too.”

  Within five minutes at Clete’s Place, an upscale diner run by a married gay couple, and heavily frequented by the local LGBTQ community, Jamie met three previous acquaintances and proudly introduced Aaron to all of them. Aaron whispered in his ear, “You’re almost like a celebrity here.”

  Jamie laughed and said, “That’s because I eat here too often.”

  Jamie wondered if Aaron’s eyes were bigger than his stomach when he ordered his food, but then he watched in awe as Aaron wolfed down a three-egg omelet, hash browns, two sausage patties, and finished half of one of Jamie’s pancakes. Aaron said, “You were right about the food here. I’m actually full.”

  “Where did it all go?” asked Jamie. “Are you sure you aren’t feeding a dog under the table?”

  For a walk after brunch, Jamie led the way to a neighborhood on the edge of downtown that was still populated with wood-frame houses and solidly middle-class families. The neighborhood was stable, and houses rarely came up for sale. When they did, they disappeared from the market usually within a few days, sometimes just hours. Despite the slow turnover, the neighborhood became more and more diverse through the years and was now noted as one of the city’s showcases of ethnic and social diversity.

  Aaron said, “It almost feels like a small town.” He asked, “Is there a school in this neighborhood?”

  Jamie nodded yes, and he said, “It’s recognized as one of the best elementary schools in the city. The high school has struggled more. It is larger and brings in students from other parts of the city while many of the kids that live here go to private high schools.”

  Aaron smiled as he watched a male couple walk by sporting wedding rings and holding the hands of a girl between them that he guessed might be eight years old. She skipped happily along, and they nearly broke into a jog to keep up with her.

  “Why didn’t you move here, Jamie?” asked Aaron.

  Jamie said, “I checked and there was nothing available. I guess I sort of like the impact of my place right downtown. It really feels like the city to me.”

  * * *

  Late in the afternoon as they cleaned off any city grit from their walk, Jamie picked out a pale grey sport jacket from his closet to wear to dinner. He thought clean, crisp, new-looking blue jeans were appropriate, but fellow diners would appreciate the uptick in appearance provided by a jacket. When Aaron emerged from the bathroom, Jamie offered him a jacket in charcoal.

  “A jacket? Really?” asked Aaron.

  Jamie said, “It’s not required, but it is an upscale place. I think this would look great on you.”

  Aaron said, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.

  He pulled on the jacket, and Jamie walked in a circle slowly assessing the appearance. It definitely looked different on Aaron, but he thought it would work. The jacket fit well around Aaron’s chest even though Aaron was taller than Jamie. He had a broader angular frame which took up the slack left over from the difference in muscle.

  Aaron held up his arms, and the sleeves slid back exposing nearly half of Aaron’s forearms. He said, “This might be a problem.”

  Jamie grinned and said, “It looks okay with your arms down, though. Just don’t go reaching for things, and it will all work out fine.”

  In contrast to the day that came before, dinner seemed to expose one awkward difference between Jamie and Aaron after another. At first, Aaron was good-natured when he asked why Jamie was so concerned about proper etiquette and appearance, but the soft chuckles were eventually replaced by frowns and sighs.

  As they ate the last bites of their New York strip steaks in silence, Jamie said, “You’re not having much fun are you?”

  Aaron made a show of looking around and turning his head. He asked, “Really? Does it show?”

  “We can go right now if you want to. I thought we might stay for dessert, but that’s not necessary.”

  “Is there anywhere we can get ice cream on the way back to your place?” asked Aaron.

  Jamie grinned and said, “If we take a short detour, there’s a little stand with soft serve cones, sundaes and shakes.”

  Aaron smiled for the first time in half an hour. He said, “That sounds perfect.”

  Jamie told the server that they needed to leave urgently and speeded up the delivery of their check. He left a generous tip and smiled thinking that he was in the process of salvaging the best part of the night. It would happen when they returned home, but then the misfortunes of the dinner reached a climax.

  The white-clothed tables in the restaurant were packed just a little too tightly to make movement between them an easy process. Jamie followed behind Aaron as they zig-zagged their way through the maze heading for the door. Jamie saw the disaster about to take place just seconds before it occurred.

  He reached out for Aaron’s collar to try and pull him back. A server carrying a tray loaded with three entrees took one step backward to improve his angle for delivering food to the table on his right. Unfortunately, Aaron was just half a step behind and never saw the server coming.

  They collided sending the server face forward into the lap of a burly middle-aged man while Aaron fell backward between an older lady and gentleman landing flat on his back in the middle of their table. Meanwhile the tray laden with food crashed to the floor sending bits of sauce, green beans, and corn kernels flying in all directions across four different tables.

  Jamie stood rooted to his position in utter shock. Aaron struggled to his feet with the charcoal gray suit s
plattered with chunks of tomato from a rustic pasta sauce and the jus from a plate of seared steak. Jamie nervously asked, “Are you okay,” while a hubbub of voices quickly spread through the restaurant and servers rushed to the scene to figure out what they could do to quiet the crowd.

  Aaron looked at Jamie, who managed to emerge relatively unscathed. He had a small deep red wine stain on one lapel, but he missed the rest of the airborne food and beverages.

  Jamie stared back helplessly, and then, instead of answering the question, Aaron began to laugh. It wasn’t a giggle, and it wasn’t a conversational laugh. It was a deep, masculine belly laugh just short of a lion’s roar. And it was contagious. Soon the entire room was laughing, including servers and the otherwise grim-faced host.

  In the moments of chaos and laughter, Jamie felt something toward Aaron that he’d never experienced before. He decided that it was love.

  12

  Aaron

  “Seriously, you’ll come again this weekend?” Jamie sounded completely incredulous on the phone, but Aaron was still in recovery mode from the hard work on his app, and Christy’s ex, Ethan, was staying away from the apartment complex. There was no particular reason why he couldn’t skip town again for the weekend other than the slight dressing down he would receive from his friends for being absent from another Friday night at Catlett’s Cove’s Blue Goose bar.

  When he was halfway between his own place and Jamie’s, Aaron received a phone call. He gave the phone a one-button punch to answer. It was Jamie saying, “I can’t wait for you to get here.”

  Aaron smiled and said, “And there’s something I should know before I arrive.”

  Jamie grumbled, “How do you always figure that out?”

  “It’s a sixth sense, Jamie. I’ve asked the Ouija board about you, too.”

  “And what did it say?” asked Jamie.

  “Yes,” replied Aaron.