Always and Forever

by Jerry Cole

  “Mom, we’re grown and have our own homes.” Mallory’s voice was dry even though her eyes were shining.

  “You will always be my babies. Are you coming over for dinner on Sunday?” I loved how happy she always sounded when we spoke. Mom spent a few years raising us on her own after my father’s death before she met my stepdad, and times were tough. She always kept us happy.

  “Of course.” We all stayed in Colorado, and Mom was just over in Aurora living in the country. “Five, Right?” I sipped my coffee, and she agreed. They moved in with her mother-in-law a month ago since she was having some trouble getting around and we went early to help out.

  “Yes. Nana is helping me make her lasagna.”

  “Perfect.” Mallory loved that dish, and Mom knew it. “I’ll bring that fruit cake that goes so good with it.”

  “Now I’ll need to go to the gym again,” I groaned, sticking my tongue out at my sister.

  “Micah is going on a date, Mama.” I rolled my eyes.

  “I might if I hear from him. Slow down, Mal.” She was always happy to overshare when nothing was going on.

  “Who is it? Bring him to dinner.” Mom sounded excited, and I glared at my sister.

  “Let me go out with him, at least, Mom. I don’t even know if it will pan out.”

  “It would be nice to see you move on after Trey.” Mom was another hater, and Mallory nodded.

  “Well, we just met, and I don’t know what will happen. He’s hot, though, and smart. I can have a conversation with him and look into his pretty face.” Mom laughed, and Mallory pretended to gag.

  We talked for a bit longer and got back to work. I kept looking at my phone and wondered if and when he was going to call. I played back the night before and smiled at the memory. Mallory stood to get more coffee and glanced at me, staring at the phone. “Should I give you some privacy?”

  “No. It’s work time. I can deal with that later.” I accepted the cup from her and sipped it gratefully. I didn’t know how to go about dating since Trey was the one that approached me. We fell right into a relationship, and I committed myself to it for a year. I’m not stupid, and I knew that it wasn’t without its problems, but I was far past meeting guys and dating. The way we ended happened so quickly that I didn’t know what to do. Friends told me how easy it would be to hook up with someone at the bar, but I needed more than that. I might only be twenty-four, but I didn’t want to sleep around.

  We worked through the afternoon and took a break for lunch. We ordered salads to be delivered and ate them in front of the TV, chatting about our projects. Mallory was feeling good about her new job and the chance to work from home. I was happy to encourage her and see how far she could take her creativity.

  She left to have dinner with her best friend, Trista, and I closed the laptop for the day. I wasn’t hungry, so I sat on the couch and stared at my phone for a long moment. “Jesus fucking Christ. Stop acting like a teenager.” I wanted this guy to call me more than I wanted anything before this. I considered the idea of introducing someone good to my family, someone other than Trey. He seemed great at first, but it was apparent that he drifted early on. I just stuck around until the bitter end.

  I plugged my phone into the charger that evening and turned on a favorite movie. I grabbed a beer and drank it on the couch with the window open, letting in the fresh air. I thought back to the time I spent here with Trey. We kept our places for the entire relationship, splitting time between each when we did see each other. He was a bartender at one of the popular bars in the city where we met and worked a lot of late nights away from me. When we were together, we tried to make it special. At least I thought so. He ended up meeting someone else along the way, and from what I heard, they had been involved for a while.

  I leaned back and closed my eyes, wondering if I wanted to go down this path.

  I woke up in the morning, curled up on the couch. I was glad it was comfortable as I stretched out and eased the ache in my muscles. I looked at the window and realized that it was dawn. It was the perfect time to go for a run, and I rose to walk into my bedroom.

  I washed up and pulled on shorts and a light sweatshirt before grabbing the running shoes from the closet. I laced them up and shoved my phone into my pocket. I stepped outside and inserted an earbud in before connecting the wire to my phone. I turned on a rock station with my Sirius app, heading down the path that led through the forest to a park on the other side of town.

  The music played in my ear as I ran steadily over the path. The sun was rising, and the light was soft on the trees around me. I thought about the good things in my life: my mom and my sister. I had a good job that provided me freedom while paying well. Everything was good.

  I jumped when the phone vibrated in my pocket and slowed down, taking deep breaths. I slipped the phone from my deep pocket and saw that Keller was calling me. “Hey there.”

  “Are you okay? Did I wake you?” He asked as I laughed.

  “No. I’m out for a run.” I took a long drink of water from my bottle and leaned against a tree.

  “Wow. I’m impressed.” He sounded happy, and I focused on the smooth whiskey tone of his voice, picturing his face. “I got up early to write and thought you might want to get some coffee with me.”

  “That sounds perfect. I am near Van Wells Park right now, and I think there’s a cafe a few blocks away.” I couldn’t think of the name and imagined it in my mind.

  “Cafe Loria. I know it. I’m close by, and they have amazing coffee. How does twenty minutes sound?” I felt tingles over my skin as I imagined seeing him again.

  “That’s great if you don’t mind a sweaty mess. I’ve been running for a while.” I offered, and he chuckled on the other end.

  “I think you mean a hot, sweaty mess.” My cock hardened and I looked around for a quick moment. “I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Yeah.” We ended the call, and I finished the water before taking off. I smiled as I picked up my speed, needing to be there as soon as possible. The sun was well above the horizon now, and I noticed people on the streets as I turned left.

  It was a gorgeous day.

  I saw the cafe ahead and slowed to a walk, letting the cool air wash over my skin. My phone vibrated again, and I reached for it to see that it was Mallory messaging me. I replied and told her that I was meeting Keller for coffee after a run. She demanded that I come over when I finished, preferably with food. I laughed and pocketed the phone before walking into the cafe. I searched the small room and didn’t see Keller yet. I took a seat at a table in the corner by the window, watching as people walked toward the door. My heart beat faster as I saw him push the glass door open and look around.

  “What would you like?” He grinned as he walked over, and I took in his worn jeans and fitted blue Henley.

  “An iced latte and water would be great. Thank you.” Keller nodded and walked to the counter, placing the order as I watched. He was hot as hell, and I knew that I wanted something with this man. When he turned around with a tray a couple of minutes later, he smiled as he caught me watching him. I blushed and looked down as my lips curled into a grin.

  Keller settled at the table, and we got the drinks organized. He sipped his steaming coffee and looked at me before smiling again. “I thought it might be too early to call. A lot of freelancers choose to work at night and sleep in. I’ve always been a morning person.”

  “I woke up early today and decided to run. I prefer to work in the morning as well, though. My sister comes over a lot, and we work together over coffee and breakfast.” I smiled as his face brightened up.

  “You’re close to her?” He asked, and I nodded.

  “Very close. She’s two years younger than I am, and I helped raise Mallory. Mom was an artist, and there was a period after losing my dad and getting remarried that she needed help. It was the three of us against the world.” I felt a pang of emotion as I thought back to those times.

  “Lost your dad?” Keller echoed, an
d I nodded.

  “Car accident when I was eight. He didn’t leave a lot of money behind being your average working parents. Mom had to work, and I sort of fell into his role. She married my stepdad when I was sixteen, and he’s great. Rick is good for her.” Keller sipped his coffee, and I stared at him. “You sound good for your family as well.”

  “The kids are great. They’re sixteen and so headstrong. Evelyn needs a hand and seems to think they listen to me more.” He laughed, and I joined in, remembering when Mallory was that age. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I like feeling like I’m helping them.”

  We talked about the article that he was writing about my band, and he seemed pleased with it so far. He told me about some other groups he was going to see and interview, asking me if I went to see other bands. “Yeah. I love music, and a lot of those guys are friends of mine. I’ll go anytime with you.”

  “Perfect. That would be a lot of fun.” We smiled, and our eyes locked for a long moment as warmth washed through me. He told me about California and the beaches he lived close to, making me wish I were closer to a nice beach. Colorado was gorgeous and offered a lot of activities, but I wanted to see the waves now. We talked for two hours, and each refilled our coffee once to stay longer.

  When we finally decided to leave, Keller led me to the door. When we walked outside, he looked at me and opened his mouth to say something. He closed his mouth again, and I smiled.

  “What is it?” I pressed as he shook his head.

  “I want to have dinner with you tonight. Can we do that?” He looked at me with hopeful eyes, and I nodded. I thought about the dinner with Mom the following evening but pushed that thought out of my mind. It was way too soon for that. “Great. Text me your address, and I’ll pick you up at six.”

  “That sounds great.” We smiled at each other for a long time, and he leaned up to kiss my cheek.

  “Later.” Keller turned to walk to his car, and I grinned as I watched him. I decided to run through town to get home, remembering to grab some coffee and one of Mallory’s favorite breakfast sandwiches along the way. I walked the rest of the way and unlocked my door before calling her. I headed back to the bathroom and knew she’d be over in a minute. I needed a quick shower and jumped in for a moment to rinse off.

  I pulled on clean shorts and a t-shirt to return to the kitchen, finding my sister happily munching on her breakfast. “Good?” I asked as I headed to the fridge for some water.

  “So good. How was the date?” She asked as I rolled my eyes

  “It was coffee. It was great.” I smiled and looked at her. “We’re going to dinner tonight.” She clapped her hands, and I bowed. I told her how he asked about seeing live music, and she knew how much I enjoyed that. It got me through my childhood and the pain of losing Dad.

  “He sounds perfect for you. Can I be here when he picks you up?” Mallory asked as I gaped at her.

  “Are you going to give me a curfew too, Mom?”

  “Hell no. I just don't want to hear anything through a shared wall.” Mallory wrinkled her nose, and I laughed at her.

  “I don’t want to jump into this as I did with Trey.” Our chemistry when we met was off the charts, but it didn’t develop into anything. I felt a lot for Keller, but it was something more than lust. We enjoyed the same things and got along. We could build something on friendship and go from there.

  “There is nothing wrong with a little attraction.” Mallory smiled at me, and I nodded.

  “This is…more.” She smiled, and I tried to find the words to describe how I was feeling.

  We decided to work for a while through lunch, and I approved Mallory’s project before she sent it along. I knew it was a great beginning to her career and offered to buy lunch a few hours later. She agreed, and we enjoyed Thai noodles in town as we watched people pass by the windows.

  Chapter Four

  Micah

  I wasn’t sure where we were going for dinner and I stood in front of my closet for a few minutes, staring inside. I decided to wear some black slacks, black work boots, and a button-up shirt in a deep charcoal color. It was dressy enough for a good restaurant as well as casual enough for somewhere else. Keller seemed like he’d tell me if it was anything more than that before the date.

  I was finishing up when I heard my door open, grinning as I looked in the mirror. “Mal, is that you?”

  “Of course. It’s almost time, isn’t it?” I looked at my phone on the counter and shook my head. I had ten minutes until he should be here.

  “Did you invite Mom over, too?” I teased her as she laughed at me.

  “I don’t doubt that she’d be here but taking care of Olivia is keeping her busy. It will be nice to be there to help out tomorrow.” I walked into the living room, and she pressed a hand to her heart. “You look great. He’s going to lose his mind.”

  The doorbell rang, and she smiled. I nodded, and Mallory went to answer the door, smiling as Keller walked in wearing something similar. “You must be the sister.” Keller grinned, and I could see how taken she was by him in her smile.

  “Mallory. It’s great to meet you.” He shook her hand, and I felt them connect from across the room. “I live next door, so it’s easy to pop in and out.”

  “That’s convenient.” Keller smiled and gazed at me. “Do you like Mexican food? There’s this great place my sisters showed me.”

  “Love it.” That was what we ate a lot of growing up, thanks to the neighbors. I even knew how to cook some, but I didn’t do it often.

  “Perfect. I hope you love it as much as I do.” He chatted with Mallory briefly, and we left the house as I told her to lock up for me. Keller led me to the silver car, which turned out to be a newer Accord, opening the door for me. Once he was inside, he started the engine, and we headed to the edge of town. “Was she there to check me out?” Keller asked, and I knew he was referring to Mallory.

  “Yes. Hell, yes. I think she gets more excited about things than I sometimes do.” I smiled. “She means well.”

  “I saw that. She’s compassionate.” Keller turned right, and I looked ahead as we drove to a part of town I had not been to. There were a couple of strip malls and restaurants, and I observed the small building that we parked near. “It’s a bit of a dive but completely authentic. I love that.” Keller turned toward me with a smile.

  “That sounds perfect.” Trey was into the fancy restaurants around town, and it took me a while before I understood that he liked to be seen around town. At first, I was flattered that he was with me but saw how on the surface everything was. I lost all track of my thoughts as Keller kissed me softly, and I reached out to grip his neck. I pulled him closer, and we both moved to deepen the kiss, moaning in sync as our tongues danced together. It almost made me want to skip dinner, but he reluctantly pulled away to stare at me.

  “Dinner. More of this later. Much more of this.” He sighed and got out of the car as I waited for him to come around to my side. Keller opened the door for me and I got out, smiling as he took my hand once the car was secured. He led me to the door and opened it for me, smiling, as a man rushed across the cozy room.

  “Keller. Good to see you.” He had a heavily accented voice, and I guess that he was on the older side, despite his appearance. Places like this were around for a long time and usually family owned.

  “You too, Miguel. This is Micah, and it’s his first time here.” I shook his hand as the man beamed at me, following him across the floor to a booth in the corner. A few other people were dining in the restaurant, and I glanced at their food as my stomach growled. We sat down, and he asked what we’d like to drink, and we both asked for water. I lifted the menu and read through it, finding it smaller than most places. It had plenty of tempting entrees to choose from, and I selected a burrito covered with two kinds of sauces.

  “Good choice,” Keller assured me as I smiled.

  “This is a dangerous way for a freelancer to live. This food is great, and we sit a lot on t
he job.” I laughed as he smiled, lifting my water glass for a toast.

  “Hence the run this morning. You look good, Micah. I think you probably know that from life in the band.” He spoke without jealousy, and I blushed.

  “That attention is rarely returned. Many of the fans aren’t my type.” He smiled knowingly, and I tilted my head with a grin in return. “You caught me off guard that night.”

  “I felt like I was lucky to get an interview with you. This is incredible.” He waved a hand between us, and I nodded. Our dinners came, and we dug in, both groaning from the taste.

  “I think I found a new place. I need to bring the family here.” I took another bite, enjoying the subtle spice of the sauce.

  “We come here a lot for family dinners when we have the chance.” He smiled and picked up his taco. We chatted through the rest of the meal, and I liked Keller more with every layer he revealed to me. When we finished, he asked if I wanted to get some coffee and I agreed.

  There was a current of electricity flowing between us as we talked closely at the table. I knew Keller felt it and watched as he covered my hand with his. “They’re closing soon, but I don’t want this night to end, Micah.”

  “Let’s go to my place,” I suggested, and his eyes darkened. We rose and walked to the car. He hurried to get us inside and started the engine.

  “I don’t do this with just anybody,” he told me as I smiled in the light from the streetlamp.

  “I know that. I was going to tell you the same thing since I know people out there talk. Being in a band leads to a lot of gossip.” We drove down the street, and he let out a sigh of relief. “Much of it isn’t true.”

  “I know that. People talk a lot when they want a specific person, and I know that a lot is said out of jealousy or some other emotion. That’s why I wanted to sit down and talk with you over assuming anything.” He smiled, and I raised a brow at him. This guy was incredible.

  “You’re different than anyone that I’ve met before,” I murmured as he laughed. We made it back to my place within a few minutes, and he parked beside my car. I looked next door to see the lights on in the living room and grabbed his hand. “She gives me some privacy.” We walked to my door, unlocking it quickly so we could get inside. “Thank you for everything tonight.”