Jared shook his head. “I should be thanking you. I get to spend a marvelous evening with you while getting to know you even better than before.”
Stephen chuckled. “I know, right? Hanging out as best friends and going out on a date are two very different things. The feelings will be similar, but at the same time, the level of intimacy involved will make those two occasions very distinct from each other.”
“I agree. So, you like dates like this?”
Stephen was a little embarrassed by the question, but he nodded anyway. “I do.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. What kind of man or woman are you into?”
Stephen was taken aback by that. “What do you mean?”
Jared blushed. “Well, I’m curious about the type of man or woman you see yourself settling down with someday. Permanently.”
Stephen almost choked on the pastry he was eating at the moment. He knew Jared could be really forward, but his best friend had never directed a question like that his way. Besides, the two of them were out on a date. Jared should have known the man Stephen wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Stupid Jared! Stephen guessed Jared was being mischievous as usual, so he decided to have a little fun himself.
“Well, I like someone I can be myself with. Like a best friend. Preferably someone who doesn’t mind or care about the fact that I used to have so much sex with many people in the past.”
Jared nodded. “Cool. What about physical attributes?”
Stephen smirked. “Someone around my height and weight. I like someone with a firm, muscled, hard stomach.”
Jared’s eyes widened. “Well, that’s…that’s really specific. I’m sure there are quite a few men out there who can fulfill your criteria. I don’t know many tall and muscular women who weigh more than two hundred pounds, though.”
Stephen almost rolled his eyes. Jared was taking this game a little too far.
“Forget about that. Let’s talk about something else.”
“All right.”
For the next hour or so, the two of them talked about their hobbies, favorite movies, and other things of that nature. Stephen noticed Jared seemed to be questioning him in a rather intense manner, but he chalked it up to the shift in their relationship from being best friend to dating each other. He wasn’t surprised that his and Jared’s responses matched with one another for the most part. They were best friends after all. They liked a lot of the same things. Regardless, by the time they left the restaurant, Stephen was certain he knew Jared better than before.
Their relationship grew deeper, too, and he couldn’t wait for their next date. Jared promised they would go out on another date soon, and Stephen was all for it. He was already envisioning going out on double dates with Dexter and Isaac. Moreover, he was also thinking about moving in together with Jared someday. That would be so perfect. Falling in love with his best friend was a beautiful thing indeed, and judging by the number of questions Jared had for him, his feeling must be reciprocated. He was all giddy inside now. He might even find it hard to fall asleep later that evening, but that was okay. He and Jared were dating now. For real. It was worth it.
Chapter 6
“Why are you two laughing?” Jared asked Dexter and Isaac in irritation. “I’m at my wit’s end here, and I’ve invited you both out for lunch so you can help me.”
“You look exhausted,” Isaac said before leaning his head against the side of Dexter’s arm.
Jared thought Dexter and Isaac were really cute together, but he wasn’t in the mood to analyze their relationship. He was more concerned about Stephen at the moment.
“That’s not the point. Listen here. I’ve gone out on four different dates with Steve over the past one week, but I’m not any closer to figuring out the kind of man or woman he actually wants to settle down with. You need to help me.”
Dexter scoffed. “Why are you so stubborn and stupid?”
Jared glared at Dexter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dexter opened his mouth, but Isaac spoke up first before he could. “Jared, have you ever considered the possibility that Stephen doesn’t require your assistance because he has found the one he wishes to spend the rest of his life with?”
Jared was confused now. “No. Steve is my best friend. Just like Dex here. If Steve had such a man or woman in his life, he would have informed me and Dex.”
Dexter scowled at Jared. “Are you pretending to act all dumb and clueless?”
Jared was instantly annoyed at Dexter. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re an idiot! Maybe I should hit you on the head to—”
“Dex!” Isaac cut Dexter off midsentence. “Not helping.”
Dexter immediately simmered down. Jared would have been more amused by the sight of Dexter, his hulking, muscular best friend who was so much larger in build than Isaac, being so thoroughly cowed by the smaller man if he weren’t confused by the looks exchanged between them.
“What’s going on?” Jared inquired, but Dexter and Isaac only stared at him. Dexter was frowning while Isaac had this sympathetic expression on his face. “Guys, come on. I’m about to freak out here.”
Dexter glanced at Isaac before cocking his head in Jared’s direction. “You tell him, babe. I couldn’t get through to him.”
Isaac rolled his eyes at Dexter, who now folded both arms across his chest, before turning to face Jared. “What Dex tried to explain to you last week is—”
“Steve is in love with you,” Dexter interrupted, and Isaac sighed loudly. He arched his left eyebrow at Isaac in response. “What?”
Isaac shook his head. “Way to be sensitive, babe.”
Dexter shrugged. “I’m not good at that.”
“Obviously,” Isaac retorted with before focusing on Jared once again. “Are you okay? You’re kind of…pale right now.”
“I…I don’t know.”
Isaac reached for Jared’s hands and squeezed them gently. “Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly. Come on, Jared. Do it with me.”
Jared complied in the next second, and soon, he didn’t feel as lightheaded as before. He beamed gratefully at Isaac.
“Thanks, man.”
“You’re welcome.”
After that, neither of them uttered a single word for the next minute or so. Then Jared darted his eyes back and forth between Dexter and Isaac over and over again before eventually speaking up.
“Are you serious about it?”
Isaac nodded. “Steve is in love with you, and I think you feel the same for him.”
Jared’s instinctive reaction was to deny it, but he stopped himself from doing so. “How can you be sure about that?”
“You, Steve, and Dex used to visit the diner together during my shift late at night right after you finished hopping from one bar to the next. More often than not, Dex would be seated alone while you and Steve were practically glued to each other. Even a blind person could tell you three were close to one another, but you and Steve took things to the next level. The two of you touched each other constantly, and there were times when your faces were mere inches apart. I don’t know many best friends who are that comfortable with each other. Even Dex isn’t that intimate with you and Steve.”
“Dex, Steve, and I have had—shit!” Jared cursed in trepidation and covered his mouth while glancing between Dexter and Isaac.
Isaac snickered. “Dex and I have no secrets from each other. I know about the sex among the three of you. That was in the past. I trust Dex completely. I know he will never cheat on me and hurt me that way.”
Jared gaped and directed his attention toward Dexter, who simply shrugged in response. “Sorry, man.”
Dexter chuckled. “It’s fine. Isaac is right. The two of us don’t hide anything from each other. That’s a recipe for disaster in a relationship.”
“Cool. I’m not sure if I really have any romantic feelings toward Steve, though.”
Dexter snorted while Isaac remained as calm as ev
er. “That’s because you’re a stubborn ass—”
“Not helping,” Isaac interrupted while raising his left eyebrow at Dexter.
Dexter scowled and glanced away. Isaac ignored Dexter, who was pouting now, and smiled at Jared.
“The three of you have been best friends for far too long, and among the three of you, you’re the least observant and the least sensitive. Everything is fun and games for you, and you take everything lightly. The problem with that is you don’t realize Steve has fallen in love with you, and you reciprocate his feelings, too. You don’t view the closeness between you and Steve as anything out of the ordinary because that’s the way you’ve always been with each other. The line is further blurred by the fact that you and Steve have been sexually intimate with each other, as well. I may not be as close to you and Steve the way I am with Dex, but it doesn’t take a genius to notice the subtle changes in Steve’s expressions and body language when he’s around you. Steve is hypersensitive. His bored expression is nothing but a façade. It’s his defense mechanism.”
“How do you know—”
“Because I’m an outsider. You, Dex, and Steve are too close to one another, and when we all hang out together, the three of you are almost like brothers in the way you interact with one another. On the other hand, I have more opportunities and time to observe you. All three of you. That’s partially because I get ignored half of the time.”
Jared was mortified to hear that. “Sorry, man.”
Isaac shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m not resentful of the friendship among the three of you. I know I don’t mean any less to Dex. His love for me is just different in comparison to the ones he had for you and Steve.”
“Okay. Why didn’t Dex try to get me to see that I have real feelings for Steve?”
Dexter glared and snorted at Jared. “I did, but you were so insistent with your own way of thinking, I simply couldn’t get it through your thick skull. In the end, I had to give up.”
Jared wanted to argue back, but he couldn’t. He recalled that fateful conversation he’d had with Dexter clearly inside his head. Dexter was right. He had been so obstinate, he wouldn’t listen to Dexter at all. Then he thought about all of his reactions and feelings deep inside in relation to Stephen, especially the ones he’d experienced throughout their dates in the past week. He started breaking out in a cold sweat when he realized Dexter and Isaac might be on to something.
“Holy shit!”
Dexter scoffed. “Exactly.”
“Dex, baby, can you not?” Isaac admonished Dexter while jabbing one index finger against the larger man’s chest.
“What?”
“Tone it down with the sarcasm already. Can’t you see Jared is about to hyperventilate?”
Dexter snorted. “Nah, he’s not. He’s just in a state of shock. He will be fine.”
Then Jared tuned out the rest of the cute argument between Dexter and Isaac. He didn’t have to be a psychic to know who the winner would be. Isaac obviously wore the pants in that relationship. Instead, Jared thought about what his next step should be. Now that he knew how he truly felt about Stephen, he certainly couldn’t continue with his original plan of finding the right man or woman for his best friend to settle down with. There was only one perfect candidate for Stephen, and that was Jared. Hell would freeze over before he let Stephen go. He just had to do something impressive to make sure Steve wouldn’t fall out of love with him. Ever.
* * * *
Stephen was flabbergasted as he stared at the boat by the harbor. It was a huge boat, but there was nobody else waiting in line.
“Is this just for us?”
Jared nodded. “A private evening cruise complete with a candlelight dinner. It will last for three hours. We will pass by quite a few attractions as we enjoy our dinner out there on the deck of the boat underneath the beautiful night sky.”
“What attractions?”
“Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building, Lower Manhattan, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, One World Trade Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the United Nations Building,” Jared replied while tugging Stephen impatiently onto the boat. “The views will be spectacular, and I promise the food and wine will be just as amazing.”
Stephen was generally bored by the finer things in life. He was as wealthy as Jared was, more or less, and he could easily afford this private cruise. However, he was touched that Jared put in the effort to prepare such a date for the two of them. Throughout dinner, he couldn’t stop ogling Jared. Admittedly, he was more than a little horny. It was funny how different things were now. At least for him. In the past, he wouldn’t have hesitated to invite Jared over to his place or he could have paid Jared a visit, and they would have had a few rounds of mind-blowing sex without even bothering to have dinner at all. Now that they were dating, Stephen was strangely shy about it. There were all these feelings involved, and he found it difficult to be so blatant about his needs.
“Well, maybe after the cruise is over,” Stephen muttered to himself.
“What?”
Stephen raised his head and ignored the heat that crept up his neck and cheeks from the feeling of embarrassment that coursed through his entire being. He quickly pointed at his plate.
“This dinner is awesome.”
“Oh, right. I’m glad that you like it.”
Stephen smiled at Jared. “I do. The cruise is great, too.”
“Perfect.”
Stephen stared at Jared in bewilderment. So far, Jared was as charming as ever, but he seemed to be acting in a rather weird manner on and off again. He wondered if something was bothering Jared that evening, but he quickly forced himself to concentrate on their date. The conversation and laughter between the two of them flowed as smoothly as always. They admired the scenery as the boat passed by one famous attraction after another. When dinner was over, the two of them carried another bottle of wine and two glasses toward the front of the boat before sitting side by side on the deck. The breeze was blowing gently, and Stephen felt really content to be out on such a wonderful date with Jared. Neither of them exchanged a single word for the remainder of the cruise, but Stephen didn’t mind the silence between them at all. Unfortunately, the cruise had to come to an end. He was more than a little sad that his date with Jared for that evening felt so short, but he was also thankful for it.
“Hey, Jared.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you,” Stephen said, and then he chuckled at the look of confusion that appeared on Jared’s face. “For the date. The boat cruise idea was excellent.”
Jared grinned widely. “You’re welcome.”
Stephen almost lost his breath when Jared slipped one hand around his waist and tugged him close. He knew his reaction was stupid. When he and Jared were only best friends with each other, they had already had plenty of sex with each other and other people. Sex was just sex to them. There was nothing to it. It was pure pleasure. Feelings were never part and parcel of the equation. For some weird reason, Stephen thought that the innocent gesture of having Jared’s arm around his waist was so much more intimate. He loved it, though. That action spoke volumes. He and Jared might have physically touched each other many times in the past, but he was very hyperaware of everything now. Neither of them needed to utter a single word to each other as Jared led the way to the car before driving him home.
“I can’t wait for our next date,” Stephen said when they were a few minutes away from his house.
“Me, too.”
“Cool.”
Then there was a short stretch of silence before Jared broke the quietness between them. “Steve, listen. We need to talk.”
Jared sounded really serious, and Stephen was a little apprehensive about it. Nevertheless, he nodded at Jared.
“Okay. About what?”
Jared cleared his throat a couple of times before eventually speaking up. “Remember that first date we had? The one with the electric candles and rose petals on the f
loor?”
Stephen beamed in delight at Jared. “Of course! I’ll never forget—”
“I wasn’t in love with you then.”
Stephen could almost feel his heart clenching painfully. “What?”
“I-I mean, I was already in love with you then, but I hadn’t realized it yet. I thought we were just out on a friendly date. I was trying to get information from you.”
Stephen’s lips ran dry, and his heart ached. “Information?”
“Yeah. I wanted to know the kind of man or woman you envisioned yourself settling down with someday.”
Stephen glanced in Jared’s direction. “So, all of these dates…they were…what exactly were they?”
Jared stopped the car in front of Stephen’s house. “Steve, listen. I’m sorry. I—”
“Say no more,” Stephen interrupted as he shook his head and unfastened the seat belt.
“Steve—”
“It’s fine. Thanks for dinner.”
“Steve!”
Stephen didn’t bother to respond as he got out from the car and shut the door behind him. He walked briskly toward the main gate and placed his index finger on the fingerprint scanner. The gate slid open immediately, and he made his way inside as the gate closed automatically behind him. He was thoroughly embarrassed and humiliated now. He had honestly thought he and Jared were out on romantic dates with each other all this while. Apparently, he was the only one who felt that way. Jared didn’t reciprocate his feelings. He was the damn fool who was too blind to see it right from the start. He stumbled into the house and all the way up to the master bedroom a few minutes later, ignoring the tears that were blurring his vision. Then he fell face down onto the mattress and sobbed quietly until the exhaustion overtook him, and he gradually dozed off several moments later.
Chapter 7
Jared ignored the pitying gazes from Dexter and Isaac as he continued to read through the documents in front of him. He had a ton of work to do. The restaurants were all as busy as ever, and he needed to check that everything was all right. There were many things he and his brothers had to concern themselves with, beginning from the financial and operational aspects and all the way to the legal sides of things. His family’s businesses were everywhere, and every country had different cultures, customs, policies, and regulations. He had no time for sympathy. Not even from Dexter and Isaac.
A Foolish Plan Page 5
