Beautiful Days (Jason Of The Valley Book 5)

by Jason K. Melby

  "I'm thinking fine right now. I want to go home!" Jason barked. "I'm sorry to bite. It's sweet of you to come get me and I appreciate that, but I really would prefer to go home now."

  "Fine, but I'm coming in with you."

  "Why? I'm sure David is home. He can take care of me."

  "I'm sure he can, but I'd just like to take the extra precaution."

  "Suit yourself. You seem to know something about what went on last night. Why don't you tell me what you know?" Matt thought for a moment and a part of him thought it was a great idea, but then another part of him warned against it. It just felt like too much to tell at one time. He saw how hard Jason had been hit and he wasn't sure if forcing him to confront the truth was such a wise idea.

  "I think it would be better if you heard this from David." Jason looked back at Matt with a puzzled look.

  The rest of the trip was quiet. Matt seemed too upset to talk and Jason didn't seem to be very comfortable at all. Matt parked on the street outside of Jason's place and as the truck came to a halt, Jason leapt out and hurried to his door. Matt got out and ran to catch up with Jason and as he did, Jason was just walking in.

  Everything appeared normal, as far as Matt could tell. The furniture was untouched. There didn't seem to be any indication of anyone being there at all, in fact.

  "David!" Jason called out. Matt felt nervous. He wasn't sure what to expect. The sound of footsteps was heard and David appeared from the hallway looking nearly dead. His head was a mess and his eyes were heavy. As he focused his eyes, he saw Jason standing before him.

  "Jason! Thank God!" David said and then ran toward him, but Matt leapt between them and pushed David away.

  "Don't! Don't you dare touch him!" Matt snarled.

  "Matt!" Jason barked. "What are you doing?"

  "I'm sorry, but after what he did to you." Matt began.

  "What did he do?"

  "You don't remember?" David asked.

  "No, but I do." Matt said.

  "Will someone please talk to me? What happened last night?" Matt then turned to Jason and put his hands on his shoulders.

  "This isn't going to be easy, but,"

  "Wait!" David said.

  "What?" Matt asked.

  "Let me tell him. He needs to hear it from me."

  "Fine. I'll be in the kitchen. Listening." Matt said and then marched off.

  "David. This is starting to feel like something bad. What's going on?"

  "Jason. Sit down," David said. Jason then sat down on the couch and David sat down right beside him. He then took his hand and held it tight in his own. "Last night at the bar, I guess you had to go to the bathroom and when you walked into the men's room, you caught me receiving a blow job from someone," Jason let the words sink in and a sick look came over his face. "I barely remember it myself, but when you saw us, you screamed and then Matt came and you two left." Jason then pulled his hand away and slid further away from David on the sofa.

  "You and another man?"

  "I'm so sorry! I honestly don't know how it even happened. I barely remember any of it."

  "You and some guy at the bar? In the bathroom?"

  "It didn't mean anything. Like I said, I don't remember it."

  "Just because you don't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen."

  "That's true. You're right." Jason then shot up to his feet.

  "Of course I'm right! Oh my God! I cannot believe you did that," Jason then stepped back and held his stomach as though he were about to throw up. David got up and approached him, but Jason stepped back. "Stay back!"

  "I just want to see if you're okay."

  "If I'm not okay, it's because of you. Oh God. I remember. I remember it all. Oh, shit!" Jason's eyes welled up and tears poured down his cheeks as he collapsed onto his knees.

  "I'm sorry, Jason! It didn't mean anything! I swear!"

  "Shut up! Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" Matt then came charging out into the living room and his eyes fell upon Jason right away. He ran over to him and slipped his arms around him.

  "Are you okay?" Matt asked.

  "No! Oh, God! Matt!" Jason then leaned onto Matt's shoulders and began sobbing. Matt looked up at David, who then shrunk back.

  "Come on. I'll take you back to my place." Matt whispered. Jason latched onto Matt's arm and they made their way to the door. Matt looked over at David just as he was about to say something, but Matt's stern glare warned him against doing any further damage.

  Jason was balled up in Matt's truck gently sobbing all the way back to his hotel room. As they parked, Jason looked out the window and took in his surroundings.

  "A hotel?"

  "I still haven't found a new place yet. I've been staying here since I got back to town. Come on. We can get you in the shower and then order some room service." Jason was unable to speak, but he smiled a bit and nodded. Matt helped Jason out of the truck and led him to his room. As he opened the door, he was happy to see the cleaning ladies had been there and the bed was made and the air smelled fresh and clean. Jason went straight to the bed and fell face down upon it. Matt just watched as he continued crying over the betrayal.

  "I'll start the shower. Okay?"

  "Thanks."

  "Sure." Matt said with a smile.

  Matt went on into the bathroom and opened up the shower and turned it on. He fiddled with the knobs a bit until he managed to get the water to a nice, comfortable warmth. He turned and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Jason standing naked before him.

  "How's the water?" Jason asked.

  "It's good. Perfect. It's warm."

  "Good." Jason said as he walked over to Matt and then reached into the shower and placed his hand under the strong stream of water.

  "Good?"

  "Yes. In fact, it's so good; it'd be a shame to waste it on one person." Jason said as he slid his hand under Matt's shirt. His fingers probed his hairy stomach, feeling the familiar curves and bumps of his body. Before he realized it, Matt's shirt was halfway up his torso and he could feel the heat of Jason's body against his own. Matt then came back to reality and he stepped away, but Jason stepped forward.

  "Jason, no."

  "Why not? David did it. I think that means I've got a freebie coming my way."

  "You're not thinking clearly. You've been hurt."

  "And I want to feel better. You always make me feel better." Jason said and then leaned forward and pressed his lips to Matt's. It was like a reflex that Matt hadn't exercised in an eternity. He felt the familiar, welcoming warmth of Jason's lips and tongue. They melted into each other almost too easily and Matt could feel Jason tugging at his pants.

  "Jason! No. I'm sorry. It's not right."

  "Neither is what David did."

  "No, but I'm not going to be a tool of revenge."

  "It's not like that."

  "I know it's not. Not entirely. Please. Just take a shower and get your head clear."

  "Fine," Jason said as he stepped away. "But if I still want to screw with you after this, it's going to happen."

  Chapter 33

  Love/Hate

  Mike was counting out the register behind the bar, but his mind wasn't totally on his work. He had been distracted all day as he waited for his shift to end. Jeff was due to come by his place at eight and they were going to have an actual date. As Mike's thoughts became jumbled, he lost track of what he was doing for the third time.

  "What's going on? Stealing?" Haley asked as she set a tray down on the bar.

  "No! Of course not."

  "Well, something must be going on. I don't think I've ever seen you take this long to count out a register."

  "Oh. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little off today."

  "I've noticed. In fact, you've been rather jumpy and anxious as well," Haley gave Mike a long, thoughtful look. "You've got a hook up tonight."

  "What?"

  "You can't concentrate. You've been glancing at that clock every five minutes. I know how you get when you're
due to get some."

  "It's a little more interesting than that. I have a date."

  "A date? Wow. Who's the lucky victim?"

  "Jeff."

  "Jeff?"

  "Yes."

  "As in the hot dude who was sticking it to your dad?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay." Haley then picked up the tray and turned away, heading toward the dining room. Mike then looked up and shot her a look.

  "'Okay'? That's all you have?" Haley stopped and looked back at Mike. She recalled all the times Mike went on at length about how disgusted he was with what his father was doing and what a horrible person Jeff was. There were some days where his rant would begin in the morning, continue on throughout the day and he wouldn't conclude until the last guest in the bistro had gone home.

  "What do you want me to say?"

  "I don't know."

  "I could say something about how you're kind of a hypocrite."

  "A hypocrite?"

  "You're going out on a date with a man who you have said was a whore and an opportunist. Has any of that changed?"

  "I've just come to some conclusions lately."

  "Look, I'm not saying anything for real here. I just find it interesting that you were so disgusted with this person last week and now you're going out with him."

  "I guess the reason he made me so mad was because I kind liked him, but how can you like a guy who's doing your dad?"

  "I'm happy to say I have no idea. I can't say it's a surprise either. I mean, the way you went on about him, it was pretty clear you had a thing for him."

  "Was it?"

  "Subtle, you are not."

  "Well, I'm still kind of having trouble with this. My Dad came over this morning and told me that he and Jeff are over, so that helps a bit, but it still feels weird."

  "I'm sure all apprehension will fade away once you're on your back with your legs up in the air."

  "That's not going to happen. This is a date. We're going to get to know each other."

  "Uh-huh."

  "You think you know me so well."

  "Because I do! Mikey, you're my best friend. I have seen you through crisis after crisis. You think I haven't been paying just a little attention over the years? You say it's a date and that's great, but the fact is he is hot and that means you're going to bang." Mike felt offended by Haley's glib judgment, but as he thought more about Jeff and what he had seen when he came running down the stairs of his parents' home wearing only a towel, he realized she was probably right, but his sense of righteous indignation would never allow him to let her know.

  "It's a date, not a hook up. Period."

  "Whatever you say. Why don't you knock off early then so you can get ready for your 'date'? I can handle the receipts."

  "Thanks." Mike said as he ran out from behind the bar, but as he did the door opened and David walked in. Mike stopped in his tracks and looked down on him with an icy stare.

  "Hi." David said.

  "Hello. What are you doing here?" David could hear the coldness in Mike's voice.

  "I was hoping you may have heard from Jason today."

  "No. Matt called earlier and let me know that he was okay, but he hasn't been in here. I'm surprised to see you showing your face though."

  "I just came here to see if you heard from Jason. I'll go now." David then turned to the door but Mike grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him around.

  "The thing I don't get is why you did it. I mean, why? You and Jason have been so good together. He really loved you. Why would you go and do something so stupid?"

  "I don't know. I have little to no recollection of the night before. I don't remember going into that bathroom and I barely remember leaving it."

  "Well, a little advice. I know that bar better than you, and if you insist on carrying on like that, you better get tested."

  "This isn't going to be something I'll ever do again, but I am going to be tested. I'm just still trying to figure out why I did it. I don't even remember the guy talking to me. It all just comes to me in flashes."

  "I was really disappointed. You seemed like a good guy. You gave me faith that there were still good guys out there."

  "I am a good guy."

  "Good guys don't do what you did. That was some shady shit you pulled. Skank move, man."

  "It was! No argument. I wasn't myself."

  "I hope you weren't, but you still did it."

  "But why? I would never cheat on Jason. I would never have sex in a bathroom." Mike listened to David's words and he thought. There was something about his earnestness. He was angry with him and determined to hate him just as Jason did, but a part of him felt sympathy for him and questioned what brought on such a startling change in behavior.

  "You know, a few years ago there was a bartender at the bar who put something in someone's drink."

  "He drugged him?"

  "Yes. It changed this guy's behavior completely and by the end of the night, he was passed out in the men's room with his pants down around his ankles."

  "Whoa."

  "Yeah. Needless to say, that bartender was fired the next day and thankfully nothing like that has ever happened again. Now when guys end up half naked in the men's room, it's by their own choice."

  "Maybe I was drugged."

  "You think you might have been?"

  "It would explain a lot."

  "But who would have done that?"

  "I don't know. I don't really care, but if that's the case, I have to find out." David then spun around and charged out the door.

  Mike got back to his place with just enough time to shower before Jeff was due to come over. He bypassed checking his mail and went straight to the bathroom and got into the shower as fast as he could. As he lathered up, he thought about what he was going to wear, and then he realized he was trying to plan out his evening with the man who had been his father's lover. A sick, painful feeling came over him and he leaned back against the wall. There was something wrong that wasn't going away. The thought of calling Jeff to cancel came to Mike, but it was too late.

  Mike shut off the water and dressed. He wasn't sure what to expect from the evening, so he just decided on a basic dress shirt and jeans.

  "I'll feel better once we're actually out there." Mike said to himself. He went back into the bathroom and gave himself one last quick check. He then got out a bottle of his favorite cologne and gave himself a light spritz just as the buzzer to his security door rang out. He ran out to the living room to the intercom and pressed the button that opened the door. Mike knew it took about forty five seconds to walk from the security door to his front door. As excited as he was, he was equally uneasy. When he heard a knock at his door, he jumped, even though he knew who it was. He opened the door and was taken aback at how good Jeff looked. His hair was styled neatly and he looked freshly shaved. As he walked in, thick, rich aroma of his aftershave hit Mike's nose and it was a warm scent.

  "Hi." He said.

  "Hi. You look good." Mike said.

  "Thanks. So do you. Are you ready?"

  "Uh, yeah. I guess so. I was thinking we could just get dinner and take it from there."

  "Sounds good."

  "Great." Mike said. The tension between them was thick. Jeff slipped his arm around Mike's waist and attempted to kiss him in hopes of breaking some of it, but Mike pulled away.

  "What?"

  "It's still feeling a little weird. I'm just not ready."

  "Okay. I get it. I guess we're going to have to crawl before we run."

  "Let's just have dinner and I'm sure by the time the check comes, I'll be relaxed."

  "Or not." Jeff said.

  "Huh?"

  "Maybe this was a bad idea."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Not us going out, but this kind of date. I feel like there's a lot of pressure on us. Maybe we need something a little more relaxing. We need something to focus on besides ourselves."

  "We're not hooking up."

  "No, I don'
t mean that. I think we need to do something that will keep us both focused on something else. Besides us."

  "That makes sense."

  "How would you feel about us taking a little raincheck on the date? How about we do something Sunday?"

  "Sunday?"

  "Yeah. Some friends of mine play softball in the park on Sundays. Why don't you come and watch the game? We can get a drink or something after." Jeff suggested. Mike thought for a moment and it actually sounded like a good idea.

  "Okay. That sounds interesting enough."

  "Great. I'll call you with the details later."

  "All right. I'm sorry tonight didn't work out."

  "It's just postponed. I just have to figure out what to do for dinner now."

  "There's an In-N-Out over on Sherman Way."

  "That actually sounds good. Thanks."

  "Sure."

  "Then I guess I'll talk to you later?"

  "Yes. Good night."

  "Night." Jeff said as he turned to the door. Mike then grabbed him and pulled him close and kissed him on his lips.

  "A proper good night, at least." Mike said with a smile.

  "Yes. Very proper." Jeff said and then skipped out.

  Chapter 34

  Picking Up The Pieces

  Jason awoke with a start. It was dark and strange. He reached over and found a light and flipped it on. He then realized he was back in Matt's hotel room. He was in the bed and Matt was reclined in the ugly chair near the window. Matt had insisted that Jason take the bed, but the sight of Matt's broad shoulders crammed into the cheap hotel furniture told Jason that it was wrong.

  "Matt!" Jason called out but there was no response. Jason slipped out from under the covers and crawled over to Matt and then nudged his leg in order to rouse him. "Matt! Wake up!"

  "What?" Mat asked in his groggy voice. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around as though he had just woken up from a thousand year slumber. "What time is it?"

  "A little after three."

  "What the Hell are you waking me up for then?"

  "I had a bad dream and it woke me up."

  "And for that I must suffer?"

  "No. I just saw you sleeping like that and,"

  "No, Jason. We aren't sharing the bed. Too much temptation."