Always Another Side

by Annabelle Jacobs

  “I’ve only known Jen for about a year or so. She’s Charlie’s girlfriend.”

  “Charlie?”

  “Right. Of course, you don’t know who that is either.” Tyler sat forward, playing with the coaster on the table as he spoke. “Me, Charlie, and Aaron—the guy I came with on Saturday—were in the same hall at uni. Anyway, we ended up getting a house together in second year and have been friends ever since. You would have met Charlie on Saturday, but something cropped up at work. Anyway, he and Jen got together early last year. She’s great.”

  “Yes, she seemed nice.” Jack hadn’t paid much attention to her, if he was honest, but he wasn’t about to admit to that. Besides, Zena extolled her virtues enough for him to accept she was a great girl. “So, you, Aaron and Charlie all work together?”

  “Yeah.” Tyler grinned and his cheek dimpled on one side.

  Zena was right when she said Tyler looked younger than his years. With his dark shaggy curls and lean build, Tyler could easily pass for thirty. It didn’t bother Jack nearly as much as he’d expected it to. Tyler was attractive in a way Jack found more appealing the longer they spent together. His boyish enthusiasm was almost addictive, and it made Jack feel younger to be around him. He grinned back. “Since you left university?” he asked, keen to keep the conversation going now they were talking.

  Tyler shook his head and swallowed a mouthful of his drink. “No. We went our separate ways at first. Charlie moved to London for a while, and me and Aaron stayed in Cardiff—that’s where we went to uni. I moved back first, and when I got a job up at Aztec West, I mentioned it to the other two, and five years later, we’re all there.” He spread his hands in a ta-da gesture and Jack laughed. “What about you? Where do you work?”

  “I work for Neesall Taylor. Their main office is just off the ring road.” Jack wondered if Tyler remembered what he did for a living. The name didn’t automatically give it away, and he’d had people look down their noses before when he told them what his job was. As if somehow it wasn’t a “proper job.”

  “As a landscape gardener, right?” Tyler sounded genuinely impressed.

  Correcting Tyler would make him sound like a wanker, so he let it go. “Sort of.”

  Or maybe not. He wanted to kick himself, but years of pointing out the difference between the two wasn’t something he could ignore, apparently. Even on a date.

  “Sort of?”

  “I’m a landscape architect.” At Tyler’s confused expression, Jack added, “At the minute I’m working a new housing-estate proposal. But I’ve worked on local parks and business parks too.”

  Tyler deflated a little. “Oh.”

  “What?”

  Tyler blushed, and Jack was more than a little curious as to what could have caused it. “My aunt’s recently bought a new house, and the back garden is a bit of a nightmare. I was going to ask if you could have a look at it, maybe suggest a few things. She’d pay you, of course,” he added after a couple of seconds. “I wasn’t suggesting—”

  “It’s fine. It might not be my area of expertise, but I’m not entirely clueless. I’d be happy to take a look if you want. I know a couple of local firms I’d recommend to your aunt.”

  “Really?” Tyler’s smile was infectious, and Jack beamed back at him. “That’d be great, she’ll appreciate it.”

  Happy to put such a smile on someone’s face, Jack felt lighter than he had in weeks. He’d forgotten how uplifting it felt to be the cause of another person’s delight, and Tyler was grinning back at him as though Jack had told him next week’s winning lottery numbers. He glanced at the clock on the wall. The time didn’t sink it at first, but suddenly, with a jolt, it registered. “Oh shit. I’m going to be late back.”

  Tyler pressed the power button on his phone. “Christ, me too. I have a conference call in ten minutes.”

  They hurried out of the pub, having no time for anything but shouting goodbye as they rushed to their respective cars. It was only as Jack pulled into the staff car park that he realised they’d made no plans to see each other again, and it left an unsettled feeling inside him. He slid his phone out of his pocket as he speed-marched across the tarmac to the entrance of his building.

  Fancy getting together this weekend?

  The reply was almost immediate, and it made Jack smile to think Tyler was as keen as he was.

  Can’t do sat night, but fridays good. Want to come to me? I’ll cook.

  Jack sighed in relief. As much as he liked the odd night at the pub, it wasn’t his preferred way to spend an evening. He’d much rather stay in with a good bottle of wine and a nice meal. He and Simon had spent many a weekend night in the kitchen, trying out new and elaborate recipes with a couple of bottles of wine, laughing when dishes turned out to be terrible. Jack missed those times the most. His phone buzzed in his hand and he pushed the memories to the back of his mind. They had no place in the present.

  I’m a good cook, honest :)

  Tyler had added some weird emoticons that looked like chicken legs and hunks of holey cheese.

  I’m sure you are. Friday’s good for me too. Is 8pm ok? I’ll bring wine.

  Jack avoided unnecessary additions to his texts as a rule. He made an exception just this once and selected a glass of red and a smiley face. He hit Send before he could change his mind.

  See you friday @ 8 :)

  That message was quickly followed by another.

  Oh is there any food you don’t like?

  Jack caught himself searching for a fish symbol and rolled his eyes.

  Not keen on fish.

  Tyler signed off with Ok, no fish. Conf call now. Ttyl.

  Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Jack entered the office building with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

  Janice on reception did a double take as he walked past, and called out. “Must have been some lunch break!”

  “Yep.” Jack grinned at her.

  She smiled back and shook her head at him. “Have a good afternoon.”

  Wednesday afternoon flew by in a slew of impromptu meetings. Thursday went much the same way, but Friday was dragging at a snail’s pace. Over the couple of days since their lunch date, Jack and Tyler had kept in touch via text. Not a constant stream of messages—that would have annoyed Jack intensely—just the odd text conversation throughout the day. It served to keep Tyler at the forefront of Jack’s mind, and by the time he turned his computer off on Friday night, anticipation of the evening ahead zinged through his veins.

  He’d offered to pick Zena up from work, since her car was being MOT’d and serviced, and his high spirits were clearly evident because she got in the car, took one look at him, and whispered, “Oh my God.”

  “What?” He indicated to pull out into the slow-moving evening traffic. In his peripheral vision he caught her giving him a curious once-over and had the urge to check to see if his shirt was done up properly. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “Sorry, it’s just….”

  “Just what?”

  “Well, you look all—” She fluttered her hands in the air like manic butterflies. “—happy.”

  Jack spared her an amused look as he concentrated on driving. “It’s Friday night. No more work for two days. Of course I’m happy.”

  Zena made a frustrated noise. “It’s more than that. You have a—”

  “If the next word to come out of your mouth is ‘glow,’ then I’m pulling over and kicking you out of my car.”

  She laughed but thankfully stopped staring at him. “God, no. Let’s not get carried away. You just look less pissed off at life than usual.” It took her about ten seconds to connect the dots. “Is this Tyler-related, by any chance?”

  Jack shrugged.

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  “As a matter of fact, I had lunch with him on Wednesday, and I’m seeing him tonight.”

  The satisfying gasp of surprise was swiftly followed by a not-so-satisfying slap on the arm. �
��Oh my God, why didn’t you tell me?”

  Zena might be petite, but she was feisty. Jack rubbed at his biceps. “I’m telling you now.”

  “Two days after the fact.”

  “I wasn’t aware I had to check in with a progress report.”

  Her heavy sigh filled the car, and Jack smirked as he pictured steam coming out of her ears.

  “Shut up. I’m just interested in your life. Is that such a bad thing?”

  They stopped at yet another set of traffic lights, and Jack turned to look at her. At least she had the good grace to cave immediately.

  “Okay, fine.” The corners of her lips turned up as she fought a smile. “I’m burning with curiosity. This is the first time you’ve expressed an interest in anyone—or anything, come to think of it—in eight months. Of course I want to know about it. You’ve known me for years. Don’t act like it’s some big surprise.” She huffed and crossed her arms when Jack didn’t offer up any more details.

  She should also know him well enough to realise he’d make her work for it. Teasing her was second nature.

  About five minutes away from her house, she turned in her seat to face him side-on. “Really? You’re not going to give me any more than that?”

  “I thought you were waiting until I was ready to tell you? I knew Saturday night was a fluke.”

  She waved him away but grinned at him. “I was trying not to push you to talk about it if you weren’t ready. And Mark told me not to be such a nosy cow and to leave you alone.”

  That’s more like it. Good old Mark.

  She glanced out the window as they turned down onto her road. “But come on, seriously…. If you were a girl, I would already know everything there was to know by now. Just tell me if you like him, or if this is a friends thing. And then I’ll leave it alone. Promise.”

  He laughed at her as he pulled up outside her house. “You are so full of shit.”

  “I know. But I promise not to bug you about it for at least a week. How’s that?”

  “More realistic.” He put the handbrake on and shifted on his seat, meeting her gaze. “Okay, fine. I like him. I wouldn’t keep seeing him if I didn’t. Will it be more than friends?” He sighed. He liked the idea of someone new in his life, but the reality was another thing entirely. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Zena’s smile was huge, but before he could tell her not to get ahead of herself, she shook her head. “I know, I know. And I’m not marrying the two of you off in my head or whatever it is you’re thinking right now. I’m just happy you’re open to the possibility of someone new.” She leaned over the centre console and gave him a one-armed hug and a kiss. “Thanks for the lift, and have a lovely time tonight. You deserve it.”

  He hugged her back hard. She’d been his rock for the first few weeks after the break-up, when he’d been a total mess. Well, for all of it, really. Without her and the rest of his friends, Jack wasn’t sure he’d have got through it in one piece. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner. Want me to bring anything?”

  “Wine.”

  “Okay. Oh, do you need a lift to work on Monday?”

  “No. Thanks, though. My car should be ready tomorrow lunchtime so Mark’s taking me to pick it up.” She shut the car door, and waved as she walked up the path to the front door.

  Jack sat there, half watching Zena go and unlock her front door, but not really seeing her. Was he open to the possibility of a new relationship? He’d sort of implied that in the pub when he told Tyler he didn’t do casual, so that left friends or more. Change was inevitable in life, but Jack had never been a fan. He liked routine, liked knowing what to expect, and was more than happy for his life to remain the same.

  Simon had forced him to change almost everything when he decided living with Jack was no longer what he wanted. Jack finally felt as though he had a handle on things, or he was getting there, anyway. After he’d struggled to find some sort or equilibrium, was he ready to risk it by inviting someone new into his life? Letting another person get close meant opening himself up to the possibility of being hurt again, of feeling like shit and knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

  His phone buzzed, and when he thumbed open the message, he saw he’d been sitting there for fifteen minutes. The text was from Zena.

  Everything ok?

  Grateful she hadn’t come outside to ask him in person, he typed Yes, just thinking. Going now. See you tomorrow.

  Feeling silly for brooding in his car outside her house, Jack drove off and turned the radio on loud to try and lift his mood. Tonight would be his and Tyler’s third date. He didn’t want to string Tyler along for weeks as he made up his mind, but equally there was no rush to decide right then. Worrying about it would only make him tense and more than likely ruin the evening before it got started. He needed to calm down, relax, and enjoy Tyler’s company. Easier said than done, but he felt loads better for acknowledging the fact even if it was only in his head.

  The rest of his drive home was tension-free, and by the time he parked in the communal parking area at the back of his apartment building, Jack was singing along to the radio with a smile. Zena had been right; he did feel a lot less pissed off at life. Not only that, but as he let himself into his flat and tossed his keys on the side table, his mind raced with thoughts of the evening ahead.

  If he wanted to get to Tyler’s by eight, he’d have to hurry up and get ready. One feel at his chin told him he could do with a shave, and he definitely needed a shower. What the hell should he wear? Jack stopped in the small hallway and just breathed for a few seconds. Nervous tension thrummed through his veins as he worried about everything he had to do, but when he glanced in the mirror next to him, his smile was huge. He was excited. Apprehensive too, but staring at his reflection, Jack felt more alive than he had in a long time. His hair had more silver in it than he would like, his stubble was verging on scruffy, and his crow’s feet weren’t going anywhere, but he couldn’t care less about any of them.

  The man staring back at him wasn’t the tired, washed-out shell of a man he’d got used to seeing. He didn’t feel old before his time when he saw the sparkle in his eyes and the lack of dark shadows underneath them. He felt great. Awesome, in fact. As though he’d shed his tired old skin and donned a new, improved version. The feeling might not last, but at that precise moment, Jack didn’t give a shit.

  For now he was happy enough to bask in this new-found lightness and enjoy it. Undressing with a flourish that would have embarrassed him had anyone seen it, he balled up his work clothes, shoved them in the dirty linen basket, and started the shower. Fuck it, he might even sing in there. Who was going to know? No one, that’s who, and Jack revelled in the fact that being on his own had its perks. Another first. Wow, the day was full of them.

  Thirty minutes later, the nervous excitement hadn’t totally worn off, but it had settled into a more acceptable level. Jack selected his clothes with a mixture of comfort and style in mind and dug out the pair of tight black jeans Zena had bought him for his fortieth. They weren’t skinny by any means—he was the wrong build for that—but they hugged his arse and his thighs in a way that, according to Zena, “would make anyone want to get their hands all over that.”

  She’d also bought him a fitted heather-grey long-sleeved top to go with them, and so he threw that on too. The material was thin and soft, and it clung to his shoulders and biceps, showing off his muscles.

  The overall look was quite hot, even if he did say so himself, and a flicker of pride caught him by surprise. Was he trying too hard to impress Tyler? Probably. But now he’d had such a monumental shift in his outlook, he couldn’t seem to rein himself in. And honestly, he didn’t want to.

  A quick bit of wax in his hair and he was done. After grabbing a bottle of wine from the rack, he pocketed his phone and his wallet, picked up his car keys, and left his flat.

  The night was cool but not cold, the sky on the cusp of turning dark. Jack sort of remembered how
to get to Tyler’s house, but he checked the address Tyler had sent him and typed it into his satnav all the same. At this time of night, even on a Friday, the traffic was minimal, and it took him less than fifteen minutes to get there.

  He parked on the road outside the house and admired the sleek lines of the black Audi sitting on the driveway. The last time he’d seen Tyler’s place had been late at night. Maybe that was why he hadn’t noticed the Audi last time?

  Locking his car, he walked up to Tyler’s front door and rang the bell. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps thundering down the stairs and then a wet-looking Tyler greeted him at the door. Tyler wore tight black boxers and a black T-shirt that clung to him in places as though he hadn’t dried himself properly. Judging by the way water trickled from his hair, down the side of his face, and disappeared under the neck of the T-shirt, that was exactly what had happened.

  Jack swallowed.

  “Shit, I’m so sorry.” Tyler stepped back and ushered Jack inside. “I got caught up at work and then traffic was awful. As you can see, I’m running a little late.” He gestured to his attire, or lack thereof, and Jack couldn’t prevent his gaze wandering over him from head to toe. Tyler had practically invited him to look, so he refused to feel bad.

  “You should have called or texted,” Jack replied, his attention caught on the dark hairs covering Tyler’s firm thighs. “I would have come later if you weren’t ready.”

  “I thought I had enough time, but obviously not.”

  When Jack finally glanced back up to meet Tyler’s gaze, Tyler was smiling at him with flushed cheeks. Jack presumed Tyler didn’t mind him looking, or he wouldn’t have answered the door in his underwear. Despite that, Jack’s face heated at being caught staring and he held out the bottle of wine he’d bought, hoping to divert Tyler’s attention.

  “Thanks.” Tyler took it off him and turned to walk down the hallway. “Come on, I’ll put this in the kitchen and then nip and get dressed. You can help yourself to a glass if you don’t mind doing the honours.”