I would, for one.” Finn held up his hands. “Hey, it’s only a suggestion. No one’s saying you have to publish it, okay? But it might get you started. You know, get you into the swing of writing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
That was an improvement on ‘What if it sucks?’
Joel set the laptop on the kitchen table and fired it up. He could hear Finn singing outside as he screwed boards to the deck. Joel wasn’t surprised Finn had elected to do a couple of hours of work that afternoon, instead of pursuing other… avenues.
He’s a good guy.
Besides, when Finn was done, Joel would make dinner for them, and who knew where the evening would lead?
Joel already had an idea of how he wanted the evening to go, and he didn’t think Finn would be averse to it. He glanced at the whiteboard he’d put up on the bathroom door, and chuckled.
If Megan came over and saw the words condoms and lube written there, would she be shocked? Who was he kidding? She’d probably send him a box for his birthday as a gag gift, along with anything else she thought might be appropriate.
Joel knew he was procrastinating. Finn had gotten him thinking during the ride home, and once he’d gone outside, Joel had seized the moment. The only thing was, that blank document was taunting him as usual.
Start with the moment you first knew you were gay.
Joel laughed. “Now that might shock her.” Especially if he wrote about his late-night shenanigans during sleepovers. He smiled. Fuck it. Joel started typing.
A loud cough broke his concentration. Finn stood beside the table, grinning.
“Your dog thinks you don’t love him anymore. That’s the second time today I’ve had to take him outside to relieve himself.”
Joel glanced at the wall clock. “Four-thirty? But…” It had been one-thirty when he’d sat down at the table. Where did the time go?
Finn gazed with interest at the laptop screen. “Wow. I’m impressed.” He peered at the bottom of the screen. “You’ve written over a thousand words.”
I have?
Joel moved two fingers over the mouse pad, scrolling up. “Wow. I’m impressed too.” A thousand words didn’t sound like a lot for three hours’ work, but hey, he’d take it. Like Finn said, it was a start.
“Can I read it?”
Joel bit his lip. “Would you be offended if I said no?”
Finn smiled. “Not at all. I’m just happy to see you writing.” He bent over and kissed the top of Joel’s head, and the intimate chaste gesture both surprised and delighted him.
“You done out there?”
Finn nodded. “I’ve cleared up. I meant to get more done today, but—”
“But I distracted you, yeah, I know.” Joel chuckled. “There’s always next weekend.”
“I’ll see what I can do after work too. An hour here, an hour there. It all adds up.” Finn glanced at the clock, and Joel’s stomach tensed.
I don’t want him to go.
“Do you have to rush off? Won’t you stay for dinner? Unless you’ve got things to do at home.”
Finn smiled. “I’d love to stay.” He pointed to the laptop. “Are you done?”
Joel nodded. Whatever muse had inspired him had taken their leave.
Finn’s eyes sparkled. “In that case…” He leaned over once more, only this time his lips met Joel’s in a slow kiss. “Save what you’ve written, turn off the laptop, and take me upstairs,” he whispered in Joel’s ear. “We’ve still got condoms left, remember?”
Joel could get behind that plan. Apparently, so could his dick. “Do you need a snack or something first?” Finn had expended a lot of energy that afternoon.
Finn moved to stand behind his chair, slid his hand down Joel’s chest, and cupped his growing erection. “You have all the snack I need right here,” he said in a gruff voice that send a shiver of anticipation trickling through him.
Joel had never shut the laptop down so fast.
As they headed up the stairs, Joel mused that at some point the shine would wear off and they wouldn’t be fucking every chance they got.
He hoped that wouldn’t be anytime soon.
Chapter Nineteen
By the time Wednesday night arrived, Joel knew he had a problem.
He was addicted to Finn.
Joel hadn’t seen him since Sunday night when Finn had finally gone back to his place after they’d spent most of the evening in Joel’s bed: they’d gone right back to it the moment dinner was over. Finn had apologized for not being able to work on the deck in his evenings that week, but Grammy’s chair wasn’t ready, and the party