The Offer
by Wrestlr
4.
In the late afternoon, Jack helped Ike and Jeff start dinner—which mostly involved them handing him things to wash or slice or chop while they did the actual cooking. Ike in his jockstrap, and Jeff in just his jeans were both attractive, but Jack found himself thinking of Dylan. Dylan would be home soon, and half of Jack’s attention was focused on the door, waiting to see the handsome cop again. He tried not to be obvious but found himself turning every time he heard something that might be the front door opening. Ike and Jeff exchanged knowing looks, so Jack decided he had not been as subtle as he hoped.
On his way back from a bathroom pee break, Jack heard Dylan’s voice through the Doctor’s door. How had Dylan come in without Jack hearing him? He stopped to listen.
“Yes, Doctor,” he heard Dylan say. “Everything’s in the folder. There’s not much, other than his school records, and those stop a couple of years ago. That’s consistent with his story about being home-schooled. There’s nothing about the physical abuse, but I think the bruises speak for themselves. Everything he told us seems to check out, and no missing persons report has been filed on him.”
Shit, the cop had dug up his history and knew who he was. How did they find out my name? Jack wondered. Then he realized: His school identification card. It had been in his wallet. It was old, since he had not been enrolled for several years, but he had never discarded it. When they took his jeans, they found the card. With Dylan’s police connections, they found out everything there was to know about him. They probably knew his parents’ address. The Doctor said he could stay—would he change his mind and send Jack home? The thought of going back to his father made Jack’s stomach knot.
“Hey, new dude, what’s wrong?” Jeff asked when Jack stormed into the kitchen.
Jack demanded, “Where’s Ike?”
“Went to the store. We need a few things for dinner.”
Jack remembered the mom-and-pop convenience store he and Dylan had passed the night before. He hoped Ike had put on clothes first, but the memory of the handsome man in his jockstrap did not curb Jack’s anger. “Did you know about this?”
“More specific, please?”
“The doctor and Dylan—I heard them talking through the door. They looked up my records.”
“Oh. Well, yeah. A background check is standard procedure when we take in somebody new. And technically, you’re still a minor, right?”
All that made sense to his head, but Jack’s gut still felt betrayed. He told Jeff they should have taken his word. They should not have gone behind his back and dug into his past without permission.
“Hey, sorry they offended ya, new dude. It’s just the way things have to be. And y’know, if you hadn’t been eavesdropping, everything would have gotten cleared up and you wouldn’t have gotten yourself so upset.”
“Here,” Jeff said, spinning Jack around by his shoulder to face away from him. Jeff’s strong hands massaged at Jack’s shoulder muscles through the sweatshirt. “So tense. You’ve gotten yourself all worked up. Just take a deep breath and try to relax. Let me help you relieve some of these knots.”
Jack heard himself sigh and lean back into Jeff’s grip. “That feels good.”
“Good. I’m a certified massage therapist. Let’s move to the couch. Take off your shirt, and I can make it feel even better.”
“Uh.” Jack was suddenly aware of the proximity of Jeff’s bare chest, of Jeff’s hot breath so close to his neck.
“Don’t be afraid.” Jeff purred. “Just a little massage between friends? No big deal, right?”
“I don’t think ...”
“Then don’t think. Just enjoy.” Jeff leaned in a whispered against Jack’s ear. “Dylan won’t mind. We share everything around here.”
What Jeff was doing with his thumbs at the base of Jack’s neck felt particularly good, loosening knots and tension Jack had not realized he carried. Jack felt his cock responding, slowly starting to inflate. If Jeff reached around him and touched his nipple, touched his fluttering stomach, his swelling crotch through his pants, would Jack let himself be led upstairs and seduced? Probably, he decided, and blushed at how fickle his semi-erection made him.
Jack pulled away. “Stop.”
“The man said stop, Jeff,” Dylan said from the doorway. Jack knew he should stay angry, but he was still glad to see him. Dylan had already changed out of his uniform; Jack thought he looked so sexy in nothing but a pair of blue checked boxers. “That means stop. Mind telling me what this is all about?”
Jeff made a hands-off gesture and backed away. “New dude here heard you and the Doctor talking about his background check. He’s pissed off ‘cause you didn’t tell him you were gonna run one. I’m just talking him down off the ledge.”
Dylan looked at Jack. “I’m sorry. You’re right—we should have told you. But we needed to know whether you were telling us the truth. Now we know. I’m sorry. From here on, you’ve got our trust.”
Jack nodded.
Ike walked in with a grocery bag. “Hey, guys. What’d I miss?”