Second Chance(27)

“Could we maybe do stuff in your car?” Jack asked. “Not in daylight with Jessie in the back, obviously. But in the evening?”

Nate flushed as he imagined it. There was something appealing about sneaking around, an air of the forbidden that made the idea of getting sexual with Jack even hotter. “Yeah. We could try that. When?”

“Tonight?” Jack replied immediately.

Flattered by how keen he was, Nate said, “Okay. And where do you think we could go? I want to see you, but I really don’t want to get arrested. Mum would be mortified, and Cass would never let me live it down.”

“Edge Road always used to be the place people went to fool around in their cars,” Jack said.

“Oh yeah?” Nate cast a glance at him.

“Yeah. It’s long, quiet, straight, and there are no streetlights so you can see another car coming from a mile away. I used to go there with Ben. I bet it hasn’t changed. Worth a shot anyway.”

Shutting down the irrational flare of jealousy at Ben’s name, Nate said, “Okay. Let’s try. I’ll pick you up tonight—what time is good for you?”

“Eight?”

“Perfect.”

After Nate dropped Jack off, he drove home with a smile that he couldn’t have wiped off if he’d tried. His heart felt light with hope and excitement.

Friends with benefits, he told himself firmly. That’s all.

It was definitely better than nothing.





Eight





Jack was full of nervous tension waiting for Nate to arrive. Not wanting another awkward confrontation with either of his parents, he’d asked Nate to text when he was in the driveway. He’d told his parents he was going out, but they hadn’t asked where, or who with, and he hadn’t volunteered the information.

His phone buzzed at two minutes past eight: I’m here.

On my way, Jack sent, already hurrying downstairs to get his coat.

“I’m off out now,” he called. The sitting room door was ajar.

“Okay. Have a nice evening,” his mum replied.

“Thanks.” Jack really hoped it was going to be a nice evening. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this nervous about a date or a hook up.

After Nate had dropped him home earlier, he’d gone online and had done some research into transgender men so he’d know what to expect. He couldn’t deny he was nervous about dealing with the contents of Nate’s pants. Not because he had a problem with Nate’s anatomy per se, but because he was hopelessly inexperienced in that regard. He’d never got beyond kissing with a girl, and he’d never hooked up with a trans guy before. Plus this wasn’t just any guy. This was Nate—his best friend from way back and his only friend since he’d relocated. He didn’t want to fuck things up.

“Hi,” he said as he climbed into the passenger seat. He leaned over quickly and gave Nate a kiss on the cheek.

Nate turned, smiling. “Hey.”

Jack wanted to kiss him properly, but he didn’t trust his mother not to be peeking through the curtains. “Let’s go. Do you know the way?”

“I think so. But direct me just in case.”

Jack was glad to have something to focus on. His palms were sweating despite the cold, and his knee was jiggling—a nervous tell he couldn’t control.

“No second thoughts then?” Nate said lightly.

“No. You?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah…. It’s the next left, after the pub.”

They drove in silence for a while, the interior of the car heating up rapidly, which Jack was grateful for. Even though he fancied Nate and knew he wanted to do this, he was worried that the combination of freezing temperatures, anxiety, and the meds he was taking might cause some performance issues.

“Next turning on the right,” Jack said.

It was overcast tonight and the country lanes were pitch black apart from the light cast by Nate’s headlamps. They hadn’t passed another car for a while, which boded well. Edge Road was a lonely stretch separating farmland from the marshy uncultivated land that ran along the edge of the estuary. Once they passed a farmhouse and a couple of cottages at one end there were no more buildings, and the road stretched out flat and straight as far as they could see in Nate’s high beams. No other cars were visible.

Nate slowed down. “Shall I stop?”

“Yeah. This should be fine.”

Nate pulled over and parked. He cut the engine and turned the lights off, plunging them into almost complete darkness. “This okay?”

“Yeah.” As Jack’s eyes adjusted, he could make out the shadowy shape of Nate beside him. Heart pounding, feeling like an inexperienced teenager again, Jack asked, “Shall we get in the back? Bit more comfy there.”

“Well, you’re the one with all the car sex experience. So I’ll bow to your superior knowledge,” Nate’s tone was light and teasing.

“It’s been a while,” Jack said.

They both got out of the car and climbed into the back seat instead. They reached for each other, meeting in a clumsy kiss that ended in laughter.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Nate said. “I’m way too old to be making out in a car.”