and blew his nose. “Damned flu. I really thought I’d escape it this year.”
“Oh, Tom…” Jack took a step toward him. Tom glared at him, and he stopped. “Okay. Look. I’m gonna check what’s in your fridge, and if you need any supplies, I’ll make a run down to the Kash & Karry .”
“I hate asking you to do this, Jack.”
“As far as I can see, you didn’t ask, buddy. I offered. Do you need a hand going to the bathroom?”
Tom glared at him. “I have the flu, not terminal helplessness.”
“Okay, Tommy.” Jack laughed, then shivered. “It’s cold in here.”
“I can’t tell. I’ve been going back and forth between roasting and freezing.”
“Well, trust me, it’s cold. I’ll turn up the thermostat.”
Later that evening, after Jack had opened a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup and watched as he ate it, after he’d sponged him down so he would feel a little more human, after Jack made him take more Tylenol, put him to bed, and climbed in beside him, Tom reflected on how very lucky he was to have this man not only as his lover but as his best friend.
He even felt that way when Jack woke them both in the middle of the night with a bout of sneezing.
“I’m f-f-f-freezing!” Jack was shivering hard, and his teeth chattered.
Tom got up, turned up the heat, and got another blanket for the bed.
Jack peered at him out of bloodshot eyes.
“I feel like shit.” He caught Tom’s hand. “I didn’t catch this from you!”
“I know, buddy. You weren’t around me long enough to come down this fast.” He got a glass of water from the bathroom and shook a couple of capsules from the Tylenol bottle into his hand. “Come on, now. Open up. This is good for what ails you.”
Jack groaned, but obediently opened his mouth and swallowed them, and then accepted the glass.
Tom swayed on his feet but smiled as Jack downed the water.
“Throat hurts,” Jack rasped.
“I’ll get something for that too.” Tom found some Chloraseptic in his medicine chest. “Here you go, Jack. Suck on this.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Tom leaned over and kissed his forehead. It was hot, but not alarmingly so.
“Try to get some sleep, Jack.” He took a couple of Tylenol for himself, got into bed, and spooned up behind him.
It looked like they were going to have to take turns taking care of each other.
That worked for him.
Chapter 5
Weekend on Amelia Island
It was very early Friday morning when Jack Sweet shook his lover awake.
“Go ‘way, Jack,” Tom mumbled from under the pillow that covered his head. “’m off today.”
“I know.” Jack tossed the pillow aside. Tom’s fair hair was alternately spiked and flattened, a prime example of bed hair. Jack stroked it, kissed the shallow depression at the nape of his lover’s neck, then leaned back to fondle the firm globes of Tom’s ass. “That’s why you need to get up now.”
“’m gonna kill you. Y’know I’m not a morning person.” Still, Tom arched into the caress.
“C’mon, buddy. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. It’s a beautiful day.”
Tom peeled open an eyelid and stared at him, not awake enough for it to be a full-blown glare. “It’ll be a beautiful day all day.”
“Yeah, but if we don’t leave now, we’re gonna miss the best part of it.”
“Leave for where?”
Jack had been planning this for a month. Tom had mentioned an island off the east coast of Florida a couple of times, and Jack had decided to surprise him with a getaway weekend there. He’d winced at the cost of the room, but his lover was worth it.
And besides, this was kind of a special occasion.
“Leave for where?” Tom repeated. He propped himself up on an elbow and squinted at Jack, as if trying to read the destination in his face.
Jack looked away, pretending that something on the night table had drawn his attention. Tom would call him a sap, so he wasn’t going to say anything about it, but he knew the fact that they’d
“Oh, Tom…” Jack took a step toward him. Tom glared at him, and he stopped. “Okay. Look. I’m gonna check what’s in your fridge, and if you need any supplies, I’ll make a run down to the Kash & Karry .”
“I hate asking you to do this, Jack.”
“As far as I can see, you didn’t ask, buddy. I offered. Do you need a hand going to the bathroom?”
Tom glared at him. “I have the flu, not terminal helplessness.”
“Okay, Tommy.” Jack laughed, then shivered. “It’s cold in here.”
“I can’t tell. I’ve been going back and forth between roasting and freezing.”
“Well, trust me, it’s cold. I’ll turn up the thermostat.”
Later that evening, after Jack had opened a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup and watched as he ate it, after he’d sponged him down so he would feel a little more human, after Jack made him take more Tylenol, put him to bed, and climbed in beside him, Tom reflected on how very lucky he was to have this man not only as his lover but as his best friend.
He even felt that way when Jack woke them both in the middle of the night with a bout of sneezing.
“I’m f-f-f-freezing!” Jack was shivering hard, and his teeth chattered.
Tom got up, turned up the heat, and got another blanket for the bed.
Jack peered at him out of bloodshot eyes.
“I feel like shit.” He caught Tom’s hand. “I didn’t catch this from you!”
“I know, buddy. You weren’t around me long enough to come down this fast.” He got a glass of water from the bathroom and shook a couple of capsules from the Tylenol bottle into his hand. “Come on, now. Open up. This is good for what ails you.”
Jack groaned, but obediently opened his mouth and swallowed them, and then accepted the glass.
Tom swayed on his feet but smiled as Jack downed the water.
“Throat hurts,” Jack rasped.
“I’ll get something for that too.” Tom found some Chloraseptic in his medicine chest. “Here you go, Jack. Suck on this.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Tom leaned over and kissed his forehead. It was hot, but not alarmingly so.
“Try to get some sleep, Jack.” He took a couple of Tylenol for himself, got into bed, and spooned up behind him.
It looked like they were going to have to take turns taking care of each other.
That worked for him.
Chapter 5
Weekend on Amelia Island
It was very early Friday morning when Jack Sweet shook his lover awake.
“Go ‘way, Jack,” Tom mumbled from under the pillow that covered his head. “’m off today.”
“I know.” Jack tossed the pillow aside. Tom’s fair hair was alternately spiked and flattened, a prime example of bed hair. Jack stroked it, kissed the shallow depression at the nape of his lover’s neck, then leaned back to fondle the firm globes of Tom’s ass. “That’s why you need to get up now.”
“’m gonna kill you. Y’know I’m not a morning person.” Still, Tom arched into the caress.
“C’mon, buddy. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. It’s a beautiful day.”
Tom peeled open an eyelid and stared at him, not awake enough for it to be a full-blown glare. “It’ll be a beautiful day all day.”
“Yeah, but if we don’t leave now, we’re gonna miss the best part of it.”
“Leave for where?”
Jack had been planning this for a month. Tom had mentioned an island off the east coast of Florida a couple of times, and Jack had decided to surprise him with a getaway weekend there. He’d winced at the cost of the room, but his lover was worth it.
And besides, this was kind of a special occasion.
“Leave for where?” Tom repeated. He propped himself up on an elbow and squinted at Jack, as if trying to read the destination in his face.
Jack looked away, pretending that something on the night table had drawn his attention. Tom would call him a sap, so he wasn’t going to say anything about it, but he knew the fact that they’d
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