Chapter Sixteen
On the first week of January, Jasper’s supervisor asked to see him.
“How have you enjoyed working for us?” Kevin asked.
“It’s been great.” He had nothing but good things to say about it. Sure, they were long days, but the work kept him busy and gave him a sense of accomplishment he’d only experienced a handful of times before.
“And we have nothing but good things to say about you. You’ve been on time for every shift. You were very helpful in accommodating a few last-minute switches and extra shifts. We’d heard lots of positive things from your colleagues and the other staff.”
It sounded like he was building to something and Jasper could only hope it was what he wanted to hear.
“We’d like to keep you on. But there is one issue we’d need to address.”
“Of course, what issue is that?” He felt a tremor run through him as he spoke. Was it his past, his qualifications?
“Ideally, we need our candidates for permanent positions to have, at a minimum, a high school diploma.”
Which Jasper didn’t.
“I’m starting a GED course next week.”
Kevin’s eyes brightened at that. “Good, very good. We’ll put you on a temporary contract for now. And as soon as you have that qualification, we can make you permanent. How does that sound?”
He couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “That sounds amazing.”
“Hard work should be rewarded. Too many people think they can just coast by in life.”
“Not me,” Jasper replied.
Kevin nodded. “Some people have to learn that the hard way.”
He stood up and reached out to shake Jasper’s hand. Jasper grasped it eagerly. “Thank you, Kevin, I appreciate you giving me this chance.”
“With an attitude like yours, you’ll go far,” Kevin replied.
He almost bubbled over with excitement as he waited for Matt to finish his shift. His contract was in his hand, a whole twelve months of work, the closest thing to steady employment he’d ever had. He was excited about what it meant for him. Regular income, and a chance to achieve things he’d only been able to dream about before. But he was just as, if not more, excited about what it meant for him and Matt. They could start moving things forward.
Matt rounded the corner, his backpack over one shoulder, looking tired. Jasper had noticed that a lot lately. His shifts seem to drain him, leaving him exhausted and sometimes grumpy. But he always cheered up when he saw Jasper.
“Hey,” he called.
“Hey,” Matt said, slowing to a stop next to him. “Ready to head home?”
Jasper nodded but hesitated.
“What is it?” Matt asked. “Is something wrong?”
He held out the contract. “They’re keeping me on for a year. Kevin said if I get my GED, they’ll offer me a permanent contract.”
Matt’s tired face broke into a smile. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.” He glanced at the contract before pulling Jasper into a hug. “I am so proud of you. You’ve made quite an impression.”
Jasper shrugged as they pulled apart. “I just did my job.”
“They don’t normally keep seasonal workers on, so you must have done something right.”
He slipped an arm around Jasper’s shoulders and Jasper fell into step beside him as they walked to the parking lot.
“This calls for a celebration.”
“I was hoping…” Jasper started to say, then stopped.
“What?” Matt asked, slowing and turning towards him.
“Now that I have a steady income and I’m starting college next week…”
Matt stopped and rested his hands on Jasper’s shoulders. The touch of Matt’s hands like that always sent a thrill through him.
“Would you come to dinner and a movie with me?” Matt asked, a hint of a smile teasing the corner of his mouth.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Jasper teased back.
Matt’s eyes flicked down to his lips and back up. “I am.”
“I’d love to. As long as I get to choose the movie.”
“Next, you’ll be wanting to choose the restaurant too,” Matt joked.
Jasper smiled over at him but it faded for a moment as he asked a more serious question. “Is this okay? It’s not too fast? I don’t want to be pushy.”
“You’re not. This is perfect. I’ve been waiting… too long, it feels. We’re both on the same page, I promise.” They turned and resumed walked. “As long as you don’t drag me to see a romantic comedy.”
“What’s a romantic comedy?”
Matt’s arm settled around his shoulders again.
“It’s the stuff of nightmares…”
They’d celebrated his contract at home with Sam and Drew, ordering in Chinese food and having a great evening together. Afterward, as Jasper was cleaning up, he found Drew next to him.
“Are you looking forward to starting your GED next week?”
“Kind of.” The closer it got, the more anxious he felt.
“Yeah, it’s tough taking that step. But so worth it. Education is a gateway to so much.”
“What if I’m not good at it?”
He’d felt like the idiot in the room more times than he could count. Matt was super smart, being a doctor, but he never made Jasper feel stupid; patiently, and often excitedly, explaining anything he didn’t know.
“It’s not a case of being good or bad,” Drew said. “It’s about your motivation, how much you want it. Sure, it’s harder for some than for others, but it’s never impossible.”
They chose the first weekend after Jasper started his course for their first date. They both had the weekend off, an unusual occurrence in itself. Jasper had bought a new shirt for the occasion and it was now his nicest item of clothing, next to Matt’s favorite sweater.
He glanced at himself in the mirror as he did up the buttons of his shirt, feeling the excitement bubbling up inside of him. Matt had chosen the restaurant and Jasper didn’t know anything about it. He had made Matt promise to choose something that was within his budget though he knew Matt would have treated him in a heartbeat. That just wasn’t what he wanted for their first date. He wanted to feel like they were on an equal footing.
Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, he went out to join Matt who was waiting in the living room. Sticking his hands in his pockets to stop himself fidgeting, he slowed to a stop as he stepped into the room.
Matt smiled as he caught sight of him. “Wow, look at you. Love the shirt.”
Jasper grinned. “Thanks.”
“Ready to go?”
“Yep,” he agreed.
“Good, it’s cold out, you’d better wrap up.” As he spoke, Matt reached for Jasper’s coat and hat that he’d left over the back of the sofa. He helped Jasper into the coat before turning him around and slipping the hat over his head. He took advantage of their closeness to cup Jasper’s chin and press a kiss to his lips.
“I thought you kissed at the end of a date,” Jasper said as they pulled apart.
Matt grinned at him. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Let’s get going. We have a reservation for six-thirty.”
Jasper had never eaten anywhere that needed a reservation. At least, nowhere he’d paid for himself. It sent a tiny wiggle of worry through his stomach as they left. “Are you sure this place isn’t too expensive?”
Matt’s hand settled on his lower back. “I’m sure. Trust me. It’s small but popular, so it’s best to make a reservation. But it won’t break the bank, I promise.”
They stepped out into the cold, walking down the snow-covered streets lit with the glow of orange streetlights.
They went on foot to the restaurant and, sooner than he expected, Matt was directing him down a small side street and into a softly lit doorway.
A waitress greeted them.
“Table for two,” Matt said. “Booked under Matt Hughes.”
“Of course, this way.”
They followed her inside and across to a table in a quiet corner. As they took their seats, Jasper glanced around, soaking in the atmosphere. The place was cozy, tables for two spaced across the floor. There was quiet music playing in the background and above that the hum of conversation.
“Here are your menus. I’ll be back soon to take your order.”
Before she left, she lit two candles on the table bathing both him and Matt in a flickering yellow-orange glow.
He looked around again, taking in the people, the decorations, the furniture. He tried to make out what those around them were saying but he couldn’t. Whatever they were speaking, it wasn’t English.
“It’s Italian,” Matt said, tapping his menu. Did he mean the food or the language or both?
Jasper picked up his own menu and opened it, balking at the sight of two pages of writing that made no sense to him. How on earth was he supposed to choose?
Just as panic was beginning to take hold, Matt spoke, pressing a second, smaller menu into his hand. “So, I was thinking we could have the early bird menu. It’s a starter, a main course with a glass of wine, a dessert, and a coffee. It’s budget friendly.”
Jasper happily let go of the larger menu in favor of the smaller one. “That sounds good.”
He looked at the starters first, thrown by the titles that made no sense. “How… how do I…”
“Don’t worry about what the dishes are called. Just focus on the descriptions, they’ll tell you what they are. They’re all named in Italian. It can be tricky to get your tongue around the names.”
Jasper did as Matt suggested. The first starter looked good. Toasted bread with chopped tomato and herbs. The second was ‘soup of the day’. What did that mean? He’d never heard of a Saturday soup.
“How do you know what’s in the soup?” he asked.
“Usually the waiter tells you or…” Matt glanced around the room. “Over there, on the chalkboard near the door.”
Mushroom soup. Jasper wasn’t sure he liked mushrooms enough to choose that. The third starter was some kind of cheese and rice in a ball. He did like cheese and rice, but normally not at the same time.
“So what are you thinking for a starter?” Matt asked.
“Maybe the first one. Or the third one.”
“Ah, the bruschetta. That’s the toasted bread with the tomato on top. Or the suppli. That’s cheese and rice coated in breadcrumbs and fried. They both sound tasty. How about you get the bruschetta, I’ll get the suppli, and we’ll share? You don’t mind sharing food, do you?”
There was a time when he would have, when he’d have guarded any food he had carefully. But Matt was more than generous with food and Jasper always had plenty to eat when they were together.
“I don’t mind. I’d like to try both.”
They moved onto the mains, Matt carefully explaining the dishes without being too obvious about what he was doing.
When the waitress returned to take their order, Jasper was briefly tongue-tied as he tried to work out how to say what it was he wanted. Matt came deftly to his rescue, but not in the way he was expecting.
“Which starter were you having? Was it the bruschetta con pomodoro?”
“Yes, the bruschetta con pomodoro,” he repeated, relieved. Matt did the same with the main, calling out the dish Jasper wanted so all Jasper had to do was repeat it back. If the waitress noticed, she didn’t give any hint, taking the order with a smile.
“Thanks,” Jasper said once she had left.
“It gets easier,” Matt said. “Not just the words but building the confidence to ask for what you want.”
Jasper had the sense Matt wasn’t talking about just the food. Matt’s hand found his across the table. “What do you think of this place?”
“I like it. It’s…” He wasn’t sure of the word. He was used to eating with lots of people, in the shelter, in food kitchens. But they’d always been bright and noisy. This was… “intimate.” The word felt awkward on his tongue.
“That’s why I chose it. Jesse recommended it. You don’t want loud or noisy for a first date. You want somewhere quiet where you can huddle together and share secrets.”
“What kind of secrets?” Jasper asked, lowering his voice, and leaning towards Matt.
“Like how much I want to kiss you right now,” Matt said.
Jasper blushed and ducked his head.
“I’m not sure that’s a secret,” he mumbled.
“Are you calling me transparent?” Matt joked softly.
“Never.”
Their starters arrived, alongside a jug of water. Matt rearranged the table so that the two dishes were in the center.
“Dig in,” he said, taking a piece of bruschetta onto his own plate.
Jasper was slower to follow suit, taking his time to enjoy how the food looked, how it smelled, making a face when his stomach grumbled loudly. Matt grinned and pushed the bruschetta platter towards him.
Jasper took a piece and set it on his plate. The first bite was heavenly, the bread crispy, the tomato full of flavor. Before he knew it, he’d polished off a whole piece. He tried the suppli next, biting through the crispy breadcrumbs into the cheese and rice. He’d never tasted anything so good.
When he looked up, Matt’s eyes were on him, his food forgotten.
“I think watching you eat is better than the actual eating,” he said.
Jasper swallowed before replying. “This is amazing. How do they make it taste so good?”
“Fresh food, cooked from scratch, with plenty of seasoning to add flavor. It’s not magic, just knowledge and skill. Anyone can learn it but some people, like the chef here I’m guessing, have real talent.”
With their main courses, they each got a glass of red wine. In the time they’d spent together, Jasper had never seen Matt drink. Alcohol was something he had avoided for the most part, always feeling it was a slippery slope to something worse. He’d seen enough people head down that path and never come back.
Matt reached for his glass, swirling it, and inhaling deeply. “I’m not much for wine, but I think this is worth a taste.” He took a sip and nodded. “It’s good.”
Jasper stretched out a hand to take his, but hesitated.
“You don’t have to, Jas. There’s no pressure. I probably won’t drink all of mine. Alcohol and I haven’t been the best of friends these last few years.”
Jasper focused on his food instead. He’d had pasta in many forms, lasagna, macaroni, spaghetti, but it had never tasted like this.
“It’s fresh,” Matt explained. “They make it here, then cook it. It’s nicer than the dry pasta you buy in the store.”
“Is this why people eat out? Because the food is so good?”
Matt’s smile was a little sad as he replied. “That’s part of it. Convenience is another. And there are plenty of places where the food is nowhere near this nice and probably a lot worse than what they might be having at home.”
Halfway through his plate, Jasper tried the wine. Just a sip, which he rolled around his tongue. He was surprised at the flavor and took another sip.
“Nice, huh?” Matt asked.
“Fruity.”
His favorite part of the meal, by far, was the dessert. Tiramisu. It had been tricky getting his mouth around the word, and even the ingredients were a mystery. But Matt had been adamant that he needed to try it.
The first mouthful and he was lost. He thought he might have moaned and glanced around to make sure he wasn’t attracting attention. But everyone else was too busy with their meals and conversations to pay them any mind.
Matt stopped eating his halfway through and watched Jasper eat while he sipped his coffee.
“Someone’s got a sweet tooth,” he said under his breath. Jasper paused in his eating. “Is that bad?”
Matt shook his head, smiling back at him. “Nope. It’s a good thing for a boyfriend to know, so I know to choose chocolate over flowers.”
His words gave Jasper pause. “Is that… is that what we are? Are we boyfriends?”
Matt’s smiled softened. “I guess that’s what tonight is about deciding. Whether we want to go on more dates and build on what’s between us. It’s not a decision we have to make right now or this evening. We can talk about it another day. This is just us getting to know one another and having a good time.”
Jasper sat back with a happy sigh. “I like dating.”
Matt laughed “You like eating. And I have zero objections to that.”
They got the check and split it between them. Matt wanted to pay but Jasper felt a lot of satisfaction in being able to pay his own way. Maybe it wasn’t romantic, but it meant something to him.