Chapter Seventeen
They tipped generously and made their way back outside.
“Movie time?” Jasper asked him.
“Yep. But let’s get a cab, a forty-minute walk in the cold is not my idea of fun.”
Jasper nodded at that and they walked back towards the main street. It was cold after the warmth of the restaurant and when Jasper shivered next to him, Matt wrapped an arm around his waist.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“More than okay.”
It didn’t take long to flag down a cab. They discussed which film they wanted to see as they drove towards the movie theater, Matt pulling up the evening’s listings on his phone.
He could tell from the expression on Jasper’s face that he wasn’t a fan of horror movies. It was almost a relief, as Matt didn’t have the tolerance he once had for them. There was a combat movie on the list but after a quick glance at Matt, Jasper skipped right over it, too.
They settled on the latest superhero action film but only after Jasper doubled checked with him that it would be okay. As they queued for tickets, he caught Jasper eying the popcorn.
“You want some?” he asked.
Jasper shook his head, but it was with some reluctance. “Too full from dinner.”
“Then next time, I promise.”
The movie theater was busy, but they were early, getting some good seats near the back.
“You’ve seen movies in a theater before, right?” Matt asked as they sat down.
Jasper was slow to nod in answer to his question and Matt didn’t probe further. Jasper had said more than once that he didn’t want to be trapped by his past. He wanted the here and now, and the future.
The lights lowered, leaving them in darkness as the trailers started. Jasper was quickly engrossed in them but now and then he’d sneak a look at Matt, as if checking to see if he was enjoying himself. Matt reached for Jasper’s hand and linked their fingers.
The film was two hours of witty dialog interspersed with action. Not too graphic, nothing too intellectual. It was easy for Matt to just kick back and enjoy it. With Jasper’s hand in his and them so close, he could feel Jasper’s every reaction to the movie. As it reached the climax, the bad guy chasing the injured and weary hero, Jasper gripped his hand tightly and leaned closer to him, resting his head against Matt’s shoulder as the tense scene played out in front of them.
As the credits rolled, people around them got up but Matt stayed put. “There’s usually an extra scene at the end. Worth staying for.”
By the time they got up to leave, the lights were back on, only a handful of hardcore fans still there. Jasper blinked at the brightness, a smile on his face.
“That was cool,” he declared.
“Very,” Matt agreed.
They made their way out, the lobby more crowded than it had been when they’d arrived. Jasper’s hand gripped his tightly as they made their way through the throng. Outside was bedlam, with people flagging down cabs and getting into cars.
“Let’s head down toward the shopping district. We’ll stand a better chance of getting a ride home that way.”
Arm in arm they walked down the street. The queue for a cab was shorter there, but they were in for a wait. It was still early, the crowd around them not too rowdy. Jasper shivered and Matt tugged him closer, drawing his jacket tighter around him.
“I had a really nice time,” Jasper said.
“Me, too.”
Jasper wrapped his arms loosely around Matt’s neck as Matt slipped his around Jasper’s waist. Matt leaned in to kiss him but a voice interrupted.
“Hey, J. Long time, no see.”
Jasper tensed in Matt’s arms, and they both turned. Matt didn’t recognize the man next to them but Jasper seemed to. He let go of Matt but actually stepped closer.
“Hi… uh…”
“Travis. We missed you at St. Jon’s. There one day, gone the next. That was quite the disappearing act.”
Jasper shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. “You know how it is. Things change.”
“Yeah.” Travis nodded slowly. “I guess they do. How’ve you been? Where are you living these days?”
Matt put his hand on Jasper’s arm but didn’t interrupt. From Jasper’s reaction, this wasn’t a friend.
“Been good. Couch-surfing for the holidays, when I can find a friend to take pity on me.” He nodded his head to Matt as he spoke.
“Of course, I make it worth their while,” he added with a coy smile.
Matt played along, smiling too and slinging an arm possessively across Jasper’s shoulders.
“Looking to get out of the city soon, though. My cousin’s down south, got a job for me and everything. It gets too damn cold here in winter. And what’s with the power cuts? As if things weren’t bad enough.”
Travis narrowed his eyes but kept his tone friendly. “Yeah, it’s like the city don't care people are freezing to death.” He looked left, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “You should come back to St. Jon’s for a visit. Everyone would be happy to see you. Folks have been worried about you.”
There wasn’t an ounce of sincerity in Travis’ tone.
“Sure, I’ll call by before I leave town. Be nice to say goodbye to everyone before I split.”
They were now at the top of the queue.
“Are you getting in or what?” the cab driver called, glaring at them.
“See you, Travis,” Jasper called as Matt steered him into the back of the cab. “Where to?” the cabbie asked. Matt could see Travis standing by the car, listening intently.
“Elson Place,” Matt said, naming a street the opposite direction from where they were going.
The cabbie grumbled and pulled away from the curb.
Matt waited until they’d passed through two intersections, Jasper silent and tense next to him, before pointing the driver back towards his apartment. The driver grumbled more, but shut up when Matt offered him twice what the trip would normally cost.
He and Jasper didn’t speak, but he took his hand and squeezed gently, reassured when Jasper squeezed back.
Matt got the cab driver to drop them a block away from his apartment. He wasn’t taking any chances. They were both cautious as they walked the last block, watching carefully. There were a few people going about their business but none of them looked suspicious. As quickly as he could, Matt got them into the building and up the stairs. Once inside, he switched on the lights.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper offered.
“For what?”
“Ruining our evening?”
Matt took a step towards Jasper, crowding him against the wall. Reaching for him, he drew the hat off his head.
“You think running into an old acquaintance could ruin our evening?”
Jasper shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry for what I said, about making it worth your while…”
“Are you kidding? Most people can’t lie under pressure, let alone as convincingly as that. You were careful, and you were smart.”
Jasper met his gaze, clearly surprised at the praise.
“Who was he, Jas? One of Phillipe’s guys?”
“No, Travis lives at St. Jon’s. He’s in a work program at the community center. But he’s the kind of person…”
“The kind of asshole who’d shop you into Phillipe for whatever he could get?”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.”
“So, he knows you’re still in town, but he has no idea where and he thinks you’re leaving soon. I don’t think there’s much to worry about. He doesn’t have enough to help Phillipe track you down. And for all we know, Phillipe has lost interest by now.”
Jasper nodded slowly, some of the tension leaching from him as he sagged against the wall. “You’re right.”
“I am. So, where were we? Your arms were around my neck and mine were around your waist.”
It took a moment for Jasper to catch on and then he was slipping his arms around Matt, letting Matt tug him away from the wall to hold him around the waist. Jasper was the one who pushed forward, pressing his lips to Matt’s.
He pulled back for a moment. “I’ve been waiting all night to do that.”
“Not that I’m keeping count or anything but this is our second kiss for the night,” Matt started to say, only for Jasper to capture his mouth in another kiss. He stopped then. Stopped thinking, stopped talking, and just focused on that moment. He slipped one hand behind Jasper’s head, deepening the kiss.
They were slow to part this time, Matt stroking a thumb across Jasper’s cheek, nuzzling against his soft skin with his nose.
“It might get cold tonight,” he murmured. “You could sleep in with me, keep us both warm?”
Jasper’s eyes met his, a question in them.
“Just sleep,” Matt assured. “And maybe some cuddling.”
A slow smile spread across Jasper’s face. “And more kissing?”
“Lots more kissing.” He accompanied the words with a kiss to Jasper’s cheek.