Something Like Trust

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

I heard his footsteps a good sixty seconds before I felt his presence and his heat. I knew what his gait sounded like, even when he was tentative, and there was no doubt he was headed right for me. I finished my visual sweep of the set, not acknowledging him until he spoke my name.

“Jared?”

I really did like the sound of my name on his lips. I turned to him, and let myself smile. “Hi, Brandon.”

He went beet red, which was entirely too appealing, and his gaze skirted away from my face and landed somewhere over my left shoulder. “Hi. I’m s-sorry about the other d-day.”

I nodded, never taking my gaze off him. “I threw you off your game with that, huh?” It wasn’t really a question. We both knew that’s what happened. Brandon turned even redder and nodded.

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything else. Then he seemed gather his strength and almost managed to look me in the eye. “Are you gay?”

I blinked, a little surprised. I’d have thought that would have been obvious with my blatant come on. But if he needed to hear it, needed that solid confirmation, I had no trouble giving it to him. “Yes, Brandon. I am gay.”

A hint of a smile graced his mouth before it was quickly replaced with a frown. He still didn’t quite meet my gaze, but he was now focused on my nose, which was much closer. I waited patiently for him to say whatever was on his mind.

It took him another minute or so, and his voice came out soft when he finally said, “That m-must have been d-difficult for you. When you were s-serving.”

I gave him a gentle smile. I loved that we were having a conversation and he’d been the one to instigate it. “It certainly wasn’t easy, but I managed.” My words downplayed the difficulties but it wasn’t something I liked revisiting. Instead, I moved on to the rest of his statement. “And I still am serving, actually. A reservist.”

Brandon’s entire body gave a tiny, almost imperceptible jerk, as if my words had shocked him. And they must have because the man finally gave me the full weight of his gaze, and I was able to really see those gorgeous ice-blue eyes. Which were currently wide with what could only be described as disbelief.

“R-really?”

I nodded and held out a hand. “Staff Sergeant Jared Connors, USMC.”

Brandon reached out automatically, but once I had his smaller hand in mine, I held on and used it to pull him a fraction closer. He kept his gaze fixed on me, and licked his lips in an unconscious manner. It felt like he was inviting me to do the same. I leaned a bit closer.

“Thank you for your service, Staff Sergeant,” Brandon said, his voice quiet, but sure.

I straightened, surprised. Those were not words I’d heard often, and I was never quite sure how to handle them when I did. I served because it was my job and I loved it. I was a Marine, through and through. But my first inclination, to brush it off and declare it as no big deal, was untrue. It was a big deal and I couldn’t be dismissive just because I was embarrassed.

“You’re welcome,” I finally said, reluctantly letting go of Brandon’s hand.

A bang and a clatter had my attention shooting to the left, but it was just a dropped box, and the intern who had lost his grip on it was already bending to pick up the fallen item. I took a deep breath and centered myself, then turned my attention back to Brandon.

“What about you, Brandon?” I liked saying his name. I liked the way it felt in my mouth.

He blinked those pretty eyes. “What about m-me?”

I grinned, doing my best to be charming, then turned so I was standing next to him. I made sure I was close enough that he could sense my presence, but I didn’t want him to feel pressured. I let my gaze scan the set, taking it all in, even as I spoke to him.

“Are you gay? If I were to ask you out, say for dinner at a quiet little hole-in-the-wall, out-of-the-way restaurant that has outstanding food, would you say yes? Or would you tell me that I’m barking up the wrong tree?” I knew I wasn’t, but I thought I’d give him the easy out if he wasn’t interested in me. I was fairly certain I wasn’t wrong about that either, but I was willing to give him the option of bowing out gracefully.

He let out a small, quiet laugh. “Barking is for d-dogs, Jared. Are you a dog?”

I heard the worry underneath the question he’d tried to say jokingly. I turned quickly, and gave him my full attention so he would not miss how serious I was.

“No, Brandon,” I assured him, my voice low but utterly sincere. “I am not a dog.”

Finally, he looked me in the eye of his own volition, his entire being focused on me. He studied me, and I let him. Then he took a deep breath, and I knew instantly that he believed me. Was, in fact, willing to trust me.

“Then I would say, yes, Jared. I am gay. And yes, I’d like to go to dinner with you.” His voice was soft, but there was no hint of the stutter that usually plagued his words. The relaxed set of his shoulders gave me the idea that he was comfortable in my presence, and I had to wonder if the stutter came out only with his nerves. The thought made me feel smugly proud.

“Outstanding,” I said, letting myself smile. “Are you free tomorrow evening?”

Brandon nodded. “I’m not scheduled to be on set.”

I already knew that because I was privy to each day’s call sheet. I also knew the bulk of the day’s filming would be completed by mid to late afternoon, and that I could leave Miranda on her own without worry.

“Great. Then I can pick you up from your hotel at eighteen hundred, and we can go to dinner.” It came out like a command. I was used to getting my way, and I’d been in control of my siblings for the past five years. My word was law, and no one questioned it. But I wasn’t so callous as to not know how I sounded. “If that works for you, I mean.”

“Y-yes. That’s f-fine.”

Oh, the stutter was back. Brandon was nervous again. Because of our upcoming date? Was he nervous about spending time with me? I wanted to reassure him, to touch him, but it seemed like too much, too soon. Instead, I took a step closer into his personal space. There was no way he could deny my presence and therefore I knew I had his complete attention.

“Nothing happens between us that you’re not fully on board with. You got that?”

Brandon nodded. And then his gaze dropped to the floor as he followed with, “Yes, sir.”

Oh. It was like that, was it? Somehow I didn’t think he was using the honorific in the same way I did when speaking to my commanding officer. I filed away the information. Now was not the time to pursue it. And I would have to get a better feel of what he wanted and what he was thinking before I even began to discuss that with him. But there’d be plenty of time for that tomorrow.

I reached out until I gently held his chin, lifting his face until I had his gaze. I needed to get back to work, and I knew he was done for the day. When I was certain I had his attention, I smiled, and let my thumb caress his cheek. He blew out a shaky breath and gave me a wobbly smile in return.

“I look forward to tomorrow, Brandon.”

“Me, too.” It wasn’t more than a whisper, but it was entirely sincere.

I suddenly knew he wanted this as much as I did.