Triple the Love

What do you think about Jack?

Hank

My heart was beating faster than usual. Corey had invited me over for dinner and this was it. Tonight was the night I was going to confront him. This whole thing had been dragging on long enough now, and I couldn’t deal with it any longer. The doubts. The questions. Alastair’s warning. I needed answers. However, I certainly wasn’t going to go into this guns blazing. I didn’t want to fight with Corey. I cared about him. But I still needed something. I pulled up and parked behind his car. I took a deep breath as I tried to shake off the tension. All I could do was hope that Corey was ready to open up.

“Hey, Hank,” Corey greeted when he answered the door. He smiled so sweetly that it took me a second to recover.

“Ah…hey,” I greeted as he stepped aside to let me in. The first thing that hit me was the smell. It made my mouth water, and I didn’t wait for Corey as I headed into his living room. However, I froze as I took in the scene before me. The low lighting, the candles, and the dinner he had set up on the coffee table.

“I made spaghetti and meatballs,” Corey said softly from behind me and as we sat down, I felt something shift inside of me. This was the Corey I had gotten to know and developed feelings for. As we started to eat, Corey told me about his visit with his parents. He was chatty and his smile never left his lips. I found myself not only enjoying his company, but I laughed at the stories he told me about his childhood. Everything felt so lighthearted and easy that I almost forgot about all of the doubts and questions. Almost. When dinner was finished, I helped him clean up the dishes before we went back into the living room to watch a movie. I couldn’t decide how to start the conversation as he put on an action movie. One of those adrenaline-pumping, high-energy movies that was a mixture of fun and dramatic. We were comfortable, laughing at the over-the-top stunts and ridiculous dialogue. However, it was now or never.

“Corey…” I said as I tried to turn his attention to me. Corey glanced over at me and smiled. That smile was so sweet that I almost forgot what I had been about to say. But before I could say anything, Corey hit me with a question that threw me right off balance.

“What do you think about Jack?” Corey asked, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. I stared at him in surprise. Unsure of how to answer that unexpected question.

“Ah…Jack?”

“Yes. What do you think about him? Like…as a person, I mean,” I continued to stare at him as I tried to wrap my head around the question. It wasn’t unusual for us to talk about Jack, but given our circumstances and the timing, it felt suspicious.

“I like Jack,” I said carefully. I didn’t want to push Corey. I didn’t want to demand answers to my own questions and ruin the evening by confronting him. So, I played it cool. Maybe this would lead to something more. Maybe this is exactly what I needed to feel more secure in our relationship. “Jack is a great guy. Solid. Dependable. A lot of fun to be around,” Corey nodded, and then he simply turned his attention back to the movie. I waited as I expected him to say something more. But when he didn’t say anything else, it left me feeling weird and unsettled. I barely paid any attention to the rest of the movie as I tried to work things out in my head. When the movie ended, Corey stood up and yawned loudly.

“It’s getting late, and I have an early start tomorrow,” he said. I nodded as I stood up.

“Yeah,” I agreed. I felt so off balance by his random question that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to confront him anymore. At least, not yet. Corey walked me to the door, and before I could even think or do anything, he kissed me goodnight.

“Goodnight, Hank, thank you for tonight,” I stared at him for a moment as I considered my options. Again.

“Sure…ah…thank you for dinner, it was great,” I said. Corey let out another yawn and I nodded as I stepped outside. “Goodnight, Corey,” I hurried to my truck, eager to get home. I couldn’t handle the weird tension between us. Even though Corey had been completely normal, happy even, his question had left a bitter taste in my mouth. As I drove him, the doubts came back in full force, and I groaned at my cowardice. I should have just questioned him. I should have asked him why he was asking me about Jack. The more I thought about the evening, the more frustrated I became. I had been far too patient. I considered turning back around, but it was pointless. By the time I got home, I was even more frustrated and confused than before.

“Hank?” I was startled when I heard someone call my name. I turned to see my neighbor, Simon, standing by my side door. I rolled down the window and tried to smile. “Is everything ok? You have been sitting here for a good half hour,”

“Oh…just lost in thought,” I answered as I rolled up the window and pushed my door open. Simon stepped aside and smiled.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, and I quickly shook my head. “Well, goodnight then,” he said, and I watched as he walked back into his yard and disappeared inside his home. I tried to shake off the unease I felt and headed inside my own home. Tonight had been both wonderful and frustrating. I had been a coward, and I knew it was because I really wanted Corey and me to be happy together. However, there was still this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. I then promised myself that the next time I saw Corey, I would demand some answers.