Since You've Been Gone. (boyxboy)

Chapter 20: Full on

"Sorry, wrong hole."

☆

"So tell me Tom..." Ellen says as she lowers her fork onto her plate, having finished her chicken breast in some kind of creamy sauce. "What do you do for a living?"

Thomas takes his napkin to his mouth before wiping his fingers and dropping it on the plate. He looked to the woman sitting to his left, who seemed to be hanging on his every word. "Right now, nothing. Just fixing up my grandpa's old place."

"But you must have done something before." Ellen wonders as she refills her own empty glass of wine.

Thomas smiles at her before glancing across at Jasper sitting opposite, who was chewing on his chicken as if it were raw steak, watching the conversation unfold. "Well, I'm a photographer, I've had a few small exhibitions abroad."

"That sounds very... sophisticated." Ellen sighs in apparent awe as she rests her chin on her upturned palm. "What's your subject matter? Landscapes, birds, people?"

Thomas exhales in thought. "Well, anything really. I guess I like to capture beauty. Moments in time which may be lost. I can look back on them and reminisce." He again looks briefly at Jasper, who for some reason, seemed to be squirming in his seat. Maybe it was the embarrassing memory of 'that' moment, captured in time. That image of him, riding the other male, cock deep in ecstacy.

"Would you photograph me?" Ellen asks out of the blue. It causes Jasper to snort a cough. And earns him a glare from Beth.

"Sorry, wrong hole." He says, trying to clear his throat, only to find humour in his choice of words. He grabs his glass and takes a mouthful.

"Of course, I'd love to some time." Thomas flatters her, with Ellen lapping it up.

"Clothes on right?" She teases as she pulls a little at the collar of her blouse to expose a bit of neck. Thomas' eyes naturally get drawn to the newly exposed skin.

"Depends." Thomas replies, glancing up at her slightly drunk face.

"On what?" Ellen visibly swallows. This was getting rather intense, even for her.

"On how much artistic licence you will allow me."

Ellen feels a flush of red run up her newly exposed neck. "Thomas, we have people present." She says, as she begins to fan her neck with her hand.

"I... I uh think some of us need to cool off." Beth interrupts with a giggle. "Ice cream anyone?...Jasper, give me a hand would you?"

Jasper doesn't say a word as he robotically picks up the useds plates and follows her into the kitchen, before putting them on the side using all the composure he could muster in order to stop himself smashing the plates to pieces. "See, I said we should let them decide and Thomas seems more than willing to engage." Beth says with a smugness.

"Yes. It seems you are right after all." He forces a smile. He couldn't tell her it was all an act. That Thomas was purposely doing it to wind him up. But it was working. Thomas had him right where he wanted him. He'd got Jasper where it hurt. Right in his chest.

Beth watches Jasper's composed state, it looked like he was masking something. "Jas, are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?"

Jasper forces a smile as he turns to her. "You want me to say I'm jealous?" He looks down at her face, Beth's eyes widen, with her heart rate quickening. Afraid that her worst fear that Ed is right about Jasper after all. That he was actually a closet gay. But Jasper just wraps his arms around her and holds her close. "You and I are not like that anymore. Like in the honeymoon phase. You're gonna get fat and get swollen legs whilst Ellen still has her figure. "I'd say you're the one who has issues." He kisses her tenderly on the head. It leaves her confused and opens a fresh can of worms in her mind.

She pushes Jasper back. "You can be really cruel sometimes. You know that Jas." She says, now carrying on with getting four bowls of ice cream ready.

"I'm trying to be nice and reassure you. You know you're not marrying me because of my way with words. Anyway, you shouldn't have invited her. You know what she's like." And he also knew what Thomas was like. Maybe they were made for eachother.

"Just take these." She shoves two bowls of posh ice cream into his hands, before leading the way back into the room.

As they make their way back to the table, Beth stops in her tracks, causing Jasper to nearly walk into the back of her. They are now both faced with Thomas sitting rather petrified on his chair, with Ellen proceeding to undo the buttons on her blouse. "You won't be disappointed Tom. My breasts are so photogenic..."

"Ellen! What the hell!" Beth rushes forward, literally dropping the ice cream on the table, before rushing around to her friend and pulling her blouse back together. "Tom I'm sorry."

"It's ok, really." Thomas smiles as he catches Jasper's eye. Who had done a complete 180 and now was trying to hold in a laugh.

"Maybe it's time you went home Ellen." Jasper suggests as he now sets his two bowls down.

"But I've not had my dessert." she complains. She reaches forwards to grab a bowl but in her haste, upturns the other, which lands in Thomas' lap with a soft plop.

"Oh, shit! that's cold." Thomas backs away from the table, still in his seat, as he lifts the now empty bowl from his crotch and puts it back on the table.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry." Ellen grabs a napkin and begins to pat down the fly area of Thomas' smart chinos with it.

"It's ok, I can do it." Thomas insists as he takes the napkin from her grasp.

"Beth, take her home in our car." Jasper says rather decisively, with Beth nodding slightly in agreement.

"Ellen, come on." Beth insists as she goes to the sofa where her friend's Jacket still resided.

Ellen looks around at the three people, maybe it was best she quit whilst she was marginally ahead. "Ok, I'm going." She gets up from her seat with a slight sway, looking at Beth who was holding up her coat to put on, "The fish was lovely." She praises, before stumbling past Jasper and looking him up and down on the way, as if in thought. Then she heads for the door. "I want my photoshoot Thomas she says as she wags a finger at him.

"Of course." Thomas replies with a small wave and then she is gone, with Beth following behind her, grabbing the car keys on the way.

"I won't be long." She says a little hassled.

The door closes behind the two males, once again alone. They stare at each other in a moment of silence before Thomas furrows his brow. "Fish? I thought it was chicken?"