More Perfect by Daniel Janaka

Author:Daniel Janaka [Janaka, Danial]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: NineStar Press, LGBT, contemporary, reunited, drug/alcohol use, infidelity
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2018-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

JIMMY HAD GROWN accustomed to spending countless late nights in the office since becoming a project manager. Most days, the promotion kept him pinned to his desk as one hour rolled into the next, night creeping up on him unexpectedly. It didn’t bother him much while in the thick of it. It was only during the moments between tasks when he stopped to wonder what free time might feel like that he felt the burden of being overworked. But he had no desire to let down Michael, who had entrusted him with a hefty workload as new clients filled the company’s roster. Late-night texts from his boss and weekend visits to the office had become the norm. The pressure to stay on top of everything was sometimes stifling, but even in the midst of the added stress, a sense of purpose fueled Jimmy, making the juggling act well worth it. He did, however, find himself canceling on Luke more often than not.

Luke remained supportive, but his growing agitation was becoming harder to hide. He joked about Michael’s intentions, creating an imagined affair that over time became less a joke and more a genuine concern. Luke’s body retracted whenever Michael got in the way of his time with Jimmy, his breath shortened. Jimmy brushed it off. Though it had once been a fantasy of his own, those days were long behind him. He did, however, regret his growing absence. Even when with Luke, he was preoccupied, constantly checking his phone and answering emails.

In an effort to make up for his guilt, Jimmy had given Luke a key to his place so that he might come and go as he pleased, independent of Jimmy’s unpredictable schedule. Luke became a fixture in Jimmy’s apartment. Most nights Jimmy returned home to find him spread out on the couch, the TV blaring, the pungent smell of pot filling the living room. It, at times, bothered Jimmy. He sometimes missed having a quiet, clean apartment to come home to after a long day at the office. But most often, he surrendered to the state of things, slipping into the couch with ease.

Tonight, he had hoped to leave early, maybe even make dinner and have some time to unwind. The workload seemed light earlier in the morning, but the afternoon got the best of him. Before he knew it, day settled into night and his hopes of making it home at a reasonable hour vanished.

“Why don’t you take off,” Michael suggested as he emerged from his office. “I can handle the rest on my own.” His shirt was untucked, wrinkled along the edges. His eyes sat heavy on his tired face.

“Are you sure?” Jimmy asked, hopeful.

“Yes, go. I’m just waiting on the final set of revisions from Mark. I can send them out on my own.”

“Don’t stay too late,” Jimmy replied. “I can always send it out in the morning. With the time difference, we’ll still make it.”

Michael agreed with a nod as he shuffled back to his office.

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