Like Father, Like Son - Jayda Marx Page 0,2

Ezra is out of my league.” I couldn’t deny that part, but what was irritating me was the way Lee was talking about him. Oh god, I’m jealous. I’m feeling territorial over Ezra already. I guess I really do need this advice. I’m going to smother him.

“Are you even listening to me?” Lee snapped.

“Sorry, go on.”

“So, you need to play this cool. Don’t be pushy for another date. Don’t call him too soon after this date. You can be flirty; actually, be super flirty, young guys like forwardness, but don’t bring up the future. Hell, have sex with the guy, but let it just be sex; no strings, got it?”

“I don’t think I can just have sex with someone.”

“I didn’t say you had to have sex with him. All I mean is...just don’t put too much pressure on him for anything beyond tonight.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Just have a good time and play the field a little.”

I let out a long breath and nodded. “Okay.”

“Good deal. Now go tell Daddy-O I said hi.” I groaned and headed towards my dad’s office as Lee laughed behind me.

“Come in!” Dad called when I knocked on his door. I pushed it open and found him pecking away at his keyboard. When he saw it was me, he smiled and gave me his full attention. “Hey, Teddy. How’s your day going?”

I pushed the door closed and took a seat in front of his desk. “Really good, actually.”

“I saw your sales come across earlier. That’s why I called you; to tell you congratulations. Those were two big accounts. I’m proud of you and you should be very proud of yourself.” Dad was always proud of me, and never failed to tell me so. He helped me get this job, and I worked hard to earn my keep, and so that he’d never doubt his decision. “I was thinking; do you want to grab some dinner tonight to celebrate?”

Dad and I spent a lot of time together. We were best friends and enjoyed each other's company. The fact that we hung out so much was probably one reason why I rarely had a date, and why my dad's love life was about as lively as mine.

But I appreciated my time with him; especially since things weren't always so easy between us. He got my mom pregnant when they were in high school, and even though they didn't stay together and they were very young, Dad always made an effort to be in my life and support me. The problem actually didn't occur until I was a teenager.

I realized I was gay when I was fifteen, which just so happened to be around the same time my dad came out. In my own fucked up, hormone-driven teenage mind, it felt like he was stealing my story or taking away from my experience. Instead of leaning on him and letting him help me through my tough time, I pushed him away, and we didn't reconnect until after I graduated high school, when I realized what a dick I was being. He took me back with open arms and since then, I didn't take a single day with him for granted.

"I can't tonight," I replied before adding enthusiastically, "I have a date! That was the big news Lee was talking about."

His whole face lit up with a grin. "That is big news. Good for you. Where did you meet him?"

"Online, actually. I signed up for a local dating site and we ran across each other there."

"I'm happy for you." He reached across his desk and patted my hand. "I hope it works out. And if it does, I want you to give me the name of that website."

I laughed and pulled a pen from a cup on his desktop. I jotted down the site on a sticky note and passed it over. "You should try it."

He took the paper and bounced his head left to right. "Maybe I will. Thank you." He pocketed the slip as I stood up.

"Well, I guess I better get back to work; my boss is a real hard ass."

He laughed and shook his head as he turned back to his computer. "Yeah, me too," he sighed. "Hey - good luck tonight."

"Thanks."

He gave me a smile and a wink as I left his office to count down the hours until I saw Ezra.

Chapter Two

Ezra

My hands trembled as my cab pulled into the lot behind Echo, the dance club where I was meeting