Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 43759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
raised his arm s over his head and arched back. His T-shirt rose to show
enviable abs and a line of dark hair leading down to his j eans.
“It’s only nine,” Jez said. “You gonna go out after all?” A twinge of
disappointm ent licked at the edges of his consciousness. It really would
suck to be the only one stuck in on a Saturday night.
“Nah. I can’t be arsed. And Lucy will probably be out, and she’s still
pissed off with m e for breaking up with her. I could do without the aggro.
I’ve got a few beers in the fridge. D’y ou want one?”
“I won’t be able to pay y ou back, not for a while any way.” Jez had
m anaged to get a part-tim e j ob—a few shifts in a local café—but every
penny of that was going to pay off his debts.
“That’s okay. It’s only cheap stuff, and I did all that work for m y dad
over the sum m er.”
Mac’s dad was a builder, and he paid Mac a decent wage when Mac
helped him out.
“Okay, then. Cheers.”
Mac cam e back a m inute or so later with a four-pack of lager. “Shift
y our arse,” he said.
“There is a whole other sofa y ou know.”
“Yeah, but this one has the best view of the telly.”
Jez m oved his legs reluctantly, turning and putting them up on the
coffee table to m ake space for Mac in the other corner of the large three-
seater.
“This beats pay ing for overpriced beer in a crowded pub any way,”
Mac said. “I m eant it when I said I was going to stop going out every
weekend this y ear.”
“Yeah?” Jez hadn’t been sure Mac was com m itted to the plan. For
Jez, it was a necessity. He sim ply couldn’t afford to carry on like he had
last y ear.
“I’m on m y last chance,” Mac’s voice was serious. “My tutor called
m e in for a m eeting on the first day back. If I fuck up this y ear, then I’m
out.”
“Shit, really ?” Jez hadn’t realised it was that bad.
“Yeah. And I’m not one of those people who can dash off an essay
in an evening and still get a good grade. I need to put the tim e in.” Jez
flushed, feeling guilty because he was one of those people. “So,” Mac
continued. “I decided this term I’m not going out m uch at all. I’m
focusing on work, and relaxation isn’t going to involve late nights and
hangovers that m ake m e m iss lectures. A few beers in front of the TV is
gonna be m y lim it. It’ll be hard to stick to it, but I want to try.”
“Let’s m ake a pact,” Jez said. “We’ll both do it. Between now and
Christm as, we won’t go out drinking every weekend for the sake of it,
only on special occasions—like birthday s and stuff. It’ll be easier if we
both do it.”
“Safety in num bers?” Mac grinned.
“Som ething like that. We can help each other stay strong when
Shawn and Mike pester us.”
“Okay, it’s a deal.” Mac raised his can, and Jez bum ped it with his
own.
“Deal.”
They sat in com panionable silence for a while, finishing their drinks
while they watched TV before starting on a second.
“So, how com e y ou broke up with Lucy ?” Jez asked. “I thought y ou
seem ed pretty into her back in the sum m er.”
Mac shrugged. “I dunno. I j ust wasn’t feeling it, y ou know? She
wanted to get serious, and I wasn’t ready.”
“You wanted to stay y oung, free, and single?”
“Som ething like that.” Mac snorted in am usem ent and Jez turned to
see his grin. “But I’m not exactly m aking the m ost of it, am I? Stay ing in
with y ou instead of going out on the pull.”
“Yeah.” Jez grinned back. “Are y ou regretting our pact already ? It’s
not too late. You could still go and catch up with the others.”
“Hey, y ou’re not supposed to be encouraging m e.” Mac sounded
affronted. “But I’m tired any way, and pulling’s too m uch like hard work.
It’s easier to stay in and have a wank. My right hand’s a sure thing. There’s
no risk of crashing and burning there.”
Jez chuckled. “Truth.”
“I m iss blow j obs, though. Lucy was bloody good at that.” Mac’s
voice was wistful, and he gazed into space, clearly lost in fantasy. His
cheeks flushed a little as he continued, and Jez felt a rush of answering
heat in his groin.
“Yeah?” Jez’s voice cam e out a little hoarse. Fuck, he was getting
hard. Dam n Mac and his talk of wanking and blow j obs. His head was full
of im ages of Mac getting his dick sucked, and Jez wasn’t quite sure why
the idea of that was doing it for him . It never had before. Even though Jez
had had a few sexual experiences with other boy s at boarding school,