In The Mountains (Tennessee and Paxton)

Asking for a date

* Do you want to go out? *

It was near the end of their workday, and Paxton had never felt so anxious as he did today. Every second that ticked by, he tried to gather a moment to speak to Tennessee about the documents he'd signed earlier. By three, he'd given up hope of catching the other man. Paxton was always on the phone with a customer, responding to emails, or talking to parts dealers. Tennessee and Cletus were doing the same thing. Leave it to today of all days for them to be extra busy.

After glancing at the clock, Paxton's head snapped up when Cletus strode into the office at four. The older man stood at the calendar and chewed gum. Paxton wanted to tell the old man to get out so he could talk to Tennessee alone. He was dying to make sure that signing these papers meant what he thought it did. All day Paxton had gone over it in his head, and he kept deciding it was a good idea. He liked Tennessee, and if this was what he had to do for them to be together, then it was a good plan. Sure, he knew they could still break up, but wasn't there a point where Paxton did have to put them both out of their misery? Gunner was right. He had to do something. And that something would be date Tennessee.

"Welp, I'm 'bout done with that Mustang," Cletus said to the calendar and then turned to spit his gum into the trash. "You've been a bit distracted all day. Ya okay, boy?"

"I'm fine." Paxton clicked off his computer. "I'm just ready for the day to be over."

"Figured." Cletus laughed and headed back out into the garage.

Just as the old man left, Tennessee walked in, but he was on the phone. Paxton wanted to groan out loud. He couldn't catch a break.

"I got a buddy who'll keep an eye on yer place." Tennessee walked up to the calendar and scribbled a note at the corner. "His name is Gunner North, and I'll text ya the number. He'll start yer Jeep and check up on it. He's better than the caretaker ya got now. He's no good."

There was a moment of silence, and then Tennessee laughed.

"Good idea, Harry. See ya and the Jeep tomorrow."

After Tennessee hung up his phone, he turned and jammed the cell into his pocket before he looked at Paxton.

One look was all it took. Heat coursed between them, and Paxton felt their mutual desire like an electric shock going through his system. He licked his lower lip, thinking about the taste of Tennessee on his tongue.

"I like it when ya look at me that way." Tennessee breathed out the sentence.

"How am I looking at you?"

"Like ya want me to kiss ya again."

"I... yeah I do." Paxton stood up and leaned against the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest because he was afraid if he didn't, he would throw them around Tennessee and kiss the man senseless. He probably shouldn't do that at work, and besides that, Paxton still wasn't sure what they were doing. Were they going to date now that he signed those papers? Maybe they could go straight to the sex. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to ask or not. Sometimes not being an escort was hard.

"Cletus said ya signed." Tennessee leaned past Paxton to slide the documents closer.

"Yes." Paxton's shaking hands reached for the same documents that he'd earlier scribbled his name.

Slowly, Paxton flipped the papers over one by one with Tennessee's eyes drilling into his name written in black and white. Next to Paxton's name was written, Tennessee Grace. His eyes flipped from the signatures to Paxton's face. A slow smile spread on his lips.

"Yer Paxton Brown."

"I hate my last name." Paxton licked his lips, now picturing putting them on Tennessee and well, all over the other man, not just his mouth.

"Why?"

"Because that's the last name of the people who kicked me out. It's the name of people who didn't want me because of who I am." Paxton shrugged. Rarely did he think about his homophobic family, which was okay with him. "I don't use it." He swallowed and then found himself leaning closer to Tennessee. He could smell the man's soap mixed with oil and the metal of the garage. Paxton was sure he would never be able to forget the way Tennessee smelled.

"I'm sorry 'bout that, Pax." Like he couldn't help himself, Tennessee drew Paxton into his arms. "But I guess in a way that's a good thing. Yer last name is one less thing we'll fight 'bout in the future." Tennessee pressed his lips to Paxton's hair.

"What do you mean?" Paxton snuggled into Tennessee's muscled frame and let the other man hold him. He never thought something so simple as a hug could feel this good.

"When I ask ya to marry me, and I want ya to change yer last name to mine, ya ain't gonna argue."

"Hold on a second." Paxton yanked himself out of Tennessee's hold. "We haven't gone on one date, but now you want to marry me? That's a little crazy you know."

"Ya can't stop me from thinkin' 'bout the future, cowboy, but yer right, I'm fixin' to remedy all that. Go with me tonight after work. This is simply a man askin' out another man. No money exchange or anythin'. Let me take ya out on a real date."

"I see how it is." Paxton grinned and shook his head. "A first date, and then we get married," he teased. "It's a little shotgun wedding, I think."

"I ain't knowin' nothin' about the exact order." Tennessee laughed and then headed out of the office. "But ya gotta admit, Paxton Grace has a nice ring to it."

Before Paxton could respond, Tennessee was at the door.

"Wait."

Tennessee stopped. "What?"

"I didn't say yes."

"Yer eyes did."

Paxton chuckled. He couldn't argue that.

"What time is our date? Five?" Paxton glared at the clock. He would have to wait another hour. He almost had to laugh at himself that he was this impatient to be kissing Tennessee again. He'd never felt this excited for a date in his entire life.

"Yeah, five. I got a place we can drive to and watch the sunset in the mountains."

"Okay." Paxton kept from saying where he really wanted to go was Tennessee's bedroom. He supposed regular people had sweet first dates where they watched the sunset. Well, that was fine with him. He didn't care what he did as long as he was with Tennessee. Besides, Paxton had no idea what to expect in the regular world where people dated each other, and money wasn't involved. But he wanted to find out. Specifically, he wanted to find out with Tennessee.

Whistling a tune, Tennessee left the office. "See ya at five, cowboy," he called from the garage.

*** Thanks for reading! ~authorcmmoore.com~