Rob Jenkins climbed into the back seat of the yellow cab and took the first deep, calming breath since he'd gotten off the plane in Chicago. Collecting his suitcase had been a nightmare, as the crowd of meandering travellers at Midway Airport seemed determined to get in his way at every turn.
All the time he'd been dodging kids and dazed adults hurrying from one place to the next, he'd had Max on his mind. Their fights, the lack of intimacy plaguing them of late and his own refusal to play naughty with the man he loved. He shifted uncomfortably, remembering the last time Max had tried to get him to 'show off his goods'. They'd been at one of the local clubs, drinking and partying it up after a long week of work, when Max slid a hand into Rob's pants, giving his cock a stealthy squeeze. Of course, Rob had gotten an erection. But fear of discovery and ridicule had cooled his ardour almost immediately. Max had been upset, and the evening had ended with them in silent accusatorial anger and frustration.
The cabbie interrupted his thoughts. "Where to?" he asked in a heavily accented voice.
Rob looked up and saw the man's dark eyes in the rear view mirror. "The Mason Arms on Michigan Avenue."
He knew the ride would take about twenty minutes in good traffic. He'd thought about the flight from Indiana, the taxi ride and his other plans a million times before finally deciding to join his lover. Being away from him for the whole two weeks of Max's conference seemed like a bad idea right now.
"You attending that big software convention at the Arms?" The cabbie made small talk as he pulled into traffic, smoothly accelerating.
"Meeting a friend." Rob wasn't in a talkative mood and hoped his clipped reply would shut the guy up. It did, and Rob fell back into his thoughts about Max and the argument they'd had before Max had left--another misfired sexual episode, another denial on Rob's part--a fiasco extraordinaire.
He shuddered. He knew something had to change. Max needed those risque moments Rob kept denying him.
They'd been together for six years, long enough for things to become a little dull sometimes, but they could get through it. Spontaneity wasn't always an option when they both worked long hours, Max on computer software development and Rob on photo shoots. He also knew the roadblocks he'd tossed in the way added to the tension, and he regretted each and every one.
I'll do better.
)
