Chapter 11 Don't Be A Jerk

Archer walked through the front door as I walked into the living room. The ringing of the doorbell was a perfunctory way of saying 'I'm here.' All of us went in and out of each other's places with as little ceremony as possible. We were as good as brothers and family didn't need to be let in like a guest.

I started to talk but Archer held one hand up at me to stop while his other hand fended off a boisterous Cissero. I stayed quiet while the two reacquainted themselves like long lost friends. When Cissero calmed down enough for us to be able to hear each other I tried to talk again but Archer shook his head at me.

"Hold it for when Mick and Branson get here. Noah can't make it. He had to hop on a last-minute flight. Some sort of problem with his secondary office."

I stood mute as he spoke. Mick? Branson?

"Why are they coming over?" I finally asked in an aggravated tone.

Archer sidled over to the sofa with a happy Cissero trailing along behind him. He sat and continued to pet my dog as he answered. His explanation fanned the flames of my exasperation.

"As soon as we hung up earlier I called each of them and filled them in. They were upset and rightfully so. This is serious Jackson. We need to talk about what's going on. Noah wants me to call him back after we all talk to fill him in."

I shook my head at Archer and worried my lower lip.

"It's not that big of deal," I finally huffed, as I walked over to the couch and plopped down in frustration.

"Did someone you just met outside a club suddenly show up at your house unexpectedly?" Archer asked.

I knew it was supposed to be a rhetorical question but I answered anyway.

"Yes."

Archer rolled his eyes at me. "For someone with anxiety who has trouble being around people you sure are taking this rather well," he commented with skepticism.

I gave a little laugh containing minimal humor as I replayed Saturday in my mind.

"That's debatable," I replied. "If the panic attack I had didn't give me away then the IV needle in my arm probably did."

"What the..." Archer started to say, but thankfully the ringing of the door followed by two male voices calling out interrupted him.

I knew it was only a short reprieve, though. Once Branson and Mick settled down the crap would hit the fan. It was nothing to look forward to.

The two walked into the living room, their eyes glued to me with similar expressions of 'explain yourself.' After the expected meet and greet with Cissero the two immediately turned to Archer to fill them in.

I kind of resented that. I was an adult. I could explain what had happened better than Archer. Their behavior sometimes could be frustrating and suffocating. They always seemed to forget I was a grown man, too. I wondered if I would ever stop being their 'little brother.'

Though I couldn't deny that I completely appreciated their categorical support of me and their steadfast and true friendships. It could just get heavy handed sometimes and embarrassing. Like now.

I also couldn't completely fault them. They had some legit concerns considering Pierce's conduct on Friday night and even showing up as he had done on Saturday. He had made some dubious behavior choices himself, for sure.

But everything past that point had been above-board. If Archer had just given me the chance to explain earlier on the phone this club-house-like meeting could have been avoided.

"So, Jackson was just filling me in about his panic attack and little trip to the hospital on Saturday," he casually stated once things had quieted, completely throwing me to the wolves with no look of remorse on his face.

He looked pleased with himself as his words provoked the desired response from Mick and Branson. Three faces turned to me. Three very different faces from three different races and yet their expressions were all the same as they studied me.

Mick came over and casually sat down beside me. Branson remained standing against the book cabinet, his shoulder leaning against the wood shelving looking relaxed. I wasn't fooled by either of their laid back poses. They were ticked. I just wasn't sure at who specifically.

"Hospital, huh?" Branson said as his eyes traveled over me.

"See!" I responded to his onceover. "I'm good as new."

"What happened?" Mick asked from beside me.

I turned and looked at him before turning to look at Archer and then Branson.

"Look, why don't we make this easy and I'll tell you what happened from start to finish. You'll see you've overreacted and everything is fine."

"First, let me ask you though," Archer cut in, his tone serious and a bit angry. "Why didn't you call one of us when you ended up at the hospital? Did you even call your parents?"

I swallowed. I hadn't.

I didn't have a reason why I hadn't either, other than Pierce was there and he took care of things. I didn't think they would appreciate or understand that answer. I didn't know if I understood it completely myself.

"Just let me start from the beginning," I said after a slight hesitation.

I didn't know how to answer his question without triggering more questions and probably even greater worry for the trio looming over me.

They weren't really physically looming or over me but their size alone compared to mine automatically gave them the upper hand. Me being me, anxiety ridden and naturally quiet, I was predisposed to be run over by them, whether they meant to plow me over or not.

In a quiet voice I explained as straightforwardly as possible the various events that had transpired starting Saturday morning and ending that evening. I didn't embellish but I didn't leave anything out either. Except one thing. I didn't bring up the last few minutes Pierce and I spent together.

I wouldn't know how to describe it anyway. Intense, close, nerve racking, intimate, butterfly churning... all these words could be used and all of these words would only bring me more trouble with the guys. I didn't want to face them with it. How could I, when I had stubbornly been refusing to face it myself?

When I finished, the guys just stared at me then turned to look at each other. Archer finally spoke.

"So, he never admitted to you why he came here to begin with?"

I shook my head no.

Branson spoke up. "And the way he acted when he first got here led you to have a panic attack?"

I thought about it and shrugged. I recalled the conversation that led to my panic attack. He had been aggravating me. He'd been repeating his insinuations about the guys and me and then he had asked me if I was gay. I'd been uncomfortable but not enough to panic.

No, that had come when I let myself start thinking for a split second about the actual physical reactions, I was having to him. When a tiny voice in my head had questioned the possibility of it being attraction. That was when my anxiety had soared and an attack had become inevitable.

I didn't want to confess that though. I had hardly been able to bring it up to myself over the last few days as it was.

"What's the shrug mean Jackson," Archer asked, his voice insistent.

Archer knew me well. He knew I wasn't sharing everything.

"He was making implications but it was only making me mad. I think I was just overly tired," I finished lamely.

I couldn't sit here and talk about that. I just couldn't.

"And passing out," Mick jumped in. "Was that because you were just overly tired, too?"

His skepticism was loud and clear.

"Actually," I responded, glad that I could tell the complete truth at least for this. "I was dehydrated, overtired, and hungry. The panic attack just added to it and made the perfect storm. My blood sugar was too low coupled with the dehydration. I simply passed out."

"Simply?" Branson asked with sarcasm.

I shrugged again. "You know what I mean," I groaned. "It wasn't that big of a deal. It was mostly a nuisance and a bit embarrassing as Pierce and his bodyguard had had to babysit Cissero during the time I was laying in the hospital room."

"He took Cissero in his car with you?" Mick asked and laughed. "Damn that car is as expensive as hell! I can only imagine the amount of slobber Cissero left behind."

Archer laughed and patted Cissero as if he had done a good job. I rolled my eyes. They really didn't like Pierce.

"So, he then brought you home and fed you and then seemingly played with your dog while you slept like a baby? Does that sum it up?" Branson asked and I flushed.

I glared at him. "Don't be a j... jerk."

I hated confrontation. I hated even more when I got angry with one of my friends. I found it incredibly hard to say anything because I didn't like fighting with them but he was being a dick.

I could tell as soon as I started, though that he felt bad. They all knew that stuttering was one of the first signs of my anxiety levels rising.

"Sorry," he muttered, "But Jackson, damnit!" he continued in frustration. "There's something not right about this guy but you let him in your house and then you fell asleep. You made yourself so vulnerable. Anything could have happened!" he growled in angry concern.

"But it d... didn't," I quietly pointed out. "He fed me and watched over Cissero while I... I slept," I said, turning and looking at all of then in turn, making them at least concede that, if nothing else.

Pierce may not be the nicest guy but he wasn't a deviant like they were trying to imply. I think he had proven that about himself at least, despite some of his earlier and admittedly lewd remarks. He definitely got off on the wrong foot with these guys and it was his own fault but, in the end, he had done right by me. They needed to at least admit that.

"At least tell us you haven't seen him since," Archer interjected, his face still looking more concerned than relieved.

I shook my head no while saying, "But..."

"Damnit, Jackson!" Branson broke in. "But what? You know, just because he took care of your beloved dog doesn't make him a good person!"

"But what?" Archer asked, frowning at Branson making it clear with his eyes that Branson needed to calm down.

"Something went wrong with the new project I've been trying to work on. I sent in my report this afternoon and he's not happy about it. He scheduled a meeting for tomorrow at eleven."

"Un-fucking-believable!" Branson muttered.

I winced.

It did seem coincidental I had to admit. I could see why the guys thought it was made up but the project was real. My job was real. The mess up was real as well and it had interfered with the deadline.

Though I had never been called for a meeting like this before, and didn't particularly want to go, I had to concede Pierce was justified in calling the meeting if he felt so inclined. And unfortunately, he did. I had no choice. I had to go.

"Jackson don't you think he's kind of suspicious?" Mick asked me tentatively.

I sighed. I knew he could be seen that way. I wasn't an idiot. He had acted mysterious the first time we met and then he had up and paid an uninvited visit while being cagey about his intentions whenever I had asked. These things were obviously suspect.

But I had seen some other things about him that I wouldn't call bad at all. He had been solicitous. He had even been somewhat friendly at times. And he loved my dog. I recalled the image I had of him on the floor with Cissero, rubbing his belly. He had looked so relaxed. So human.

And then there was simply me and my curiosity about him. I had big question marks mentally hanging over his head in my mind. Why had he come? What did he want? Why did he make me feel the things I did?

"Jackson!" Mick uttered with a tired sigh. "We're not trying to upset you but I feel some things need to be said. His behavior is at best questionable. He showed up here which means he wants something from you. You need to think about that and ask yourself what it is."

"And you also need to ask yourself why, if it's not anything bad, then why he can't go about things in a more decent manner. Society has spoken and unspoken rules but he only seems to want to play by his!"

I frowned at Mick and then at the others who were nodding their heads in agreement. They had valid points, I knew. Pierce had started sketchy and made a terrible first impression. I could understand why my friends thought the way they did.

But that didn't make their opinions any less difficult for me. They made my stomach churn because my feelings and emotions conflicted with their words. Despite everything I still had this spark inside of me since meeting Pierce that had only grown. A curiosity I knew they simply would not understand.

Regardless of all the reasons I shouldn't be, I felt drawn to the man who I had met in such an unlikely place and in such a questionable way.

This was completely new for me. I had never been drawn to anyone else before in my life.

Ignoring it felt wrong.

Pursuing it seemed impossible.

Confusion settled in as the voices of my friends floated over my head. A part of me wished things could simply go back to the way they had been for me before meeting Pierce on Friday night. The other part knew they never would.

I had a sneaky suspicion that the other part was also very happy about that.