Andy Keeps Trying - Chapter 15

ANDY KEEPS TRYING

Chapter 15: Andy gets jealous

“Do you want dessert, or do you have to go back to the office already?”

“Hm… I don't know. I have a little time before my presentation. I'll join you if you order something.”

“Can we share a slice of pie? Andy, are you with me? You've been acting weird; you haven’t been enjoying your lasagna like you normally do.”

Cody smirked— he knew me too well.

I was having lunch with him at a trendy restaurant right next to his office at City Hall.

Laurie was supposed to join us, but she was  stuck in a meeting with Rebecca.

I had come to see Cody by myself, but on my way to his office, I shared the elevator with a hot shredded guy— the attractive daddy type— and then, I realized he was actually walking to David’s office.

It had been bugging me ever since. I kept wondering what they were up to and if they were having lunch together.

“No, I’m fine. Let's share some apple pie; that's great.”

“Andy! I know you like the back of my hand, just tell me! What’s up?”

“It’s nothing.” I insisted.

He made a face.

“I mean, it’s just a silly little thing. When I went to your office, I stumbled into this huge guy— a black man in his forties, very attractive, wearing a polo shirt with white and pink stripes.”

“Yeah, he's been coming around a few times a week recently. Do you have a crush on him already?”

“Nah… But, yes, I've been thinking about him. He’s hot. Also, he gives off that vibe. You know how my gaydar is always on point? It was definitely activated in the elevator.”

“I guess he might be gay.”

“You know him? Who is he, a city designer or an architect? I… I saw him walk into David’s office.”

“No, he doesn’t work with the team. I saw him meet David for lunch a couple of times, and once after hours.”

“Oh, so it's probably personal then…”

Cody grinned.

“Jealous, much?”

“Stop it!”

“What? That’s okay. I’m not judging.”

“It's not okay! I’m the worst. Who do I think I am, getting jealous over a guy who's meeting with David? I don't have any right to feel that way.”

“Still, I can tell you've been thinking about it for the last half hour.”

“I have… Sorry. I don’t know why it’s been bugging me so much.”

He laughed.

“You don't have to apologize to me. I’m just worried about you.”

“Maybe you should be worried! I really need to get my act together. Like, I know this is uncalled for after everything, but I can’t help myself.”

“Like I said Andy, you just need to relax and accept your feelings sometimes. It’s not healthy to always be mad at yourself for the way you are. You’re jealous, and so what? Everybody is sometimes.”

That made me think.

“That's an interesting point.”

“We both know I’m the brains in this friendship.” He teased me.

“Not to get too deep but I think it has to do with being gay and the time I spent in the closet.”

“How so?”

“When I was a teenager, I hated myself for liking guys. It took me a while to accept that I wouldn't be able to change that about myself and that it was okay to even feel that way. But after I came out, those patterns didn’t miraculously change. It's as if my brain was conditioned to challenge my feelings and tell me that they're wrong and should be suppressed.”

“I’d never thought about it that way, but it makes sense. That sucks.”

“Yeah, it does get better though. Plus, I suppose it helps me to get away from David because it wasn't the first time I denied myself a relationship. Now, I just have to accept that he’s moved on like I asked him to.”

“But if he were open to a relationship, or just sex, would you still be interested?”

“Honestly, I don't know, and that's why I have no right to be jealous. Can we talk about something else? Please?”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, this is so embarrassing. Let’s just have that pie!”

"Okay, fine. I’ll order two slices then. You need it.”

The topic was closed and I returned to the office about fifteen minutes later, just in time for my presentation of our latest surveys and polls.

The primary vote was to be held in five weeks, meaning that we had to identify every potential voter willing to switch their vote from Broadhall to Rebecca, as well as those who were still undecided, and find a way to convince them that giving us their vote was worth it.

It had been an uphill battle, but by early October 2025, the two candidates were neck and neck in the polls, and the dynamic was very much in Rebecca's favor.

She was not the favorite yet, but she was no longer the outsider, and her father was spending a ton of money to run political ads everywhere.

Our “We need to be tough but not crazy” strategy was working.

Basically, every time Broadhall came up with another bat-shit-crazy idea, Rebecca would say that she fully understood where he was coming from, not negating the problem, but insisting that authoritarianism was not the solution either.

I mean, duh!

“We can be tough on the issue while respecting our constitution and fundamental rights. Otherwise, we’re just playing with fire and we might lead the entire country into an inferno that could threaten our very existence as a Nation and a democracy.”

That being said, and as awful as it sounds, in the context of the primary, the clown could still win. People did not mind fascism.

Even in Pennsylvania, it seemed like the Republican party had turned into a cult.

In the weeks leading up to the election, we pinned down a short list of all the groups we could sway, knowing that after that, it would be too late to change strategy.

Victor would be in charge of monitoring the data until the very last day, but we could no longer modify our approach accordingly.

The rest of the team would focus solely on convincing the individuals we had identified.

We were in for some very busy days and many potential long nights at the office.

Laurie, Kendrick, Victor, and I devised a system in which we could each have two nights off during the week by taking turns.

Laurie used her free-night card on Wednesday, because her sister was waiting to hear back about a significant job opportunity. Laurie wanted to be back at their apartment early, either to congratulate her or to offer support, depending on the outcome.

I did not know Lea very well, as we had only spent a few evenings partying together, but she was a nice girl who worked hard at her passion.

She already had a pretty neat job in biological research, and I hoped she would get whatever she wanted next.

After Kendrick left around 10 p.m., Victor and I were alone in the office, so we ordered pizza  to give our tired brains a rest for just a few minutes.

“Did Broadhall work this hard?” I asked Victor.

“I don't know about him, but his team certainly did. The staffers were already drained when I joined the team in May.”

“And they were all nutjobs?”

“Pretty much. The sane people left gradually as the campaign got crazier. But you’d be surprised how many people are willing to bow down to a fascist for money.”

“You think I’m surprised? I see the same data you do. I watch the news too. And maybe even more to the point, I live in America…”

“I think Rebecca will pull it off, though. She has that dynamic presence, and that’s the most important thing.”

“I hope so. A lot of people still don't like her just because she’s a woman.”

“I’ve seen that too. Guys are always saying she’s led by her emotions…”

“What a joke. She’s the most cold-blooded person I’ve ever met.”

“You don't need to convince me, Andy. But I have to hand it to you— you for sure know better than anyone, her husband was definitely the hotheaded one.”

I rolled my eyes.

“This again?”

“Come on. I’m just playing. But hey, I know you went to get lunch at City Hall yesterday.”

“To see Cody! He works there.”

“Yes, but you were wearing those jeans. Those aren't your roommate jeans; those are your 'I hope I'll run into David-Sexy-Daddy-Crown' jeans.”

I could not believe he had noticed that, and that he was so close to the truth.

It was not a fully conscious decision, but I remembered thinking that I was going to go to City Hall around noon and therefore, picking my favorite (and most enhancing) jeans from my closet.

“All that proves is that you were checking out my ass yesterday.” I deflected.

“And that's wrong?”

“I thought we were just friends.”

“We are, but Andy, you do have a nice, tight bubble butt. Why do you think you can snatch all these hunks for yourself and make them lose their minds?”

“I don’t make anyone lose their minds.”

“You got a candidate for governor to step down from office and divorce his wife. You also had a bodybuilder cook fall madly in love with you. You got a journalist to…”

“What? To write smear articles about the people I work for?”

“Well, okay, maybe Adrian wasn't ready to sacrifice his whole life and job for you.”

“And neither were you! I didn’t make you lose your mind. You had a literal harem of bottoms willing to serve you in college.”

“It's just that all the gay guys knew I could give it to them good. Real good! It’s not my fault I pack a fat, juicy, Latin dick in my pants.”

“You're gross, Victor.”

“You just can't handle the truth. You do have something special though, because even I had a thing for you back then. In my harem, you were the jewel on the crown!”

“Something special… Right, my magical butt!”

“Exactly!”

We both burst out laughing.

Sure, Victor was gross and I had the feeling that, despite what he said, he had not changed that much— or at least, that he still had a lot of maturing to do before he could be boyfriend material— but it was not like I was so mature myself, and I had grown to like him as a coworker.

We were having fun teasing each other, and that was so much better than hating him or staying bitter.

We finished our pizza and went back to work. But right before we did, I admitted the truth.

“By the way, you might have been right about the jeans.”

“What do you mean?”

“I may have picked them just in case… After almost a year, I still haven't gotten over David, which I’m aware is ridiculous.”

“Imagine if you were actually dating him. We'd practically be part of the same family. Me with the son, you with the dad!”

“Oh, no, that's disgusting. Thanks for reminding me why breaking up with him was the right thing to do.”

He chuckled.

“You're so boring sometimes, Andy.”

“It's too late anyway. I think he’s dating someone else.”

“How do you know? Have you been spying on him?”

“I’m not that desperate. I saw a guy yesterday when I went to city hall. He was very hot, around David’s age. Cody says he comes to the office, but not for work. So…”

“Hmmm, interesting.”

“And even if I'm just imagining things, it was bound to happen. A man like David Crown— freshly out of the closet— would not stay single for too long in this town.”

“That’s fair. Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t slept with half of Philly already.”

“Not everyone's like you, Vic.”

“Hey, I’m the only one in a committed relationship here.”

“Right, I almost forgot about that one.”

“I'm actually going to visit Zach this weekend. He'll come back here for a week around Halloween. He’ll be staying at my place.”

“Okay, you win. I’m bad at relationships. You’re better than me at this.”

Victor gestured as if he had just won a trophy.

“I'm glad it’s settled, I’m the best. Let's go back to work now.”

And work we did.

There were still a lot of surveys to review, and we weren’t able to leave until well after midnight.

Rebecca was not there that night.

She spent a lot of time in her office, as always, but the closer we got to the vote, the more she had to be out meeting people and shaking hands.

It was not her strong suit, but it was absolutely necessary for her to win, especially since Adrian had recently written an article pointing out how distant and cold she was with her potential voters.

Yes, my ex-boyfriend was not holding back on the trashy articles.

It was nearly 1 a.m. when I returned home, and I saw that Cody was still up.

He was coming out of the bathroom, naked as the day he was born.

Not the worst sight to come home to.

“I thought you were already asleep in your room.” He explained.

I glanced at his uncut dick, which was dangling between his thighs. Always meaty and thick, that thing.

He was holding a towel.

“As if you would have covered yourself anyway.”

“It's not like it's the first time you've seen me naked. Whatever. I look good!” He shrugged his shoulders.

As I have said before, harmless eye candy has never hurt anyone, and I knew that nothing would ever happen between Cody and me, so why not have a quick look?

My roommate was like a living Greek statue. I might as well enjoy the  sculpture on display.

“Yes, you look good and yes, whatever.” I told him nonchalantly.

“Did you go out? Did you meet anyone?”

Cody used the towel to dry his hair, not at all concerned about his exposed junk and low hanging balls.

“No, I was at work. It was a late night at the office. I told you things would get busy in the weeks leading up to the primary.”

“I’m aware. Laurie’s struggling to make time.”

“Actually, I was with Victor.”

“Oh. The good old, sneaky Victor.”

“We're good. Really. There’s no ambiguity there anymore. And don't be mad at Laurie for working so much; it's just this month.”

“I'm not. I was actually with her. I spent the evening at her place with her and her sister.”

“Cool. Did Lea get the job?”

Cody bit his lower lip.

“I didn't plan to talk to you about that right away, but maybe I should.”

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

I had no clue how this could be any of my concern.

Cody sat on a stool, still naked, and sighed.

“I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

“Hm… The bad news? ’Cause you’re scaring me right now.”

“Okay, Lea got the job. She’s been hired by a team to research deep-sea animals’ reproduction systems or whatnot. Something to do with global warming’s impact on fertility. It's a dream come true for her.”

“Dude, I asked for the bad news first. This is amazing for her!”

“I know. It's great for Lea, but she's going to move across the country.”

“Well, not to make it all about me, but I’ll survive. I'm not that close with her. Does that bum you out? Is Laurie freaking out?”

Cody smiled.

“No, actually. We’re all happy for her but, Laurie and I talked… We’ve been talking for a while about taking our relationship to the next level, and with Lea leaving, it seems like the right time.”

“I’m confused. What exactly are you talking about?”

“What I’m saying is, I think I'm going to move in with Laurie. We’ve discussed it, and we both want to live together. It’d be much easier when she’s working so much. I mean, we’re doing so well, we want to do it— have our own place.”

It took me a little while to process the news.

“Oh… You're moving out. That's the bad news.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry, Andy. I love living with you, and I love being roommates. You know that.”

“But you’re in a relationship, and you want to spend more time with your girlfriend than with me. That makes sense.”

He stood up.

It was distracting because his cock was bouncing around so much.

It was a lot to take in while trying to have a serious conversation.

“So, you're mad?”

“Of course not. I mean, I’m sad. I have to be honest. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“You mean, having me hanging around the apartment naked?”

I laughed nervously.

“Yes, that's part of it, but mostly just you being there. I don't think I can afford this place by myself, so I'll have to find a new roommate or a new place. It will just be so different from now on.”

“Look, there’s no rush, bro. Lea isn't gone yet. I won't move before the end of next month. And of course, if you need help with the rent at first, I'll be there.”

“Please, Cody. Stop it. You should move out, and it's great for you. I’m genuinely happy for you and Laurie. You two are great, and more importantly, I can tell you’re good for each other. This isn't bad news; it's amazing, and it's sweet that you worry about me.”

Cody walked up to me and hugged me.

Once again, he was stark naked while I was fully clothed. It was a weird CMNM scene, but I hugged him back.

Clearly, it was not the time for inappropriateness. This was a big change for our dynamic.

“I think Laurie might be the one.” He said, still hugging me warmly.

“I think so too, Cody. You won't get rid of me, though. I’ll make sure we see each other all the time!"

“You better! I already told Laurie that she needs to be ready for you to come over all the time, and for me to be at your place whenever.”

We finally let go of each other.

“My place… Damn, this apartment without you? That’s a crazy thought.”

“It is.”

“Wait, Cody… Are you getting emotional right now?”

He was holding back tears.

“It's the end of an era, that’s all.”

“That’s sweet. Look, change is good, and of course we weren't going to live together forever.”

I was already accepting the news. I had told the entire truth. I would miss him, but I was sincerely happy for the two of them.

“We weren’t? It would have been cool— roomies for life.”

I laughed. “If you want, you can still tell Laurie you changed your mind, but that might seem sus if you want to keep living with your gay roommate forever."

“First of all, I don’t care about it looking suspicious. I’m not a homophobe. What if people think I’m gay? Who cares?”

“If it's your girlfriend, though, it is kind of an issue.”

He wiped a tear from his cheek and smiled.

“Fair. But second, you’re not my gay roommate; you’re my best friend! I told you that and I meant it. What hurts is that I’ll miss the video games, the nightly talks, the breakfast together, and the midnight spaghetti. Like, it was so fun living with you.”

“I'll miss that, too, but we're adults, and we have free will, so we'll see each other all the time, just like we said.”

“Yes, and I mean it, Andy. I promise.”

“Me too.”

Cody looked around, already melancholic.

“Okay, I should go to bed, or at least put something on.”

“Wait a minute. If abandoning me here is the bad news, then what’s the good news? I was promised something!” I reminded him.

“Right! I think you’ll like this one.”

“I’m all ears.”

“You know that guy you were jealous of who was frequenting David’s office?”

“Jealous is a strong word, but yes…” I mumbled.

“Whatever you say. Well, he's not doing anything with David. I mean, there’s no date or anything. He’s a lawyer.”

“How do you know?”

“He was here today, and I asked David. He told me the divorce is finalized. They've been going back and forth with the paperwork the past couple of weeks. Hence, why he had to see his lawyer a few times, but apparently everything has been signed now. It's about to be binding.”

“Oh…”

“David is officially single, and as far as I know, he’s not seeing anyone. That’s the good news, Andy. Maybe you haven't missed your chance!”