“Nope. I think I’ve got it handled.” Ryan suppressed a grin as Elissa approached and took the seat to his left. Iz’s eyes widened in surprise, and their mouth hung open.
“Elissa, this is my BFF, Iz Ochoa.”
“BFF? Seriously, are you a teenage girl?” Iz’s tone was teasing and a wide grin creased their face.
“I’ve known you since kindergarten. What else would you call us?”
Sitting right next to her, Ryan took in the way Elissa’s eyes crinkled when she had a smile on her face. And the hint of a dimple in her right cheek had him yearning to kiss it.
“Childhood friend? Sib from another parental unit? Hell, I’d take the simple roommate.”
Ryan held his breath. Since Iz and Mateo began dating two years ago, Ryan hadn’t had enough interest in any particular woman to worry about how she felt about his non-binary best friend and their pansexual significant other. Hell, he didn’t think he’d introduced more than one or two of them to the couple. But he cared now. As much as Elissa intrigued him, teased him, kindled a fire deep down, if she had a problem with Iz and Teo, he’d walk away and never give her another thought.
Her eyes were wider than before, and her mouth fell open a little, but when Iz stuck out a hand, she took it.
“Nice to meet you, Iz,” she said, her voice soft.
“Elissa. I know that name… Oh, you’re the mystery date!”
The flush rose in Ryan’s cheeks. He elbowed his friend.
“Ow. Stop it, Ryan. I wasn’t gonna say anything else.”
“Then there’s something else to tell?” Elissa raised her eyebrows, but the twinkle never left her eyes. She was teasing him in more ways than one.
“BFF to BFF confidentiality, miss,” Iz said in mock seriousness. “Strictly protected. Will take it to my grave.”
She laughed, a musical sound that eased his mind. “Well, I don’t want anyone to get into legal trouble.”
“Who’s the hottie?” another familiar voice asked from the other side of Iz. Mateo had finally arrived.
He was dressed in slacks and a green button down short-sleeve shirt that complemented his medium brown skin—professional enough for a therapist, casual enough to avoid too much authority around the teens he often worked with. He wore his tight curls on the longer side.
“That’s Ryan, sweetie,” Iz said.
After planting a kiss on Iz’s cheek, he looked straight at Elissa.
“We all know Ryan’s a hottie, hon. I was talking about the cutie next to him.” Mateo rounded the trio and took a seat on the other side of Elissa, sticking out a hand. “Hello, I’m Teo.”
Elissa’s fingers brushed Ryan’s arm and little electric sparks traveled straight to his brain and down to his cock. Goosebumps rose on his flesh, and a small part of him was jealous of the contact Teo currently had with her, even though it was a simple, quick handshake.
“It’s nice to meet you, Teo, I’m Elissa.”
“Ooh, the infamous missed opportunity.” Teo’s full lips turned up at the corners.
“Teo,” Ryan warned.
“Sweetie, I’ve already explained to Elissa that conversation is under BFF seal,” Iz said with a grin.
“Which apparently doesn’t extend to significant others,” Ryan muttered irritably.
“What, are you two teenage girls?” Teo asked.
“That’s already been covered, too.” Iz chuckled.
Elissa had remained quiet during their discussion but hadn’t taken her eyes off Iz. The tension rose in his friend as they noticed, too.
“You look like a lady with a question.” Iz’s voice was strained and their body stiff.
