“You think it’d be hard to resist me?” I ask. “Why do you saythat?”
He shakes his head, grabs his refreshed drink, and takes a sip before saying, “I’m not playing thisgame.”
“I’m pretty direct, Eric. I’m not playing a game. You’re hot, and obviously you feel the same way about me. Is that such a badthing?”
“You seem awfully confident about your sexuality for a kid who hasn’t ever done anything with anotherguy.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever felt inclined to act on it. I mean, outside of jerking off to some porn. I’ve had guys I’ve been attracted to, whom I would have fucked, but they were straight as far as I knew. I never pushed it. And I was usually in relationships with girls. My ex from college and I were together for like five years. She was with me during all those experimentalyears.”
Eric nods. “I get that. I was with Ty’s mother pretty young. I didn’t really come into my own untillater.”
“Don’t saythat.”
His eyes widen. “What?”
“You saidcome. That’s not going to make this any easier on me.” I wink at him, and he tenses his jaw, groaningslightly.
I get that we shouldn’t do this, that we can’t, but damn, there’s something about every little movement he makes… Every little tic of his does something for me. “You’re gonna have to stop groaning too, Ithink.”
He wears a serious expression, and I laugh. I can’t helpit.
“Jesse!” I turn, and Ty is heading toward us. “What the hell are you guys doing up here? Come on. We’re about to head across the street to another bar. Eric, you can come with us if youwant.”
Eric presses his lips together, then purses them. “I think I’m gonna pass on this one. Call it anight.”
“Okay, cool. We’ll see you later,then.”
“See you tomorrow,” I tell him as I push to my feet and followTy.
As I reach the doorway, I glance back at Eric, noticing he’s checking out my ass. I can’t help but smirk before headingoutside.
Ty turns around and approaches me, slinging his arm over myshoulder.
“Oh, dude. It’s not your job to keep my old mancompany.”
“What? No, he’snice.”
“He’s nice because you’re a young, cute guy he wouldn’t mindboning.”
If only Ty knew. I want to say something to defend Eric. After all, he’s a hot guy who I’m sure gets plenty of action himself. But I bite my tongue. That’s only going to make things awkward as shit between Ty andme.
Maybe it’s better that Eric wasn’t able to do more with me the otherday.
10
Eric
Istand in the kitchen,mixing eggs in a coffee mug with a fork, when I hear the guest bedroom door creakopen.
Jesse stumbles out, shirtless, those dark locks tousled as he presses his fingers against the side of his head and moves his hand in circles like he’s trying to ease a migraine. Considering he and Ty headed out to drink some more last night, I figure he needs somerelief.
I grab a bottle of ibuprofen from beside the sink, the one Ty brought back to the condo when he had his hangover a few daysearlier.
“I think you might need a little bit of this,” I say, setting it on thebar.
I head to the cabinet and fetch a glass, filling it with water before placing it before him as well. His lips curl upward and he chuckles softly, like he’s amused I’ve caught him so obviously hungover. “Thanks.”
He sits on the stool on the other side of the bar, fishing some ibuprofen out of the bottle before downingit.
