“Are you back there, Little Red?” Gabriel’s voice rang out, crisp and clear from the front of the store. His eyes shot up to Athena, who mouthed,Little Red?at him before splitting her mouth into a gleefully evil smile.
“He is,” she called out over Joel's head. He listened to the soft taps of Gabriel's shoes against the floor as he followed her voice.
Joel looked over his shoulder to see Gabriel's approach through the stacks of books. He looked as handsome as he had in the sunlight at The Getty, as handsome as he had with Joel's cock in his hand, as handsome as ever. Fuck.
As Gabriel turned the corner, Athena launched herself at him, wrapping him in one of her trademark hugs. Gabriel stumbled backward, surprised, before he encircled her with his arms and returned the gesture. Once Athena released him, Gabriel smoothed his shirt down and extended a hand toward Joel, which he accepted instinctively.
“You must be Athena.” Gabriel chuckled, giving Joel's hand a squeeze. She smiled, casting a glance at Joel.
“And you must be Gabriel, Baby J’s handsome stranger.” Athena pulled her lips between her teeth in an attempt to stop them from breaking into what Joel was certain would be the largest smile he had ever seen.
“Handsome, am I?” Gabriel laughed, straightening his shoulders and puffing out his chest. Joel felt his cheeks redden. He worried Athena wasn’t anywhere close to being done.
“Handsome enough to make me regret I don’t have a prostate myself, that’s for sure. But maybe you can peg Joel's and he can tell me all about it.”
“Athena! Jesus Christ, come on.” Joel was certain his face matched his hair by this point, and he tried to tug Gabriel to the front of the store, away from his best friend.
Gabriel laughed at Athena before leaning in toward her in a conspiratorial manner and mock whispering, “If he ever lets me get in there, I’ll be sure it’s so good it’ll be all he'll want to talk about for a week.”
She smirked at Gabriel and wrinkled her nose. “Just a week? I think you should aim for the stars, handsome stranger. Try for an entire month. Hell, a whole year!” They laughed together and Joel wanted to dig himself a hole and hide in it forever. Or at least until his best friend and his...whatever Gabriel was to him...stopped plotting his sex life while he was sitting right there listening to it.
“You must have told her about the necklace, Joel. She’s being far too kind to me,” Gabriel whispered down to Joel, but Athena perked up anyway.
“Necklace?”
“Stop it, both of you. It’ll be a Christmas present if you’re lucky.” Joel widened his eyes at Athena, imploring her not to push the subject. Thankfully, she seemed to get his meaning.
“Well,” Athena said as she hoisted her purse onto her shoulder, “we can talk about that later, and it’s been real, but I just got back from New York and I’m beat, so I’ll be heading home. See you two love fiends another time.” She patted Joel on the head and started toward the door.
“So, I’ll see you in a bit, right? I’ll have Gabriel drop me at my car and then I’ll come over,” Joel reminded her.
“Ohhhh.” The look that passed over Athena’s face in that moment was more clever and calculating than Joel had ever seen, and he was about to open his mouth when she said, “I took one of the cats from Donny, so you’re gonna have to stay with Gabriel until your apartment is done.”
“You what?”
“Yeah, they were uh, so cute, I had to.” Athena backed her way toward the door.
“You just landed, Theenie. When did you get a cat from Donny?” Joel advanced on her.
“Uhm, I’m gonna go get it right now.”
“Well,don'tgo get it from him until my apartment is ready for me to move back.”
“Did I say, go get it right now? I meant that he dropped it off right now. Donny dropped it off right now.” She held her phone up. “He texted.”
The bells over the door chimed as she pushed it open with her butt.
“Athena Marie,” Joel groaned.
“Sorry, Baby J, but I can’t have you having an asthma attack on my watch. I’m sure handsome stranger here won’t mind keeping an eye on you in the meantime, will you, handsome stranger?”
Athena already had one foot outside the door.
“I’ll take extra special care of him,” Gabriel chuckled, pulling Joel back against his chest and pressing his fingers into Joel's waist.
“I know you will.” She mock-saluted Gabriel and tilted her head apologetically at Joel.
“He is just too perfect to turn down, Joel,” she said before letting the door close. Joel wasn’t sure whether she was talking about the kitten or Gabriel.
