When Cay finally convinced me to go, we’d agreed to wear our Superman and Batman costumes, but this time, we were swapping. We were both a similar size, so we fit into each other’s costumes, and not only did I want to hide behind a cowl a little tonight, but truth be told, the broody suspiciousness of Batman worked with my personality better anyway, just like Superman matched Cay, all bright cheer that lightened any space he was a part of.
“We’re going to be late,” Tai yelled through the door again.
“You like showing up to places late,” I called back, my skin prickling at the thought of attending the party with Cay. Tai would lose himself in thecenter of the chaos fast, like he always did, and maybe Cay and I could find somewhere private. I craved more than just another fuck with him, though the explosive way we’d come together was at the forefront of my mind. No, I just wanted to be aroundhim.
There had been a magnetic pull toward him I’d felt from the start, something I hadn’t been able to ignore.
And when we’d crashed into each other’s lives again, I’d be lying if it hadn’t felt a little bit like fate.
The door smacked open, and a very cranky Spider-Man stomped my way.
“Hey,” I said, pushing up from my bed. “What if I had been naked?”
“Not my type.” Tai waved his hand at me. “I mean, I’d ogle you, don’t get me wrong, because holy abs, Batman, but then I’d feel all dirty because you’re like a brother to me, and I don’t go around fucking brothers. Well, let me amend that. I’ve probably fucked lots of brothers, just none I consider mine.”
My nose wrinkled. “Please stay away from my brother.”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty bored, single, and horny,” Tai said, a hand on his hip. “Now, are you ready to go, Batman? Or would you rather stay here and talk about your motivating factor in going to a party when we both are aware you hate them.”
The knowing look in Tai’s eyes had me two-stepping toward the door. Fuck no, I didn’t want him probing intowhat was going on between Cay and me when we hadn’t even figured it out ourselves. And if Tai found out, then everyone would because that guy couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it. Stylists and gossip went hand in hand.
“Let’s go,” Tai said, tugging on my arm as he motored past me. “We’ve got to go before all the hot guys are taken. Or girls.” He gave me a pointed look.
I rolled my eyes and barreled past him. We continued shoving at each other on our way to the door, and I barely managed to lock it before he was bounding past me in the direction of the stairwell.
“Race you downstairs,” he called out, zooming past me.
“What are you, five?” I yelled back, but he’d already made it to the stairwell.
I shoved my keys in my pocket and booked after him.
“Okay, how do you and Cay know this person again?” I asked as we approached a high-rise in Lincoln Park, the sort that was way out of either of our pay grade. My place was nice as fuck too, but Crista-something-or-another clearly made far better money than Cay, Tai, and me combined.
“Cristobel’s one of my clients,” Tai explained, because of course she was. “And she’s Cay’s ex-girlfriend, the one who got him to start coming to my salon in the first place.”
My gut twisted. Well, great. I probably should’ve gotten that information before I decided to show up here like an asshole. This was a chick who had already slept with Cay, who had a history with him, who knew him in ways I might never get to.
“Come on,” Tai said, tugging me toward the entrance. “No cold feet now.”
The entryway of the place was similar to my building: polished marble floors, silver fixtures so clean they gleamed, and tall, looming windows. Tai didn’t hesitate to drag me in the direction of the elevators. Clearly, his Spidey senses were tingling that I was half a second from bolting from this party. It was going to be crowded, and I hated small talk, and now I needed to watch Cay and his ex be all comfortable and familiar with each other.
The elevator doors opened up, and we stepped in. The upward lurch matched the movement of my stomach at the idea of this party, which was now labeled a poor choice in my brain.
“You never stated what she did again,” I said as the doors opened again, spitting us out onto the tenth floor. We walked down the corridor, my nerves buzzing harder and harder with each step.
“Oh, she’s one of the top surgeons in the area,” Tai said, dropping another bomb. Great, now I had to compete with a super wealthy doctor. She was probably drop-dead gorgeous too.
Tai stopped in front of a door, the thump of music and the hum of voices muted behind it. My neck itched as my nerves hit full boil, that urge to run rising by the second. I’d have to make small talk about what I did for work, how rainy it had been recently, or listen to one-percenters spout politics I didn’t agree with. What Iwantedto talk about was my cosplay plans for the next Comic-Con, but random strangers weren’t into that.
Before I could bolt, Tai shoved the door open and then nudged me inside first.
Holy expensive loft, Batman.
The place was definitely packed with bodies, a chill house music playing while people talked in clusters. However, the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the back gave a spectacular view of Chicago, and a part of me was tempted to stand there in my costume, brooding the whole time, really getting into character. Maybe then no one would talk to me.
This was the kind of condo that even smelled like money, a crisp, delicate lemon that was probably used by the cleaners who Cristobel guaranteed hired. There was no way she kept up the place herselfwith hospital hours.
I hadn’t made it three feet inside when I spotted a very familiar Superman costume.
