M, as in Macio? I was just about to reply and find out, but Seth returned to the table. I slid my phone into my pocket and smiled at Seth. I knew that my actions made me look like a guilty teenager caught doing something forbidden. The idea of secretly messaging Macio felt naughty and forbidden. Seth’s shrewd gaze told me he hadn’t missed it, but luckily, he let it go.
My heart raced during the entire trip home as I rolled over everything I wanted to say to Macio, if it was him. I wouldn’t be tricked easily. But as I pulled into my driveway, a thought hit me between the eyes hard enough to hurt. How was chatting with Macio under a false account any different than sneaking around with Geoff? The sobering thought stiffened my resolve to move on with my life. I knew I should unfriend Tyler Johnson, aka “M,” and delete his message, but I decided to sleep on it instead of acting rashly.
My tenacity faded as the sun came up the next morning after a sleepless night. I opened Messenger and read the complete message.
It’s M. I set up this page so we could chat and no one would know. I miss you, Aiden. Things haven’t felt right since you walked out of my room at the Dorchester. I hope you’ll reply, but I’ll understand if you don’t.
I had to be careful because he would be training that time of day and I had to consider that someone might see a preview of my response pop up on his phone if it was left in the open. Still, it felt cruel to leave him hanging another minute longer. I kept my response simple, honest, and safe.It was good hearing from you. I look forward to catching up.
That morning in the shower was the first time that using Macio’s brand of shampoo and shower gel didn’t make me sad. I had purchased it from the store on the way home from the hotel in a spur of the moment reaction to missing him. I thought that smelling like him might give me a bit of comfort while I nursed my disappointed heart. All it did was make me relive our night together every time I used it. I knew it was pathetic and I needed to stop, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.
I knew it would be several hours before he’d be able to respond to me, so I decided to listen to the recording and review my interview notes so I could start working on my article rather than take the day off like I’d planned. I suspected I would check my phone every five seconds if I didn’t stay busy.
I dove into my project and completely lost track of time. My only reference to the time passing was the number of cups of coffee I drank. I was up to cup number five by the time my phone lit up with a message from Macio. I checked the time and was shocked to see it was just a little past lunchtime.Hi.
That was it; one word. Yet, it spoke volumes to me. I felt a strong sense of doubt, and even vulnerability, in those two letters. It made my heart hurt in my chest. My reply was as honest as I could be.I’ve missed you too.
Nothing came for a few minutes and I thought maybe he had to go back to training. I set my phone back down to work again, then his next message came through.Who is Seth Anderson?
It took me a minute to register his question, because of all the things I expected him to ask, that wasn’t one of them. Maybehow are you, orwhat have you been up to, but not who I had dinner with the previous night. I remembered seeing the tag notification from the post that Seth made the night before that included a selfie, which meant that Macio had been looking through my page.He’s my best friend from high school.
Macio’s reply was immediate.Just friends?
I didn’t owe Macio anything, but I wanted to give him everything. I was in very dangerous territory with him because I knew he was going to be hell on my heart. I couldn’t see a way that anything real could happen between us, but that didn’t slow me down, let alone stop me.Just friends. I wouldn’t lie to you.
I have no right to ask,he fired back.
No, but I want you to have the right.Fuck! I wished I could take it back, even if it was the truth. Hell, I wanted Macio to have a lot of rights. I felt the need to inject some humor to relax the conversation.Hey, I let you come in my ass. That grants you some rights.;)
Do you know how uncomfortable it is to have a hard-on beneath a cup?
I couldn’t help but laugh at his question, then I found myself groaning when an image of me removing the offensive cup from his body popped up in my mind. That image wasn’t the only thing popping up on my body.Can’t say that I do. Sorry.
I’m only sorry that you’re not here to help me deal with it. God, Aiden, I need to see you.
Macio’s raw honesty moved me deeply. Only the strongest of emotions or pure desperation would make a strong, private man like him say those things to me. I could play it cool, but games weren’t my thing.I’m covering your next match in Vegas.
I swore I could feel his intensity through the phone when he replied.I will have you – all of you. Repeatedly. This time there will be no interruptions to our breakfast.
His words caused goose bumps to pop up all over my body. Starting something with him might turn out to be the biggest mistake of my life, but I’d be damned if I went the rest of my life second-guessing what could’ve been with him.Don’t you threaten me with a good time!
Break time is over. Promise me you’ll meet me after my fight.
Promise.It was one I easily made.Message me when you can.
It was his turn to make a promise and he was true to his word every day for the two weeks leading up to his next fight. I let him take the lead because he was the one with the crazy schedule. We chatted with one another about anything and everything. I felt myself falling deeper and deeper for him with every conversation we had. I learned that Macio had a niece and a nephew he was crazy about. We talked about how we were both raised by single parents and marveled at how differently our surviving parents handled their grief and sorrow.
My mom took comfort in her children while Macio’s father found his in a bottle of cheap liquor. I had an entirely new respect for my mom as a single parent and for Rico and Macio for practically raising themselves. He told me about the homophobic things his dad would say in front of him and Rico and I understood that it was more than losing his career that worried him. Even though his father wasn’t much of a parent, he was the only one Macio had.
So, what happens when I push the little phone icon thingy?Macio asked the night before his fight, the night before I laid eyes on him once more.
Then you get to hear my voice.It wasn’t more than ten seconds before he called me through the app.
“Aiden.” Just the sound of my name in his gravely, growly voice had me hard as a spike instantly.
“Oh my,” I said. “That’s the same voice you use when you’re coming inside me.”
Macio growled through the phone. “You know I can’t have sex tonight. I have to save my legs.”
