Ethan galloped up the stairs as fast as he could, but still taking way too long. He held out hope. Hope that Greg wanted to see him. Hope that Greg was horny enough to respond immediately.
He yanked open the door to the stairwell, plowed into the hall, and almost bumped into Jessica knocking on his door.
“Hey.” She seemed more pleasant than this afternoon, but a pall was still cast over her eyes. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”
You mean do I still smell like beer?
“I’m good. I don’t need a PB&J.” Ethan placed his hand on the doorknob. He wanted to turn it and check his phone. If he were better at math, he would calculate the odds of a message waiting for him.
Jessica blocked his entry. “Listen, I know tailgating and parties seem fun, but they’re empty entertainment. They’re just filled with lemmings getting other lemmings to drink as much as possible. Getting wasted shouldn’t be the end-all, be-all of college.”
Ethan crossed his arms across his chest. “Yes, I got a little drunk at the tailgate, but I had a good time. I met some cool people. I don’t see the problem.”
He thought he heard a dull buzz coming from his room. His phone vibrating with a text from Greg? So close, yet so far.
“You know Preston and Blake met playing beer pong at that LGBT party, right? Did you also give them this talk?”
Jessica shook her head. Her body clenched, like she wanted to say more but held back, which was so unlike her. Jessica never missed an opportunity to get her point across.
“Ethan, this isn’t you.”
“How would you know?”
He reached behind her and opened his door. He didn’t want to close it in her face, and fortunately, she was gone before it came to that. A chill zapped through Ethan. He wasn’t one for friend drama. He had always played the good guy and never tried to rock the boat. But a smile drifted onto his lips this time. Jessica made it seem like Lorna and Sahil were the scourge of society. If only she’d been at that tailgate today, she would realize how fun and friendly everyone was and—
GREG TEXTED BACK.
Ethan gripped his phone so hard he almost dented the sides.
I’m nearby. Up for some late night hanging out? ;)
Ethan spun around his room. He stood on his chair and leapt onto his bed. He’d never been this happy. But his joy faded when he reread the message.
He remembered their code. Greg didn’t want to hang out. He wanted to “hang out,”i.e.hook up. Ethan thought they’d made a connection at the tailgate and the concert hall. Greg had told him about his frat brother, about his dad. Ethan had revealed his high school past. He thought they had crossed a threshold. He was wrong. They were friends with an arrangement, and nothing more.
Sure. Buzz me when you’re downstairs.
Little did Greg know that he did a different idea in store.
Φ
“Hey stranger.”
Greg waited outside for Ethan. He had on a yellow polo that popped against his tanned skin. Ethan did a mini-swoon when he saw him not in sweats. This was practically formalwear for Greg Sanderson. Ethan opened the front door, but Greg didn’t budge.
“Come with me.” Greg nodded behind him. They walked around the dorm to a wall next to the stairwell exit that was partially hidden by a pine tree. Greg put his hands on Ethan’s hips. No kiss, of course.
“Still recovering from this morning?” he asked Ethan. Beer lacquered his breath.
“It was funny running into you,” Ethan said, wondering if Greg would press the issue. But he also knew that wasn’t Greg’s style.
“Yeah. I’m glad you came out. You need some excitement in your life. Well, excitement that doesn’t involve jerking off strange men in the library stacks.” Greg laughed; Ethan humored him with a smile.
“It was a good time.”
“You seemed like you were having a blast. I had to do a double-take to make sure it was you playing flip cup.” Greg went into a brief daze remembering the moment. “You were so into it. Totally free.”
And then moments like that made Ethan mushy all over again, when Greg showed that he cared. Ethan’s heart beat for Greg; he wished it didn’t, but it did.
