“Were you telling Rocky about the birthday party?” Callan chimes in.
“The birthday party we’ve been planning for weeks, to celebrate the day of my birth this Friday? Yes, yes I was.”
I frown again. What the hell are these two up to? Then again, if it gets Percy to our apartment Friday night, I’m not about to complain. That’s perfect, actually. He was holding back because he wanted to come out to me first, but that’s out of the way now.A chance to hang out with him outside of the gym is exactly what I need.
“Fender’s party will be a blast,” I say, even though this is the first I’ve heard of the party and I’m almost positive Fender’s birthday is in February.
“No need to bring presents, but if you insist, I wear a tattoo gift certificate, size two hours.”
Percy laughs. “Alright, yeah, I’ll be there,” he says again, his eyes wandering back over to me with a smile on his lips and a spark in his eye.
Fuck, I want to kiss him again right now. But I guess I can wait until Friday.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
PERCY
I tugon the collar of my polo shirt as I make my way up the stairs to Fender and Butch’s apartment. Did I overdress? Maybe I should have taken Juno up on their offer to let me raid their wardrobe for tonight or at least worn my gym clothes. Ugh, maybe I should run home to change real quick. It’s not like it’s far, just around the corner and a few blocks down.
I pause on the stairs for just a few seconds to consider that option, then huff at myself and keep climbing. No one cares what I’m wearing. It’s going to be an apartment packed with drunk gymbos, my wardrobe is the least of anyone’s concern. I reach the second floor and pull out my phone to double-check the apartment number so I won’t accidentally knock on the wrong door.
The door swings open almost as soon as my knuckles connect with it, making me stumble forward in surprise. Fender stands on the other side with his hair styled, dressed slightly nicer than he usually is at the gym in a pair of fitted jeans and a vibrant pinkT-shirt. Inside, the apartment is quiet, aside from the sound of the shower running.
My face heats and I reach for my phone in my pocket again.
“Shoot, did I get the time wrong? It’s Friday, right?” I start to open up the text where Fender sent me the info, but he puts his hand over my phone screen.
“You’re fine, Rocky. It was my mistake actually. Silly me, I forgot my birthday isn’t until February. Oops.” An impish grin flickers on his face. He grabs my forearm and tugs me inside before I can protest. “You should hang out though. I’m on my way out, and I’m sure Butch wouldlovethe company.”
“Uh—”
“Gotta run. Have fun.” He winks, then hurries out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.
“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself.
The sound of water running cuts off and my stomach flutters. He set me up to be alone with Butch. Why? Was it Butch’s idea? My heart beats faster and the fluttering turns to full-on butterflies. I guess I could stay… I mean, if Butch wants me to.
I toe off my shoes and step into the living room. There’s a small, open kitchen off to one side of the room, and a short hallway on the other side. The first door in the hallway swings open, letting out a plume of steam, followed by Butch… all wet… in nothing but a towel.
It would be embarrassing to pant, but what if I gave in to the impulse to launch myself at him from across the room and just start licking the glistening droplets of water off his skin? My mouth waters at the thought, my cock and my nipples hardening in tandem. For a second, it doesn’t seem like Butch notices me, standing in the hallway, shaking his hair like a dog coming in out of a rainstorm, his towel slipping just enough to tease. Then, he looks up and that big, friendly smile spreads across his face.How could anyonenothave a crush on him when he looks at them like they made his day by simply existing?
“Rocky, hey, you’re early.” He doesn’t seem worried about his loose towel slipping another inch down his hips as he takes a step towards me. His chest is hairless, but he has a blond happy trail, and with the way his towel is barely hanging on, I can see the edge of the darker thatch of hair that the happy trail disappears into.
“Fender told me seven.” I jam my hands into my pockets to keep myself from reaching out and giving his towel a tug. The soft bulge that always taunts me through his shorts is even more distracting when it seems to be the only thing holding his towel up. “But when I showed up, he said there was no party and then took off. He said I should stay though.”
I chew on my bottom lip, less and less convinced that Butch set this whole thing up. So, it must have been Fender’s idea? Was it a prank or did he think his friend needed a wingman?
He rubs his hand along the back of his neck, and his smile turns bashful.
“Full disclosure, it’s not his birthday. I really did think there was a party though.”
“Weird prank, but at least it was pretty harmless.” I chuckle and shuffle my feet. “Should I…”
“Stay,” he says without hesitation.
“Okay.” My attention flickers to his towel again and he finally seems to realize that he’s not dressed.
Butch wraps his hand around the loose knot before it can come undone and hitches the towel higher.Booo.
