He shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
I glance up at the clock and sigh. “I’d better get going so I have time to change in my office before class.”
“You know we have a locker room here, right?” Butch reminds me almost every time, and every time, I shake my head and let out a nervous huff. I’ve tackled one source of lingering dysphoria today, I think that’s plenty.
“I really have to buckle down the rest of this week on school stuff, so I won’t be in for the rest of my sessions. But I’ll see you Friday night, right?” I grab a towel off the rack to wipe my face and the back of my neck, then scoop my bag up to hitch it over my shoulder.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he says.
We both hesitate for just a second. Can I kiss him here at the gym? Has he told anyone we’re dating? Obviously Fender knows, but does anyone else? Would it be unprofessional since this is where he works?
While all of the questions and worries are bouncing around in my head, Butch cups my jaw and gives me a hard, brief kiss. I sway towards him, catching myself with my hands on his chest and smiling against his lips.
“See you Friday,” I murmur, and then I force myself out of my lovestruck daze and haul ass to catch the bus.
BUTCH
I watch him jog down the sidewalk through the large windows until he disappears into the crowd on the street.
“You’re such a tease, making me think I was going to get the chance to show Rocky a few moves,” Fender complains, unwrapping and re-wrapping his knuckles while leaning one shoulder against the doorframe to the boxing gym.
“Are you trying to get me to come spar with you?”
He flashes a smile that’s easy to read, and I chuckle. I have some time before my next training session, so I give him a friendly shove and jerk my chin to let him know to lead the way.
“So, another date on Friday, huh? Do you need me to clear out of the apartment again?”
I wrap my hands while Fender warms up, bouncing from one foot to the other and jabbing at the air. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to whip my ass like always. I might have twice the muscle mass he does, but he’s light on his feet and can throw a punch that you don’t see coming until he’s already laid you out with it. If he’s feeling generous, he might give me some pointers on my form before he spanks me though.
“We’re going out to a bar near campus. I’m not sure where we’re going to end up after that.” I’m hoping I get to take him home with me after, but I’m not going to ask Fender to get lost for the night when we might end up at Percy’s instead. Hell, he might see me next to his genius, PhD friends and finally realize he’s slumming it. Then I really won’t need an empty apartment.
My stomach clenches and Fender stops bouncing to cock his head.
“What was that look about? You already getting bored of Rocky? You turned a twink into a twunk and now you’re over it?”
“Are you trying to get me to take a swing at you right now?” I square off with him in the middle of the mats and roll my shoulders to loosen them up.
Fender just cackles in response and gets back to bouncing on his toes.
“Do I need to goad you?” He puts his hands up, signaling that he’s ready to go. “Because I’m sure I could come up with something crude to say about that firm little ass of his.”
I know he’s just fucking with me, but my hackles go up anyway and a pulsing, possessive feeling that lives in that same primal place in my chest as my inner caveman flares through me. I haul my arm back and throw the first punch, barely grazing Fender before he bobs out of the way, ducking in the same motion and throwing a jab right at my gut.
I grunt and pull back.
“I really like him,” I confess, winding up my right hook.
“You’re telegraphing too much,” Fender says.
I frown. “With Percy?”
He sputters a laugh, then pulls back his right arm. I put mine up to block, and then he pops me with his left instead.
“Your punches, bro. You’re telegraphing too much.”
“Oh, I thought you were giving me some confusing-ass dating advice.” I huff and try what he showed me. He’s expecting the fake out, obviously, but I definitely see how it would work in a real match.
“I haven’t takenthatmany blows to the head today. What the fuck do I know about relationships?”
