What is that about?Spencer never blushed or backed down. Apologies were unheard of. He had an answer for everything, and suggestions that could make the devil uncomfortable.
“Since when? That’s what’s more surprising.” Elliot’s quip brought a snicker from Chess. “And it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you. I’m not sure myself what the hell happened. We’d had a great day out at the wineries, just talking and getting closer, I thought. On the way home, we stopped to get some pies to bring home, and a guy flirted with me.”
“He got upset?” Chess asked. “Did you flirt back?”
“No. I mean, I was friendly, but not like I’d be interested. When we left, Win said he didn’t want me seeing other people.”
“That’s a good thing. You want that, right?” Spencer propped his chin in his hand.
“Well, yeah, but nothing’s changed on his end. He still only wants a friend with benefits, except he doesn’t want me to see anyone else either.”
Spencer’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair to you.”
“Exactly what I told him. He wants to be exclusive, but exclusive what? Fuck-buddies? That makes no sense.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” André’s deep timbre steadied his racing nerves. “But I think it’s a sign.”
André rarely offered an opinion whenever he was able to join them, which was also an infrequent occurrence, so to get his insight was special for Elliot. Older than them all by over ten years, André was the CEO of his family’s hotel empire, and he carried himself with the ease of quiet certitude that only the truly wealthy and powerful possessed.
“Of what, babe?”
Chess leaned on André’s shoulder, and Elliot watched them carefully. They’d been dating for almost eight years and living together for almost as long. The night Chess had met him at a benefit dinner for the university, he’d texted them all when he came home and told them he’d met the man he wanted to marry. Love at first sight was the best way to describe it. André had pursued him with single-minded purpose, and even though he was away more often than he was home, Chess considered himself as good as married.
“If I had to guess, since I’ve never met the man…” André paused, eyes fixed on a distant point, his fingers stroking his jaw. “I’d say he’s struggling with his attraction to you. He wants to have a relationship, but something’s holding him back.”
“But what?” Elliot burst out. “What could it be? I couldn’t have made myself any clearer when I said I didn’t want to date anyone else but him. And he said he doesn’t sleep around.”
Spencer shrugged. “I guess that’s what you’ll have to figure out if you’re interested in continuing…whatever it is you have going on.” With a wave of his hand, he picked up a pizza slice and bit off the end. “But he’s on my shit list for sure. No one fucks with my friends.”
Love welled up in Elliot’s chest. “Thanks,” he whispered, blinking furiously. “I’m so lucky to have you guys. I just wish I knew what was going on in Win’s head.”
“Only one way to find out.” Chess said. “Ask him directly.” With a kiss to André’s cheek, Chess picked up his slice. “One thing about relationships is that you need to be open and honest with your partner. The worst thing you can do is keep secrets.”
“Well, I’ve got nothing to hide, God only knows.” The pizza had gone cold, and Elliot morosely picked at the pasta with jabs of his fork. “I guess I’ll see where it goes.”
“Let’s have a drink and forget for a while.” A wineglass was shoved in his hand, and he drank the rich red Cabernet.
Two hours later and two bottles of wine down, Elliot walked them all outside to wait for their cars. Spencer’s came first, and his friend, uncharacteristically emotional, hugged him tight and whispered in his ear, surprising him again with his deeply heartfelt words. “If you really care about him, don’t let him slip through your fingers. Find a way to make it happen, because regrets don’t keep you warm at night.” A quick brush of lips to his cheek, and Spencer was gone before Elliot could decipher what the hell was going on with his mercurial friend.
The black car was swallowed up in the darkness as it drove away, leaving him with Chess and André, who stood by his side, holding hands. The sounds of chirping crickets filled the air, and fireflies glinted around the bushes in Win’s front yard. It should’ve brought peace instead of the storm buffeting him.
“Thanks for coming by. I feel so stupid. Here I was, thinking I could have this mature relationship and not catch feelings, only to discover I fell into the same trap as always.”
“Not quite.” Chess leaned against the gnarled trunk of the old oak tree that provided shade for the entire front of the house. “From the way you’ve talked about Win over the past few weeks, I think this is deeper than any relationship you’ve ever been involved in. Am I right?”
“I don’t know…maybe. I thought we were getting close. He blew hot and cold sometimes, but he said things that made me think he was different.”
Headlights swept down the street, and Chess leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “There’s our car. Call me and we’ll talk. Don’t give up.”
Instead of stopping at the curb, the Jeep smoothly took the turn into the driveway separating the two houses, and Elliot’s heart began to pound. The door slammed, and Win, head bowed, surprised him by not heading to his house, but crossing the space between them, stopping in front of him, Chess, and André.
“Hi, Elliot. How are you?”
“I’m okay. Rough week?”
Elliot didn’t even need to ask him—Win looked terrible. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and an overall air of weariness hung over his troubled face.
“To put it mildly.” He met Elliot’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” But he didn’t move, waiting expectantly, and Chess, while not as brash as Spencer, wasn’t one to keep silent.
