“Oh? Why is that?” I lift an eyebrow.
He rolls his eyes and scrunches up his nose like he smells something unpleasant. “I grew up with athletes. Two older brothers, my sister, and my dad are all big into sports. Athletes donotdo it for me. I’ve seen how that particular type of sausage is made.”
“I see.” I give him an amused smile. “I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere about sausages, but I’ll let it go for now.”
Those sparkling green eyes of his must have some kind of magnetic power because I can’t seem to pull my own gaze away from them, and the smile he shoots me is full of mirth.
“Can I join you?” Aleks asks, and I wave at one of the empty chairs at our table.
“Make yourself comfortable. My buddy just went to grab us a couple more drinks.”
He pulls out the chair next to me and gracefully slides into it, leaning in close. Under the table, his knee brushes against mine, and I’m hyperconscious of where he’s touching me.
We’re silent for a couple of moments, but it’s not uncomfortable. The air between us is charged, but even though I’m usually nervous in these situations, Aleks isn’t bringing up those feelings in me. I mean, yes, it’s clear we’ve both got one thing on our minds, but we’re not trying to intimidate each other. I don’t know why, but something about him makes me feel instantly comfortable.
When Declan reappears, he places my rum and Coke in front of me but doesn’t sit back down. “Thanks, man,” I say, wrenching my gaze away from Aleks. “Declan, this is Aleks. Aleks, my friend Dec.”
“Hey, nice to meet you,” Dec says easily, and Aleks gives him a little wave and a smile.
When I look up, my friend is looking at me with a barely suppressed grin. “So, I was just chatting with that girl over at the bar.” He inclines his head toward a pretty dark-haired woman. “You cool here?”
I chuckle, not entirely sure whether he was actually talking to the girl or if he sees what’s happening between Aleks and me and wants to make himself scarce.
“Yeah, sure,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him, trying to see whether he’s telling the truth.
He just gives me a cheeky smirk. “I’ll catch you in a little bit, okay?” he tosses over his shoulder as he takes off toward the bar, and a second later, I see him talking to the woman.
I turn back toward Aleks.
“Now,that’sa good friend,” he observes playfully, taking another drink.
“Usually, I’m his wingman, not the other way around,” I laugh.
It turns out Aleks is easy to talk to. We don’t exchange a lot of personal details, but it’s almost like we don’t need to. I feel like I already know him, which makes no sense, but I’m not about to stop and question it. Not if this night is heading where I think it is.
I’m not normally a hookup guy; I’m more of a serial dater. But I’ve spent most of my adult life busting my ass in med school and everything that’s been part of my career since then. Since most guys I meet aren’t usually into dating, my experience is pretty goddamn limited. It’s not like Ineverhook up, but I don’t usually like the way I feel the next day, so that means my sex life has leaned strongly towardpatheticfor a very long time.
As the evening passes, I actually manage to relax, and not only am Inotobsessing about tomorrow night’s speech, but I’m genuinely having a good time. Aleks is funny and sweet, and I allow myself to relax and enjoy a few more drinks than usual. If we end up spending the night together, and that’s looking promising, I can swing by in the morning for my car. For tonight, I’m not going to worry about anything other than feeling good and making sure he feels good. Maybe giving my brain a time-out and a couple of healthy orgasms will help keep me calm for my speech tomorrow night.
I’m comfortably tipsy, and I think Aleks is, too, as we’ve gradually maneuvered our chairs closer to each other. I look up to see Declan approaching, holding hands with the dark-haired woman he’s been talking with most of the evening.
“Hey,” he says, looking a little tipsy himself. “Ben, this is Chloe. Chloe, meet my friend Ben and his friend Aleks.”
“Hello,” the woman says politely with a friendly smile. Declan beams at her.
Uh-oh, I think. Declan has made some regrettable choices in girlfriends over the past couple of years. His most recent ex was the worst of the bunch, but she certainly wasn’t the only one. I think Dec’s issue is that he wants to meet that right person so badly he attracts the ones who are in it for the wrong reasons. But this Chloe seems nice enough, and I’m not about to cockblock my friend, especially when I’m on the verge of getting laid myself for the first time in months.
“So, I’m going to make sure Chloe gets home okay,” Declan says with a smile. “You all good here?” His gaze moves between Aleks and me.
“We’re all good,” I say. “You’re not driving, right?” I check, noting his slightly slurred words. I know he’d never take a chance on driving after drinking, but taking care of my friends comes so naturally to me I do it without even thinking.
He nods. “Yup. I’ll come back and get my car… umm, later. I, uh, just want to make sure she gets home okay, you know…” He gives Chloe another bright smile.
Chloe lets out an unladylike snort and then covers her mouth with her hand, turning red with embarrassment. “Oops, sorry,” she giggles. “But that was hilarious. Pretty sure we’re all grown-ups here. You can just say we’re going home together.” She’s still smiling, and Declan looks abashed.
I chuckle. Chloe already seems better than his most recent ex. At least she’s got a sense of humor. “Go on, have fun, you guys.” I grin at them.
They both give us a little wave before turning to head out, and then it’s just Aleks and me.
