"Um. 3.9?"
"What!”Whoops, now people are staring at me.
"It would be higher, but organic chemistry was rough while I had two-a-days and?—"
"I'm sorry, what the fuck?" The words just fall out. "You're telling me you maintain an almost perfect GPA, play Division I football, and you're in Mensa?"
"I mean..." He rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah?"
My brain breaks. Completely short-circuits. Because not only is he gorgeous and sweet and apparently very into me, he's also brilliant.
"I need more coffee," I announce. "Or alcohol. Probably alcohol."
"It's 2 PM," Leo points out.
"I don't care."
Gavin looks genuinely worried now. "Did I say something wrong? I know some people get weird about the Mensa thing—" He seems a bit broken and then says out the side of his mouth, "Dammit, Tyler, you said he'd be impressed."
"No!" I practically shout. Then quieter, "No, it's... I am impressed. You're just full of surprises."
He grins, that golden retriever brightness back in full force. "Good surprises?"
"Yeah," I say. "Good surprises."
"Speaking of surprises," he says, leaning closer. His cologne hits me, and my brain goes foggy. "There's a movie night at the frat tomorrow. Wanna come? I'd like you to come."
"All of us?" Max asks eagerly.
"Hell yeah! The more the merrier. Fair warning, though, my brothers are..." He pauses, searching for words. "Ummm. Well, there are a lot of us and together at home… things can get, well, not out of hand, Drew stops most of the really stupid stuff… What was I saying?"
"That a house full of frat guys is a lot. It's okay, we've met you," JP deadpans. "We're prepared."
Gavin laughs, and hell, I want to make him laugh forever.
"That a yes, Doc?"
He's looking at me with those stupid earnest eyes, and I'm gone. Completely fucked.
"Yeah," I manage. "Yes."
"Awesome!" He bounces slightly in his seat. Actually bounces. This enormous man is bouncing because I agreed to movie night.
How is he real?
"I should probably head out," he says eventually. "Got a team meeting. But this was fun! Way better than just staring at my psych textbook."
He starts packing up, then pauses. "Hey, Doc? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure?"
"Am I like... doing this right? The whole..." He gestures vaguely between us. "Thing?"
My heart does a complicated flip in my chest. "What thing?"
"You know. The... gay thing? Dating thing? Gay dating thing?" He's turning red. "I just, I don't wanna fuck it up."
"You're not fucking anything up," I say softly.
