“My sister is also a dancer, and she’s performing in a ballet she’d like me to see. I wasn’t sure I was going to go.”
“You weren’t sure?” Frankie took back her crutches when Finn handed them to her but held them instead of hooking them under her arms. “Are you crazy? I’d love to see a show like that. Plus, it’s your sister. You have to go.”
“Spoken just like she would.” Teddy chuckled.
“It’ll be so cool.” Frankie continued toward the door, holding her crutches instead of using them. Teddy had never seen her do that before. She moved slowly, but she was doing it, bolstered after dancing. “I’ve always wanted to see a real ballet.”
“You’ve never seen one in person?”
“Sleepy little beach towns like this one don’t have that much culture.” She paused to pull a vibrating cell phone from her pocket. “Oh shoot, Mom’s wondering why I’m five minutes late. Better go. Have fun, Mouse King!” She waved, finally making use of her crutches so she could hurry, though Teddy wondered if she needed them.
Left alone in the workout room, he turned to see Finn leaning against the wall near the row of mirrors, arms crossed and wearing a fond smile. “Isn’t he the villain of the story?”
“The role I was born for,” Teddy said, sauntering over.
“I don’t know about that.” Finn tilted his head, waiting for Teddy to come closer, then leaned forward to kiss his cheek.
A shiver shot through Teddy when Finn didn’t pull away but shifted so that his lips were better aligned to reach Teddy’s mouth. He kissed him there, too, and it was easy to sink into the feeling, reminding Teddy of his fantasy in this very room, near these very mirrors, of Finn putting his hands on him. Teddy was tempted to reach for Finn’s hands now and guide them to the waistband of his sweats.
Then the door opened and one of the therapists Teddy wasn’t as familiar with came in with an older gentleman. They had just enough time, being behind the door, to pull apart before anyone called them out for indecent behavior. Even if there weren’t rules against them dating, Teddy had a feeling that being caught fooling around in the workout room wouldn’t be looked on kindly.
They left, and Finn went into the back to change, while Teddy headed for the waiting room. Meagan and Carlos were both up front by Betsy.
“Hey, Teddy!” Carlos greeted. “Erina’s show is going really well, huh?”
That would have quirked an eyebrow usually, but Teddy wasn’t that surprised. “She’s making good use of your phone number, I see.”
The darker tint to Carlos’s skin still managed an impressive blush.
“What are you and Finn up to tonight?” Meagan asked.
Teddy leaned on the front counter since no one else was waiting. “Long walks on the beach aren’t much of an option for me right now, so we’re planning on a night in.”
“Oh yeah?” Carlos waggled an eyebrow, then blanched slightly when Betsy cleared her throat. “Anyway, you know what you should watch if you Netflix and chill? If it includes Netflix,” he said in an unconvincing whisper that made Betsy roll her eyes.“Wet Hot American Summer. The movie, not the prequel series, though that has its moments too.”
“I’ve never seen that,” Teddy said.
“Neither has Finn!”
“Carlos,” Meagan said skeptically, “that movie is nothing but raunchy, stupid humor.”
“Sounds perfect,” Finn said, drawing Teddy’s attention to the door.
A few insecurities still reared their heads at Teddy, thinking of what a schlub he must look like when Finn dared to come out of the locker room so sinfully sexy in low-riding jeans and a short-sleeved shirt that hugged his biceps.
“Ready to go?”
Teddy changed when they reached the house. He had to. He didn’t shower, he hadn’t worked up that much of a sweat, but he still freshened up and put on his best pair of easy-fitting jeans and a gray sweater.
“You know we live at the beach, right?” Finn teased him when he reappeared.
“It’s still spring, and I keep my home cold.”
“I noticed. Good thing Smudge doesn’t mind, do you, fluffy boy?” Finn bent to scratch Smudge’s head, who was very happy to have him back again—and to have Nora in the house, since they’d stopped to pick her up. “So.” Finn stood, following Teddy into the kitchen. “What are we making for dinner?”
“Pot stickers and rice. I have a recipe I haven’t made in a while that is much easier with an extra pair of hands.”
Given Teddy’s recent debacle with chopping, he let Finn handle the vegetables while he mixed the meat and made the sauce. They pinched the dough for the pot stickers together when they were ready to assemble, then got everything frying, the rice already fluffed.
