“I just feel bad because it’s not like he did anythingwrong.I mean, I’ve watched his videos before, and I thought I knew what to expect, but it was just like suddenly the combination of all the things felt more overwhelming than hot. It wasn’t his fault.” He drops his head onto my shoulder, and my heart soars.
“It wasn’t yours either. This happens sometimes. I promise you’re not the only one.”
Riley twists awkwardly to look up at me, and his eyes are so earnest and trusting. Fuck it. I lift one arm and wrap it around his strong shoulders, and he nuzzles into my neck like he belongs there. “Are you sick of me yet?” he mumbles, his warm breath puffing against my skin.
“Of course not,” I chuckle, rubbing up and down his arm absently. “Why would I be sick of you?”
“I just feel like I’m being so annoying. I text you all the time and now I’m just showing up at your house unannounced…”
“You could never annoy me, sunshine,” I assure him, placing a tender kiss on the top of his head and inhaling the fresh, summery scent of him. “You can ask me anything, any time. It makes me happy that you feel comfortable reaching out to me about this stuff.”
He pulls back to look up at me, his green eyes full of relief. “Really?”
“Really. I look forward to talking to you. And I like spending time with you.”
I get a flash of a happy little grin before he settles his head back onto my shoulder and resumes petting Aggie. We sit in silence for a bit until I get a text alert that the food is almost here. Reluctantly, I pull away to answer the door, and Riley keeps hold of Aggie (who is perfectly content in his lap and doesnotbark, the little traitor).
Riley stands and extends his arms over his head, stretching with a cute little grunt. His T-shirt rides up and exposes a glimpse of his Adonis belt, and my dick takes notice.
I’ve been with all kinds of men, and never really thought I had a particular “type,” but everything about Riley’s muscular form just does it for me. He’s gorgeous, of course, but there’s something appealing about a man who has the discipline to spend the time building a body like that in the gym. Maybe I should ask if he wants to work out together sometime. That’s something friends would do, right? And then if he needed a spotter, it would give me a reasonable excuse to be close to him, like earlier on the couch. I bet he smells amazing after a workout. My imagination supplies me with an image of running my nose along his armpit in the shower after a lifting session, and suddenly my mouth is watering and all my blood is rushing south.
Stop it, Luke. Now’s not the time.
I distract myself from that dangerous fantasy by unwrapping the sandwiches and handing over Riley’s. Aggie is thrilled when a piece of turkey drops to the floor, and she scarfs it down before I can stop her. Leaning over the bar to eat, I force my mind back to Riley’s current problem.
“Do you have the video on your phone?” I ask between bites. “I can take a look if it would make you feel better.” I don’t know why I offer. I don’t actually want to see Riley with Benji, but I’malso not sure why. I’ve seen lots of my scene partners’ collabs with other people, and it’s never been anything but professional, but this feels more personal somehow. Maybe since it feels like we’re actually becoming friends and not just guys who worked together once. If watching the video will help him feel better about himself and the experience, though, I want to do it.
Riley wipes his hands and queues up the recording, pressing play and sliding it across the bar to me.
I watch as I eat, thankful that my mouth is full so I don’t have to provide any commentary right away. Riley looks good. Really good. If I didn’t have our own video to compare, I don’t think I’d even notice anything is off with him. Benji took charge from the start, and Riley was definitely right in his assessment that he was just along for the ride. I try not to wince as Benji makes a quick entry. Riley looks like he took it just fine, but I would have treated him a little more delicately. That’s not my business, though; this was his collab, not mine.
“The video looks great,” I tell him honestly, handing the phone back. “It’s a good collab, and it’s okay that you didn’t love every minute of it. Sometimes they just feel like work, and you just get through it. It’s totally normal.”
“It didn’t feel like work with you, though,” Riley muses, his tone puzzled.
My heart stutters at his admission. I wasn’t sure if he had felt the chemistry between us as strongly as I did on that shoot, and the confirmation settles something inside me that I hadn’t realized was displaced. “It didn’t for me either, but that’s not always the case. Even jobs you love begin to feel like work at times.”
He sighs and picks at the last bit of his food, looking contemplative. "I guess I just got lucky for my first one then. I wish they could all be like that.”
“What if I go to the next one with you?” The idea is out of my mouth before I have time to think it through. “I mean, like, film it. Not just stand around and watch. Although, I mean, I guess that’s fine too, if that’s what you’re into.” Holy fuck, I can’t stop talking. “But maybe you’d feel a little more relaxed if you knew someone was there to direct you if needed. I know Nathan didn’t direct us much, but maybe it helped just knowing he was there. So, like…I could do that. If you want. Or not, it’s fine either way.”
Riley immediately perks up at the suggestion. “Really? You’d do that?”
“Of course. If it would help. I mean, that’s what friends do.” I’m trying for nonchalant, casually collecting our garbage and acting busy by cleaning up, so I don’t have to look at him. The pounding of my heart in my ears is so loud that I worry he might hear it. Ithinkwhat’s going on between us is friendship, but since I have no experience in that department, I could be reading the situation all wrong. Which, if that’s the case, I’ll immediately pretend I’m sick and kick him out and then throw my phone away and live as a shut-in for the rest of my life. The embarrassment of his telling me I’ve got it all wrong might be the death of me.
“That would be amazing, actually,” he sighs in relief, dropping onto the barstool. “Are you sure you’re not sick of me yet?”
“I’m sure,” I laugh. “Now pull up your messages and let’s see who we have to pick from.”
As he scrolls through dozens of messages, my gut sours. It feels weird to be looking at other potential partners for Riley. Maybe I should have just suggested we collab together again instead. But that wouldn’t get him any new exposure, and I’m probably just being ridiculous. Maybe it was the sandwich. Maybe I need a drink.
“I’ve had three guys reach out to me, and one girl asking if I’m bi,” he announces, popping a potato chip into his mouth. “Sorry, girlie, poles and holes only here.”
I shake my head at him with a chuckle. “Who are the guys?”
“Umm…someone called TopKing, Kody with a K, and another guy named Santiago.”
Frowning, I mull the options over. TopKing is a no, he’s an arrogant asshole and not someone I’d ever work with or suggest Riley work with. Kody might be alright, but he doesn’t have a very big reach. He seems to mostly do videos for some extra cash on the side when he needs it, so I don’t think he’s a great option. I haven’t heard of anyone named Santiago. “I’m not sure about any of them for you,” I muse, pulling out my own phone and checking my contacts. Maybe there’s someone I’ve worked with before that would be available and a better fit.
