I can see Jamie chuckling on the sofa.
“Yes, yes. It’s the thighs. We’ll deal with that in the tailoring. Come out. Let’s see the rest.”
“But I’m…I don’t havepants.”
I feel my hands migrate down to cover myself. Meanwhile, it looks like Jamie is losing it over on the couch, hunching lower and lower in his seat as his eyes water with laughter.
“You are a hockey player. I am a tailor. This isn’t new for either of us.” His glare reminds me of my high school principal.
I pull at the bottoms of my black boxer briefs, hoping to stretch an inch more dignity out of them. I take a deep breath and walk back out to the dais.
Jamie has perked back up in his seat. I raise my eyebrow at him as I pass; this is nothing he hasn’t seen before in the locker room. Still, his eyes follow me as I walk by.
In the mirror, I keep my focus above the belt. The coat has a more modern cut than my usual suit, with thinner lapels and a slimmer fit. With the crew-cut sweater underneath, it looks almost…youthful?
“I don’t know, Jamie. No colors — does this pass muster?” When I look at him in the mirror, his eyes shoot up. Was he…looking at my ass?
A stain of pink steals across his cheeks. “Huh?”
“Didn’t you say we were supposed to be looking for more color?”
He bites his lip, and the sensuality of the move has my own cheeks heating.
“I dunno, it still looks really good on you.” His eyes run down my body, not bothering to stop at my waist.
The sound of Mr. Williams clearing his throat broke through the heat in the room.
“Yes, well, unfortunately the modern cut is a bit of a problem for your…assets, shall we say?” The blush that had started to rise on my cheeks stole fully across my face now.
“Still, that’s nothing I can’t take care of.” Brisk and professional, he pulls a measuring tape out of a pocket and falls to his knees in front of me. The act takes me by surprise and I widen my eyes, daring to look at Jamie again. The heat that was between us is gone, and he’s clutching his stomach in laughter once more.
In the end,I couldn’t bring myself to look at the total on Mr. Williams’ receipt. I closed my eyes and signed blindly, hoping it wouldn’t puttoobig a dent in my savings. Jamie and I walked out to the rideshare with several bags worth of clothes — mostly casual things, along with a few nicer options for the next few games. In a few weeks, Mr. Williams would bring the rest to Minneapolis for my final fitting.
Given the number of digits I’d seen on the receipt before clenching his eyes shut, I imagine Mr. Williams and the suits will be flying private for that trip.
Still, I had to admit — nothing I’d tried on today had felt wrong. When Jamie had first suggested the idea, I had been certain that I’d be trying on floral shirts and super-slim cut suits. But everything I'd put on my body today had been me, just…elevated? A little…more?
“Hey, Carter?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for making me buy some big boy clothes. It was time.”
Jamie’s ears turn pink.
“No problem, Cap. You, uh, looked good.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JAMIE
The next Sunday,we finally have a day off to go house hunting. As much as I told Ethan I'm happy at the hotel, I have to admit that it's getting a little old. He has me meet him at his condo downtown. The building is glass and metal, with an echoing lobby clad in marble. As I ride up in the elevator, I wonder at what will await. Even though I know him better than I did at the beginning of the season, I can't envision what his apartment would look like – what would be most important to him?
As I contemplate the question, I can't help but remember what else I know about him. The look of his thick dick, the shine of his cum as it dries. True to his word, he hasn't made it weird. But I can't help but think of him at the worst of times, of those texts we shared in the hotel.
As he opens the door, I see that my thoughts in the elevator had clearly oversold the experience. My first impression is overwhelmingly...gray. Light gray walls. Darker gray couch. Near-black luxuryvinyl floors. This is no inner sanctum. It is sleek, modern, and completely impersonal.
He catches my eye. “Uh, welcome to my place.”
