“So, what did you think? Have I turned you into a hockey fan yet?” Fallon clapped me on the shoulder as we waited for the others to exit our row.
“It was pretty cool, I guess.” From what I’d seen of the game when I wasn’t focused on my professor, I could understand why Fallon liked hockey so much. Even though the Bruins lost, the constant action on the ice kept it entertaining. Plus, the players throwing punches added a bit of excitement that took my attention away from the man I had no business staring at.
“You guess? C’mon, it’s at least better than baseball.”
I shook my head and laughed. “Don’t let my dads or brothers ever hear you say that.” Not only was my stepfather a former MLB player, but my father had played in college and both of my brothers were on the UCLA baseball team.
When we finally got to Fallon’s car, he turned to me and asked, “Do you still want to head to Chrome?”
We had talked about grabbing a drink after the game, and I’d suggested going to Chrome since Fallon hadn’t been there before and we’d be in the city.
“Of course,” I replied, grabbing my button-up shirt from the backseat. We couldn’t roll up to the club wearing a hoodie or, in Fallon’s case, his Bruins jersey. Since we knew we were going out afterward, we’d brought a change of clothes.
Once we changed, Fallon entered the address into his GPS and we joined the rest of the cars trying to leave the parking lot.
When we arrived at Chrome, the line wound around the building. “Looks like it’s packed,” Fallon said, as he pulled into a parking garage.
“It’ll be worth it.” While I’d been wanting to bring Fallon to the club since my first visit a few weeks ago, after seeing Hayden earlier I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d show up.
After we managed to find a parking spot, we joined the others waiting to get inside. Thirty minutes later, we showed the bouncers our IDs, and they waved us into the club. “Hot In It” by Charli XCX pumped through the speakers, and we skirted the packed dance floor to get to the bar.
“What do you want to drink?” I asked Fallon, as we waited for one of the busy bartenders.
“I’ll just have a beer since I have to drive later.” It was something we were all careful about since driving under the influence was stupid as fuck.
Once a bartender came over, I asked for two bottles of Sam Adams and then paid before we found a high-top table to sit at.
“This place is awesome,” Fallon said, as he looked around. “Why haven’t we been coming here instead of Ernie’s?”
I chuckled. “I’m not sure this is really any of the other guys’ scene.”
“True.”
Scanning the room, I searched for a familiar pair of light green eyes. Deep down, I knew I needed to let go of my obsession with my professor. It was a waste of time longing for someone when we couldn’t be together. Yet, I felt drawn to him whenever we were near each other, like during our last class.
I was about to give up my search when I saw the man I couldn’t stop thinking about sitting alone at a table in the corner. I could tell the moment he noticed me because his drink paused halfway to his lips, and he closed his eyes and shook his head.
We stared at each other until Fallon’s words distracted me. “That guy is hot.”
At first, I thought he was talking about our teacher, but just as quickly, I realized that wouldn’t have been what he would say if he’d seen him.
“Which guy?” I asked.
He pointed his bottle toward the bar. “The one in blue.”
I looked to where he indicated and saw a tall blond smiling in our direction. “You should go talk to him.”
Fallon took a sip of his beer. “I think I will.”
I had no doubt it would be a while before I saw him again. With his neatly styled chestnut hair and vibrant greenish-blue eyes, it wasn’t often a guy could ignore my best friend’s advances.
While he headed toward the bar, my attention turned to where Professor Foster sat. I watched as he finished his drink, placed it back on the table, then got up and walked down the hallway where the bathrooms were located. Without another thought, I swallowed the last of my beer and walked in the same direction.
The man I wanted to see was nowhere to be found, so I leaned against the wall across from the bathroom and waited for him to come out. A couple of minutes later, he opened the door, but stopped when he saw me standing there.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at me again. “What are you doing, Tyler?”
“I was waiting for you.”
