The weight of Dallas’s hand came back to rest on his shoulder, he squeezed again in a brotherly way. “I know you’re outside your comfort zone. I only signed off because I also know you can handle it. I promise that campaign’s the best we’ve ever had. Go away, relax, then come back ready to hit the ground running.”
Dallas didn’t wait for an answer, he hooked an arm through Skye’s and they left with Sara again joining them just beyond their office door with her purse in hand. They must have planned dinner as a group event. He watched them until he couldn’t see them anymore then stared longer, recognizing the feeling of burnout and constant frustration that was so unlike him.
The quest for his misplaced cell phone came back to the forefront. Where did he leave the dang thing? The locker room? Ducky got to his feet and started in that direction.
Maybe a vacation wasn’t such a bad idea.
The creepy feeling of being a stalker only added to the worry that drove Chad to StreamTrainer’s corporate offices. He took the turn into the parking lot, glancing inside each of the three vehicles headed out. The only person he recognized was Dallas Reigns in a Tesla. He lifted a hand, hoping to appear as if he were expected to be there instead of using a location app to track Ducky’s whereabouts.
Time had sped up on him this afternoon. After learning his stepfather was too tied up at work to pick up Cara, Chad went back to drive his tipsy mother to pick up his sister from school—the exact thing he’d tried to avoid. Then he’d gone home, showered, cleaned himself up before fussing over his clothing. He wanted to look his very best, choosing his most expensive apparel items in hopes that cost tipped the scale on how he looked. Chad had most certainly lost his mind. He’d clocked in at over two hours before he left his condo in Dallas and made his way thirty minutes to Ducky’s office.
StreamTrainer had workout sessions going twenty-four/seven. Chad pulled past the training entrance to the front offices. If the barren parking lot was an indicator, maybe he’d catch Ducky alone. With a wide swing of the vehicle, Chad parked in the first spot, facing the foyer of the building. The small space looked packed with empty cubicles. An armed security guard stood just inside the front doors.
Chad glanced down at his outfit. Maybe he’d overdressed. He should come back tomorrow now that he had a feel for the casual nature of the office. Training clothes would have been a better option than the tieless suit he’d chosen. What had he been thinking?
“Stop second-guessing yourself and get out of the car.” The words echoed around the silence of his vehicle, startling even him.
He flipped down the visor to look into the small mirror. As he matured, his hair had lost a lot of the natural red highlights, leaving behind this darker shade, almost black like his mother and sisters. His close-cropped facial hair made his slate-blue eyes look lighter than they were.
Why the hell was he so nervous about seeing Ducky? He’d stared Ducky in the eyes while online for years, doing it face-to-face shouldn’t be any different. Yet somehow it was.
He reached for the door handle and pushed it open before turning off the engine. He glanced at himself in the mirror one last time. “You’re taking this in steps. First, apologize, and hopefully get the friendship back on track. That’s your goal tonight.”
With courage he didn’t really possess, he stepped out of the car and straightened his clothes before he squared his shoulders and slammed the door with a little more force than he’d intended. Normally, he treated his new Range Rover as if it were a baby. This evening, it was the last thing on his mind.
Taking long, sure strides, Chad rushed to the front doors, pulling one open to be greeted with a single nod by the no nonsense security guard. He said nothing as he entered the building, obviously waiting for Chad to speak first.
“I’m looking for Ducky, Duncan Reigns. Is he around?” Chad instinctively reached for his wallet, pulling out his driver’s license, handing it to the guard.
After what felt like a long perusal of the guard looking at him then down to his identification, he handed it back and cocked his head toward the desk. “He went toward the locker rooms. I’ll call for him,” the guard said, taking a step toward the empty desk in the foyer.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll go find him.” He waved the guard off, tucking the driver’s license back inside the wallet then placing that inside his inside breast pocket. His gaze followed the sign on the wall pointing him to the direction of the locker room.
He’d barely made it around the corner when Ducky stepped into the hall from the other direction, head bent, cell phone in his hand, his thumbs working over the screen.
Chad stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the man who had fascinated him for half of his life. Ducky had on his workout gear, fitted shorts, and a snug tank top that left little to the imagination of what was underneath. Chad couldn’t speak nor could he take his eyes off the man in front of him.
All he managed was to stand there like the creeper he’d become and openly stare at his gorgeous friend. Ducky was tall, really tall. His skin tanner than Chad remembered ever seeing before and the guy was as beautifully handsome on the outside as he was on the inside. Ducky had an air of gentle masculinity that called to Chad on so many levels. His heart fluttered against his rib cage. His breathing became labored as he again absorbed the visceral reaction to Ducky.
The overwhelming attraction hit him like a ton of bricks, bowling him over, at least with the way the neurons misfired inside his brain.
The earth tilted. It felt like the rug had been pulled from under his feet. Chad’s stance became unsteady as Ducky took steps toward him. Any lingering uncertainty about his attraction settled as Ducky walked toward him. He needed Ducky Reigns like he needed air. His heart yearned, demanding he make this happen between them.
His breath held. The sound of his heart pounded loudly in his ears as he waited for his friend to notice him. He watched as Ducky did a distracted glance up then down again, doing something on his phone before stopping in his tracks and looking back up at him. When those captivating eyes locked on to him, Chad’s world zoomed back into focus on this moment.
He found his life’s purpose and meaning in the depths of Ducky’s sparkling green stare.
Please. Please be into guys, or maybe just into me.
He liked the last part of his thought the most.
The bond of their friendship, and the connection he shared with Ducky, swirled around them, charging the air with sudden intensity. He wondered if Ducky felt it too. Ducky’s grin was immediate. He started to walk again, stopping about a foot from Chad. If his friend noticed the energy between them, he didn’t let on.
“I just texted you.” As if on a cosmic cue, Chad’s cell phone vibrated against his chest.
He did grin, but as he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out. His throat, tongue, and lips suddenly became dry and heavy, forcing him to close his mouth and clear his throat. The buzzing in his head made it hard to think.
“I…” He had to look away from Ducky to make his brain function properly. The attraction to his friend combined with his nerves made it hard to think let alone speak. Holy hell, his palms were sweaty. He fisted them as he tucked both hands into his slacks pockets. “I hadn’t heard from you. I texted a lot since the podcast. You’re one of my best friends, I don’t want you to be mad at me. I didn’t mean what I said…”
