Page 21 of Saved By the Pitcher

Mike bit his lower lip. “Just friends?”

James smiled. “Let’s say…at a minimum.”

Mike let out the air he had been withholding. “Good. Me, too. At a minimum, I mean. Okay…wait. No, I’m lying to you again. The truth is, I want to try for more than friendship, James. I’m not saying we have to do something right away. In fact, maybe it’s for the best we didn’t do anything physical yesterday. It gives you a chance to think about what you want, and if you do want more, it gives me time to build up the courage. Look, I’ve never had sex with a man and there’s no guarantee I’d be good at it.”

James wiped a hand over his mouth, unsure how much he should say. “Listen, I have fears, too. There’s stuff I need to tell you. But Mike, none of it has to do with being unsure of whether I want to be friends with you…or take things to a physical level. And I doubt you’d disappoint me.”

Mike blushed. “You say that now. My first time with a woman was a disaster. She didn’t criticize how awkward I was, and how…fast I was. But I knew, and it was mortifying. The thought of reliving something like that is scary. And based on Billy’s text, you have lots of experience in that department.”

James narrowed his eyes. “That isn’t the compliment you’re pretending it is.”

Mike gulped. “It wasn’t a slam. I promise.” When James’ face relaxed, Mike exhaled with relief. “Sorry. I’m saying things that upset you when all I wanted to say was how much I wish I could kiss you right now.” James looked away, and Mike could tell the man was holding back. “James, what is it?”

“Mike, there’s stuff…”

“Nothing that would change my mind,” Mike interjected. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the night I met you. Your attractiveness is a given. But yesterday, at the ballgame, I saw other sides of you that were doing things to me. You were fun and silly, manly yet sensitive, and you weren’t afraid to poke fun at me just because I’m Mike Cooper. I don’t think you understand how hard it is to find someone who is real with you when you’re a famous person whose picture is plastered all over the city. And James, I see how kind you are. You were nice to the people around us and Christ, you even went out of your way to make conversation with the guy who brought us beers. My impression is reinforced every time I see you interact with your brother. I can’t help but think how wonderful it would be if things between us got serious.”

“I don’t do relationships,” James cut in.

That blew the air from Mike’s bubble. “Oh. Okay.” They were silent for a couple of moments, just looking at each other through their cameras. “James, would you be willing to take things a step at a time? Maybe go slowly, and if you still want to, we could go back to being friends?”

James sighed, looking away from the screen again. “You saw the photo of us made the wire? My father already called me with a threat to stay away from you. You don’t want to go up against him.”

Mike grimaced. That was unexpected. Already, he hated Charles Vicksburg. “Would he hurt you?”

“By hurting you,” James responded. “He did it to someone else I cared about, my former boyfriend Daniel. My father destroyed his career.”

Mike nodded. “I’m sorry, James. That’s…terrible.” The two were silent for a moment. “Listen, James, I may not be a senator, but I have some clout, too. I’m not intimidated by people like your father. Maybe he should be the one who fears me.”

James stared back with surprise. “Mike, I don’t know that you should take that risk for me.”

Mike didn’t flinch. “Well, I do know.”

James was looking down at the keyboard, but Mike could almost see the wheels turning in the man’s head. “Mike, he will come after you if he finds out we’re seeing each other. You may not be afraid, but I am. If you’re serious about wanting to see where things go between us, we need to stay out of the public eye. And who knows? After a couple of dates, you might stop thinking I’m worth the risk. It’s better for you to realize that before triggering a war with my father.”

“I’m sure I will think the same of you after getting to know you better, James,” Mike countered. “Unless you have a split personality that you’re not telling me about.”

“How would I know?” James laughed. “Do people with split personalities have awareness of their illness?”

“I don’t know,” Mike admitted with a grin. “James, I’m not afraid of your father, but I will do as you ask and keep quiet about us seeing each other.” James nodded, and they continued to look at each other for another couple of minutes. “Since we’ve confessed that we’re interested in more than friendship, maybe you could give me a little something that gets the ball rolling?”

James quirked an eyebrow. “Huh?”

Mike scratched the back of his neck with some nervousness. “Does it sound too weird to ask if you’d back up from the camera so I can see your chest?”

James jerked his head back, startled before grinning. “Mike Cooper…are you trying to turn this into a sex chat?”

Mike shrugged. “I just asked to see your chest.” When James still looked at him with suspicion, Mike added, “Pretty please, James?”

James chuckled, but pushed his chair far enough from the screen that Mike could see James’ entire torso. Mike looked at James’ lightly dusted chest, nice-sized nipples resting on chiseled pecs, and he thought his dick couldn’t get harder.

“Disappointed?” James asked, though his smile indicated he knew Mike wasn’t.

“Um, no.” Mike gulped. “You are as beautiful as I imagined. You know, when we were in your dressing room, your shirt was unbuttoned a bit. I kept trying to get a glimpse of your chest. I went home chastising myself for being a dirty old man.”

James laughed. “You aren’t that old. And from what I’ve seen from the underwear ads, you don’t look like an old man either. Of course, one never knows how much Photoshopping happens before the end-product is revealed. Perhaps you should take off your shirt to convince me that it isn’t false advertising.”

Mike sniggered. “Well, I wouldn’t want a customer to think we’d stoop to such depths.” He rolled his chair away from the monitor so James could see his torso, then lifted his shirt up and over his head.