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I could still remember exactly what he said.
“Dude. It ain’t like that. Don’t be fuckin’ gross.”
Gross. I should have gotten the message, loud and clear. But the next time we were drunk together again, I dug myself in deep. I told Chandler that I was attracted to him. That I still wanted more.
My idiotic nineteen-year-old self had told him I wanted to take him out on a date.
It was the last time we ever hung out. The next day, he quit his job at the club. He stopped answering my texts and phone calls, and a few weeks later, I’d heard that he had moved back to his hometown of Nashville.
I would never do anything so dumb again. Losing Chandler had left a void in my life that I hadn’t replaced since.
And there was no chance in hell that I’d lose an opportunity like this in the same way. Yes, Theo was a different person. And he certainly didn’t think being gay was “gross.” But the principle of the matter was the same.
My attraction to Theo had to take a back seat. A far back seat.
I was here to protect him. And that’s what I was going to do.
8
Theo
As Roman and I walked into the tavern, we were met with a wave of laughter coming from the bar.
“There’s just no way,” a guy sitting at the bar was saying to the bartenders. “I’ll do it, but it isn’t going to work.”
“The Big Rock Cock is good luck,” Sam said. Sam was one of the bartenders who had doted on me the other night while I was here. He’d recognized me instantly, and at first I’d been a little worried, but it turned out he was sweet and respectful even though he was a big fan. Tonight he was in a tight-fitting white tank top, leaning over the bar and smiling.
“Evening,” Red said as we approached the bar. “Welcome in.” He tipped his cowboy hat at us. Red had known who I was, too, but I’d gotten the impression that he treated everyone the same, regardless of how famous they were—and I was incredibly grateful for it.
As soon as Sam’s eyes met mine, they went wide, just like they had the other night. “Holy shit, you’re back,” he said, turning to another guy sitting at the bar. “Baby, see? I told you he actually came in. Theo, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Fox.”
“So he wasn’t just bullshitting to make me jealous,” Fox said, turning toward me. “I barely believed him when he said Theo Castille came into the tavern.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” I said, holding out a hand.
“You were absolutely incredible in Base of the Mountain,” Fox said, shaking his head a little in awe. “You had me crying by the end, and I don’t usually cry in movies.”
“He’s full of shit,” Sam whispered. “He secretly cries from movies all of the time.”
“Mr. Castille,” the other guy at the bar said, looking up at me. “Shit, sorry. Theo. I have to get used to calling you that.” I realized it was Jack, the lead contractor who was working on my house.
“Jack. Hey,” I said. “Damn, is this really what small towns are like? Everyone is here.”
“Just another Saturday night,” Sam said.
Roman had been standing beside me, polite and silent, as everyone’s focus was on me. I was used to this kind of treatment, but it still always felt weird when I was with somebody else who didn’t get as much attention.
But Roman was technically on duty, right now, and it was clear that he was taking it seriously. Maybe a little too seriously, which was adorable in its own way.
“Roman and I needed a break,” I said, pulling up a chair beside Jack. “I kind of got mobbed at the farmer’s market earlier.”
“Have you two been hanging out?” Sam said, waggling his eyebrows at Roman. “Lucky you.”
“I’ve been hired as Theo’s personal bodyguard,” Roman said as he sat down next to me. I could hear the faint pride in his voice.
“That’s amazing,” Sam said. “God, Roman would be the perfect bodyguard.”
“I’m glad to hear that, too,” Red said. “Hopefully that will help you feel safe.”
“I definitely do feel safer with him around already,” I said.
“Let me get you a round of drinks, on the house,” Sam said. “What are you having?”
“It doesn’t have to be on the house,” I said. “But I think I’ll just go with a beer for now. Your choice.”
“Just a Coke for me,” Roman said. “I’m on the job.”
“Oh, please,” I said. “You can have a beer if you want to.”
He shook his head. “Can’t keep you safe if I’m not sharp.”
“Yeah. Definitely a good bodyguard,” Jack said.
“We were telling Jack about the Big Rock Cock when you guys walked in,” Sam said as he slid my beer across the bar. “Jack doesn’t believe that it’s good luck.”
