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“I’ll write up a Cooper family guide for you when I get home.” I glanced at my watch, surprised at how much time had already gone by. Eric always had that special ability around me: speeding up time like some kind of handsome superhero. “Shit, I’ve got to meet Jen in an hour.” I rose from my seat, feeling slightly more okay with this wild plan I’d come up with. Eric and I would just have to set down some rules and lay down a couple of boundaries, and I would just have to stop wondering how those lips would feel kissing me or how his big hands would feel wrapped around my hard cock again.
“Let’s meet up tonight for dinner,” Eric said as we stood up, our chairs creaking in the quiet coffee shop. “That way, we can have a proper catch-up.”
“Sounds good to me. Plus, we need to get our story lined up if we want my family to believe we’re together.”
“Thankfully, we’ve already got some building blocks to work off of.”
I chuckled, following him out to the street. “Yeah, thankfully.”
9
ERIC RUIZ
Why was I nervous?
I spent most of my afternoon pacing crop circles into my carpet, wondering how this would all play out, my mind buzzing with “what ifs” and “should I’s.” I took an hour-long steaming hot shower, which usually helped to unclog any brain folds that may have been blocked up, but even with the scalding hot water and clouds of steam, I still couldn’t fully decide if this was a good idea or not. Should I have offered to take Colton’s case without the stipulation of us having to be fake boyfriends? Maybe I could have worked it from here while he went to the family reunion and fed me whatever information he found useful?
But that part of me was much smaller than the part that was excited to be next to Colton again, regardless of what rules had been set in place between us. He had been one of my best friends back then, and even if we could just get back a quarter of that magic between us, then I’d be happy.
First, I had to figure out what to wear. I grabbed a baby blue and white plaid shirt that always seemed to net me some compliments, tugging on a pair of dark jeans and switching out my watch band for a dusty-blue one. It took me a minute in the bathroom to tame my unruly herd of cowlicks, completing the entire look with a silver necklace and a spritz of Tom Ford cologne.
“There,” I said, glancing at myself in the bathroom mirror. I’d been appreciating how I looked lately, especially as I pushed up against my early thirties and simultaneously developing a no-fucks-given attitude. As a bigger guy, I’d dealt with a lot of bullshit in my life, especially coming from the sometimes six-pack-obsessed headless torsos on the Grindr grid. There was an unnatural—even unattainable—standard for gay men and their bodies, pushed forward by the need to present as some kind of Greek god in order to be accepted, even though my body was just as worthy of worship as someone with biceps and pecs.
It was dumb, and I was glad to be at a stage in my life where I just didn’t care. You either took me and my love handles, or you didn’t. Fuck you, I’m having fun.
That was my motto, and I was sticking to it.
I locked up my apartment and walked down the hall toward the elevator bay, passing by my new neighbor, Steven. He was a quiet guy but always offered a friendly wave, and he’d introduced himself the first night he moved in, which I thought was sweet. He’d asked about joining the gay kickball league after seeing my shirt, saying he was looking to try and make a couple of friends. I let him know the details and also brought his name up at the book club, where everyone agreed an invite was totally fine.
“Oh, Steven, before you go, I wanted to let you know about a book club my friends and I have. It’s called Reading Under the Rainbow. We read mostly mysteries and thrillers and get drunk and play games. Want to join? Our next meeting is on Monday.”
Steven’s eyebrows rose in mild surprise, his lips rising with them in a smile. “Oh, that sounds so fun. I think I should be able to make it.” He moved the bags he was holding from one hand to another. It appeared to be a bunch of stuff from the pet store. I could see fish food from the top of one of the bags.
“Perfect. I’ll text you the details.”
I could tell his arms were tired from the number of bags he was carrying, so I let him go, waving as he went down the hall and disappeared into his apartment.
