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“That’s the thing. There’s two of them. I didn’t know they were a couple until today. They’ve both been into Grounds, but always separately. Then they show up today and the girl I’ve been flirting with introduces me to the guy she’s dating, but who apparently has the hots for me too.”
Trav blinked like he needed a second to process Phoenix’s words, then opened his mouth and roared with laughter. “First world problems, mate.” He shook his head. “You’re not seriously complaining about the possibility of a threesome, are you?” He gripped Phoenix’s shoulders and shook him gently. “Phoenix, my man, you need to pull your head outta your arse and jump on that shit while you can. You’re gonna be chained to a desk seventy hours a week before you know it and you’ll regret not getting a piece of that action if you don’t hit it now.”
“That’s totally not what they were suggesting,” Phoenix scoffed. “They probably just have an open relationship, and I don’t like getting involved in complications.” He had a lot going on, and dealing with anything else was more than he could manage. The last thing he needed was to get involved in something that could be complicated. He was finishing up at Grounds in a few weeks, and he didn’t want to leave on a sour note. Cassidy and Jacob had already shown up there to hash things out while he was there.
Trav rolled his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, mate.” He opened Phoenix’s cupboard and waved to it. “Get dressed. We’re leaving in twenty.”
*****
One drink at the pub had turned into five, but Phoenix had passed the point of caring. Going out was exactly what he’d needed. His limbs were loose, and his mind was focussed on something else. He was grateful for Trav’s insistence that he go with them—grinding up against a cute twink was a whole lot more fun than his mind going around in circles trying to tie whisps of knowledge together.
The band playing covers of nineties grunge songs was brilliant. Lithium was a standout, their guitars screaming as the crowd shouted the chorus. The pub was packed too; bodies pressed against one another as they danced.
He smiled at his mates, giving them a thumbs up for pushing him to have a last hurrah with them. They were the best. Great blokes and top friends.
Arms up in the air, Phoenix welcomed the music flowing through him, his hips moving with the pretty boy who was draped over him. Straddling the guy’s leg, Phoenix rolled his hips and groaned when the other man’s thigh rubbed against his nuts.
A shot appeared in front of him, and Phoenix looked up to see Trav’s drunken smile. Taking the glass, he raised it in a toast before tipping his head back and downing the fiery tequila. He hissed with the burn and spun his partner around until his butt was flush against Phoenix’s groin. With hands on his hips, he rubbed against him, sending his cock from half mast to a fully-fledged iron rod.
But Phoenix wasn’t fixated on him. His thoughts were wandering to them.
He couldn’t get those long blonde waves out of his mind or the painted lips of the woman who’d shamelessly challenged him to check out her boyfriend. And check him out Phoenix had. The way he’d licked his lips and nervously wiped his hands on his jeans before sucking in a breath and confessing his attraction had riled Phoenix up like nothing else. It was as if Jacob had been saving up the words, then sprung a leak, the admission finally bursting free.
Phoenix let his eyes slip closed, and he tilted his head back, imagining what it would be like to have Cassidy pressed between him and Jacob. Which one of them would take her mouth? And would she let the other kiss her throat while he toyed with her nipples? Or rubbed his dick against her arse? It was probably a ridiculous fantasy, but one he was going to indulge in, nevertheless.
The reality of his immediate future was too nerve-wracking to contemplate at midnight on a Saturday night, and concentrating on something—anything—other than his exams was almost a necessity. All that stood between him and the podium on graduation day was those four exams. After the final one, he only had a week to transition from being a broke student into a still-broke junior solicitor. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. Not having upcoming assignments or exams hovering over him would, hopefully, mean that he could enjoy life for a bit. Go out for drinks, eat with friends, party on a weekend. But for the first time, he also wouldn’t have the security blanket of knowing his place in the world. Up to that point, he’d always been a student. Everything would be different in a couple of weeks—new job, new place, and even his clothes were going to change. Gone were the days he could show up looking like a slob. No, he’d be wearing a suit every day, have to have his hair cut neatly and face cleanshaven. He wasn’t even sure he would recognize himself.
Phoenix couldn’t tell whether the buzz from the alcohol was wearing off, but he wasn’t ready to face the coming week just yet. He needed to block it out, just for a little bit longer. When the song ended, he motioned to the bar, breaking away from the cutie he’d been dancing with, before ordering another round of shots. But when he managed to work his way back to the high-topped tables they’d been dancing near, he couldn’t find two out of the three of his mates. He passed a glass to Trav and sucked a shot back himself, shaking off the fire roaring down his throat. Trav picked up a second one and shouted, “Can’t let ’em go to waste. Bottoms up,” before he tilted his head back. Phoenix did the same, downing the two remaining glasses.
The strobe light went off, giving him an out-of-body experience. The room spun. Tequila was a vicious lover, and she always left him worse for wear the next day, but he appreciated how fast-acting it was. Phoenix swayed on his feet, the dance floor moving like a balance board under them. He recognized the Silverchair song he’d heard a few too many times playing on the speakers at Grounds, but he couldn’t find the words to sing along.
It was warm. Really hot, in fact. Stiflingly so. Phoenix yanked off his tee and dropped it on the table. He had to get out of his clothes.
He flicked open his belt buckle, but a hand on his stopped him short. A man’s hand. Long fingers and crisscrossing veins with blond hairs and a natural tan. Phoenix licked his lips. He could imagine that hand on other parts of him.
Looking up, he laughed. That was new; hallucinating had never been a side effect of tequila before, but anything was possible, he supposed.
Before him was the couple he’d been obsessing over, the both of them looking drop-dead gorgeous.
“Are you sshtalking me?” he asked, poking his finger at Jacob’s chest, the digit bouncing off a firm pec. “Mmm… yummy.” He tried to lick his lips, but something went wrong.
His tongue wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working?
Oh well, it didn’t matter. Phoenix didn’t care; he could speak with actions instead. He reached out, pulling Cassidy to him. She was so petite, fitting against him like they were made to be together. The thought, the fantasy, made his dick pulse in approval. He ground on her, pressing against her softness as he kept dancing. But the floor was moving too much to balance properly.
He saw Jacob’s mouth move as he spoke. But Phoenix couldn’t hear him properly. He leaned closer, but the floor lurched under him, making him stumble. “Fucking floor,” he muttered, reaching for Cassidy to balance himself. But he missed. Phoenix sucked in a breath, his arms starting to cartwheel. Jacob shot his arm out, steadying him. He was a good bloke. The kind that didn’t let his mates fall on their arses.
Sexy too. Jacob wore skinny black jeans that Phoenix wanted to peel off. He could do the same to the grey tee too. Except he was going to use his teeth to take them off. He’d never seen the man’s hair loose around his face either. The man bun he always wore was hot, but like this, Jacob was smoking.
He looked pissed too. Pursed lips and a glint in his eyes that looked a lot like disappointment had Phoenix pushing away from him. “What are you doing here?”
“My mate’s band.” Jacob motioned to the stage, shouting over the music. “He told me they were playing, so we came in to listen. You?”
“Wanted to get laid.” Then Phoenix shrugged. “Got trashed instead.”
“How much have you had to drink?”
He wavered, the floor rocking like a rowboat in the ocean. Cassidy slipped under his arm, steadying him, and rested her hand on his belly. He groaned. Those delicate hands so close to where he really wanted them were sending sparks of awareness through him. His mind swirled, unfocused, but his body knew exactly what it wanted.
