Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs – Ch. 19
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2020 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
Consider making a donation to Nifty by clicking the little blue button
on the front page, as they help us all enjoy so many great stories, while
aiding authors like me to display their work.
Chapter Nineteen –
Reverse Musical Chairs
Adrian lay in bed, his
eyes on the ceiling. His mind was full, filled with possibilities and the
challenge of a puzzle that carried one name: Edward Hastings. After their
torrid affair on the yacht, Edward had gotten an emergency call, and
apologetically, he had bid goodbye to Adrian after leaving him on the shore.
When that had happened,
there had been something in Edward's eyes that Adrian wanted to think he knew
exactly what it was. Edward hadn't quite wanted to let him go, and, for a brief
moment, Adrian had debated whether it would be a good idea to ask to come
along. But, just as fast, the moment had been gone.
If he wanted to be more
to Edward than just another lover of many others, Adrian needed to up the ante.
That meant that he needed to break through the impenetrable wall that was
Edward's life outside his usual proclivities.
Adrian knew that Edward
was a doctor and that he came from money, but details were lacking. Where did
he work? Who were his parents, his family? At the Awakening, it was clear that
people there had known each other from their respectable lives, but Adrian,
just like others, had been an outsider.
That was what he needed
to become: not an outsider, but an insider. Adrian smiled at the joke that came
to his mind. He had been inside Edward enough for that, but this was about real
life, not the one spent in the throes of passion and the shadows of an
existence that, apparently, was meant to be kept under wraps.
Edward hadn't struck him
for one moment as someone hiding his sexual orientation, but there was still
the matter of his wealthy family and those secretive Sunday meetings that
Edward was required to attend without fail.
Adrian knew he would get
with Edward where they needed to be. Edward needed it, too, although he
probably hadn't become aware of it just yet. He could run his mouth all he
wanted, stuck in his pretense that he was somehow too jaded to enjoy some trite
romance. Adrian knew that he needed to lay the net and wait. He could be
patient and careful. There was no way he would let Edward get away from him,
now that they had found each other.
With that refreshing
thought in mind, Adrian climbed off the bed and hit the shower. Someday, he
would get Edward to spend entire Sundays with him, but, until then, Adrian had
plenty of other things to do. After showering, he would call Jared and Mike and
see what they had been up to.
***
Mike clasped his hands
together and paced the room while waiting for Jared. Had he gone completely insane?
He needed to swear off booze forever; what guy in his right mind handed in his
resignation while completely off his socks drunk and stupidly in love with his
boss? Apparently, one Mike Cavanaugh.
He grabbed both his
cheeks and then slapped them at the same time. That should teach him to be so
reckless. Tequila was one hell of a drink if it could turn him into someone who
dared to quit his job so that he could pursue a romantic affair with his boss.
His phone pinged, letting
him know that Jared was almost there. Without waiting for his friend to reach
the door, Mike went into the hallway and looked down the stairs. Jared was
jumping the stairs two by two, and his hair looked like a bird's nest. Yeah,
they had all drunken like bottomless pits last night, and it looked like he had
taken Jared directly from his bed, and, probably, a hungover.
"Hey," Jared said
breathlessly, but brightly, like it was a good morning or something.
His eyes were shining,
and his skin was glowing, but Mike couldn't quite imagine why Jared looked like
that. Maybe tequila had a rejuvenation effect on some people. Clearly, Mike
wasn't one of them. Jared was a lucky guy.
"Oh, J," Mike said and
collapsed in Jared's arms once his friend reached the landing.
"Hey, hey, it's not that
bad. Let's get inside, and I'll make some coffee, what do you think?"
"Maybe some chamomile tea
instead? My stomach hurts a little."
Jared patted his head.
"I'll figure out something. I'm sorry I got a little carried away and let you
drink more than you should. I, of all people, should know how much of a
lightweight you are."
Mike allowed Jared to
take him inside his apartment and then followed him like a kicked puppy to the
kitchen. Without asking for directions, Jared began preparing the tea. His
moves were a bit abrupt, and, through the fog of his hangover and
self-loathing, he felt the seed of a suspicion growing.
"You really hold your
liquor well, J. I envy you."
"Well, you know, I might
have drunken plenty of gallons of the thing in my life. Shane and his ideas,"
Jared said and shook his head.
Mike scrutinized his
friend, but Jared stood with his back to him, so there wasn't much to tell from
his body language. The suspicion just grew stronger. "What did you and Shane do
after you two dragged home my sorry ass?"
"We called it a night,"
Jared said. He turned and smiled at Mike.
Mike observed Jared a
little more. Bed hair. The same clothes from last night. Stupid grin on his
face. Okay, not stupid, but ... satisfied? Mike's eyes grew wide. "You slept with
him again!"
Jared's face fell. He put
up his hands and began waving. "No! No! Why would you say such a thing? I
didn't! Who are you talking about? Shane? No, no, definitely no, I didn't sleep
with him!"
Mike could feel some of
his hangover going away. He grinned. "You so totally slept with him again. Yes,
with Shane." Jared blushed so quickly that Mike couldn't believe his eyes.
"What happened with being just friends?"
Jared grabbed one elbow
with the other hand and stared down at his shoes. "We are friends," he protested
in a meek voice.
Mike scratched his head.
"You are? Of course, you can't say boyfriends without friends, so --"
"No, we're not
boyfriends. Just ... friends."
Mike blinked a few times.
So, his brain was a complete mess, but what sense was in that? "Friends who
have sex together?"
Jared nodded, although it
was clear as day that he was embarrassed. Still, he wasn't denying it, so Mike
was happy that at least, one time, he had read the situation right. If only he
were a keen observer of whatever was happening to him or what he was doing when
smashed on tequila.
"What kind of friends are
those, though?"
"With benefits!" Jared
snapped. Just that moment, his shoulders slumped. "Sorry, Mike. I shouldn't
yell at you since it's all my fault I'm getting in this kind of situation."
"It's okay. So that you
know, I'm not judging you or anything. But why friends with benefits? Can't you
two be boyfriends?"
Jared continued to look
down. "It wouldn't be fair," he said quietly. "I don't have much to offer right
now, and it wouldn't be fair toward Shane to use him as a rebound relationship
or something like that."
"And does he agree with
this?" Mike asked, puzzled now.
"Agree? He came with the
idea. And I said `yes' because, obviously, I'm not in my right mind lately, and
somehow, I thought, at the moment, that having a friend with benefits was an
awesome idea." Jared's voice was bright again, but a bit forced.
Hmm, so Shane had come up
with that. Mike was pretty sure Shane wasn't the kind of guy to do friendships
with benefits, which meant that he was a bit sly, though. He could just go
ahead and tell Jared that he was played, but, in this case, Mike decided to
keep his mouth shut. If Jared suspected just a smidge that Shane was using any
means necessary to keep him close with the clear intention to make him his
boyfriend, after all, he would shut down everything, and that wasn't an option.
Funny thing how he could
see things clearly for other people, but not himself. Mike sighed. "Okay. I
suppose you guys know better what we're doing. What am I saying? Anyone with
half a brain in this world knows better than me what they're doing. The hell
did I do, J? I messed up everything." Changing the subject would let Jared off
the hook for now.
Jared looked at him now.
"Oh, Mike, you didn't mess up. Actually, it was kind of heroic and a bit funny.
Tequila!" He made an impersonation of Mike's antics from the previous night.
That wasn't terribly
encouraging, but, yeah, Mike could admit, it was a bit funny. He snickered, and
then he remembered right away that he was unemployed. "Fuck. I quit my job."
"It was just a verbal
resignation, but I'd say that it reached the correct recipient, so it's all
good." Jared grinned now.
Mike moaned and covered
his face. "I quit my job. I am insane!"
"You're not. All right,
so maybe it was a little Shane's fault for nudging you to do that, but, well, I
don't think it's a bad thing."
Mike took his hands off
his face. "Is Shane mad at me?"
"Mad? Why would he be? I
think he worries that you might be upset with him."
"I could never be. It was
my decision. I drank, got smashed, and quit my job."
Jared poured the tea and
came with two cups at the table. "Look, Mike, I know that this is way out of
your comfort zone, but it's all for the better. Do you want all your life to
think of `what ifs'? Now, you're free to find a new job, and also to pursue
Ryan. I think it's a good trade. And you're smart and hard-working. Everything
will work out for the best, you'll see." He caressed Mike's head. "Drink your
tea. You'll feel better soon."
Jared's phone rang. "It's
Adrian. Hey, lover boy," he said as soon as he answered. "I'm at Mike. Long
night, and long story. Hey, Mike, it's okay for Adrian to come over now?"
"Sure thing. He doesn't
have to ask. I could use another pep talk."
"Mike says you should
hurry," Jared said with a big smile. "He's on his way," he added after
finishing the conversation with Adrian.
Mike nodded. "This is
some delicious tea, J. Sometimes, I think you know my kitchen much better than
me."
Jared offered a warm
smile. "I let you drink too much, so it should be up to me to put you back
together." There was a short moment of hesitation, and then he bit his lips.
"Mike, do you think we can keep it a secret from Adrian that me and Shane, you
know?"
Mike snickered. "Keep a
secret? From Adrian? He would never forgive you. Or me."
Jared sighed. "Yeah, I
know. But I think he'll give me a lecture again, and I don't know if I can
handle it. I already told Shane that we should keep it hush-hush."
"J, I don't mean to brag,
but it took me a couple of minutes to realize that you slept with Shane. Don't
you think Adrian will be able to tell?"
"One can hope. Promise
me?"
Mike sighed. "With the
risk of having Adrian keep me in one of his famous wrestling holds until I
can't feel my body, I promise."
"Hey, Adrian doesn't do
that anymore."
"Luckily. I'm so glad
he's always been my friend because, otherwise, I could swear sometimes, he can
be the biggest bully."
Jared rolled his eyes.
"Are you telling me? Adrian is into tough love, something big."
They both laughed. Of
course, they knew their best friend like the back of their hands. Mike could
swear that Adrian would see the truth in seconds from walking through the door.
***
Mike opened the door to
Adrian and hugged him.
"Are we a little
emotional?" Adrian asked and hugged Mike back. "What happened with you two last
night?"
Mike walked with Adrian
into the kitchen, where Jared was now preparing a light breakfast.
Adrian kissed Jared's
cheek in greeting. "Ah, you got fucked all night. Did your cowboy take you for
another ride?"
Mike snickered. Jared
turned to throw him a murderous glare. "Mike, don't make the situation worse."
"Hey, I told you Adrian
would know," Mike said in his defense.
"Of course, I'd know.
When Jared gets a good dicking, it's all over his face. Wait, did you two want
to keep that from me?"
Mike put his hands up in
surrender. "I didn't. It was J's request."
"You little traitor!"
Jared turned off the cooktop. "Now I'm going to be the only one who'll get the
brunt of Adrian's anger and famous chokeholds."
"I thought you said
Adrian didn't do that anymore!"
"I lied."
Adrian was all over
Jared, holding him and rubbing his head vigorously. "What's that I don't do
anymore? Spill out everything, or I'm going to tickle you!"
"I told Mike that you're
no longer a bully!"
"When was I a bully?"
Adrian had Jared now in a tighter hold, and he was having fun, by the looks of
it.
Mike couldn't even feel
down anymore over quitting his job. He sighed and shook his head. His friends
always made him feel normal, no matter what an awkward person and bundle of
contradictions he was.
"So, are you two going to
tell me everything about last night, or should I tickle J until he pisses
himself?" Adrian asked, still not letting go of Jared.
"I quit my job," Mike
said in one go, without one moment of hesitation.
"While you were dancing
and drinking? How come?"
"Ryan was also there,
and, well, I had too much to drink, and I also talked to J and Shane, and one
thing led to another, and I told my boss that I quit."
"Wow,
that sounds like quite the night. Where did you find the guts to do
that, Mikey?" Adrian asked with a smirk.
"By the looks of it, at
the bottom of a bottle of tequila."
"And Shane, kind of, came
with the idea," Jared chimed in.
"He just said that I
could get with Ryan by quitting my job because he would hire me, and J would
let me sleep with him if I became homeless."
Adrian laughed
wholeheartedly. "What a scenario. I guess that came straight from Mike's
deepest fears."
"You know, you can let me
go now," Jared said, and Adrian released him not without patting him down as if
he needed to adjust his clothes. "Ugh, thanks."
"Okay, you boys had quite
an eventful night. So, Mike, what's next? Are you preparing emotionally for the
life of the unemployed and homeless?"
Jared nudged Adrian in
the ribs, and not quite playfully. "Stop encouraging him to feel bad, you
bully."
"Hey, I'm just pulling
his leg. With that awesome brain of his, he'll get hired somewhere in no time.
Plus, I suppose Ryan would give him some great recommendations."
"I don't know about
that," Mike said. "He did ask me not to leave the company before because he
thinks I'm a good worker. I have a feeling that I let him down. Even drunk, I
know that I saw a look of total dismay on his face."
Jared intervened. "He'll
get over it. He'll lose the server guy, but he'll get a lover. I'd say that
it's a good trade."
Mike shook his head. "I
don't know. It could be that I read everything wrong."
"Yeah, right." Jared snorted.
"I suppose that romantic dances on the roof are just part of how Ryan runs the
company. Just how many employees did he do that with?"
"Let's not forget about
kissing, and that blowjob Mike gave him," Adrian added.
"Hush, don't be an ass,
Adrian. Mike needs to focus on the romantic side right now."
"Romantic? Like you?"
Adrian looked at Jared with a crooked smile. "How was your cowboy ride?"
"Let's focus on Mike here
for a moment. He's the one going through the most important change to date in
his life."
Adrian looked like he
wanted to add something, but Mike could tell that Jared was too happy to be
left off the hook.
"So, how long should you
stay with them before you can go your merry way and romance your ex-boss?"
Adrian asked.
"What?" Mike asked, a bit
confused.
"You need to give them
two weeks' notice or something, right? I mean, it depends on the company policy
and --"
Mike felt a new surge of
terror growing inside him. "I don't know the policy! I mean, I think I knew
when I got hired, but right now, I can't remember!"
"Hey, hey," Jared began,
"don't get upset over details. You will know tomorrow when you go to hand in
your resignation as you should. I mean, in a formal manner."
"But it will be so
awkward!" Mike covered his face and moaned. "How come I didn't think of that?
Of course, I didn't think of much, so that's --"
"Mikey," Adrian
interrupted him, "chill, dude. At most, it could be another month of doing what
you were doing as usual. A bit of a transition period cannot hurt. You'll have
time to get used to the idea, and you'll be able to send naughty texts to your
boss, with promises of what you're going to do to him once you're no longer his
employee."
Jared punched Adrian in
the shoulder. "Mike won't do that. He will keep it to the boundaries of
employer and employee until he's off the hook. Then, he'll do everything he
wants."
"Speaking of boundaries,
now that Mike knows that he has our full support during these trying times,
what about yours? Where did your determination that you would only be friends
with Shane go?"
"They're still just
friends," Mike intervened.
"Yeah," Jared admitted
and began staring at his shoes again.
"Friends? Like fuck
buddies?" Adrian asked.
"Something like that,"
Jared replied, but his voice was getting gradually quieter.
"Hmm," Adrian said. "And
what does Shane say?"
"He came with the idea,"
Jared explained.
Adrian opened his mouth
to say something, but Mike caught his eye and shook his head. Adrian's eyes lit
up with understanding. A knowing smirk curled his lips. "I see. I didn't know
cowboys were so worldly."
"Yeah. I mean, I was
quite surprised," Jared replied.
"And you went with it."
"I guess I did."
"Don't regret it," Adrian
warned, just about as Jared began to sigh.
"But it's the kind of
situation that warrants regrets," Jared said. "I mean, we met at the wrong
moment."
"That's just your
opinion."
"I'm not in a mood for a
new relationship. I feel jaded, and I'm afraid I'm going to be mean and
suspicious, and treat Shane badly when he doesn't deserve it."
"And being fuck buddies
means that you don't have to worry about any of that."
"Pretty much, yeah,"
Jared replied.
Adrian rubbed his chin in
thought. Mike exchanged another look with him. It wasn't totally fair that they
were doing that with Jared present, but their friend was a bit of a head in the
clouds kind of guy, and he felt the need for emotional complications. Maybe
someone grounded like Shane was the best fit for him. Plus, it looked like
Shane knew how to deal with Jared better than anyone could have imagined.
"Then that's a great
idea," Adrian said. "We also like Shane, so it's cool that he's hanging out
with us. Isn't that right, Mike?"
"We love Shane," Mike
confirmed. "I like it that our group is getting bigger. And, you know, we never
brought anyone we liked into our circle. Isn't it a shame?"
Jared threw Mike a curt
like. "This is about having a new friend, not bringing anyone we liked in a
different way, right?"
Mike swallowed. "Yeah,
that's what I meant. Since we all like Shane and all. And not the kind of like
that makes us want to sleep with him, I mean, nothing is wrong with that, but
--"
"I get it, Mike," Jared
said, amused now. "It's kind of crazy what I'm doing. Don't you guys think?"
"Hey, as long as he's a
good lay, I say go for it," Adrian said with a shrug.
"And I think so, too,"
Mike added. Adrian could keep a straight face while saying that, but, for him,
the struggle was real.
"Are you guys making fun
of me a little?" Jared narrowed his eyes and stared at them in turn.
Great. Mike was sure he
was making a face, and now Jared was starting to get suspicious.
"We always make fun of
you," Adrian replied promptly. "You're too easy to tease."
"I thought that was Mike,"
Jared said. "Sorry, Mike, not like we think badly of you or anything. It's just
that you're too cute sometimes, worrying about the smallest things."
Mike smiled. "Yeah,
that's totally me. And I don't mind, at all. And we're not making fun of you.
It's that, just, this friends with benefits thing is too new, at least for me."
"Frankly, I don't recall
ever having a friend with benefits, either," Adrian added. "See, Jared, you're
advanced compared to us."
Jared rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, dudes, I'm not buying it. But I laid my bed, and I have to lie in
it, I guess. There's no turning back for now, or I'd hurt Shane's feelings."
Mike fought the
temptation to seek Adrian's eyes again.
Jared continued. "I need
to ask you guys something. I told Shane that I want to keep it a secret from
you, and he now thinks that you two don't suspect anything. Can you keep it a
secret from him that you know?"
"Sure," Adrian said.
The answer took Mike by
surprise, but usually, Adrian knew what he was doing. He would have to ask him
later. "Yeah," he agreed, too.
"All right. Thanks a lot,
guys," Jared said. "Just so you know, the moment he finds someone he wants to
be with, I will just get out of the way, no hard feelings."
"Yeah, that's like the
first rule of friends with benefits," Adrian replied.
"And how do you know? I
thought you said that you never had any relationships like that," Jared shot
back.
"Hey, I've never been to
the North Pole, but that doesn't mean that I cannot point it on the map,"
Adrian said with a smile.
Jared shook his head. If
he had any suspicions, he looked like he kept them for himself. "So, no word of
it when we hang out."
"Of course," Adrian said.
"Shane is one of the guys. We totally get it. Right, Mike?"
"Yeah," Mike hurried to
say. "Now that you know all about our crazy night, how was yours, Adrian?"
Adrian leaned against the
kitchen counter. "Quiet. I slept in my own bed. Alone."
Jared turned toward him.
"Alone? How come? Weren't you supposed to be with Edward on his yacht or
something?"
"That was during the day.
And we did fuck like rabbits," Adrian said matter-of-factly. "But he got an
emergency call from work, so he had to leave."
"You don't seem
disappointed. You fucked your fill, right?" Jared teased.
"Yeah, that, too. But,
you know, I like this about Edward, that he takes his job seriously. The guy
has a frigging yacht, but if there are people who need him, he doesn't
hesitate. I'd say that makes him a good guy."
Jared laughed and pushed
himself against Adrian's shoulder. "Since when are you into good guys, Adrian?"
"Since I kind of feel the
need to settle down with one guy."
Mike felt his
jaw-dropping. All their teasing, his and Jared's, about how Adrian had found
himself a boyfriend, had been only that. To hear Adrian say that he wanted to settle
down was the biggest thing ever. "Settle down? Like marriage?"
Adrian smirked. "Hey,
let's not jump the shark here. I'm only talking about a serious relationship,
like in the kind of guy that I would bring home to mom and dad."
"Oh, damn, Adrian, you
are serious!" Jared exclaimed. "Look who's the advanced one of all of us. And
what does Edward say about it all? I thought he was against relationships or
something."
"He'll come around. We're
getting to know each other more and more. I told him that I'd win the game."
"What game is that?"
"The one in which I make
him need me, for real. He likes to think that he's this cynical bastard that
will never do relationships. And I told him that I wasn't after some romantic
thing."
"Aren't you?" Jared asked
a bit puzzled now.
Adrian smiled. "Well, I
am, but I'm not going to let him know that. I'll just be so deep in his
business that he won't be able to say `no' to anything I ask."
Jared seemed to ponder.
"Adrian, there is a chance Edward is, indeed, the cynical bastard he claims to
be. He says it without hesitation, from what you're telling us."
"Hush, J. Don't project your disappointment in dudes over this. Edward
just hasn't met the right person. I mean, until me."
Mike remained silent,
although he did have to agree with Jared; Edward did seem a cold person, and
Adrian was getting worked up over him. Maybe the opposites attracted, and that
was why things like that were happening. Still, it wasn't like Adrian to be
blind; it looked like he was caught up in a challenge, and there was no way of
telling just how involved he could end up.
"Maybe you could bring
him to meet us," he said. "I mean, it would be cool. J and Shane already met
Ryan, kind of. It's only fair that we get to meet this famous Edward."
"It's an idea," Adrian
agreed. "All I've been thinking is how to infiltrate his life outside what he
does with me when I could get him more involved with mine, too."
"That sounds swell,"
Jared replied. "I'm curious to meet him, too."
Mike watched Adrian. He
seemed preoccupied all of a sudden. It was great that he liked this guy so
much, but Mike knew that Adrian, as tough as he wanted to believe himself to
be, he didn't take being hurt well. When he had ended things with Alexander, he
had been down for months and then chosen to be a playboy who took guys and
discarded them at will. Mike could only hope Edward wouldn't be another
Alexander. It had taken Adrian so much to be over that hurt from a long time
ago.
***
They parted ways with the
promise that they would hang out in the evening as usual. Jared was barely home
when his phone rang. He smiled when he saw who was calling. "Hey, Shane. What's
up?"
That was totally normal
between friends. There was no need for excuses to call.
"How's Mike? Is he all
right?" Shane asked after greeting him. There was genuine worry in his voice.
"He's fine. We helped him
think up the resignation letter so that he doesn't get cold feet tomorrow."
"We? Was Adrian there,
too?"
"Yeah, he came a little
later."
"Ah, cool."
"We're hanging out tonight.
Do you want to join us?" Jared asked.
"Sure thing. I'll have to
do something at the pub, but then I'll join you. Same place?"
"Yeah. We're creatures of
habits," Jared explained. "You might get bored with us."
"I have my doubts about
that," Shane replied. "You're a cool bunch. And I had fun with you and Mike the
other night. It wasn't boring at all. Actually, it was pretty exciting."
Jared laughed. "Yeah.
Mike quit his job."
"Yeah." Shane chuckled.
"But I wasn't talking only about that."
Jared could feel his
cheeks catching on fire. "Ah, you're teasing me."
"Just a little," Shane
drawled.
"O-kay," Jared replied in
turn. He was new to the whole friends with benefits thing, but he could hold
his own. "So, will you come to the bar directly, or should I pick you up? I
really won't drink tonight, so I think it's a safe bet for me to be the driver
tonight."
Shane chuckled. "Are you
looking for an excuse to drive me around as you please?"
Jared snorted. "Better
said, I'm looking for an excuse not to drink, for once. It looks like I take
the craziest decisions while I'm under the influence."
There was a moment of
quiet on the other side. "Do you regret it?"
Jared didn't need
additional explanations for what Shane was talking about. "No, not one." He
was, sort of, lying, but he didn't have the heart to retreat, not at this
point. As long as they played it safe, no one was bound to get hurt.
"Good, that's good. Will
you wear those tight jeans tonight, again?"
"I think I'll go for
something more comfortable."
"You look good in those."
"Thanks," Jared said
quickly. "So, should I come to get you tonight? I'm just being a good friend, I
swear."
"Come by the pub. I'll be
there until later."
"Sure thing. See you,
Shane."
"Bye, Jared. Can't wait
to see you."
Jared sighed as he put
the phone back into his pocket. It was nice talking to Shane. Everything seemed
so simple, so direct with him. Even this friends with benefits thing. Nothing
was awkward. Shane was an awesome guy all around, and Jared was happy to have
him as a friend.
Maybe he could wear the
tight jeans again, just for Shane.
***
Adrian frowned as it
looked like the person on the other end didn't want to pick up. He was about to
give up when Edward's voice came through.
"Hello, Adrian."
"Hi," Adrian replied, a bit
surprised that Edward had picked up the phone, after all.
"Is there something the
matter?" Edward's voice was distant.
"Are you free tonight? If
you are, I'd like you to meet my friends. My best friends." Adrian spoke
quickly as if he was afraid he would be refused.
"Meet your friends?"
Edward said every word as if he needed the time to understand their meaning.
"Yeah. You must be done
with your obligations by now."
"Not by far." Edward's
tone was clipped.
Adrian got a bit annoyed.
"What is it that you have to do all Sunday? And it's not until tonight so --"
"Are we doing this,
Adrian?"
"This? What do you mean
by this?"
"Are we having our first
conflict? And over the phone?"
Conflict. Not a fight,
like between lovers. They weren't part of adversary debate teams, for fuck's
sake.
"No, we're not." Adrian
needed to chill a little. Getting hot-headed with Edward wasn't a good idea. He
had the power of an iceberg on his side. "I just wanted you to meet my
besties."
"Intriguing," Edward
commented. "And what, exactly, would it achieve?"
"Achieve? Nothing.
They're just curious about you, and they want to know you."
"Have you told them a lot
about me?"
"Just that we fuck,"
Adrian said. He didn't like to become vulgar like that, but Edward was getting
a bit on his nerves.
"I see. So they must have
a strange idea of me already."
"No, they don't. They
just know you're the guy I like."
Shit. Talking about slips
of the tongue.
Edward laughed. Adrian
wanted to strangle him through the phone.
"Honest to a fault,
aren't you, Adrian?"
"Nah, that's not it. You
know already that I don't want to take you for moonlight walks." Adrian was in
full damage control now. He and his tongue.
"Good. Does this little
meeting matter to you, then?"
"A lot."
"Say `please'." Edward's
voice dropped to a seductive whisper.
Adrian wanted to laugh it
off, but he wasn't in the mood for games. "Please, Edward, come and meet my
friends."
Another chuckle followed.
"You are disarming, Adrian. Send me the details, and I'll see what I can do."
"That's great."
"Is this all?"
"Yeah. Wait. About your
emergency yesterday, how did it go?"
Edward sounded a tad
surprised when he replied. "There was an accident involving kitchen equipment.
There were quite a few victims, and I can help when there's a shortage of hands
on deck."
Adrian smiled. Edward's
voice warmed considerably when he began talking about his work. He sat on the
couch and stretched his legs. "Tell me all about it."
"Are you certain? I might
bore you to death with medical terminology, or gross you out with details on
human suffering that should never happen to anyone."
"I'm not squeamish. And
I'm sure those people were lucky to have you take care of them."
Edward hesitated for a
moment. "I suppose I can spare a few minutes and tell you all about it."
"Go ahead," Adrian
encouraged him.
"It's unusual to have
non-sex talk," Edward pointed out.
"Not at all," Adrian
replied, determined not to let Edward off the hook.
"All right then."
Adrian smiled as Edward
began talking. Whoever the guys who had Edward's attention before had been,
they must have been idiots not to get to know the real man. Adrian really
wanted that; he wanted to get to know Edward completely. He had a hunch that he
would like him even more.
***
"Hey," Shane greeted him
and kissed him on both cheeks, the moment he climbed out of the car.
Jared replied in kind and
kissed back, although he couldn't completely deny the sudden trepidation he was
experiencing when Shane let his hands lingered on his waist. "So, all done
here, then?"
"Yeah. Now I'm free to
hang out with you and the rest of the crew. How's Mike feeling?"
"I think we've already
talked about Mike over the phone."
"Yeah, but I want to make
sure that he doesn't want to strangle me the moment we see each other."
Shane hooked one arm over
Jared's shoulder. It was just casual, and it didn't mean anything.
"I wouldn't worry if I
were you. Mike's a sweetheart, really."
Good thing they had to
get in the car and Shane let go of him. His reaction toward the simplest touch
from Shane was totally out of whack. He needed to rein in his stupid
attraction. The point of getting laid like friends was to take the edge off
that. So far, it didn't seem to work so well.
Maybe more of the same
thing was needed. The attraction would have to wear off if there were no
feelings to sustain the sex. With that in mind, Jared climbed behind the wheel.
A short look at Shane and his knees were butter.
Shane leaned toward him
before putting on the safety belt and whispered in his ear. "You really look
great in these jeans."
Jared blushed but ignited
the engine without a word. Shane was just fooling around. He was too serious to
play him, right?
***
Adrian and Mike were
already at their usual table when they arrived. Mike hurried to embrace and kiss
Shane on both cheeks, while Adrian offered him a manly hug. Jared couldn't be
happier to see his best friends taking so well to their new addition to the
group. Shane was a swell guy, and he was a great friend.
This time, Jared didn't
bother when Shane let his arm hanging on the back of his chair in a gesture of
possession. Since Adrian and Mike knew what was going on, Jared was no longer
on guard about not letting things become too obvious. The only one not aware of
what the others knew, like in a reserve game of musical chairs, was Shane.
Somehow, Jared felt that it wasn't fair, but he had already complicated the
situation by becoming fuck buddies with Shane and then telling him to keep it a
secret.
"Mike, I can't tell you
how happy I am that you're not mad at me," Shane started. "I tend to be the
idea guy when no one really needs my ideas."
"I'd say you're a guy
full of smart ideas," Adrian said with a knowing smirk.
Jared threw his friend a
cutting look. Adrian met his eyes, and his grin grew bolder. He should have
known that Adrian would find the situation too funny to leave alone. Under the
table, he stretched one leg and kicked Adrian subtly in the shin. The grin on
his friend's face faded a little. Jared smiled sweetly.
Mike hurried to put
Shane's mind at ease. "Don't worry. I was the one who drank too much and then
quit his job. You didn't hold a gun to my head to do all that. I will assume
full responsibility."
"That's great to hear. I
really meant what I said. If you can't find work fast or just need something to
tide you over, I think I can use an IT guy to modernize the equipment I have at
the pub."
"Thanks, Shane. You're
awesome."
"You're welcome. And your
boss, he's a looker."
"Yeah, he is," Mike said,
and let out a dreamy sigh. "Maybe, one day, we'll all get to sit at a table
like this one, with all our boyfriends."
Jared tried to pin down
Mike with his eyes, but without success. Mike was already lost in a fantasy
world, probably dreaming of Ryan and how it would feel to be with him. He would
just let this one pass. It didn't seem that Shane had picked up on that
allusion. Yeah, 'cause he was a straitlaced kind of
guy, and he didn't read anything into words like that.
"I called Edward," Adrian
announced. "And he might just drop by," he added quickly.
"Really? Edward the
royalty?" Shane asked. "I should have worn better clothes."
Adrian laughed. "I won't
let him look at you too much, Shane. You're a charmer, and I don't like
competition."
Jared snorted.
"Seriously? Since when?"
"Since I don't want other
guys to get close to my guy."
"Your guy, huh?" Jared
smiled. "Does he know?"
Adrian wasn't easy to
faze. "He'll know, don't you worry your pretty head about that."
"I can barely wait to
meet him," Mike intervened. "But I should have worn better clothes, as Shane
said."
Jared patted Mike's hand.
"Shane was just joking."
"I'm not," Mike replied.
"I don't want to reflect badly on Adrian."
"I can't see how that
would be possible," Jared protested. "Plus, if Adrian thinks we're worthy of
meeting His Highness, I don't see why we should be anything but our true
selves. Right, Adrian?"
"Sure thing. And this is
a test for him, not you, guys."
"A test? Like how? Will
you drop him if we don't like him?"
Adrian chuckled. "Let's
not go down that path. But so far, we've always gone where he wanted and in his
type of environment. I just want to see him away from that. You know, in a real
light."
"That's kind of deep,
Adrian. I had no idea you've matured so much lately."
"What can I say? I'm the
wunderkind."
"Hey, hey, tone it down,"
Jared said. "We love you, but we don't want it to go to your head."
Adrian stuck out his
tongue. "Too late."
Jared looked around for a
server. They had been in there for at least ten minutes, and no one had cared
to take their order. "It's a bit busy tonight. Should one of us go seek someone
and tell them that we're parched down here?"
Shane made a move to
stand. "I'll go."
Adrian intervened. "Not
you. Let Jared go. He knows the place."
Jared patted Shane's
thigh. "It's true. And you're still new. Let me handle this." He stood up and
searched the place with his eyes. It was packed, all right, so he needed to
head over to the bar.
***
Adrian waited a few
moments for Jared to be out of earshot, and then he grabbed Shane by the
shoulder. "Look here, lover boy, we know what your game is," he said in a low,
funny voice.
Shane grinned at him. He
didn't seem impressed. "Did Jared tell you everything, then?"
Mike whispered, "No, but
we kind of figured out, and then he couldn't deny it. Now, he thinks that you
don't know that we know."
Shane laughed. "Wow. What
kind of best friends are you, you sly foxes?"
"Isn't that a case of the
pot calling the kettle black? What's the end game, cowboy?" Adrian increased
his hold on Shane's shoulder.
"Haven't you guys figured
it out already? I'm not going to let Jared walk into the sunset with some
random guy while I still have a chance."
"You know that he's bent
on this idea that it's not the right moment and all that."
"Yeah. That's why I'm
leaving him a breather. You know, to discover on his own that he likes me."
"He likes you," Mike
confirmed.
Adrian patted Shane on
the back. "Stay true to your words, cowboy. If you hurt our friend, it will be
hell to pay. Mike here, he bites."
Shane made a face like he
was terrified.
"I do?" Mike asked.
Adrian nudged him
playfully. "You do."
"Yeah, totally. I'm like
a vicious dog."
"A Chihuahua?" Shane
teased.
They began laughing.
"Don't worry, guys. I
really like Jared. I won't let him get away from me that easily."
Adrian smiled. That was a
man who knew what he wanted, just like him. For the umpteenth time since he had
walked in, his eyes traveled to the entrance. It could be that Edward wouldn't
come at all, but he couldn't stop hoping.
The noise in the bar died
down a fraction, just as Adrian moved his eyes away. And then, his head turned
toward the door on its own accord.
Looking perfectly yummy
in a casual shirt and khakis, Edward was there. He didn't need a neon sign
above his head. The guys sitting at the tables close to the entrance were
gawking at him.
Yeah, that was his guy
right there.
TBC
Thank you for reading! If you like this story
and you want to support me while writing it, here is my Patreon account:
https://www.patreon.com/laurasfox
For their generosity, my patrons receive early
access to new chapters, extras for stories finished that are not available
elsewhere, as well as complete books.