Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
LANCE
Kevin looked pleased by the singing telegram his boyfriend sent him to ask him to be his Valentine.
When the door of room 9 opened, I was shocked to see Kevin Alter on the other side of it.
Our fraternity was doing a fundraiser for the local homeless shelter by offering singing telegrams. Most of my bros were hungover from Bernie’s birthday bash last night.
I hadn’t attended last night’s party since my little sister claimed she had an emergency that required me to make the hour’s drive home. Sandy was ten years younger than me, and at nine years old, she thought everything was an emergency. But I didn’t mind any excuse to go home to see my family.
It sucked to miss Bernie’s party, but I’d taken him out for a birthday lunch yesterday morning. Plus, his parties tended to get a little too out of hand with people treating the place like a club used for hookups. It wasn’t really my scene.
I ignored the little trickle in the back of my mind, telling me I avoided his parties for fear of potentially having to watch Kevin make out or be all over someone else. This silly little crush I had on the man was doomed to end up going nowhere.
As for Sandy’s emergency…It turned out a cat had wandered into our home and our parents let her keep it. Sandy wanted me to help her name the cute little orange cat who, when sitting on his ass, was curiously a replica of aDoritos chip.
With how thick the cat was, I thought he must already have an owner, but my parents got him scanned and didn’t find a chip. They’d also sent out pictures and posters to see if anyone would claim this triangle-shaped cat, but nobody did. So that was how little Chippie became part of the family.
I’d spent the night at home and arrived back at the frat house this morning to realize that I was the only able-bodied human in the frat house to take on the last-minute telegram order.
And that was how I found myself dressed in a ridiculous sweetheart candy costume, holding a rose and balloon to serenade the client’s boyfriend, ‘Kevin,’ in room 9 of the Magnolia Park dorm.
I just didn’t expect this Kevin to be my frat brother’s best friend. I hadn’t known Kevin had a boyfriend, which shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was since Kevin had the whole adorkable thing going on.
He had big-framed glasses that made his doe-brown eyes look even more innocent than they already were. His preferred outfit of choice this winter was baggy hoodies that he looked so cozy and adorable in that always made me want to wrap him in my arms when I saw him.
I never acted on those actions, because he and I weren’t close like that.
Kevin wasn’t part of Eta Gamma, but I’d seen him at most of our events. He’d once told me it was because Bernie had dragged him to them, so I thought they were dating.
Whatever interest I had for the man was firmly shut away since lusting after your bro’s boyfriend was definitely breaking the bro code.
So I kept my distance from Kevin and didn’t ask about him either. Since I had no chance, it was better to stay away from the temptation altogether.
It was only very recently that I learned they actually never dated and were only best friends. Bernie and I ran in different circles, so I wasn’t close enough to him to ask about his dating life, but he was at the frat house last week, moaning about his girlfriend breaking up with him. I hadn’t known he and Kevin had broken up and he’d already hooked up with someone else, so I asked him about it.
Bernie had laughed at my question, stating that he and Kevin were like brothers and the thought of being with Kevin was just gross.
I didn’t share the same sentiment.
Any guy would be lucky to be with him. He was smart and funny. He was always making someone laugh at the frat parties. I tried to keep my distance, but I only had so much willpower, especially with alcohol fueling my brain and a sexy, funny man in front of me.
I should have asked him out the minute I knew he and Bernie weren’t dating, but I kept chickening out from asking for his number.
I guessed it was a good thing I didn’t try to shoot my shot since Kevin already had a boyfriend, though I thought he could do better than the beefy football player who’d requested the singing telegram.
They were complete opposites and didn’t look like they had a thing in common. Who knew what they even talked about, but Kevin seemed to like the footballer if the starry eyes and cute blush he’d sported as I delivered his boyfriend’s Valentine’s telegram were anything to go by.
It’d never been harder to keep a professional smile on than when Kevin ever so happily agreed to be his boyfriend’s Valentine.
I had to push down the jealousy, wishing he’d be mine instead.
They were probably meeting up for their date right about now, too.
I sighed and slowly made my way back to the frat house. Instead of coming back right after delivering the song to Kevin, I’d taken off the ridiculous costume and strolled around the giant park that lay beside his dorm.
I hadn’t been prepared for the strange sense of loss and longing I felt after seeing how in love Kevin was with his boyfriend, so I thought some fresh air would do me some good. It was better than brooding in a house full of drunk men.
The dorm by this park was aptly named since magnolia trees grew throughout the entire park. It was still too early in the season for the flowers to bloom, but the floral scent already lingered in the air, teasing of what was to come.
The entire park turned into a floral wonderland when the magnolias bloomed. People liked to have picnics under the pink and white blooms to enjoy the sight.
It was a popular spot for couples, too, with countless large trees to hide behind and make-out. Not that I had any experience with that.
I hadn’t dated much since coming to college, and any relationship I did have ended long before magnolia season came around.
After making another lap around the lake, I finally made my way back to the frat house.
“Hey, man. Where were you?” Stuart asked when I entered the living room.
I tossed the candy costume into the bin in the corner that we kept all the costumes in.
“Was doing the singing telegram order we got this morning,” I replied and flopped down in the armchair across from him.
Stuart shot me a questioning look. “The client called like thirty minutes ago complaining about how nobody sang to his boyfriend. Collin left shortly after the call to take care of it,” Stuart said.
“You must be mistaken or still drunk off your ass, ’cause I already did the telegram like”—I glanced at my watch—“an hour and a half ago. Are you sure we’re talking about the same client? Kevin, room 9 at Magnolia Park, right?”
There was no way I went to the wrong door. It had been my first time inside Magnolia Park, but I distinctly remember seeing the number 9 on the door while waiting five minutes for Kevin to open up.
His boyfriend had confirmed he was inside before I went over, so I kept knocking and waiting, and sure enough, a sleep-rumpled and freaking adorable Kevin had eventually come to greet me.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Stuart replied. He wrinkled his nose in thought, then a second later, I could literally see the light bulb moment happen in real time as if he’d remembered a detail. “Collin did mention that he saw two room 9s. It was something about room 6’s door number having a loose screw or something like that. Honestly, I was feeling like shit and trying to rest on the couch, but Collin kept blabbering on as he usually did.”
I froze and stared at him.
“Collin must have gone to the wrong door, cause Kevin Alter lived in the room I went to. It’s too much of a coincidence for there to be a Kevin living in both room 6 and room 9 at Magnolia Park. That’s just ridiculous…right?”
Stuart looked at me, bug-eyed. “Let me get this straight. You saw Kevin Alter at the door and proceeded to sing about love and whatever and told him it was all from another guy?”
I nodded, confused by the question. “Yeah, it’s what the client wanted. What’s wrong with that?”
Stuart shook his head and flopped back on the couch. He looked pretty much done with the conversation as he gave me the side-eye.
“Ask Collin. And also, Bernie’s best friend definitely isn’t dating anyone,” he finished with a wave of his hand.
It was his way of saying he wanted to be left alone.
I didn’t speak and stayed frozen in the armchair. My heart pounded loudly inside my chest, so loud that it almost drowned out Stuart’s soft snores that came only minutes later. I swore this dude could fall asleep with a drop of a hat.
There was no way…
I definitely delivered the song to the right person. Kevin had been so happy to see the little song I did for him. He’d been so excited when I told him to meet his boyfriend at the student center for a date, too.
Unless…
He was at his best friend’s party last night and looked pretty hungover when he opened the door, too. What if he hadn’t heard me clearly and thought that I was the one who’d asked him to be my Valentine and meet me at the student center?
Except…I was at the frat house.
I checked my watch. It was already forty-five minutes past the meet-up time, so if he really thought he’d made plans with me, there was no way Kevin was still there waiting…
The image of him still waiting there for me, looking all dejected and thinking I’d stood him up, flashed through my mind. I jumped to my feet with a loud thud that had Stuart jolting up and glaring at me.
“What the hell, man?” he cursed, but I was already jogging out of the living room. As soon as I exited the front door, I sprinted in the direction of the student center like my ass was on fire.
I was probably getting worked up over nothing. There was no way Kevin thought I was the one asking him to be my date. He didn’t even like me…at least I didn’t think so.
But what if…
My feet pounded harder on the ground as the student center came into view. I was huffing by the time I went through one of the side entrances into the building.
The place was filled with people. The student center was a popular hangout spot, especially during mealtimes, since this was the only area on campus with outside food options.
My eyes roamed the giant room in search of Kevin. There was a large fountain in the middle of the space where people liked to sit around and chat, and that was where I spotted him.
Kevin had his head down. His shoulders were slumped, and he looked so defeated.
I’d made him look like that .
The thought had my feet faltering for a split second, fearing that he’d hate me for not being here even though I hadn’t known I was supposed to be here in the first place.
But then the greater urge to fix whatever problems he had and to make this right emerged hard and I found myself striding in his direction.
“Kevin!” I called out, waving a hand over my head so he could find me within the crowd.
His head instantly flung in my direction. It was like watching a blooming flower. All the previous sadness shed off him as a bright beam lit up his entire face.
I was captivated once again by this man.