Convenient Rivals (Soho Knights #4)

1. Gregory

CHAPTER 1

GREGORY

Gregory wrinkled his nose in disgust!

What was it about men with muscles? The bigger the muscles, the smaller the brain, and personality. Not that he knew much about personalities. Gregory was self-aware enough to know he didn’t have one, but you didn’t need one to be successful. You just had to be respectful to other people, and the guy sitting across from him was his own biggest fan.

He was practically bursting out of the sharp suit he was wearing. What was his name? Oh yes, Brad, or Chad, or something jocky. On a regular Friday morning, Gregory would get hard thinking about what he could do to a guy like this, but that would be inappropriate in a professional setting.

“What is about the role that appeals to you?” asked Gregory.

“That’s a brilliant question, Greg,” he replied, showing off perfect teeth.

Gregory had to use all his restraint not to wince. He hated being called Greg ; it brought back some difficult childhood memories that he wanted to leave in the past. His best friends would call him Greg occasionally, but he never got upset when one of them did, as he knew there was no malice behind it. They were just trying to get a rise out of him, in the way true siblings did. He was a lot closer to his four best friends than his own blood brother, or any of his family for that matter, and when you were that close to someone, it didn’t bother you as much because you knew there was love behind it. This guy had never met Gregory before, and he was trying to be far too matey for his liking.

Having built his company, Legs Up, from scratch, Gregory insisted on meeting anyone before they were hired. It wasn’t about his control freakery, which he was well aware of, but he’d seen what one toxic person could do to a company, especially a small one, and he wouldn’t have that happen here.

“I’ll just say that I have a lot of offers on the table,” said Brad.

Gregory had confirmed his name by glancing at the calendar invite. There was no CV. His team had been through that already, and he would have been put through his paces. Gregory just wanted to know if he was going to fit with the rest of the team. His calendar told him Chad was up next. He’d be having a word with Hannah about the scheduling, which he knew she’d done deliberately. She liked to wind him up, knowing full well the entire company would collapse without her. Hannah might appear like she was just a receptionist, but she protected Gregory like a guard dog, and he paid her handsomely for it.

“Tell me about these other offers,” said Gregory, cutting him off.

Brad look flustered for a second.

I call bullshit!

“Well, it wouldn’t be right to name drop, but they are some of your competitors.”

That was interesting. Legs Up didn’t have competitors. That wasn’t an arrogant thing. Of course there were a million fitness apps out there, but nothing like his. It’s why they’d been so successful. Less than five per cent of the population looked like the jacked guy sitting opposite him, and those who maintained it all the time were less than one per cent. It was an unachievable aspiration for the majority, but they could still be healthy. The personal trainers who delivered his on-demand content came in all shapes and sizes, but their mindset was most important: there’s always room for improvement, there is no one way to achieve a goal, and it’s okay to learn from mistakes. If someone didn’t have that mindset, they weren’t right for his company. It wasn’t something that could be taught, as far as he was concerned. When he’d launched the app, Gregory had wanted to create a sense of community for those who were marginalised by society, so he catered to everyone but the masses.

Not to make assumptions, but the straight white jock in his twenties sitting opposite him was not his target demographic. Well, not for his customers. If they’d met in a bar, things might be different. His dick twitched in his trousers – traitorous thing. Ever since school he’d had a thing for muscular guys, and Gregory was the biggest geek going. He was well aware of what a cliché he was.

“What makes this job stand out against all these offers, Bradley?”

“Please call me Brad. Bradley reminds me of being told off at school,” he chuckled. “I’m sure you get it, Gregory. ” He laughed again.

Gregory gave a polite smile, then raised an eyebrow to imply he wanted the question answered.

“I like what you’ve built here, but I think you could go bigger if it was more mainstream. Content created by me would bring in big numbers. I’ve already got fifty thousand Instagram followers, and that’s in the last twelve months.”

“If we went mainstream, wouldn’t we then be just like any other fitness app?”

“I think many people start out wanting to reach a certain community that means something to them. I mean, I get it, I’m bi myself, but that doesn’t lead to long-term success.”

So, not straight. Or was he one of those social media bisexuals who gay-baited for the pink pound? Gregory hated those people, but it would be wrong for him to make any more assumptions. He gave a brief smile and nodded for Brad to continue.

“I mean, not to be big-headed or anything, but people are jealous of the body I have, and I can help them achieve it in a way all those fitness gurus online with millions of followers can’t.”

“I see. Why don’t you set up on your own then? If you bring something unique to the table. Wouldn’t you like to be your own boss?”

“No, I enjoy being part of a team and working together to help people.”

Was the guy about to redeem himself?

“And you don’t maintain looking as hot as I do working behind the scenes doing business stuff.”

Perhaps not!

“I think I could help diversify your team of personal trainers, and bring in more business. So, what do you say, Greg?”

It took all of his willpower not to roll his eyes.

“I say thanks for coming in. I’ve got a few more people to see, and you’ll hear from me by the end of next week.”

“I need to get back to those other offers by Monday. Any chance you could make a decision before then?”

The guy had balls, Gregory had to give him that.

“Let me sleep on it over the weekend. It’s certainly been an interesting discussion, Brad .”

Gregory stood up to show the interview was over, and walked towards the conference room door. Of course, Brad jumped up and opened the door for him, gesturing for him to go first with his meaty paws. The guy had hands like shovels. Hot images of sweating and panting flashed through Gregory’s mind, but before his imagination could wander any further down Inappropriate Avenue, he saw Brad to the lift, shaking his hand before saying goodbye.

“A word, Hannah,” he said, walking back to his office.

He heard Hannah following him, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh, so he turned and glared at her. She cracked up laughing as they entered his office. Gregory loved this place; it was like a sanctuary to him. Yes, it was ostentatious in terms of size, but he had everything here: a desk with all his screens to work on, and more screens on the wall for gaming; a sofa he could sleep on, and his own bathroom; a fridge and cupboard full of his favourite snacks. He never had to leave this room, and sometimes he didn’t for days at a time. If he was developing something new for the business, he could run on a couple of hours sleep. It was usually one of his best friends who dragged him home and enforced socialising on him. It didn’t matter what it was, Gregory was always a hundred percent in with anything that interested him.

“Please tell me Chad is nothing like Brad,” he said, sitting behind his desk.

Hannah took a chair in front, still sniggering.

“Are you done?”

“I’m sorry, but your face...”

“Is cute and adorable, I know.”

“Oh. My. God! Did you just make a joke?”

“It has been known,” he deadpanned.

“Jason is rubbing off on you.”

“Please never say that again.”

Hannah looked momentarily confused and then cracked up laughing again. He couldn’t help but join her, although he was not a laugh-out-loud kind of guy, so it was more of a smiling grunt. At least, that’s how Jason described it.

“To answer your question... Chad is definitely nothing like Brad. He’s more real, as you put it. The team thought it was worth you meeting Brad, given he has a good following on social media.”

“It’s only fifty thousand. I follow people who have ten times that and only show cat videos.”

“You have social media?”

“I can look without having a public profile.”

“Hmmm... This is an interesting development I’ll have to share with Jason later.”

“Don’t you dare.” He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean later?”

“He’s taking you out for lunch. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“I can’t. I have interviews.”

“Chad is the last one, and then your diary is clear. I made sure of it. Just meet your brother.”

“What’s Barty got to do with this?”

“Not that arsehole,” she said, with a look of disgust. “Jason, one of your real brothers.”

He smiled, unable to stop himself. Jason, Charlie, Paolo, and Langdon were more like brothers to him than his waste of space younger sibling. They’d all met in their first year of university, moved in together the following year, and had stayed that way ever since. Except for Charlie, none of them had experienced a positive childhood. When Gregory arrived at university, he’d just been disowned by his parents for being gay, and the men who would become his brothers took him under their wing. He was the most introverted of all of them, and he knew he was a bit weird, but they’d never made him feel that way. They’d saved him, and when he had the opportunity to provide the safety of a home, he didn’t hesitate. So when Legs Up had become a tremendous success, Gregory bought a flat for them all in Soho. He’d wanted them to always have a place to call home until they all met their knights in shining armour and got their happily ever afters. That had already happened for two of his friends, and he knew they’d all fly the nest one day, but no matter what happened, he’d always hold their rooms for them. He knew he’d never meet someone who would tolerate all his quirks, and he was fine with that. When he needed it, he could always find some tension relief, although it had been a while.

Charlie had recently announced he was moving out to live with his partner, Sebastian, who was perfect for the brother they all thought of as the heart of their group – older man, protective, rich, and hot. They were all happy for Charlie, but he’d be lying if he wasn’t struggling a bit with the idea of them no longer all being together. Gregory had never felt like he had a true home until he’d found his brothers. He’d wanted for nothing materialistic in childhood, but affection was not something his parents believed in.

Langdon, the oldest of their group, had met Eric at work, and he had practically moved into their flat. Not officially, but he was always there. The only person who didn’t realise Eric had moved in was Langdon. Gregory didn’t want another brother moving out so quickly, so he was happy with the arrangement. Paolo had never had a boyfriend in the whole time Gregory had known him, and Jason loved dick too much to settle down.

He asked Hannah to let Brad know on Monday morning that it was a no, so if his other offers were genuine he wouldn’t miss out on anything. Gregory hadn’t taken to Brad, but that didn’t mean he’d leave him hanging when he had other potential opportunities. He could never understand people who did that. They spent five minutes going over the agenda for next week. It was barely autumn, and they were already thinking about promotions for Black Friday and Christmas. It was the time of year when business dipped, before the inevitable spike in the new year when people signed their life away only to never really commit. Gregory had been adamant when he started the business that he’d make it easy for people to walk away if they wanted to. There were no long-term contracts – you went month-to-month, with simple and clear pricing so people knew where they stood. It worked as a business model, so he wasn’t about to fix something that wasn’t broken.

Jason had named Legs Up. His youngest brother had been going through a tough time, and during a moment of weakness, Gregory had offered Jason the opportunity to name his company. Legs Up had been born, and after the initial cringe moment, he’d realised how brilliant it was. The name was memorable, and just naughty enough to not be offensive... well, to most people. You couldn’t win with everyone; oxygen offended some people.

The business was going well. They were growing, but not too rapidly, and it was practically running itself. Gregory was bored. He needed something new to sink his teeth into. He’d always been drawn to creating a sense of community, given how that had saved him at university, and he loved his online gaming groups. The community he’d created through his app had achieved what he wanted. Now he needed something else. A physical space for people to come together. He had an idea, but he’d need to convince one of his friends to join him. Gregory was self-aware enough to know when he didn’t have the expertise for something, but he knew a man who did.

“Good afternoon, sexy,” said Jason, jumping into Gregory’s arms.

He instinctively caught him, but felt his face heating as people passing by on the street and gave them knowing looks. Jason was a pint-sized dynamo, although not much shorter than Gregory’s five feet nine. If there was one thing Jason liked to do, it was push his friends out of their comfort zone, but none of them would change him.

Gregory dropped Jason to the ground, but carefully, so he landed on his feet. After planting a smacker on Gregory’s cheek, Jason linked his arm with his own and walked into the restaurant he’d booked in the heart of Soho. It was an authentic Italian place they all loved – only small with around twenty tables – which was only a short walk from their flat, so they were regulars and were greeted warmly by the owner as always. They didn’t accept bookings, but Jason had worked his charm, much to the chagrin of those in the long queue outside.

“Aren’t you working today?” he asked Jason.

“Working from home.”

“And flat out I see.”

“I’ve done fifty hours already this week. Nobody’s going to give me shit about a long lunch.”

Jason was Head of HR for an insurance company, which was impressive given that, like Gregory, he was only twenty-eight. He might be boastful about his sexual conquests, but Jason was surprisingly humble with his career achievements.

They didn’t have to look at the menu, and ordered straight away. Gregory had his usual, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina – you couldn’t go wrong with the classic flavours of tomato and cheese – and Jason ordered a pizza. Where he put it all was a mystery. There was nothing of the guy. He was all lean muscle.

“What do you want, Jason?”

“Gregory,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically. “Can’t two friends have a pleasant lunch together without there being an ulterior motive?”

He suppressed a smile. “There can, but I know you.”

“When did you last get laid?”

Gregory flushed, looking around to check nobody had heard them.

“That long, eh? Order some bread with your pasta.”

“Why?”

“Line your stomach. We’re going out tonight.”

“I can’t go out tonight.”

“And why not?”

“It’s a busy time for the business.”

“Mate, that place runs itself and we need to drown our sorrows.”

“Why do we need to drown our sorrows?”

“You know why. Charlie is abandoning us.”

Gregory couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest. Jason was the most clingy of all of them. He was practically a koala bear with how he’d latch onto you when he was down. He also knew that when Jason was in a low mood, he could do some reckless things.

“Are you sure going out drinking is best? We could get a takeaway and watch some romance films.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t fooled for a second.

“We’re going out. End of discussion.”

Gregory knew better than to argue with Jason when he was determined. He also knew his baby brother well enough to know that it wouldn’t be long after they got to wherever they were going that Jason would hump the leg of some silver-fox daddy. Then Gregory could leave without Jason noticing.

“I found us a new place to go south of the river.”

“Where?”

“Only Vauxhall. You’ll still be able to see the water, and won’t come out in hives. They have themed nights,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Gregory groaned. “And what is tonight’s theme?”

“Nerds and Jocks.”

Gregory perked up before trying to hide his interest.

“Thought that would float your boat,” said Jason, smiling.

“You don’t really give off geek vibes, though, Jason.”

Jason reached into his bag and took out a pair of black-rimmed glasses, similar to Gregory’s own, and put them on.

“Pivot tables,” said Jason, cocking an eyebrow.

Gregory stared at him for a second before they both burst out laughing.