Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
NATHAN
I smile as I read Colt’s text. After our shopping excursion, a lingering awkwardness remained between the two of us. However, things between us became easy after our day at the Webber house. Not a day went by without us exchanging at least a few texts. In some ways, this was the same Colt I knew and loved growing up. In others, I was getting to know him for the first time.
“Do you have those quotes from the caterers?” I pull my focus back to the office. Zoning out and thinking about Colt all day did not run a non-profit. It’s infinitely more exciting, though.
“Yeah, I think I have them all in my email. Give me thirty minutes to pull them into a document, and I’ll email them to you.” Once again, it’s not my job to do this, but if it gets people to leave me alone so I can go back to staring at my phone, I’ll do it.
“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.” I wave Victoria off.
My phone buzzes again, and I look at the texts. Colt wants to meet up tonight. I looked at the piles of work on my desk. Helping with the fundraiser might be the right thing, but it came at the cost of some of my other work. Plus, my distraction over Colt didn’t help productivity.
Me
Can’t tonight :( Too much work. Friday?
I’d work all night if I had to. Tomorrow night is friend night, and Friday would be Colt. Warmth spread through me. A night alone with Colt. Sure, we’d been alone the night I rescued him, but that didn’t count.
Colt Addington
Perfect
Me
Dinner and a movie at my place?
I might play an extrovert at work, but I prefer small groups of people. Even better if they came to my house where I could control things. No, I’m not a control freak. I just happen to like things being my way. Plus, this way, I got Colt all to myself. That warmth spreading through me got even hotter as I thought about what I’d like to do alone with him.
Not a single one of them is on the approved friendship activities list.
Colt Addington
Sure. I’ll bring beer. You pick the movie.
Before I can reply, my email dings. Sighing, I return my attention to the catering quotes I need to send to Victoria.
As hard as I try, my mind stays distracted by Colt and the list of things I want to check off my list before he gets there. A combination of work things that need to be done and home things I want to be done. An urge to clean the house from top to bottom comes over me. Why is this different than before? He’s coming over purely because he wants to hang out with me, not because he has no other choice. This time, he’d be there to see me.
As friends , I reminded myself. All the work I put into getting over my crush on Colt during college seems wasted. All those feelings have rushed back into my system with a vengeance. Spending a Saturday laughing our way through a museum didn’t help. Shocking, I know. I need to push all these feelings down before Friday night. Perhaps a deep cleaning of my house and feelings is in order.
My phone rings, and I recognize Victoria’s extension. Did I screw up the catering documents? “What’s up?” I answer, putting on my best professional voice.
“Thanks so much for the information.” I don’t respond. It’s clear this is more than a thank-you phone call, and I won’t fall into the trap of asking if there’s anything else I can do to help. I’ve fallen for that trap one too many times. “I’m wondering if you might be able to do the same thing with information for the florists?”
“Why don’t you call the one we used last year? They did a great job, and we’ve already vetted them.”
“I did.” I wait a moment for more. This is precisely why we have issues.
“And?”
“They aren’t available for something this big on short notice.” I wince. Someone should have handled this months ago. Likely by the guy we fired. Surely someone on the events team is responsible for checking stuff like this? This can’t keep happening.
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do. Do you have a diagram with the tables and other things from the hotel so I can get numbers?” Tyler kept telling me I was a pushover and a people pleaser. He might be correct, but I would never tell him that. But this event ensures we have the money to do our work over the next year. I never want my site directors to go without the necessary supplies.
“Um... I’m not sure if we have one.”
“Never mind. I’ll call the hotel.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.” She hangs up before I can change my mind. I’m not the best, just the biggest sucker in the office. Good thing I didn’t make plans for tonight.
COLT
I don’t remember hitting my head, but that’s the only reasonable explanation I can come up with for why I agreed to a date with a guy from an app. Sure, my messages with Oliver have been flirty and fun, but still. I mean, who meets their life partner on an app? I know someone must have, but I only know people who use them for casual sex. This one promised me both sexy fun and friends when I signed up, and I’m not in a place to turn down either of those things. It’s been a year since I’ve been with anyone. Not for lack of trying. I went to a few bars far away from town, but the half-hearted attempts always sent me home to my right hand. I’m not sure Oliver is the guy to break that streak, but it didn’t hurt to try.
All of that sounded good on Tuesday. Now it’s Thursday, and I have to get dressed and leave the house. Even worse? I’m the one who suggested we meet up. See, clearly a head injury. I gulp the rest of my post-workout water and stare into my closet. If it weren’t a dick move, I’d message Oliver and cancel. I do need to make friends, though. Plus, I could use an excuse to put on real clothes. I’ve been going from business suits to workout clothes to loungewear and back almost daily for the last month.
I set out my favorite pair of skinny jeans, the ones that make my ass look fantastic, and a black v-neck before heading to the bathroom for a shower. I strip out of my workout clothes and turn the water on. I took up running when I realized not being twenty anymore made me work to keep up my physique. I might not have Nathan’s defined muscles, but I did okay. My dick twitches at the thought of Nathan’s physique. I shake the image from my head.
I step into the shower and turn my thoughts to the upcoming date. Thanks to the pictures on Oliver’s profile, I can create an accurate mental image of his appearance. His photos flexing in the mirror don’t leave much to my imagination. Combined with the selfie he sent to help me recognize him at the bar, it allows me to conjure a nice image. I stoke my half-hard dick a couple of times. Handsome, witty, and thoughtful is a combination I could get onboard with. At least my cock is looking forward to a fun time tonight.
I lather myself with the shower gel, washing carefully everywhere, just in case tonight goes well. I need to ask Nathan what kind of body wash he uses. I don’t mind mine, but I miss the scent of sandalwood that lingers around Nathan. Or maybe it’s his scent in general that I can’t get away from. Fuck, my mind keeps returning to Nathan. I can’t be thinking of my friend like this.
Nope, I scrub my body a little harder and force my mind to focus on one of my go-to fantasies. A faceless man that I get to fuck against the shower wall. I reach for the lube I keep in the shower for this exact occasion and run it over my cock. It goes from half-mast to rock hard in a few pulls. Taking the edge off before my date tonight seems like a reasonable plan.
I let my eyes close as I picture pressing myself up against the man in my fantasies, thrusting deep inside him. Nothing compares to that moment I finally get to sink into a guy’s ass. My toes curl a bit against the shower floor. I grip my cock a little harder and start stroking a bit faster. I can picture the image of the tight ass jiggling each time I thrust in and the way his muscles tense to brace against the wall. Fuck, I’m already starting to get close. I want to draw this out a bit. I haven’t had more than a quick jerk-off session in a while, and I want to enjoy my fantasy for a bit.
I tug my balls to stave off my orgasm and lean back against the tile. My mind drifts back to how Nathan looked dancing in his kitchen, with a bit of skin showing when his shirt pulled up. The muscles and ass in my head very quickly turn out to be how I picture him naked. I know I shouldn’t have a picture like that in my mind, but I don’t control these things. I shouldn’t picture my friend naked, but my mind seems incapable of thinking of anything else, and at this point, my cock is running this show. Dream Nathan moans as I thrust deep inside him, adjusting his hips so I can get in as deep as possible.
I thrust into my fist faster as I feel the tingling at the base of my spine. My mind conjures images of running my hands over fantasy Nathan’s chest while I kiss and nip at his neck. I want to know every spot that makes him moan or writhe against me. I picture his head lolling against my shoulder as he moans and whimpers under my touch.
My balls draw up tight, and I only hold on for a couple more strokes before I shoot thick ropes of cum onto the floor tiles. It washes away in the shower stream, and I slump against the wall.
Fuck . I don’t remember the last time I came that hard. The fact that Nathan starred in my fantasies can’t be the only reason. I can come up with a dozen reasons why this time was so good.
I finish my shower, rinsing well before turning off the water. Thank god I’m not seeing Nathan until tomorrow night. I need a chance to get those images out of my head. It’s not the first time I’ve jerked off to fantasies of him, but I quit years ago. It was weird to think of a friend like that as a teenager. It certainly wasn’t better as a full-grown adult.
If tonight went well, maybe it’d give me something else to consider. Did I want this guy to work out? If so, that meant my chances with Nathan would be shot. Shit, when did things get so complicated?