Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
RHYS
“No, brunch is only for us. No boyfriends allowed.”
Noel pouts at Sebastian. Well, I think he’s trying for a scowl, but it definitely looks more like a pout.
Ever since Noel’s boyfriend, Bellamy, moved to the city, the two of them have been attached at the hip. He even wants to bring Bellamy to our standing monthly brunch dates.
But these brunch dates are sacred, damn it. It’s been the four of us for years: Sebastian, the leader; Noel, the bad boy; Hayden, the golden retriever; and me, the sassy one.
We’re the original members of The Camboy Network, this thing Sebastian put together to help content creators pool resources. It’s grown since then, evolving into a studio and production company. But the four of us have been friends and camming collaborators since long before any of that happened. Long before Noel started dating Bellamy, and even before Sebastian started dating his boyfriend, Christian .
“But Bellamy doesn’t have any friends here.” Noel protests.
Sebastian levels a stern look at him. “If I can live without Christian for a couple hours on a Sunday, then you can live without Bellamy for just as long.”
Noel’s scowl deepens, but that only makes him look poutier. I’m almost tempted to reach over and pinch his cheek. But I don’t have a death wish.
Noel is secretly a squishy marshmallow on the inside, but his outside is genuinely prickly.
Sebastian turns away from him, discussion about boyfriends at brunch obviously closed, and redirects his attention to me. “So, Rhys, how was your dad’s birthday party?”
I whine, slumping in my chair. How was it? Exactly how I thought it would be and entirely unexpected at the same time. “I don’t know. Fine, I guess?”
Hayden shoots me a sympathetic look. We already debriefed when I got home that day—when I snuck out of the party after running away from Angel. I still can’t quite believe that whole conversation happened. Like, wha…?
“Were your parents bad?” Sebastian’s brow furrows in concern, and I can already tell that his mind is whirring. Sebastian is the problem-solver of the group. He’s never faced a challenge he couldn’t find a solution to.
“They were fine,” I say, waving my hand dismissively. They will be what they are. There’s no changing that. “It’s…”
I sneak a glance at Hayden who gives me an encouraging nod. I told him all about Angel and we engaged in the requisite internet stalking. A lot of his photos are old or he’s standing at the back of a group. They don’t do justice to the yummy teddy bear I sat next to on my childhood bed.
I take a deep breath so I can let it all out in a dramatic sigh. “There was a guy.”
Sebastian’s eyes light up. Even Noel cocks an eyebrow in interest.
“A guy?!” Sebastian leans forward, pushing his empty plate out of the way so he can plant his elbows on the table. “Who is he? What’s his name? How do you know him? Does he know about what you do?”
Hayden snickers at the barrage of questions Sebastian throws at me.
I lift my hands, as if I can physically fend them off. “Whoa. Chill. It’s not like that. Angel is straight. I think.”
That word comes out a little strangled.
He said he wasn’t gay. My gaydar was a flat line almost the entire time we spoke. Okay, there were those couple moments when the video of me and Hayden popped up where the needle wiggled, but that’s clearly within the margin of error. And listen, I’m the last person to make assumptions about someone based on their appearance, but he doesn’t look gay at all. He looks completely, entirely, one-hundred-percent straight.
Straight and narrow, in fact, if that little gold crucifix he wears around his neck is any indication. It must have been tucked under his shirt at the party, because I didn’t notice it. But it was in almost every picture Hayden and I found online.
Everyone in the old neighborhood is Catholic. Some, like my family, are the Christmas and Easter types. But there are definitely pockets of more devout families. Angel’s must be one of them .
But what kind of dutiful, straight, Christian boy asks about doing gay porn? About gay for pay?
And the way his ears went red-hot. How still he got when that damn video started playing. Jesus. It was a good thing my jeans were so tight, or else the bulge between my legs would’ve been obscene.
Sebastian’s head is cocked to the side. “You think? Meaning he might not be straight?”
I wince. I probably shouldn’t be talking about Angel’s sexuality behind his back, right? And it’s not like I’m going to see the guy again, so who cares if he’s straight or gay or whatever?
Hayden reaches over and rubs my arm in a comforting gesture. I lean into the touch.
“He asked whether a straight guy can do gay porn,” I say.
Noel chokes on the Bellini he’s sipping. “Jesus fuck. You can’t spring something like that on us without warning.”
Sebastian sits bolt upright, eyes shining with a million ideas. “He did? Does that mean he’s interested? What does he look like? Would he want to film with you? Or maybe he’d be more comfortable with someone he doesn’t know?”
“Slow down!” I wave my hands to shoo Sebastian’s questions away. “I didn’t say he wanted to do gay porn. The conversation was just hypothetical.”
Hayden leans toward Sebastian and in a not-so-quiet voice whispers, “He’s friends with Rhys’s older brother. They all grew up together. He’s a total teddy bear. Furry all over and super cute. Even works in construction.”
“Denny!” I give Hayden a harmless slap on the arm. The last thing Sebastian needs is encouragement. Angel is not performing in a video for The Camboy Network. He’s just not.
“A bear, huh?” Sebastian’s got his phone in his hands, typing away with a look of extreme concentration on his face. “Definitely pairing him with someone small, even if you don’t want to do it, Rhys.”
“Sebby! Stahp! You can’t just cast the guy against his will.” I reach across the table and try to snatch Sebastian’s phone out of his hand, but he’s too fast for me.
Pulling it to his chest, he looks at me like I’m the one getting ahead of myself.
“Relax! It’s just an idea. If your Angel doesn’t want to do it, then I can look for someone who resembles him.”
I frown at Sebastian. “He’s not my Angel .” Although the way those two words roll off my tongue does send a tingle of excitement up my spine.
Three sets of eyes stare at me with skepticism.
“What? He’s not!” I exclaim. “Before the party, I hadn’t spoken to the guy in years and I’m probably not going to again!”
My phone buzzes.
It’s sitting face down on the table, so I can’t see who messaged me. Normally, none of us would notice something so quiet, and yet, we all turn to the device like it’s blaring an alarm.
“Are you going to get that?” Noel asks.
“Get what?” I hike up a shoulder, hoping they’ll buy my fake indifference.
“Your phone.” Sebastian pointedly glances from my face down to said phone .
“It’s just a text.” I flick my hand, dismissing their insinuation. “No big deal.”
“But what if it’s him?” Hayden asks.
I can’t believe what they’re trying to imply. There’s no way Angel would text me at the exact moment I’m claiming I won’t speak to him again. I play dumb. “Who?”
Hayden turns his sad, puppy-dog eyes on me. “You know who.”
Meanwhile, Noel doesn’t bother with niceties. He scoffs and grabs my phone.
“Hey!”
He scowls at the screen, then his lips twitch. That’s not a good sign.
“Give it back!”
Noel holds the phone out of my reach, then furrows his brow in confusion. “Who’s Teddy Bear?”
Oh, fuck. “I said, give it back!”
Sebastian takes the phone from Noel, scans the screen, and cocks his head to the side. “Teddy Bear? Wait, that’s not what you saved his number under, is it?”
With a growl, I push my chair back and stand up, stretching over the table to pluck the phone out of Sebastian’s hand. “Give me that!”
When I plop into my chair again, I hold the phone close to my chest. My heart rate picks up and I get a little flutter in my stomach. It’s the same feeling I get right before I go on stage to perform at The Bronzed Rail. Stage fright mixed with a dash of adrenaline. Anticipation heightened by uncertainty.
I peek at my phone. There’s a notification on the screen.
Teddy Bear
Hey, how you doing?
I swipe at the notification and my phone unlocks to the messaging app. There’s the single message I sent myself last week at my dad’s birthday party. Then the one from him just now. That’s it. No follow-up text. No bouncing dots teasing at more. Just “Hey, how you doing?”
God, that’s such a straight dudebro thing to do. Coming from anyone else, I’d roll my eyes and drop my phone back on the table—it’s not worthy of an immediate response.
But Angel is different. He’s…
There’s an audible gasp from across the table. “Aw, look at that smile!”
I slap my phone against my chest to hide the screen, then scrunch my face into a scowl.
Sebastian’s grinning like I’m his kid and he’s a proud mama on prom night. Hayden’s wearing an equally enamored expression, and Noel’s smirk is almost endearing.
I try to maintain my scowl, but it’s no use. Angel is too cute to resist. I huff, setting my phone face down on the table with a little more force than necessary. “Ugh, shut up!” I whine.
Noel shakes his head like I’m being ridiculous.
“Aren’t you going to reply?” Sebastian asks, eyes glued to the pink and purple cover on my phone. “He asked how you’re doing.”
“You can’t just leave him on read,” Hayden adds.
“I’m not! I’m just…” I scramble for an excuse. “Don’t you know it’s rude to text while at the table?”
“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Noel snorts .
I throw him a glare that actually has a bit of heat behind it, but that only makes Noel smirk.
“You should respond.” Sebastian waves at my phone. “See what he wants.”
I slap my hand on top of my phone, in case any of the boys try to steal it again. “He’s just saying hello.”
“Or he might want to know more about performing,” Sebastian shoots back.
“Why the hell would he want to do that?”
“Because he’s already asked you once. Maybe he has more questions.”
“You did offer to put him in touch with Sebastian,” Hayden jumps in. Totally unhelpful.
Sebastian sits up a little straighter, his eyes widening in victory. “You did? That’s amazing! I’d love to chat with Angel Teddy Bear about doing gay porn.”
I glower at Hayden—whose side is he on, anyway?
He shrugs. “You won’t know until you talk to him.”
I heave a sigh. “I hate all of you.”
Sebastian and Hayden beam at me. Noel dips his head sideways in indifference.
Fuck.
I pick up my phone and stare at that simple four-word message again.
Teddy Bear
Hey, how you doing?
It gives nothing away. I can’t tell if he’s working up to the porn questions or if he’s bored and messing around on his phone. Hell, maybe he meant to send the message to someone else entirely. We’ve barely been acquaintances since we were kids, so why would he suddenly want to be friendly?
Ugh. I’m way overthinking this. Angel is cute and totally my type, but I need to remember he’s straight. There’s no reason for me to act like a silly teenager with a crush on my older brother’s friend.
I tap on the screen to pull up the keyboard.
Rhys: Great! *winky face emoji* Having brunch with the boys.
I attach a selfie I took earlier for social media. Hayden, Sebastian, and Noel are all in the background with Bellinis in hand.
Rhys:
Rhys
What are you up to today? *grinning emoji*
Three dots appear immediately and I brace myself for an apology message. Oh, sorry, messaged the wrong person. Have a good life . But when it comes through, it is the absolute last thing I would ever expect.
Teddy Bear
Doing yard work.
Followed by a selfie of Angel wearing a thin, white tank top that does nothing to hide his wide, furry chest. He’s got a pair of sunglasses perched on his head, and he’s squinting a bit, like the sun is in his eyes. His cheeks are pink from all that sun exposure and his lips are rosy, like he’s been licking them. The camera’s angled to show him holding the handle of a lawn mower, arms thick and powerful, standing on a patch of lush, green grass .
My jaw drops. My cock plumps. Fuck me. Right now. As hard as he possibly can.
“What is it?” Sebastian tries to peer across the table at my screen.
Beside me, Hayden leans over and gasps. “Holy shit.”
He seizes my phone, tapping on the screen to enlarge the picture.
“What is it?” Sebastian asks again, coming right out of his seat to peek over Hayden’s shoulder. “Oh shit! You weren’t kidding when you said he’s a bear. Look at that beard. All that body hair. I wonder if it’s as soft as it looks.”
My fingers lift to my mouth at the memory of the parting kiss I planted on Angel’s cheek. It was an impulsive thing to do, and I never would’ve done it with anyone else from the old neighborhood.
But he had his hand cradling mine, rough and warm. The browns of his irises held a touch of yearning. He listened to my woe-is-me story about my parents and actually seemed to understand.
I moved before I knew what I was doing, and my lips touched his cheek before I could stop myself. I can still imagine it now. The softness of his skin, his beard. The clean, manly scent of fresh sawdust. I carried that scent with me all the way home that afternoon. My lips tingled well into the next day.
“Rhys!”
I’m jolted back to the present by Hayden’s voice. “What?”
“Daydreaming?” Noel asks with a smug smile.
I open my mouth to deny it, but what’s the point? They’ve seen Angel’s picture. They know my type. They’ll never believe me if I say I’m not attracted to Angel that way.
“Shut up.”
Sebastian drops back into his own chair. “He’s totally going to ask you to talk to me.”
“How do you know?” Hayden asks as he hands my phone back.
Sebastian smiles like he’s got a devious plan in the works. “Because completely straight guys who have no interest in gay porn don’t send selfies like that to guys like Rhys.”