Chapter 26
Adonis
The third day after Adonis returned to Bellford, he got a text from Guy Tierney.
Guy: Hey! I know this is last-minute, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be back in time. I’m having a birthday dinner tonight, and I’d love if you could make it!
Adonis, who’d spent most of the past three days alone in his apartment, or hanging out with Clarisse and trying to readjust to being back on campus, was glad for the excuse to get away from Bellford. His thoughts had been caught up with worry for Bash, and he needed a distraction.
Adonis: I’d love to join. I’m sorry I didn’t get you a gift. Can I bring a bottle of wine or something?
Guy: You don’t have to, but obviously, the more wine the better! See you tonight xx
Adonis took a shower, dressed in black jeans, a black crop-top, and a leather jacket, and bought a bottle of red blend before heading into the city.
He hadn’t seen Guy in months, not since their last hookup, when Guy told Adonis that he and Jason would be trying monogamy.
From what Adonis had seen on social media (which was, of course, always a completely accurate representation of someone’s life), Guy and Jason were doing well. Adonis was happy for them.
He paid for parking on a street two blocks from Guy’s apartment and took the ancient elevator up to Guy’s floor. When he knocked on the door, he could already hear the sound of music and talking from the other side.
Jason answered the door. He was a slim, handsome young man, a few years older than Guy, with dark skin and brown hair. When he smiled, he showed crooked, but brilliantly white, teeth.
“Adonis!” he said. He pulled Adonis into a warm hug. He wore a soft sweater and smelled of bergamot. “It’s so good to see you. Guy was really hoping that you could make it.”
Adonis kissed Jason’s cheek. “It’s good to be here.”
“Come in!”
Jason ushered Adonis into the warm apartment.
There was a small, pleasant gathering already underway.
Adonis recognized some of them. Jessie and Taylor were a lesbian couple, both artists, who had graduated from Bellford two years ago.
Blake was a bartender, and his partner, Jay, was a former basketball player and now a budding record producer.
Dan was single and had often made respectable passes at Adonis, but now just gave him a friendly hug and kiss on the cheek.
Finn, Harrison, Dereck, Klaus, and Jimmy were other gay men who formed the loose collection of the rest of Guy’s friend group.
Like Adonis, many of them had previously had an amorous relationship with Guy, but none of them seemed bothered by his current foray into monogamy.
Adonis was the youngest in the room by at least two years, but after Guy slung an arm around him and said, “Everyone say hi to Adonis, our Olympic champion!” his age didn’t matter. Everyone was happy to welcome him and hear about his experience in Milano.
After several drinks, Harrison started a gag where he found a marker and begged Adonis to sign his ass, which led to Adonis signing several ass cheeks before Guy confiscated the marker and said that there would be no exposed asses here, at least until the beleaguered lesbians escaped.
Jason was apparently a talented cook, specializing in Cajun dishes, and had prepared quite the spread for dinner.
They had a long, slow dinner with multiple courses, which Jason was happy to serve.
They took long gaps between each course to let the food settle, and to drink water like camels at an oasis.
After the final course, fresh beignets with mountains of powdered sugar and little dishes of fruit compote, served with steaming hot café au laits in dainty porcelain mugs, guests started to yawn and say that they should probably call their Ubers.
“Did you drive in from Bellford?” Jason asked, leaning sideways at the table to speak quietly to Adonis.
“I did.” Adonis had had four glasses of wine and was beginning to feel the warm buzz. He’d figured he would call an Uber to get home, but—
“You can stay with us tonight,” Jason said. “It’s not safe for you to drive back, and I don’t want you to have to pay for an Uber.”
Adonis thought about saying no, but it was almost midnight, and it would be very late by the time he got home. His next class wasn’t until midday tomorrow, so he could afford to sleep here and then go back in the morning.
“Thank you,” he said. “At least let me help clean up.”
“Well, I’ll never say no to that,” Jason said.
Half an hour later, all the dishes were washed and put away, and the rest of the guests were gone. Guy was draped over the couch with a glass of wine, protesting over the fact that Adonis and Jason wouldn’t help him clean up.
“It’s your birthday!” Jason insisted after another whine from Guy. “You’re not working on your birthday.”
“You’re too good to me,” Guy said.
“I know!” Jason called.
“I don’t deserve you.”
Adonis and Jason shared a smile. “You’re right!” Adonis answered for Jason. “He’s way out of your league.” The two shared a chuckle at Guy’s expense, who was now pouting in the living room.
“This guy,” Jason said, shaking his head with a laugh. He poured two glasses of red, handed one to Adonis, and beckoned for Adonis to follow him to the living room.
Jason nudged Guy until he moved over, and then joined him on the couch. The couple sleepily beckoned for Adonis to join them, which he did, collapsing between them.
“Thanks for inviting me,” he said, taking a long sip from his wine.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Guy said, shifting so that his head was in Adonis’s lap. “You were the life of the party.”
“Hey,” Jason said. “I thought that was me.”
“You were the heart of the party, babe,” Guy said, which seemed to placate Jason. He began playing with Guy’s hair.
“So, besides being an Olympic champion, what’s new with you?” Guy said, smiling up at Adonis.
“Well,” Adonis said. “I’m about to graduate.”
“Hell yeah, you are,” Guy said. “College is great, but the real world is even better.”
“But don’t wish these last few months away,” Jason advised.
“I’m not, don’t worry.”
“What’s next for you?” Jason asked, shifting slightly to see Adonis better. He accidentally kicked Guy lightly in the head, earning a muffled protest.
“More skating?” Guy asked.
“No, actually,” Adonis said with a deeper smile, glad that he could talk about this openly and with excitement, now. “Law school.”
“Law school!” Guy repeated. “Fuck yeah. Where?”
“I don’t know yet. I was accepted into a few, so now I just have to make my decision.”
“You looking at Bellford?” Jason asked.
“Maybe. They accepted me, and it would make the most sense to stay there, I guess. But I want something new, you know?”
Guy nodded as best as he could with his head on Adonis’s thighs. “Makes sense. Sometimes I wish I’d gotten out of New England.”
“Hey,” said Jason.
“But then I wouldn’t have met the love of my life, of course.”
“That’s more like it.”
“You seeing anyone?” Guy continued.
Adonis blushed—he hoped it was the wine. “Sort of. Not really. I’ve been hooking up with this guy…but I’m afraid I’ve caught feelings for him.”
Jason tsked. “Friends with Benefits 101: Don’t catch feelings for your fuck buddy.”
“Ugh, I know,” Adonis said. “But he’s just so…wonderful.”
“Aw,” said Guy. “Who is he? Would I know him?”
“Sebastiaan Koning,” Adonis said.
Guy closed his eyes, thinking. “Wait, the hockey player? The Basher?”
“The one and only.”
“Girl, he’s hot as fuck,” Guy said dreamily.
“I’d love to get in the middle of the two of you,” Jason added. Then, blushing, “I mean, Bash and Guy, Adonis. Not that I wouldn’t—Jesus, I’m making it worse.”
Adonis laughed. “No, I get it. We’ve never explored threesomes, but I’m sure that would be delightful.”
“Well,” Guy said, “if you ever want to explore a foursome, you know who to call.”
“I thought you two were monogamous,” Adonis said, looking from Guy to Jason.
Jason shrugged. “We started that way. It was a good way to establish our relationship and build trust between the two of us, but we decided to open up eventually.” He grinned at Adonis. “I hear you were the last one who got to sample the goods before the relationship closed.”
“Oh god.”
“Don’t worry,” Jason said. “I was never jealous or threatened. Guy always said you were a good friend. I’m glad we’re getting to know each other.”
“I am, too.”
“Are you and Bash exclusive?” Guy asked. “If not, I would definitely be in the mood for a threesome tonight if the two of you are.”
Jason sipped from his wine. “Up to you, Adonis.”
Adonis took a deep sip of red. On one hand, yes, he would absolutely love to get spit-roasted by Guy and Jason.
On the other hand, even though he and Bash hadn’t even breathed the word “exclusive” near each other, Adonis had a sure sense that he wanted to have a conversation with Bash before he hooked up with anyone else.
“I’m sensing hesitation,” Guy said, not unkindly. “Offer revoked.”
“No, no, don’t feel bad,” Adonis protested.
“I don’t,” Guy said, reaching up to gently pat Adonis’s face. “I can just tell that you’re having some big feelings, and I don’t want to make that more complicated for you.”
“Do you think Bash feels the same way about you?” Jason asked. “Sorry if that’s super personal. Blame the wine.”
“It’s not too personal,” Adonis said, “and honestly, I could use some advice. I don’t know if he feels the same way, but I am feeling like I should have a conversation with him.”
“Communication is key,” Jason said with a nod.
“And clear is kind,” Guy added. “It’s always better to know for sure than to leave yourself wondering.”
“You think I should tell him how I feel?”
“How do you feel?” Guy asked.
“I think I’m falling in love with him.”
Guy almost spat out his wine. He rolled over, coughing violently, while Adonis and Jason both slapped his back until he waved them off.
“Yes! Yes!” he croaked. “If you’re falling in love with him, tell him!”
“If he doesn’t love you,” Jason said, “that’ll suck at first, but at least then you’ll know.”
“Every baby gay needs at least one heartbreak,” Guy said sagely.
“One, I hate that advice,” Adonis said. “And two, I’m hardly a baby gay. My lore would make Mother Theresa’s skin shrivel.”
“A horrifying way of saying that,” Jason observed. “More wine?”
“Yes, please,” Adonis said. Guy rolled off Adonis, onto the floor, and then picked himself up to wander to the bathroom.
Jason returned moments later with a fresh bottle, plopped down on the couch with an arm around Adonis, and turned on Drag Race.
Guy soon joined them; they poured themselves deep glasses and then turned their attention to Ru, barking at the queens.
Adonis cozied into the couch, his head on Jason’s shoulder, and began to drift off into comfortable, wine-drenched sleep, thankful for the beauty and the gift of queer friends.