Chapter 13
Technically, That's Underwear
Gavin
"So these are... worn under," I hold up the compression shorts, feeling heat creep up my neck. Teasing Doc is one thing, but wearing them out to a club is kinda different. "Like, under actual clothes."
Max adjusts his glasses, giving me an owlish look. "Well, no. Tonight they aren't... because well, look at you and look at us." He gestures between my body and the group. "Nothing we have is going to work."
Can't argue with that logic. I laugh, shaking my head. "Fair point."
"Besides," Leo adds with a wicked grin, "you'll fit right in at the club. Half the guys there wear less."
Doc makes a strangled noise from the doorway.
"Okay, shirt situation!" JP holds up what I'm pretty sure is my mesh workout top. The one with holes big enough to put your fist through. "This is literally all we found in your truck that isn't a sweaty practice jersey."
"That's because it's also workout gear," I protest weakly.
"Perfect!" Max bounces on his toes. "Oh! Do you want some makeup?"
My brain short-circuits. "I... what?"
"Just a little shimmer, maybe some liner? You've got gorgeous bone structure." Max is already digging through what looks like a professional makeup kit. "Trust me?"
I look at Max, really look at him. The subtle gold on his cheekbones catches the light, and the way his eyes pop with just a hint of color. He looks... pretty. Good pretty. The kind of pretty that makes you want to stare.
"Sure," I hear myself say. Holy shit. Am I really doing this? My brothers would have heart attacks. Dad would...
Actually, fuck what Dad would think.
"Sit!" Max pats the couch. "I'll go easy on you, promise."
Doc drifts closer as Max starts dabbing something on my cheekbones. His fingers are gentle, professional. I try not to think about how this is the first time a guy's touched my face like this.
"Close your eyes," Max instructs softly.
I do, feeling a soft brush sweep across my lids. It tickles.
"You're being very still," Max observes. "Most first-timers fidget."
"I'm terrified if I move, you'll poke my eye out."
"Valid fear." He laughs. "Okay, just a tiny bit of liner to make those pretty browns pop and... done! Subtle but effective."
I open my eyes to find Sebastian staring at me, mouth slightly open.
"What? Do I look stupid?"
"No!" He says it too fast, too loud. "No, you look... It's good. You look good."
Leo coughs something that sounds suspiciously like "thirsty."
"Uber's here!" Elliot saves us all from whatever's happening. "Everyone, grab your IDs and let's go!"
We pile into the van, me folded in the back between Sebastian and JP. My bare thigh presses against Sebastian's jeans, and I swear I can feel him tense.
"Okay, baby gay orientation time!" Leo twists around from the front seat. "Rule one: Don't leave with anyone without telling the group."
I laugh. "Not planning on leaving with anyone else."
Doc's breath catches. Score.
"Rule two," Luca continues seriously, "Never leave your drink unattended. Ever."
"Really?" I look around the van, and the guys all have grave faces. It's… disconcerting to say the least.
The mood shifts. "It's fucking horrible that you have to be that careful," I say.
"Welcome to the community," JP says dryly.
Max quietly pulls fabric from his pocket… a scrunchie? He demonstrates how it opens into a drink cover. "These help."
"That's actually genius." I take it, examining the hidden elastic. These guys have to think about shit I've never even considered.
"Better to be smart than sorry," Luca says, adjusting his glasses.
The van feels too serious suddenly. "Well, good thing I'm in the right car if we're looking for smart," I joke. "Combined IQ of what, a thousand?"
It works. Everyone relaxes, Doc's shoulder bumping mine as he laughs.
"So why do you guys go to clubs but not date?" I ask as we merge onto the highway. "Like, you're all hot, you're smart, you're funny..."
The silence stretches. Finally, Max shrugs. "I like to dance, but I suck at talking to guys. We all kind of... stick together."
I look around the van. Really look at them. Max, with his dancer's build and pretty features. Leo is almost as tall as me with a mischievous smile and perfectly styled hair. Luca's already got that hot professor vibe. JP's cheekbones could cut glass. And Doc...
Doc’s the most beautiful, but they've all got something. They deserve better than hiding in their group.
"Well, tonight you've got a six-four bodyguard," I declare. "So maybe try talking to someone who isn't one of us?"
"We'll see," Elliot says noncommittally.
The club comes into view through the windows, all neon lights and a line that wraps around the block.
"Ready for this?" Sebastian asks quietly.
Not even a little bit. "Hell yeah."
The line is... long. Really long. Wrapping-around-the-corner long. People in various states of glitter and skin tight, all waiting to get in.
"This might take a while," Luca observes, adjusting his glasses.
"I calculate approximately forty-seven minutes based on current entry rate," JP adds helpfully.
I'm mentally settling in for the wait when the bouncer, big guy, shaved head, arms like tree trunks, leather vest doing nothing to hide a chest that's seen serious gym time, spots us approaching.
Spots me.
His whole posture changes. He pushes off the wall, clipboard forgotten, and does this slow drag with his eyes.
Starts at my shoes, works up my legs, pauses at the compression shorts longer than strictly necessary, crawls up my bare chest where the mesh is doing absolutely nothing, and finally lands on my face.
He bites his lip. Actually bites it.
"Well, hello there, beautiful." His voice is a low rumble. "Please tell me you're not just walking by."
"Oh, uh—" I gesture vaguely at the line. "We were gonna wait?"
"Wait?" He laughs like I've said something adorable. "No, no, no. You—" He points at me, then jerks his thumb toward the door. "—go right in."
The line erupts.
"Are you serious right now?"
"We've been here for an hour!"
"This is Discrimination against average-looking people!"
The bouncer doesn't even glance their way. He's too busy looking at me like I'm the last slice of pizza at 2 AM.
"All of us?" I ask, gesturing at the geeks clustered behind me.
He finally drags his eyes away from my chest long enough to notice them. Gives them a once-over that's significantly less interested. Then looks back at me.
"For you, sweetie?" He grins, all teeth. "Anything."
"Oh my God," Max whispers, grabbing Leo's arm. "This is the greatest night of my life and we haven't even gone inside yet."
"I'm taking mental notes," Leo whispers back. "This is fascinating."
"The statistical probability of this happening—" JP starts.
"Shut up," Doc hisses at all of them.
The bouncer unclips the velvet rope, stepping aside to let us through. As I pass, he leans in close enough that I can smell his cologne.
"Name's Ryker." His breath is warm against my ear. "I get off at two. Come find me if you get bored with your little friends, yeah? I'd love to show you around."
His hand brushes my lower back. Just a whisper of contact, but definitely intentional.
Behind me, Doc makes a sound like a cat whose tail got stepped on.
"Thanks, man." I reach back and put my hand on Sebastian's lower back, casual, but clear. "I think I'm good though."
Ryker's eyes flick to my hand on Doc, then back to my face. His grin doesn't falter. "Offer stands, gorgeous. All night."
We file past him into the club. The bass hits immediately, vibrating through the floor and up into my chest.
"That was—" Max is practically skipping. "Did you SEE that? He looked at Gavin like he wanted to eat him!"
"Consume," Leo corrects gleefully. "The word is consume. Devour, perhaps."
"The bouncer's pupils were definitely dilated," JP observes. "Classic attraction indicators. Increased blood flow to the—"
"Can we not do a scientific analysis of the bouncer's thirst?" Doc snaps.
"Aww, Doc." I pull him closer against my side. "You jealous?"
"No."
"You sound jealous."
"I sound annoyed. There's a difference."
"His eye was literally twitching," Max stage-whispers to Leo. "I've never seen anyone's eye actually twitch from jealousy before."
"It's not twitching—"
"It's a little bit twitching," Luca offers apologetically.
Doc throws his hands up. "I hate all of you."
I laugh, steering him further into the club. "Come on, Doc. Let's go dancing."
He grumbles words I can't hear over the music exploding from ahead of us, but he lets me pull him along the dark hallway, and when my hand slides from his back to his hip, he doesn't pull away.
Behind us, I hear Max say, "Twenty bucks says Seb has to fight someone off Gavin before midnight."
"I'll take that bet," Leo responds. "But only because I think it'll happen before eleven."
As we get to the end of the hallway entrance my mind goes boom! Holy fuck.
I thought I knew what clubs were like. Turns out the uni pubs have nothing on gay clubs.
It's... everywhere I look, there's skin and glitter and guys in various states of undress.
Bass so loud I feel it in my teeth. Lights everywhere; pink, blue, purple, cutting through fog like lasers.
Bodies packed tight, moving together, glittery skin catching the lights.
"You good?" Doc shouts near my ear.
"Processing!" I shout back.
"There's drag tonight!" Luca informs me as we push toward the bar. "So be ready!"
I grin, thinking of Sylas at the Halloween party. Wonder if—
“Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between!”
The crowd screams as the lights hit the stage. And there he is, say his name and he shall appear, Sylas. Tonight he's turned up to eleven. Sky-high heels, pink everything, hair bigger than my entire head.
"Is that—” I start to ask, but then Sylas spots me. I seem to be almost a head above the crowd.