Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
FINN
Oh, my giddy Aunt Doris.
Not that I have an Aunt Doris. But I do have a giant problem, and that problem is Curtis … don’t know his last name. Don’t care to learn it right this second either.
There’s something so familiar about him. Something I can’t put my finger on.
I swear I’ve seen that cheeky smile before. That jawline. Even his voice …
We’re locked in, staring at each other, and we’re only mere feet apart.
I’m certain if we were two random men at a bar, we’d already be on our way to finding somewhere to hook up.
But we’re not two random men. We’re the bride and groom’s brothers. One by blood, one by choice. And that means we’re going to be seeing each other a lot in the upcoming months.
I suddenly wish I were the type of guy who did meaningless hookups. I’ve never been good at those, always looking for more. Another date. Another hookup. Another chance to make them fall in love with me.
Curtis’s top lip twitches. “You okay there, Finn? You look like you might have short-circuited.”
I did. I realize I’ve been staring at this man’s face for way longer than is socially acceptable, but it’s hard to stop. He’s just so sexy. But it’s also more than that. He’s so … familiar. Fuck, this is going to drive me crazy.
I blink away the lust and stand upright. “Sorry, I’m, uh, still acclimatizing to Canada.”
The amusement on his lips doesn’t die. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say they need to acclimatize to Canada before. Does it happen by osmosis? By staring into the soul of a Canadian? Is that what you were going for?”
He’s not supposed to call me out on it. “Can we pretend that you buy that excuse and that I’m being normal?” I’ve never been normal a day in my life, but there’s no time like the present.
I’m hoping the look he gives me is teasing and not pity. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
I’m about to leave—and I don’t know, drown myself?—when he grabs my arm.
“I’m messing with you. You’ve made a good first impression,” he says. “Maybe too good.”
I’m dangerously close to repeating the same awkward stare that makes him uncomfortable.
“Your sister seems cool,” he finally says, like he’s needing to break off the conversation there. I need it too.
“She’s very cool,” I agree, latching onto the change of topic. “Except for her constant meddling in my relationships, she’s the sort of person who only wants the best for people.”
“David said something similar. Which is good because I really didn’t want to have to fight your sister.”
He says it so deadpan that I’m not sure whether he’s joking or not. “You’d fight her?”
“For David? Of course.”
My jaw drops. “But she’s a girl.”
“I think she stopped being a girl a fair few years ago, and also … equality.”
“I don’t think that’s how equality works. But also, you shouldn’t hit anyone.”
“Wow.” Curtis sets a hand on his chest, and I have to ignore the veins running across the back of it. “I’d fight her with words.” He smirks. “I’m Canadian. If it’s not about hockey, it’s not worth throwing fists over.”
“Does Chicago even have a hockey team?” I ask.
“Does … Chicago …” Curtis bites off his disbelief. “If we’re going to be friends, you at least need to know the answer to that.”
That’s something I can do. I pull out my phone and unlock it—only to have my heart lurch into my throat. It’s still open on the Money Shot app, and I close it so fast I almost throw my phone. I can’t look at Curtis to check if he saw, but I’m confident my phone is tilted away enough. I hope.
I shouldn’t be ashamed of having a porn subscription, but he’s already called me out for staring at him a little too long. He’s going to start thinking I’m some kind of perv or incel or too intense to be friends with.
Not able to meet his eyes, I quickly type in does Chicago have a hockey team, and Google confirms that yes, yes it does, dumbass. It was one of the first six in the league. Huh. Interesting.
I turn my screen toward him. “Got your answer.”
“Passed the first friendship test. Congratulations.”
“What’s next?”
“Meeting our other friends. Come on, I’ll introduce you to some people.”
Introduce me. Yes. That’s supposed to be my focus.
This is exactly what I came here for, so I’m absolutely not disappointed about having to share Curtis with other people. Or when those people steal his attention away.
No sooner does he introduce me to a couple named Dolcie and Sully than another man comes and drags Curtis away.
“Ah, you’re the famous Finn,” Dolcie says, but I’m watching Curtis leave.
I still can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen him before. It’s probably a celebrity he looks like or something, but I can’t put my finger on it. I snap my attention back to what Dolcie said. “Famous? I’m famous now?”
“Melanie has been talking you up to all of us in the last few weeks leading up to you moving here.”
Of course she has. “She’s so embarrassing. Typical little sister.”
“I think it’s sweet.”
“I’m getting another drink,” her husband says. “You two want anything?”
I’ve still got some of mine left, but I drink it down and hand him the glass. “Just whatever beer they have is fine.” I’m DD tonight, so I can’t drink too many spirits.
He leaves, and Dolcie steps closer. “Checking out Curtis, huh?”
I pull back. “What?” Am I still being that obvious? Damn it. Why can’t I be smooth for once in my life?
“Calm down. Even if your sister didn’t ask me my opinion on whether Curtis would make a good boyfriend for you, my queerdar pinged as soon as you walked over here with him.
And then stared at his ass as he walked away.
And even though I’ll tell you what I told your sister—it’s clear she didn’t listen to me, so you don’t have to either—but Curtis wouldn’t make a good boyfriend to anyone.
I love him to death, but I wouldn’t set my worst enemy up with him. Too much torture.”
“Like, physically?”
She almost chokes. “Emotionally. He’s so closed off, and he has his reasons, but you should spare yourself the heartache. Like he always does.”
He said as much, so I shouldn’t be disappointed to hear it from someone else, but I am. “He’s already given me that spiel, so we’re all good there. I was actually staring after him—not his ass—because he reminds me of someone. An actor, I think.”
“Oh, really? And you have no idea who it could be?” She plumps her lips and stares at me like it should be obvious.
“No. It’s driving me crazy.”
“I’ve heard someone say he looks like Taylor Kinney before.”
“That would be helpful if I knew who that was.”
Dolcie smiles. “Lady Gaga’s ex.”
A flash of that guy and Lady Gaga on a red carpet flashes through my mind, and he does look a hell of a lot like Curtis. Or maybe I’m imagining Curtis and not some C-list celebrity. “That must be it.”
“Yeah … must be.” She gives me an odd look, impossible to interpret. Who knew I paid so much attention to Lady Gaga or her love life?
Dolcie’s husband returns and hands me a Bud Light.
“Thanks.” I cheers him.
Sully asks what I do for work, and we make small talk like you do with someone you just met.
Unlike my conversation with Curtis that somehow immediately got deep.
Probably from talking about his mother figure and her diagnosis while he tried to make the creepy guy who wouldn’t stop staring at him disappear.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t come back to talk to me all night. But just as I think that, he appears at my side.
“This song deserves to be danced to.” He grabs my hand and leads me into the middle of the room.
There are only a few people out here dancing, even though it’s obviously supposed to be a dance floor, so I’m awkward as he puts his hand on my right shoulder and takes my left hand in his other one.
I wrap my arm around his waist, and it takes a couple of seconds of swaying to realize what we’re dancing to.
“Is this the Friends theme song?” I ask. The piano and slow pace of it turn the upbeat tune into a soft melody, and I guess I’ve never listened to the lyrics properly before. They’re actually really fucking romantic.
“I figured it would be appropriate, given that’s what we decided we are.”
“Friends?” I don’t think Curtis has paid any attention to the lyrics either.
“Yup.” Curtis lifts our joined hands and ducks under them in a spin, and then pulls me back to him.
Our bodies slam together, and the jolt of need it sends through me goes immediately to my cock.
I try to ignore it. “Is slow dancing allowed with friends?”
“As long as it’s not happening while naked.”
“Good to know the line. Does that mean we can have sex if we remain clothed?” My dick made me ask that question, I swear.
Curtis groans and drops his forehead to my shoulder. Not that he has to drop it far. I’m a good six or seven inches taller than he is.
“I’m trying to figure out exactly where the boundary lines are,” I say innocently.
His head snaps up, familiar hazel eyes staring up at me, and now I know for sure it’s not Lady Gaga’s ex Curtis reminds me of. It’s someone else. Someone … an ex? None of my exes have been as good-looking as Curtis. Curtis is way out of my league.
“No sex ever. Nope.” He purses his lips. “No. No. No, no. No. Finn, stop it.”
“I didn’t do anything.” I’ve literally just been staring at him while he says no over and over again like he’s on a loop.
“You did. You’re … you’re … looking at me.”
“Is this better?” I lift my head and glance over the top of his hair.
“Marginally.”
The next song kicks in, starting with a bang and a high-tempo beat.
Curtis pulls away from me. “Thank God.”
“What, don’t want to dance with your new friend anymore?”
“We can dance, but at arm’s length.”
And even though I stick out like a sore thumb with my height and the lanky way I move my body, when Melanie, David, and all their friends all join in, I don’t feel self-conscious about it.