Chapter 2
Chapter Two
NATHAN
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I say as I slide into the booth next to Tyler. “I got cornered and pulled into a meeting right as I was about to walk out the door.” Aaron and Matthias are across the table from us. I’m still sweaty from practically sprinting here, but at least I made it before they finished their first round.
“Let me guess, Victoria?” I nod as Aaron downs the last of his beer. “Don’t worry about it. We know things have been rough at your office lately.” Rough is an understatement. I couldn’t remember the last time I left the office on time. “Plus, you know the rules. If you’re late, you buy a round.” If I recall correctly, that rule was specifically implemented because Aaron kept showing up late.
“Done.” I start to slide out to head up to the bar, but Tyler catches my arm.
“The waitress will be back around in a couple of minutes. You can give her your food order, as well. I assume you are starving.” As if on cue, my stomach growls. Tyler knows me too well. All I’d had today was the granola bar I ate on the drive to the office.
“I suppose it’s a waste of energy to explain why you need to take better care of yourself?” Matthias puts his elbows on the table and cradles his head. He’s always been the mother hen of the group, checking in and ensuring the rest of us take care of ourselves. It can get overbearing, but I remind myself of all the times he’s brought chicken soup over when I was sick or joined me for movie marathons post-breakup.
“Yes, it’s a waste of time.” Sure, I forget lunch occasionally, but I still eat reasonably well and make it to the gym several times a week. That’s doing pretty damn good.
“You need someone to help take care of you.” I snort. We’ve had this discussion at least a hundred times. He says the same thing to all of us.
“And where do you think I’ll find someone like that? If I don’t have time to eat lunch, I don’t have time to find this magical boyfriend.”
“No one says you need to find a boyfriend, but going on a few dates wouldn’t hurt. Be a little more social.” Aaron puts a hand on Matthias’s shoulder. “You used to go out more often. The three of us can’t be the only socializing you do.”
“First, I’m not twenty-five anymore. I don’t have the time or energy to spend at clubs or swiping on apps. Second, I don’t need much social interaction. I prefer having time to myself.” I’m very happy to spend my evenings with Netflix . Thank you very much. How did my lack of a social life become the focus of tonight’s conversation anyway?
Every couple of months, one of them, usually Matthias, starts in on the let’s get Nathan out of the house more discussion. After my last terrible breakup, I told them I needed a little time to work out what I wanted. They let it go for a while, but after two years of solitude, the discussion came back to life. The three of them teaming up on me is new, however.
“I’ll meet someone when I’m ready.”
Tyler pulls one knee up to his chest in the booth and turns to face me. “For that plan to work, you have to go places and meet people.”
“I go places.”
“Really?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “When was the last time you went out?” I open my mouth to answer, but he holds a hand up to stop me. “Weekly friend night doesn’t count.” Well, fuck. “My point exactly.”
“Wait, I went to that big holiday party a few months ago.” I could play this game.
“That was your office Christmas party.” Aaron and Matthias nod their agreement with Tyler’s statement. Spending an evening with a bunch of drunken coworkers should count as double.
“I’m not sure that waitress is coming back. I need a beer if you’re going to keep up the teasing.” I snatch the empty pitcher from the table and head toward the bar. With any luck, they’ll move on to an entirely different topic by the time I return.
I wave at Ethan, the bartender, as I approach. He puts up two fingers, and I nod. I lean against the wooden bar and enjoy a few moments of quiet. Thursday’s crowd stays small, but it’s picked up a bit since I walked in. I recognize many people as regulars, but there’s one guy by himself at the end. I’m not sure I’ve seen him here before. I swear he looks like my best friend from high school. I’ve hallucinated him in enough crowded places to know he isn’t real.
The guy lifts his gaze from his drink and lands on me. His face lights up with recognition when he locks eyes with me. He hops off his stool and starts toward me.
Fuck . I need more than a few seconds to figure out what to say.
“Nathan? Is that you?”
“Colt. What the hell are you doing here?” He holds his arms out, and I walk into them without hesitation, letting him wrap me in a big hug. He feels solid in my arms, no longer a gangly teen. It’s been at least twelve years since I last saw Colt, but his body and scent are still familiar. I inhale deeply against his neck, and my cock starts to thicken. I pull away quickly and clear my throat.
“I thought I was imagining things when I saw you,” he says. For a second, I let myself imagine that he also sees me in the faces of strangers.
“Hey, everything okay?” Tyler puts his hand on my shoulder possessively.
“Yeah, um, this is Colt Addington. We grew up together. Colt, this is my friend, Tyler.” Tyler moves his hand off my shoulder and extends it to Colt.
“Wow, finally meeting The Famous Colt.” The way he stresses the make me cringe. Jesus. Does he have to give away all my secrets?
So I might have talked about Colt one too many times over the years, especially when alcohol was involved. No one could blame me for that. We’d been so intertwined in each other’s lives during our formative years. Or at least he’d been intertwined in my life. I never really knew what he thought about the two of us. Even though we never dated. There had been one impulsive kiss, but it had been a bit of a disaster. I spent my Freshman year moping around about losing Colt. As my roommate, Tyler had a front-row seat to all the pining.
“I guess so. That makes it sound like I might be more infamous than famous.” He shakes Tyler’s hand as a smile spreads across Colt’s face. His smile was always so genuine and infectious. Even after all these years, that grin melts my insides. Once upon a time, I became conditioned enough to block it out. Those defenses don’t exist anymore. I fight the urge to reach out and touch him. A single hug, and I’m hooked on him again.
“Join us for a drink?” My head snaps up. How caught up in my fantasies was I? Clearly, I missed something important. We didn’t have guests at friend night. No significant others, no family. Only the four of us, just like it’s always been. These nights are sacred. We’d started spending Thursday nights together every week after we finished graduate school and found ourselves constantly canceling plans after work. One of us was always working late or too tired to go out. These nights anchor my weekly schedule and ensure we have each other no matter what else. “I’m hoping you can give me lots of dirt about this one.” He elbows me in the ribs, and I shoot him my dirtiest expression. My soon-to-be ex-friend has lost his damn mind. Tyler ignores me and reaches behind to grab the pitcher I’d been ignoring.
“Sure, I can think up a story or two that you might find amusing.” Colt grabs his drink from his spot at the bar and follows us over to the table. He quickly introduces himself to Aaron and Matthias before slipping into the booth and striking up a conversation. Seeing him so easily integrate into my life made my chest ache.
Yep, I’m fucked.
COLT
Tonight far exceeds my expectations. I thought I’d have a drink or two, chat with someone, and be home by nine. Instead, I find myself hanging out with the man I’d been in love with in high school. Well, he and his friends.
“So, how do you know Nathan?” I think it’s Aaron who asks. One of the guys opposite me is Aaron, but I can’t remember which one. I glance up at Nathan, who’s still standing, apparently unable to decide on the seating arrangements. I scooch in a little further towards Tyler. Three on a side is a tight fit but doable.
“We went to school together back in Elmwood. I was a year behind him, but our families were close, so we tended to stick together.”
“And how did you end up here tonight?” Not Aaron asks, clearly not pleased with my intrusion.
“I just moved here. Well, about a month ago now. I took a position at Cardinal Falls General Hospital.” I leave out how I’d spent the better part of two years scouring the hiring page of their website.
“I saw something about that on your Instagram .” Nathan slides beside me in the booth and perches himself on the edge. I knew he followed me, and, of course, I followed him back. I’d been trying to work up the nerve to reach out and suggest getting together.
“It’s been a crazy couple of months getting all my stuff out here and starting a new job.” Especially with all the bonus family bullshit. Nathan shifts slightly toward me as he reaches for the pitcher of beer. As he pulls it toward him, his thigh brushes up against mine. I expect him to pull it away quickly, but it stays pressed against me. The heat from his body permeates my jeans and spreads through my body.
“Since we have you here, why don’t you tell us some good stories about Nathan? He’s been well-behaved since we met, but I assume you have loads of dirt.”
“Aaron.” Nathan’s warning tone does nothing to pull the eyes of his friends away from me. At least I’m right about which one is Aaron.
Trying to be both a good friend to Nathan and entertaining enough for the guys, I launch into a story about when we attempted to spy on our parents during one of their adult-only get-togethers using a tape recorder on the bookshelf. I swear Nathan’s leg presses a little firmer against mine as I talk. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nathan and Tyler exchanging looks over the top of my head and occasionally gesturing at one another.
Are they together? Nathan introduced Tyler as a friend. Right? Fuck, I can’t quite remember. They didn’t appear overly into one another, but maybe they were restrained. Or past that point?
The evening flies by, and eventually, the guys call it a night. “I hope you didn’t mind spending your whole night with us. I’m sure you had plans.” Nathan shoves his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels.
“This was much better than I had planned, so thank you for inviting me.”
“No problem. You okay to get home?” Tyler pulls on a black leather jacket and steers the group toward the door.
“Yep, I’m all set.”
“Great, well, maybe we’ll see you again sometime.” I’m not sure Matthias—I finally worked out his name—means it, but I flash him a smile anyway.
“Oh, um, do you still have my number? In case you want to get together and catch up sometime?” Nathan asks quietly once we are outside.
“Same as before?”
“Yeah, it never seemed worth changing after all these years.” He digs his toe into some invisible spot on the ground. “Okay, so text me, and we’ll work something out.”
“I will. Good to see you again, Nathan.”
“You, too, Colt.” He leans forward, and for a second, I think he might kiss me. Memories of that afternoon as a teenager fill my head, and I wonder if he still tastes as sweet. Instead, he pulls away and walks to his car. I wait until he drives away before I head back to my vehicle.
Fuck . I still have a massive crush on him.