North Pole Dancer (Snow Dates #3)

1. Ben

ONE

BEN

Corey: Nothing’s wrong.

Corey: I just want to talk.

I read my boyfriend’s texts for the fortieth time since he sent them an hour ago and tried to ignore the pit that had formed in my stomach.

My second year of college started in a week and instead of staying home to finish packing, I was following my cock on a booty call.

Was it still a booty call if I was heading over to his place to ride his dick?

Was it still a booty call if it was your boyfriend?

We hadn’t seen each other much this summer; Corey’s internship kept him busy, and I worked at the local creamery to make a few extra bucks. I hoped tonight was my own real-life creamery – the cum-filled kickoff I wanted it to be and the start of a very raunchy semester together.

Getting an erection on public transport while imagining Corey’s mouth-watering cock spewing into my mouth wasn’t the best way to spend a Wednesday evening, especially since I had nothing ready and I was supposed to move in with him this weekend.

I took the stairs two at a time exiting the station and made the right on Washington. The air was still heavy with humidity; summer was lingering in the city. The tank top I wore tonight kept me cool and let my biceps have free rein. As I approached our future apartment, I hoped Corey noticed my progress. Since I hadn’t seen him much this summer, I spent most of my free time at the gym or the pool.

I couldn’t help the smile that formed when I saw that Corey was waiting outside for me, but as soon as we made eye contact, I knew something was wrong. He hadn’t returned the smile and the pit in my stomach intensified.

A few more steps and I watched him bend over to pick something up.

A cardboard box.

“Hey” was all I could say when I got to him and he didn’t move closer.

“This isn't how I wanted to do this, Ben, but…fuck, this is hard to say.”

“Then just say it.” Please don't say it.

“I've met someone else. It's over.”

I couldn’t believe it.

Are you fucking kidding me?

“What do you mean, it's over? You were saying just last week how much you missed my tight hole? What about my tight hole, Corey?!”

“Keep it down,” he whispered, stepping forward.

“What? Is he here? You don't want your neighbors to know you're a fucking cheater?!”

Oh, how I wanted to keep screaming.

Instead, while he babbled about trying to make it easier on me, I grabbed the box from him which was of course filled with my things.

“My JJ Knight, eight and a half inch, vanilla-scented, ultraskyn dildo with removable vac-u-lock suction cup better be in here!” I warned, digging through the clothes, jockstraps, my favorite baseball hat – thank God – and found it.

“It's there.” Corey's reply was barely audible. “If it's cool, Ben, I’d still like to be friends.”

“Seriously? Friends?” I could've pulled my hair out. “We’ve been dating for almost eight months, sexted each other all summer, we planned on living together starting this weekend , but it's actually over because you've met someone else and now I have to find a place to live a week before the semester starts and you want to be friends?!”

The door opened behind Corey and we both looked.

Fuck.

He looked even younger than me.

“Did you find him at the local middle school?!”

“Don't talk to him like that,” the twink said, stepping forward.

“I bench press more than you weigh, Twinkerbell,” I said, turning to leave. “Pro tip, don't eat his ass out, he never washes well enough down there,” I yelled from a hundred feet away.

I didn't look back and luckily some road-raging asshole's car horn drowned out whatever tepid response Corey and his new boyfriend thought up.

It wasn't until a few blocks later, standing at the stairs for the T that I realized I was crying.

“I never liked him. He was always so condescending to you.”

Really?

I tried to think of when Kaleb meant before I realized exactly what he said.

“What do you mean you never liked him? We went to P-town together as a group. You said it was the best week of your life.”

“Yeah.” Kaleb walked over and sat next to me on his couch. “Because I fucked a different guy or girl every night. Not because of Corey.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. By the time I really didn’t like him, you really liked him.”

“It’s fine. I get it.” I allowed myself one last sniffle and attempted to gather myself together. “I just need to figure out where I’m gonna live. I can’t go back to living with my parents. I love them, but this summer was a ghost town for my love life.”

“I’m sure you could’ve found someone to pound you in Lowell. It had nothing to do with geography. You were waiting for Corey to buy a clue and pay attention to you.”

I sighed, dramatically, because he was right. How did I not see it?

Kaleb continued, “And I already told you, you can stay here with us.”

I looked around, somewhat hopeful, though there were only two bedrooms.

“Asa would be okay with that?” I asked.

Kaleb shrugged. “He’s pretty much at MIT all the time. I barely see him but I’ll ask anyway.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea that we sleep in the same bed,” I said.

“Wow! I’m offended.” Kaleb stood up. “Or did you mean Asa’s?”

I shook my head.

“You’re sitting on your new bed, asshole, and you wish you could get a piece of my cock.” He grabbed his crotch for effect.

I had seen it – and it was pretty big – but I rolled my eyes anyway. Kaleb was a huge flirt and it would be nice to live with him. Maybe his carefree attitude towards sex would rub off on me?

I came out of the closet last year and started dating Corey almost immediately. He – and the JJ Knight dildo Kaleb got me for my birthday – were my only experiences .

“Keep that thing to yourself.”

Kaleb pulled me off the couch. “Let’s go to the gym and check out guys. Plus, working up a sweat will be good for you. Then after we shower and see if anyone wants to plow you, we can pig out on pizza and go get drunk at The Stable.”

I ignored half of that sentence and asked, “Isn’t that the place where they have the go-go-boys?”

Kaleb jumped up and down, clapping his hands. “Yes! Fuck, some of them are so hot.”

“Wait a second.” I reached out to calm him down, trying not to smirk at how much taller than him I was. “I don’t want to mooch off you and Asa. How much to live here?”

“Dude, you’ll be on our couch. It’s not exactly The Newbury.” Kaleb shrugged. “You can just help out with the utilities or groceries. I don’t know, pay for Netflix.”

I was definitely going to do more than that. Finding a part-time job that worked with my schedule wouldn’t be too hard.

“And on the way, we’re stopping at Planned Parenthood.”

“What? Why?”

“If Corey was fucking around on you, we need you to get tested,” Kaleb explained. “Make sure you can get fucked by whomever you want.”

“I started PrEP last year.”

“Dude, you know that doesn’t cover all STIs.”

Ugh, he had a point.

“How about that one?” Kaleb asked.

I slapped his hand down. “Stop pointing!”

I attempted to concentrate on my form while Kaleb’s head continued to swivel. I could see why I had made so much progress on my body and why Kaleb while fit was still slim.

The man he was gesturing at was attractive. I had never dated– no! —I was supposed to be looking for a fuck, not a boyfriend.

“I’m so glad we came here.” Kaleb moved back into position where he was supposed to be spotting me. A glance up his shorts told me what I already guessed. He was going commando.

“That’s gonna drip in my eye if you don’t take a step back,” I said a little too loudly.

Without looking down at me, he smirked and repositioned himself. “I’m so getting you laid tonight. You’re desperate for it.”

He was right and it was mostly because of Corey. I had been as celibate as I could be this summer, hoping it made my time with Corey more special. But time together never really happened, and now…well…

“I should’ve seen this coming,” I said, sitting up. “Your turn.”

We switched places.

“Seen what coming? Fuck, take some weight off He-Man. Who do you think I am?”

I pulled twenty off each side. “If you can’t do that, you need to come to the gym more.”

He took a jab at my balls but I was quick enough to avoid him.

“Stop fucking around,” I warned. “We came here to sweat. I should’ve seen that Corey and I weren’t going to work out.”

Kaleb groaned loudly as he pushed the bar up each time. It was a little obnoxious but it was getting him attention. I had to laugh at his bravado.

“You were smitten.” He gave the bar another push. “He was your first.”

“You don't have to tell the whole gym.”

“The best way to get over one dick is to get another one inside you,” Kaleb added, loud enough that a man passing by stopped in his tracks.

Before I could stop him, Kaleb sat up and said, “My friend here wants a ride. What are you packin’? He likes ‘em big.”

Jesus.

I was mortified – even if it were true.

“You know, it’s slutty boys like you that give gay men a bad reputation.”

I dashed around the bar as Kaleb immediately pushed himself into the stranger’s personal space.

“Excuse me?! I’m not the one who interrupted a private conversation to slut-shame complete strangers.”

I tried to insert myself between the two of them and pushed at Kaleb’s chest, attempting to get him to back down.

“It was hardly a private conversation. The whole gym could hear you.”

And the whole gym was staring now.

“Is there a problem here?” A bearded, muscular, hulk of a man stepped away from his deadlift to stand next to our awkward threesome. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his biceps had to be the size of Kaleb’s head.

Fuck me. This is just what I needed today. I did not want to get kicked out of the nicest gym in the area.

“Yeah, these two boys-”

The man interrupted him. “I was asking them.”

I was too hypnotized by the crease in between his pecs to speak. Kaleb answered for us.

“This man called us sluts just because we were talking about dick. I’m sorry if my best friend just got dumped by his inconsiderate swine of a boyfriend.” He was in full hands-on-hips mode. “I was trying to make him feel better. Endorphins, testosterone, all that jizz. And yeah, I’m loud. So what? Put your earbuds in and move along.”

The bearded hunk turned back to the stranger. “You heard him.”

“Wh-what? You think I’m just gonna-”

“I can ask you to apologize or you can leave.”

He said it in a way that wasn’t quite threatening but his body language definitely made it seem that way.

“The owner is going to hear about this. I won’t stand to be treated-”

“Hi, I’m Richard.” He held out his hand. “I’m one of the owners. Don’t call other members sluts. If you have a problem in the future, find a staff member.”

The stranger stormed off and the hunk turned to speak to us.

“I’m really sorry this happened to you. Can I offer you two months of membership? On me.”

“Yes!” Kaleb blurted before I could answer, though I was in agreement with his excitement.

I grabbed a spray bottle and cleaned off the bench as Kaleb trailed after our gym savior who apparently also owned the place. After tossing the cleaning rag in the bin, I jogged to catch up to them. They had just made it to the front desk. Kaleb was in full flirt mode – so much for getting me dick.

“Is that why the gym is called Dick’s ? Because of your name.”

Richard smiled and nodded. “Me and my partner both have the same name. We thought it would be funny since it’s a gay gym. Not that we discriminate.”

Damn, he’s taken.

He turned his head slightly, making eye contact with me. “What’s your name, handsome?”

Or not.

“I’m Ben. Ben Giordano.”

He turned to the receptionist. “Did you get that?”

Ah. He just needed to know to give me the extra two months.

The man behind the counter nodded. “Yes, Mr. Hawk.”

Richard turned back to us. “Sorry for the trouble, gentlemen. I hope I've made up for it.”