Chapter 11
“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE Tobias is willingly letting people he doesn’t know throw a party in his gym. Are we sure he wasn’t abducted by aliens and replaced with a pod person?” Riley said.
There was no answer from Josh, so Riley finished getting dressed for Abby and Emilio’s going away party, throwing on his long-sleeved henley and grabbing his Dior cologne, or parfum, as his sister insisted when he opened it last Christmas.
He spritzed it in the air and walked through the cloud of spicy aroma, doing his best not to inhale all of it.
He still remembered the first time Sophie showed him how to do it.
More of it got in his lungs than on his body.
He shut down his laptop, where he was rereading old emails from CJ Rollins, grabbed Abby’s gift off his mini desk and walked out of his room to head to Josh’s.
Josh was standing in front of his mirror with a quizzical look on his face.
Like usual, he looked like he stepped off a men’s magazine cover, wearing a stylish sweater with a button-down shirt underneath and jeans that always made the women they brought home jealous.
“You okay?” Riley asked, drawing him out of studying his reflection.
With a worried expression, Josh asked, “Would you do me in this outfit?”
“Uh…”
How many times had Josh asked him that question over the years? It was how he judged his looks before they left for the night, but it had never made the blood rush away from Riley's head and toward a completely different head.
Josh isn’t actually asking me to do him. He’s asking if he looks good.
Riley chose to ignore the pang of disappointment that followed that realization. He could figure that out later.
“Yeah, of course,” Riley finally said. “You look great, like always.”
The shy smile Josh sent him in return made Riley’s knees weak, a reaction that may have been more confusing than the semi he hoped wasn’t noticeable in his jeans.
“Um, I was saying how did we get away with having a party at the gym?” Riley said, hoping the change of subject would calm him. “I can’t believe Tobias said yes to so many people in his space… socializing. Being merry.”
“Apparently he’s pretty excited to talk to Abby’s sister about starting kids’ classes. I mean, Tobias-level excited. I think I even saw him smile when he was talking to Cole about it.”
“Holy shit, he must think it will be huge for his business or something.”
“Whatever makes him happy,” Josh said as he grabbed his wallet off the dresser and slipped it in his pocket. “You ready to go? Got the gift?”
“Yup, right here,” Riley said, holding up the gift bag.
Inside were two sleep masks with neck support that would help Abby and Emilio fall asleep anywhere they needed, plus two shirts with their new travel logo.
Riley and Josh had worked on a design the couple could use for their YouTube channel and social media to make them look more legit as they tried to gain followers and viewers.
They were going to look for ways to make traveling more accessible for everyone by visiting cities on a budget and chronicling their experiences.
They were also planning on doing some kind of good in every city they visited, trying to leave it a little better than when they’d first arrived.
Riley couldn’t wait to see the fruits of their labor, and hopefully join them on some of their travels someday.
It would hurt not seeing Abby for so long.
She had been such a huge part of his life for years.
Emilio had become a friend quickly, as well, and he’d miss having him around.
It was like the end of an era, their group moving on without them.
I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry.
He was so going to cry.
When Josh and Riley walked into the gym later, they almost didn’t recognize it.
There was so much… life.
Balloons were spread around the space, decorating mostly tables, but also some of the gym’s squat racks. People filled the room, not just with their bodies but also with conversation that blended with music blaring from the sound system.
Riley wondered how Tobias was faring with this invasion. He saw him in a corner talking to Alyssa with a—well, it wasn’t a smile, but it was as close as he came.
Even more surprising was Chase standing next to him and looking at him with what he could only describe as awe.
They must have been super excited about those kids' classes.
“Abby!” Josh shouted above the din, drawing Riley out of his thoughts.
He watched as Josh walked over to Abby, who was standing with the rest of their friends, and lifted her in the air, spinning her before placing her safely on the ground. Riley followed with his own hug. A little but loud voice distracted him from saying hi to everyone else.
“Me next! Me next!” Colin, Abby’s adorable six-year-old nephew shouted, tugging on Josh’s sweater.
“Colin, say please,” Abby instructed.
“Pleeeeeease!”
“Oh, you want a turn, too?” Josh joked, bouncing in excitement.
He lifted Colin in the air and held him over his head so he could pretend to fly. Colin shrieked in delight and threw his arms out in front of him, Josh making him fly all over the gym until they reached the squat rack. He lifted the boy until he grabbed onto one of the pull-up bars.
“Oh no, he’s hanging off the side of a building! Who will save him?” Josh shouted, now gaining the attention of most of the party. He was still supporting Colin’s body, but letting him hold onto the bars. “Have no fear, Super Josh is here!”
Pulling Colin off the bars, he held him in a bridal carry and ran to Brianna, Alyssa’s wife and Colin’s other mom.
“Here you go, miss. I’ve saved your son from the evils of Dr. Meanface!”
Bri and Colin giggled at Josh’s antics, and Riley couldn’t help but melt.
Josh would make such an amazing dad one day. Maybe even—
“Riley Hanson!” Abby shouted, and he spun to see his friends staring at him. By the looks of it, it hadn’t been the first time she called his name.
“Uh, what’s up?” he asked, glad he was able to play it so cool. He totally wasn’t fantasizing about his future with Josh. Not even a little bit.
“Don’t worry, everyone. I’m on the case.”
Cole appeared at his side, throwing an arm around his shoulders and leading him to a table filled with drinks. He dipped into a cooler and pulled out two beers, using the bottle opener on the table to pop each of them open, then handing one to Riley.
“You doing okay, Ri?” he asked.
Shit. Cole was in serious friend mode again. It was impossible to ignore him in most modes, but he wouldn’t let himself be ignored in this mode.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” he said, busying himself by reading the label of his beer.
Ah, a winter lager. How exciting.
“Hey,” Cole said, forcing Riley’s gaze to shoot to him. “I’m here, man. You don’t have to go through anything alone if you don’t want to.”
“What exactly do you think I’m going through?”
“Look, I know what it looks like when someone is swooning for someone else from a distance. You’ve got that look in your eye that I had the last ten years before anything happened with Elena.
The look Avery had since high school before Hailey noticed him standing right in front of her.
That look that Tobias is currently throwing across the room at Chase. ”
That one made Riley jolt, and he surveyed the room and noticed Tobias filling a plate with food from one of the many catering trays, his eyes watching Chase chatting with Abby’s mom. Probably recruiting her for the gym’s new yoga classes.
Rumors about Tobias’ sexuality surfaced ahead of his early retirement from hockey.
There was even a rumor that he retired because the team didn’t want it causing trouble in the locker room, but Tobias had never confirmed or denied the rumors.
Still, the fact he was looking at Chase like that was surprising.
It’s not that Riley assumed Tobias wasn’t straight, but more that he assumed Tobias was a robot and had no interest in anything with anyone.
If Riley wasn’t careful, he was going to get a concussion from his mind being blown so often in such a short period of time.
“Do you think Tobias knows he’s your ex?”
“What does that matter?”
“Well, he ought to know how terrible Chase’s taste in men is.”
Cole slapped him lightly on the back of his head, and Riley reached behind him to make sure his feathery hair was still lying flat.
“I’m going to ignore that since you’re going through something—”
“Hitting me doesn’t seem like ignoring it, but okay.”
“Riley.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he turned his gaze to Cole’s.
“I don’t…” he trailed off. “I have no idea what’s happening.”
Cole was radiating sympathy. “Talk to Josh about it. You know he’ll be honest.”
They both chuckled at Josh’s habit to blurt out the inappropriate, but Riley had always found it endearing.
“Also, and this is really, really important,” Cole said, his gaze serious, “don’t try anything without lube. It makes everything easier and better.”
Riley blinked at him, stupefied by the turn in the conversation.
All he could do was nod in the direction of the rest of the party. “I’m gonna go… somewhere else now. Thanks, Cole.”
“Anytime, buddy. I’m here for anything you need. Unless it’s to be your third. Elena and I don’t share.”
Riley nodded seriously, as if he would even consider that when he was trying to wrap his head around one man.
“Okay,” he said, taking a quick peek at Josh to see him sitting with everyone and still without a drink. Riley grabbed one more beer out of the cooler and opened it, to Cole’s apparent delight as he heard a squeal behind him, and took off toward Josh.
As he walked to the table, Josh’s eyes found him. He lit up as Riley approached.
“Hey, Ri, I made you a plate,” he said as he reached out for the beer. “Thanks for the drink. Sit down and eat.”
Josh pulled out the chair next to him. Riley sat in front of a plate with all his favorites from the catering trays. Josh knew him so well.
Fuck. I am in so much trouble.