Chapter 1
Present Day
Sin
I’ve spent the last hour trying to translate a Chinese myth into English.
It took me far too long to realize that I was reading Korean written with Chinese characters.
No wonder the professor looked a bit wicked when he assigned the homework.
It’s annoying, but good practice. Fortunately, once I realized I was actually dealing with Korean, I finished the translation quickly.
Gael sits behind me on the couch focused on the Call of Duty battle he’s currently losing. His stats are always awful, but he plays as a medic and keeps his team alive. I appreciate his sacrifice when we play together.
“Did you finish?” he asks, leaving his game.
“Yeah. I’m just looking it over now. The professor wanted us to do it without reference materials, but he failed to mention it was a Chinese myth written in Korean using Chinese characters.”
“Here.” Gael reaches around me and sets something against my lips.
I don’t even look, I just open my mouth and take whatever he wants to share with me. It tastes like a weird yogurt pretzel.
“I had a guy ask me out today,” he says as he sets his controller on my homework.
“A guy?” He’s never dated a guy before, and it looks like he wants to talk, so I’m done with this translation. I put my pencil down, turning all the way around to give him my full attention. “What did you say?”
“I gave him my number and told him I was free whenever.” He’s wearing his Christmas morning smile; he must really like this guy.
“What’s his name?” I’m not sure what I should ask. If it was a girl, I’d know. Am I supposed to treat this the same way I would if he told me about a girl? Do I want to do that?
“Phineas. He’s the handyman who came into the cafe to repair the broken freezer about two weeks ago. He’s been coming back for a coffee and donut every morning before work since then. I really like him.”
Gael’s happiness makes me glad for him, even though I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Gael dating a guy is…
I’m not sure what to think, but my opinions can be evaluated later. Right now Gael deserves my support. “I hope he calls soon, then.”
As if my words are magic, his phone rings from the table. I grab it for him and hand it to him.
“This is Gael,” he says as he pushes another weird yogurt pretzel into my mouth.
I chew it as I listen.
“Tonight? Yeah… I know the place… Sure… Great, see you then. Bye.”
“Date?” I ask, though I can already tell that’s what’s happening.
“Yeah. In an hour. I’m going to shower and borrow some clothes.” He has the dazed look he gets whenever something happens that he wasn’t expecting, but he’s smiling, so this is good for him, and that makes me happy for him.
“I’ll pick an outfit for you. Do you want to take my car?” He has his own, but mine is nicer, and he’ll want to put his best face forward.
He thinks about it for a moment, brushing his blond curls off his face, then shakes his head. “No. Drop me off. I’d like to see how the night goes with the guy.”
“Take the condoms from the nightstand and the lube.” I hope Phineas and Gael are compatible, and it never hurts to be prepared.
“Are they the ones I bought? I really liked those.”
They’re his favorite, actually.
I shake my head. “We used the last of yours up last time with Jessica, I replaced them so the box is brand new.”
Jessica was his last girlfriend, though it only lasted a few months between them.
“Thanks for that. Eat the rest of these,” he says, shoving the bag of yogurt pretzels at me.
The bag says they’re ginger and hibiscus flavored. No wonder they taste weird, but he’s always had weird tastes.
A Few Months Ago
Sin
The doorbell brings me out of the Korean text I’ve been working through for an assignment. When I answer it, I’m surprised to find Gael’s girlfriend here without Gael. He’s at a party for his work, and she agreed to go with him.
“Hey, Sin,” Jessica looks up at me nervously.
“Gael’s not here. Why aren’t you at the party with him?”
I already know the answer. This has become an increasingly frequent problem whenever Gael shares with me. What the fuck is wrong with these women?
“Um, can I come in?” She looks timid, but I know what she’s like in bed and timid doesn’t describe her in the least. This woman insisted that Gael and I Eiffel Tower her two Fridays ago, and when we weren’t aggressive enough about it, she rocked her body between us until she damn near passed out, choking on my cock.
I step to the side and allow her to walk past me, shutting the door behind her. “What’s going on?” I ask, leaning against the door instead of following her further into the house.
She flutters her hands nervously. “I like you,” she says, blushing. “More than I like Gael. Will you go out with me?”
And there’s the problem. Almost all of his girlfriends in the last few years have ended up telling me this. I hate it to my marrow. I would never steal his girlfriend—wouldn't even consider it! I don’t understand why they keep doing this, and I refuse to even consider their offers, because…
I never want to be the one to cause Gael pain.
Gael is my person, and how anyone could have fucked us both, spent time with the two of us in the same room, and not understand that there is no reality in which I would ever choose them over him is a complete mystery to me. Only an utter fool would think I would ever betray Gael for them
“Did you break up with Gael?” I ask, thinking I’m going to have to go hunt him down now, because if she did, he will definitely try to get drunk, and he took my car today.
“Of course. I called him on my way over here.”
Stupid. “I don’t like anyone who hurts Gael. You can leave now.”
We didn’t get past the entryway, so I reopen the door for her.
“But, I thought you liked me too! Didn’t we have great chemistry?” The tears in her eyes don’t move me—I’m too angry with her for failing to take Gael’s feelings into consideration and for thinking for a single second that I would ever choose her over him.
“Gael always shares his favorite things with me. I would never betray him for you. If you really liked me, you wouldn’t have hurt Gael. Leave. I’ve got to go find him.”
Jessica runs out of my house and out of our lives for good. I call Gael, but I get no answer, so I schedule a ride with the app I use when Gael and I go out drinking and wait.
When my ride gets there, she takes me to the bar where the party is happening, and I find my best friend sitting on the bench outside, smoking a cigarette he bummed from someone. I sit down next to him and put my arm around his shoulders.
“Did she tell you?” he sniffles quietly.
“Yeah.” Fuck her so much.
“What did you tell her?” I hate hearing his voice broken like this.
I squeeze him hard and kiss his hair. “I don’t like anyone who hurts you.”
He huffs at that, but leans his head on my shoulder. “Thanks.”
“I’ll take you for ice cream. You can get the largest size of that lemon-honey-mango that you like.” It’s weird, but not awful, and it always helps improve his outlook on life when shit goes sideways.
“I’ll share it with you.”
I know.
Weird ice cream for the win.
Present Day
Phineas
He’s the prettiest man I’ve ever seen. The glow that shines out of him when he smiles makes me stupid.
Every time he looks at me like it’s Christmas morning, I want to give him everything he could possibly want.
My heart gave itself to him the moment he turned those dimples up at me like I was saving his personal bacon.
He doesn’t even own the cafe, he’s just friends with the owners, but he took me fixing the refrigeration unit as an act of heroism.
It was ridiculous, and me spending ten bucks every morning just to see him again was just as ridiculous.
Thankfully he said yes to a date. That’s going to save me seventy bucks a week. My sister’s been on my ass about my spending, but I have more savings than I know what to do with, so she can bite me.
Carefully, I scoot into the booth the host leads me to, facing the front of the restaurant.
It’s a neighborhood bar and grill, but Gael didn’t give me the impression that he was the fancy-restaurant type.
And it would be weird if he was because that’s not who I am, and we are definitely…
something more than casually compatible.
With my eyes glued to the front of the restaurant, I completely miss the waiter coming over and putting water in front of me until Gael walks in the front door, and I raise my hand to wave at him, knocking over the glass of ice water and making a mess of the table, the floor, and the front of my pants.
Gael’s amused smile turns my excitement about this date into a flush of embarrassment about my clumsiness.
He saunters to me on legs made for admiring, wearing a fitted lavender button up and painted on dark wash jeans.
In his hand is a small bouquet of rainbow-dyed carnations, and when he arrives at the booth, he hands them to me with a laugh.
“Hello, handsome,” he greets me, leaning over and kissing my cheek.
I accept the flowers, but before I can get a word out, he turns, grabbing the attention of the closest server.
“Go get a rag, please. My date’s water tipped over,” he tells the man, indicating the mess.
“And we’re going to move to that table,” he adds, pulling me out of the booth and pushing me into the one behind us.
As soon as I’m scooted over, Gael takes up the space across from me with a pleased smile on his face.
“You’re so cute,” he says to my flushed face.
I know it’s red because I’m ginger and my face shows every emotion that passes through, including the current spark of arousal at the way he just showed up and took control.
I press my lips together, remembering the flowers in my hand. “Thank you for the flowers,” I say quickly. “I’ve never been given any before.”
“I’ve never been on a date with a man, so we’re both experiencing new things today,” he replies, reaching over and setting the flowers on the table and taking my hand.
“Sin was a little shocked when I told him I was going on a date with you, but he’s on board.
He actually went out to get the flowers while I showered.
Well, and the lube packets. He decided I didn’t need that kind of bulge in my pants.
” He laughs, threading our fingers together, and I breathe out a breath of relief.
I don’t know who Sin is, but Gael’s touch reassures my heart that he really is the person for me, and I know in my bones that we’re fated.
I didn’t even know it was possible to just suddenly have that knowledge, but now I do.
He’s mine, and I’m his, and this is the last first date I will ever go on.
Gael smiles at me like he can feel that destiny between us too. “That look on your face is my new favorite.”
I chuckle softly, keeping my voice low out of habit. “I don’t know what look is on my face, but I think you can look forward to seeing it a lot.”
Gael laughs, so happy it fills my heart with joy. “Sin is going to love you.”
Who’s Sin?