Chapter 9 #2
“You’re so funny. Hilarious, actually,” I say an instant before someone leaps in front of his car.
He was already stopping to park, so it wasn’t like he would have hit him, but it still makes Grayson jump.
Eddie, one of the others in our group, proceeds to fall onto the hood of his vehicle, as if Grayson really hit him.
I can see people who’d been walking by stop to stare.
“Fucking hell… I should run him over,” he grumbles.
“He probably deserves it,” I say as I roll the window down. “Grayson, it looks like you might have gotten some shit on your hood.”
Eddie doesn’t lift his head but proceeds to flip us off with both hands.
“I just washed this car, too. That’s the kind of shit that lasts no matter how much you scrub.”
“Both of you… can suck my meaty dick,” Eddie says as we get out. He stops playing victim and instead comes over and gives me one of those bro hugs with a lot of hand smacking and a bit of crushing. “No hugs for you, Grayson.”
“I don’t want any of your hugs, trust me.”
“The only thing I trust is that you’ve conned sweet Cal here into thinking that you’re a halfway decent man.”
“He was making me tell him all the things I liked about him on the drive over,” I inform him.
Eddie’s buzzed head snaps back as he raises an eyebrow at the man in question. “What the fuck, Grayson? You know if anyone should get compliments, it should be me,” he says. “Cal, let me hear it. Tell me what you like about me.”
“I like how brutal you are to Grayson,” I admit.
That makes Eddie look quite pleased. “Aww… this is fun. Okay, what else?”
“I like how funny you are.”
“What the fuck?” Grayson asks as he follows us. “I couldn’t even get any compliments out of you and you’re shooting them off one after another?”
When I see Lt. Allen ahead of us, I hurry away from Eddie like I don’t want to be seen with him.
While I’m used to calling people by their last names in the military, they’ve assured me that I’m now “one of them” and will be calling them by their first names.
The only one I struggle to do that with is Lt.
Allen, and apparently everyone else does as well.
But I think it’s his presence, honestly.
He acts like he’s one of us, but the way he carries himself and talks really makes me feel like I should still smack a “lieutenant” in front of his last name, and he hasn’t corrected me yet.
“Looking like model citizens, I see,” Lt. Allen says, holding the door open for us.
“It’s not the weirdest thing I’ve seen them do,” Audrey comments as she walks up. The last two times we’ve been out, she’s been my spotter, and a damn good one at that. I feel like I could shoot without even needing my eyes if she’s involved, even though her expertise lies in demolition.
“Is Devon coming? I got a special ‘fuck you’ for him,” Eddie says.
“What’d he do now?” Lt. Allen asks.
“He parked in my parking spot. The balls on that man have to be massive.”
“My balls are perfectly sized,” Devon says as we damn near bump into him when we enter. Though Lt. Allen is in charge of the operations, he generally doesn’t go on scene. That’s when Devon Jefferson takes over.
We head over to a large booth where I’m squished between Grayson and Eddie, who is still trying to start shit. I guess throwing his body against Grayson’s car wasn’t enough for the day.
“Order whatever you like, it’s on me,” Lt. Allen announces.
“Except for Eddie, of course,” Devon adds.
“That should go without saying,” Audrey says with a grin.
I notice that grin is aimed at Grayson, and I can’t help but wonder if she doesn’t know he’s gay…
or maybe he’s bi? It’s not like my chicken ass has brought it up.
Instead, I just smile at him too much, try not to blush, and do my best not to think about him whenever I’m not around him.
“Does that mean I get his food too?” I ask.
“You’re like Lt. Allen’s prized child. You can do no wrong,” Eddie says. “You could piss on his tires and everyone would pat you on the back.”
“That’s what happens when you weren’t born being a pesky shit,” Devon deadpans, and everyone laughs.
Eddie shakes his head like they’re all wrong. “My mom loves my pesky ass. Favorite child sitting right here.”
“I’d hate to meet your siblings, then,” Audrey teases.
That’s when I see Tate walk in and hurry over to our table.
“Sorry I’m late,” he says before giving me a smile.
He’s always been really nice to me ever since we joined together.
It was great having a friend since I came in knowing no one, and we’d thankfully stayed near each other until I left the military.
But even now, he’s happy to give me a ride like he did this morning, and seems eager to hang out. “I got held up by my girlfriend.”
“Are you rubbing it in or something?” Eddie asks.
“Ha. Funny. I got held up because her cat got outside and we just spent an hour searching for the damn thing only to find that it was sunbathing two feet from where we’d spent a frantic hour searching for it.”
Eddie grins. “I want a cat.”
“I feel like you can’t even take care of yourself. Taking care of a cat would be very hard for you,” Devon says.
“All y’all are just jealous of the great Eddie. That’s what I’m hearing,” Eddie declares.
“I’ve only been here a minute, and I’m already well aware Eddie’s making shit up again,” Tate says.
“It’s what Eddie does,” Grayson agrees. “I’ve known that man for years and I bet eighty percent of what comes out of his mouth are badly timed jokes.”
“Badly timed, my ass. There’s no way all of you would be hanging out with me if they were badly timed. Perfectly timed is what you mean.”
“How about a shot every time Eddie says something foolish?” Tate suggests.
“We’d be wasted within minutes. Maybe a sip of our beer,” Grayson says.
“I can drive so you can drink,” I offer.
Grayson shakes his head. “Nah, you enjoy yourself.”
“Honestly, I’m not much of a drinker, and even if I did, I’d maybe have one beer. I have an early class too.”
“I guess I won’t fight you on it,” he says.
Evidently, the team sees everything that comes out of Eddie’s mouth as foolish because they lift their glasses every time he speaks. Of course he gives them shit for it, but there’s no way they’re stopping; they’re loving every minute of it.
By the time they’re done for the night, everyone but Tate and me are wasted.
Lt. Allen had left after about an hour, so Tate is tasked with getting Audrey, Devon, and Eddie home.
I’m tasked with Grayson since I have his car.
My plan is to drive him home, then borrow his car for morning classes since he said he doesn’t need it until after lunch.
All I know is this means I get to see him multiple days in a row.
We walk out to the cars, and I can’t help but laugh as Tate struggles to get Eddie into the back seat. Devon, who I swore drank just as much, seems completely fine and just watches without helping. But then again, I’m also watching without lifting a finger.
“I’m glad I got this car,” I observe.
“Me too. Eddie is a very happy drunk, and last time he tried sticking his tongue in my mouth. He said he just wanted to see if kissing guys was different than girls. Then he told me the next day that I really should work on my kissing if I ever wanted to get laid. Like him cramming his tongue into my mouth unexpectedly was a good test,” Grayson says before he laughs and laughs.
I’m not quite sure if he’s laughing about what he was talking about, if he’s just really drunk, or if he’s remembering the funniest moment in his life.
“I think you all really shouldn’t drink when Eddie talks next time.”
“I think so too. He talks so much. Fuck. I haven’t been this drunk since I was in my early twenties. I don’t get drunk very often. You should have stopped me.”
“I feel like I mentioned to all of you that you’d had plenty to drink, and do you know what you told me?”
“Probably something magnificent.”
“That you were ‘stone-cold sober and one more wouldn’t hurt.’”
“I’m sure I was at that point.”
“That was like twenty minutes ago.”
“I got really drunk after that. Shhhh. You know nothing,” he says as he reaches over and tries to push his finger against my lips to silence me. Instead, he ends up cramming that finger in my cheek. And then he laughs some more like this is the most entertaining thing he’s ever done.
“You’re ridiculous,” I say.
“I’m still jealous you had nice shit to say to Eddie but not me.”
I grin, and I’m not even sure if he actually is jealous or is just giving me shit, but it makes me happy either way. “Okay… let’s see. You’re funny.”
“Thank you.”
“Handsome.”
“Oh yes, you called me pretty.”
“You called yourself pretty, I just agreed.”
Grayson tries to encourage me on with his hands. “Give me more, give me more.”
“You always make me feel like I’m worth something,” I mutter.
“Do you want me to beat up whoever made you think you weren’t?”
“Sure.”
“Just let me at ’em. Take me there now. I’ll do it.”
“I’d love to watch,” I say as I pull up at his place. “You sure you’re okay with me borrowing the car? I can have it back to you first thing in the morning if you want. I can pick up a bus from here in the morning.”
“Nah, I don’t need it.”
“Okay. Have a good night.”
He smiles at me and it’s such an odd reaction. “You’re cute,” he says before getting out.
Like… was that a… “You’re cute” as in you’re handsome? Or a “You’re funny” kind of “You’re cute”?
While I’m busy speculating the meaning behind that, Grayson is busy tripping over something and spectacularly falls.
And with the lightning speed of a man who has “You’re cute” ricocheting around in his mind, I leap out of the vehicle and rush around to be his savior.
The only issue is that he’s already made it back to his feet by the time I reach him and then simply looks confused about why I got out.
“You need something?”
“Uh… no, you just… fell…”
“I don’t think so,” he says. “Why do you look flushed? You weren’t the one drinking.”
“I most definitely do not look flushed.”
He grins as he walks up to me until he’s ridiculously close.
It’s well beyond “I’m standing close to you to talk to you” and into “Are you trying to crawl into my body” territory.
It’s not until my ass is pressed against the car and my cock is pressed against his body that he stops. “Is this because I called you cute?”
“I… what? No! You tripped. And I got out of the car… to help…”
“Yeah? And then what?” he asks.
“And then what? You pinned me against your car.”
Grayson tips my chin up and smirks at me. “Yeah? What else did I do to you?”
“I… uh…” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “You kissed me?”
His eyebrow quirks and I open my mouth to tell him I’m joking, and it was such a stupid joke, but I did it.
I made that joke. And haha… I’d better get in the car and drive off, but before I can, his mouth is against mine like he’s simply tasting my lips.
Then he kisses me again, this time his tongue running along my lips, clearly asking for entry, and I’m more than prepared to permit him all the entry he wants.
My lips part and his tongue finds mine. He rocks his hips forward, groin pressing against mine as I feel like I’m swept away in a fantasy I’ve only dreamed about.
I’m caught up in it, so excited by the idea that he likes me that I don’t think through anything else until he pulls back.
My heart is pounding out of my chest while I adjust my glasses that he bumped.
Grayson gives me a look that I don’t quite know how to read before he says, “Fuck, I’m drunk. I shouldn’t be doing that. Definitely not drunk, at least. Have a good night.”
I just stand here at a loss for words as he walks off without me. Like… he’s just going to leave me here like this? I would very happily follow him into his home if he simply asked, but instead he gives me a cheerful wave and backs through the door of his place, leaving me alone by his car.
Fucking hell, what have I gotten into?