5. Kai
Kai
Kai
" B ruce, goddammit," Casey sighed as the orange cat from the other day slipped past him into my cabin and scaled the bookshelves in two smooth jumps, then leaped across the hall into my bedroom and vanished. It was Friday afternoon, and Casey had appeared at the door right after work, probably to offer me dinner.
Casey liked to make sure we were fed.
I waved him off. "It's not a big deal. Bruce can hang out."
Casey hesitated. "I'm not sure you want that. He has a tendency to… well, um." Bashfully, he scratched the back of his head, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, sorry. I just stopped by to… Oh, seriously?" He peered past me, his eyebrows shooting up.
Even with that goofy expression on his face, Casey was handsome.
I turned to see the cat batting a rather distinctive foil packet across the floor. "Well, Bruce, I appreciate your commitment to safe sex," I said, leaning down to pick up the condom. The cat made a grumpy sound. "But I hear biting condoms puts holes in them."
"He enjoys… non-traditional cat toys," Casey said, eyes darting to my bedroom.
I turned the condom over in my fingers. "It's fine. I can see the appeal. It has a nice crinkle, almost like a cat toy. Anyway, how can I help you both?"
Casey said nothing. He seemed to be frozen in place, standing in my doorway, looking down at the condom in my hand. I quickly pocketed it, and he cleared his throat.
"Since my cat has let himself in, do you mind if I join him? I have something I wanted to ask you."
"Uh, sure." I stepped back and waved him inside. "Is that how you get into people's houses? Lead with the cute cat?"
"Yeah, nothing wins people over like getting your cat to steal their condoms." The corner of his mouth tilted up a little. "Bruce won Yara over, though, so I suppose it's worth a shot. Anyway, I have something I want to talk to you about."
"That's a story I want to hear."
"Not much of a story. I'm an engineering nerd, and she's way out of my league, obviously. But my cat was too cute for her to resist." He shrugged, glancing around. "Plus, the first time I brought her back to my place, he may have appeared with something in his teeth."
"Something like the condom?" I asked.
"Something a little more revealing about my sexual preferences. I was humiliated, but it intrigued Yara. She said it made her realize I wasn't quite the buttoned-up geek I appeared to be."
That was not information I or my out-of-control sexual fantasies needed. "Shit. What did the cat bring out? A leather thong?"
Casey laughed, then mimed zipping his lips. "Maybe one day, I'll tell you. She liked it, though."
I burst out laughing. "So, do you think he's trying to be your wingman, bringing out things you might enjoy?" My mind went back to the butt plug, and my laughter died as I swallowed hard. His gaze had dropped to the pocket I'd stuck the condom into. "Anyway, do you want something to drink? Eat? You're always feeding me, though I regret to inform you I don't have any popsicles."
"Shit, really? Everyone should have popsicles. You never know when you might need one."
"I'll be prepared for the next popsicle emergency."
"Great. Anyway, this will be quick." Casey walked in and leaned against my kitchen counter. "I have something to ask you." Bruce leaped up and head-butted Casey's hand until Casey scratched him behind the ears, not talking for a moment. I stood across from him, wondering if he somehow knew I was crushing on his wife.
If that was the case, maybe he was about to evict me. Or beat me up.
"What's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual, and not like a person who was crazy about Casey's wife.
"Well, remember those hot springs I showed you?" he began, his tone measured as always. "They've invited us to come stay for a weekend. For their grand opening."
"Us?" A twinge of confusion made my heart skip a beat. "You mean, Yara, you, and... me too?"
"Yeah, you too," Casey chuckled. "Well, they didn't invite you, obviously, but I asked and it's fine."
"But… why?"
Casey shrugged. "I've noticed that you and Yara haven't had much time to spend together since you moved here. She had that rush order, and then she got caught up in a little, er…" He coughed, looking to the side for a moment, looking the tiniest bit flustered before his cool composure came back. "Um, unique new project. Anyway, I thought it might be an opportunity for all of us to relax and bond."
His blush made me wonder again if her project was butt plugs. She'd mentioned something in passing, but hadn't given me any details yet, aside from whatever I saw the cat batting around the other day.
I studied him for a moment, intrigued by the offer. "Classes start in about two weeks. I don't think I should—"
"Oh, come on. What about a last hurrah before you have to buckle down at the new job?"
"Tempting." I shot Casey a skeptical look.
Casey beamed. It wasn't clear if he was oblivious to my feelings or ignoring my skepticism. "Isn't it, though?"
Bruce wandered over to me, purring loudly as he nuzzled my hand. That was my excuse. The cat. "What about Bruce? You go, and I'll watch him while you guys have your fun."
"Nice try. Yara's friend Autumn will be cat sitting. It's all planned out. Please, Kai. Help me surprise my wife." Casey's smile turned adorably charming, and I wondered how Yara ever said no to him. He was too cute and handsome and… I shook off those thoughts as he shot me one last pleading look — the kind of look a puppy might use to manipulate you into adopting him.
I huffed out a breath. "Fine. I'll go. When do we leave?"
"Tonight," he said. "It's a weekend stay — they offered it to us last minute, because they had a cancellation."
"I guess I'll pack my bags."
He whooped, pumping his fist in the air. "Thank you! You won't regret it! I gotta go pack, too!" With that, he dashed out of the house, stopping at the door to yell, "Bruce, come on!"
The cat followed him with an easygoing obedience that made me wonder if he had brought the cat to soften me up after all.
I turned towards my bedroom and tugged out a small overnight bag.
What did one even pack for a weekend in hot springs with one's alluring best friend and her ridiculously hot husband? Swim trunks, obviously.
I dug through my drawer until I found my cutest swimsuit—a sleek black number that hugged all the right places. Tossing it in to the suitcase, I paused then added one that was a bit more modest. I picked out some casual clothes, toiletries, and a couple of books for good measure. My mind raced as I zipped up the bag, wondering what kind of weekend this was going to turn out to be.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, I was ready, and wondered if I'd done everything a little too fast. I didn't want to seem too eager, did I? My stomach churned as I wondered what Casey had planned, and I waited until I heard their car doors opening and closing outside.
Taking a fortifying breath, I stepped outside, shouldering my bag and walking towards Yara and Casey's house.
They were both busy packing up Casey's SUV. Yara's curls bounced as she laughed at something Casey said, her maxi dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. She looked effortlessly beautiful, as always, her glossy curls shining in the morning sun.
Casey was all methodical movements—neatly arranging bags in the trunk, his sandy hair catching the sunlight in a way that highlighted his strong jawline and thoughtful blue eyes. At the wedding, I'd thought he was an uptight asshole, but now I'd realized he was lovely, really. Well, still uptight, maybe, just not an asshole.
"Hey guys," I greeted, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest as I took them both in. Casey turned to give me a warm smile.
"Got everything?" Yara asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Yep, ready to go!"
She elbowed me. "How did Casey convince you to come?"
"If your sexy hunk of a husband asks me to do something, I must obey his command. It's all very 'yes, Daddy.'" My voice dripped with mock seriousness, but inside, I was a bundle of nerves.
"Mm, Daddy," she said.
Casey glanced at her, brows up. "Don't make me spank you both."
We burst into laughter, Yara's eyes sparkling with delight. Her laughter was contagious, a melody that seemed to brighten everything around us. She swung open the passenger door and gestured for me to hop in the back.
She glanced back over her shoulder at me, reaching back to pat my knee and sending a rush of heat straight to my dick. "He didn't strong-arm you, did he? You wanted to come, right?"
"Yeah." Blushing, I tried not to focus on how beautiful she looked, the way her skin glowed in the afternoon light, or how her presence alone had once set my world on fire.
"Let's get going then," she said, reaching back to buckle her seatbelt. As she did, I couldn't help but think back to when we first met. Freshman year, she'd walked into my life like a whirlwind, turning everything upside down. Until that point, I'd always thought of myself as strictly gay. My high school boyfriend had been adamant that bisexuals were all gay men in denial. That kind of toxic bi-phobia had shaped my understanding of my sexuality for years.
But Yara had shattered that illusion. She was my bi-awakening, a revelation wrapped in bohemian skirts and infectious laughter. Her friendship had been a lifeline, but I'd always withheld that one crucial truth from her, afraid it would change things between us. How did our friendship work if there was the possibility of attraction between us?
"Alright, everyone got everything?" Casey asked, snapping me back to the present. As the SUV rumbled to life and we pulled away from the house, I found myself caught between excitement and dread.
The hum of the engine settled into a steady rhythm as we left Greendale behind, the quaint streets giving way to the sprawling beauty of the mountains. I gazed out the window; the landscape blurring into a watercolor of greens and browns.
I glanced at Casey, who was focused on the road ahead, his expression unreadable. The man looked every bit the part of an engineer—neatly styled hair, thoughtful blue eyes. But his physique suggested he spent as much time outdoors as he did behind a desk.
And damn if that didn't make him even hotter.
I fought the urge to squirm in my seat, suddenly hyper-aware of the tension threading through my body. This newfound attraction to Casey was unnerving, adding another layer of complexity to my already tangled feelings for Yara. It was like stepping into a minefield of emotions, each one more explosive than the last.
Yara turned to face me, leaning on the center console. "I'm so excited. Case, you worked so hard on the hot springs, it'll be rewarding to enjoy it."
"Yeah. And it'll be nice to relax for a bit." He glanced in the rearview mirror, catching my eye for a brief moment. My breath hitched, and I glanced away, wondering what he was thinking.
"Relaxing sounds good," I mumbled, feeling his gaze as it lingered on me. What was I getting myself into?
"Don't worry, Kai." Yara waved her hand, her tone light. "We're going to have so much fun. You might not want to leave."
"That's the plan." Casey's voice had dropped lower, almost conspiratorial. A shiver ran down my spine at his words, my mind racing with possibilities. "You two can finally connect after all this time."
Two hours flew by in a haze of laughter and old stories. We stopped for lunch at a tiny roadside diner, continuing to reconnect in a way we hadn't been able to do over phone calls and text messages, making me wonder if Casey was right about bringing me along.
Before I knew it, Casey was turning onto a narrow road on a sprawling ranch, rolling hills covered in sagebrush and pockets of juniper. He stopped by a big ranch house that was labeled as the guest house and jogged inside. Ahead of us, I could see a few small cabins scattered across the property, reminding me of the photos Casey had shown me.
"This is incredible," Yara said, looking around.
"It is." I paused. "And romantic. Which begs the question: why did Casey invite me?"
Yara shrugged. "Do you think they offered him more than one cabin?" I nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on. It was probably my mind playing tricks on me, turning an impossible fantasy into hope.
The guest house was a sprawling white ranch house, and to one side sat a big, wide pool. Casey had told us that guests could book rooms in the house as well, and use the shared pool, and I wondered if that was what he intended for me.
Soon enough, Casey emerged, a handful of keycards in his hand, and hopped back into the SUV, giving Yara a quick kiss on the cheek, as if to remind me that she was taken. She was his. He handed her a map, but seemed to know where he was going, bouncing down a gravel road that wound through the sagebrush towards one of the cabins.
It was a small, squat cabin with a design that was an interesting blend of rustic and contemporary, clad in grey shingles that blended into the landscape. Five or six similar cabins dotted the landscape, and, in the distance, I saw the guest house with its big, steaming pool.
"Alright, everyone out this time." He flashed us a warm smile as he opened his door and hopped out, boots crunching on the gravel.
"Wow, this place is something else," I remarked, stepping out into the desert heat. A cool breeze rustled through the fields, making it a little more bearable. At this time of year, I imagined the hot springs might be more enjoyable after dark, once the temperatures dropped.
"I can't wait to see inside," Yara said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She grabbed my hand, leading me towards the cabin. Her touch sent a familiar spark through me, one I'd tried to ignore for so long.
Casey led the way, unlocking the door and pushing it open. We were greeted with a rush of cool, air-conditioned air. The interior was surprisingly beautiful, a blend of rustic charm and modern convenience. A small kitchenette sat off to one side, complete with a stove and fridge. On the other, a sliding barn door half-hid the bathroom. But what caught my attention immediately was the king-sized bed dominating the center of the room. Only one bed.
Where was I supposed to sleep?
"Check this out," Casey said, drawing my focus to a pool along one side of the room. A glass wall touched the water, but it slid up somehow, allowing you to duck under and swim outside. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
I looked around the room, marvelling at Casey's design for the pool and smiling.
Yara squatted, dipping a finger in the pool. "It's so warm! How did you keep the pool from making the cabin all steamy and damp?"
I zoned out as Casey showed her the fan system, busy staring from the bed to the intimate little pool and back, wondering what Casey was up to. I could already imagine slipping into the hot spring, letting the soothing heat seep into my bones.
"Do you guys want to check out the pool first or settle in?" Casey asked.
"Pool," Yara and I said simultaneously, sharing a laugh that lightened the atmosphere.
"Pool it is," Casey nodded, his lips curving into a subtle grin. "The whole resort is adults only, and clothing optional. And it seems like it'd be fun to take advantage, no?"
Yara tilted her head, then turned towards me, eyes wide. "Let me have a quick talk with my husband about his sudden interest in nudity."
"I'll go to the bathroom," I squeaked, rushing across the room.