8. Matteo
What does she have that I don’t...except great tits…and that ass.
The scenery was gorgeous as we took the train to Barcelona. Levi was typing away on his computer, biting his lip as he pushed his glasses up his nose, looking adorable. When did I start seeing Levi as adorable or even sexy?
Things with us hadn’t really gotten better, but they weren’t as strained anymore, at least he hadn’t gone on any dates.
I felt guilty being happy that he hadn’t gone on any dates, but the least I could do was stay home with him.
We watched movies and we worked together in the evenings before having a glass of wine while we sat on the terrace.
Is this what happens to friendships when we get older?
My phone thankfully rang, pulling me from my depressing thoughts. Ruwon’s name popped up.
“Hey, you on your way?” I asked, barely containing my excitement at seeing my best friend.
It had been way too long since we all had been together.
“Hey, I’m not going to be able to make it,” he sighed. “I got tied up with things here and I thought I was going to be able to leave today, but I won’t be able to.”
I opened my mouth to complain, but I held myself back.
“Are you ok?” I asked, as Levi set his computer down, sitting next to me.
I put the call on speaker.
“Yeah…I’m just tired,” he said softly. “I thought getting out of the military would be chill, but I feel busier and more pressured to go back to work immediately.”
“Ruwon, tell them to fuck off,” I said, as Levi glared at me.
“I think you need to set boundaries,” Levi said, leaning against me. “Ruwon, you just served in the military. You can afford to take some time for yourself.”
“Hi, Levi,” Ruwon said fondly. “I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you too,” Levi sighed. “I’m sorry I haven’t called I—”
“Gomdori, you know you don’t have to apologize,” Ruwon yawned.
I couldn’t help but smile at his nickname for Levi—teddy bear.
“Yeah, but I should—”
“Stop, it’s fine. Life didn’t stop when I had to enlist,” Ruwon interrupted him. “I know you’ve been busy in Paris working on that big account you finally landed.”
Levi blushed.
“Are we still on for our vacation? If you need to, maybe we can push it back,” I said, changing the subject for Levi’s sake.
“Hell yes, I would not miss that,” he said quickly. “I will be out of Seoul in three days.”
“Are you going to see your mom?” Levi asked.
“Yeah, I told her I would see her before we went on vacation,” Ruwon sighed. “She would drag me out of Seoul herself if I didn’t see her, especially since I told her I would visit after I took care of stuff.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t show up anyway,” I said, glancing at Levi, who pushed his glasses up his nose again as he looked at me with those mesmerizing green eyes I somehow got lost in.
“Matteo,” Levi said, raising his brow.
“What?” My cheeks felt hot. I should not be looking at Levi like this.
“Can you look at a contract for me?” Ruwon asked. “I have an Italian leather company asking me to be their brand ambassador. They want me to sign on immediately. They want to take pictures since I’ll be over there soon.”
“Yeah, send it to me,” I said, getting over my embarrassment. “You know you don’t have to ask.”
“I do, it’s been awhile since you’ve been my lawyer,” he said. “I’m going to have to put you on retainer now.”
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes. “I take my payments in food, the ladies you don’t want and your many houses.”
We laughed, but Levi didn’t join in and I immediately felt bad for saying what I had said. What had bothered him?
“I have to finish some work, but let me know if you need anything even if it’s just a phone call,” Levi said standing up. “Miss you.”
“Miss you too, Gomdori. I’ll see you soon,” Ruwon responded.
“Ru, I know you said you didn’t want to, but we can push the vacation back,” I sighed. “We can wait for—”
“No, I’m ready for a vacation and I should have put my foot down when I first met with my manager,” he said, interrupting me. “I missed out on this festival and I will not miss out on our vacation.”
“Ok,” I said, needing to say more, but if I pushed him, he would rebel more. “Go see your mom and then get back to us ok?”
“Yeah, I will, you know I have no choice. I’m just delaying the inevitable if I don’t go to her and I miss her anyway,” he said.
“Go before Levi and I start hearing about it too, from our parents,” I chuckled.
“I’m surprised they haven’t started calling yet,” he sighed, as if their affection annoyed him, but he secretly loved it.
“You know they are all two seconds away from calling us,” Levi raised his voice. “My dad is two seconds from calling me, I can feel it.”
“Yeah, I know the ‘Queens’ will riot,” he chuckled, calling our parents the queens gave us much satisfaction in our teens. “I miss you guys.”
I could feel his exhaustion from here and there was something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
My mind kept telling me something else was wrong.
Maybe something more had happened and he wasn't telling us?
My mind scrambled to think on what else he could be handling alone and I didn't like it.
“We miss you too,” Levi and I said together.
“Send me pictures! And I expect to see a video of GIVEON,” he said sternly.
“We will. Get some rest,” I said. “Send me the contract and sleep!”
“I will, thank you for everything,” he said solemnly.
“We would do anything for you,” Levi said, frowning. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do,” he said. “Love you, guys.”
“Love you, too,” Levi and I said together again before I ended the call.
“I don’t like the way he sounds,” Levi said, as I thought the same thing.
We were all weirdly connected like that, picking up on things we thought the others wouldn’t notice.
“Me neither,” I sighed, running my hand down my face over my beard that was getting a little too long. “You think something happened to him in the military?”
“I hope not,” he said thoughtfully. “Is there such a thing as military withdrawals? I know he didn’t go to war, but I’m sure surviving the military has been hard on him.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. We need to talk to him more often and get him over here,” I said, already coming up with a plan.
“His mom has that handled, but maybe we can talk to your mom and my dad and make sure he comes this way sooner,” he said, pulling out his phone. “You know they will have him on this continent faster than we can.”
I laughed. “Yeah, you're right. He would never say no to them.”
Levi and I got on our phones to make sure Ru didn’t isolate himself anymore.
“Holy shit, that was a good set!” Levi threw his hands up as we left after seeing the third artist at Bailar in Barcelona.
“She was great,” I said, bumping his shoulder, loving this relaxed part of Levi. “Where to next?”
“Major Lazer is on in forty minutes. Bathroom break, drink and we head over?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” I chuckled.
It took us longer than forty-five minutes to do everything he had said. The lines were getting longer and everything was taking forever. We missed the first ten minutes and I grabbed Levi’s hand, pushing through the crowd as much as I could to give him the best spot.
We got close, but not close enough. When I looked over, Levi was dancing and singing along like he had no care in the world.
He grabbed my hand, urging me to dance with him.
I chugged the rest of my drink, moving my body to the music.
The bass was encouraging, the alcohol made it easier and being here with Levi was the calm I needed to release all my stress.
I was still worried about Ruwon, but we had ensured our parents would take care of him.
A part of me felt like we needed this. We didn't need our baggage to interfere with whatever was going on with Ruwon.
I tugged Levi closer when a man close to us was dancing a little too wildly.
His body was flush against me and he was only a few inches shorter than me but, it felt like we fit together.
My hand automatically went to his waist as he still danced to the beat, well kind of to the beat.
Levi wasn’t the best dancer, but he didn’t care.
He was having fun and that’s all that mattered to him.
His ass brushed against my cock making my stomach clench in arousal as I started to get hard.
My eyes widened at the response my body was having to my best friend, needing to create distance so he didn’t feel me, but also too shocked to move.
My brain was going haywire at everything I was feeling until I heard Levi calling out for someone.
The last person I wanted to see came through the crowd, souring my mood instantly.
She threw herself at Levi and he caught her easily.
He spun her around as much as he could before setting her down.
Vi glanced at me, waving hesitantly before she smiled at Levi and yelling something at him.
He grinned holding her close again, looking like she hung the fucking moon.
I forced myself to keep dancing, unsure what to do as they danced, leaving me as a third wheel.
Levi pulled me closer, smiling as he tried to get me to dance with them.
A childish part of me wanted to leave, but I couldn’t do that to Levi.
So, I danced with them attempting to keep my distance, but with how many people were around us, it was difficult.
Vi and I kept brushing shoulders until she ended up in front of me.
Her ass occasionally brushed against my cock.
I wasn’t blind. She was a gorgeous girl who my body very much approved of and that skirt showed off her shapely legs and accentuated her hourglass figure.
The halter top was held on by a thread giving me a peek of side boob every time she lifted her hands up.
Vi was very much the type of woman I would strike up a conversation with at a bar and take her home to fuck her senseless, but right now she felt like the enemy.
“I gotta pee!” Levi said in my ear.
“Hold it, the sets are almost over,” I yelled back.