Chapter Twenty-One #2
“You’d better be at every game,” Scott said.
“I will.” What else would Eric have to do? It’s not like he’d be busy.
“I don’t know if this TV is big enough,” Maria quipped.
Kyle snorted. Kip had invited him and Maria over to watch the All-Star Game. He had moved into Scott’s Manhattan penthouse a few months after they’d started dating, which had been a definite upgrade from living with his parents in Bay Ridge. Complete with a giant wall-mounted television.
“The players are basically life-size on this thing,” Kyle said.
“Hey,” Kip said, plunking a bowl of Doritos on the coffee table, “sometimes you need to see every drop of sweat during a hockey game, and every sequin during an episode of Drag Race.”
Maria pointed at the television with her beer bottle. “Look. They’re showing your ugly fiancé.”
Scott’s absurdly handsome face, with its square jaw and vivid blue eyes, filled the screen.
He was talking to another player during a break in play, laughing at something the other man said.
Eric hadn’t played yet in this game, because as one of the three goalies on the Eastern team, he was only going to be playing the third period.
The broadcast had only shown at the beginning of the game, when each player had been announced individually.
He’d looked heart-stoppingly gorgeous under the dramatic lights with his mask off, waving at the crowd.
Kyle had seen quite a bit of Eric over the past couple of weeks. After their mind-blowing afternoon in his bedroom, he had craved Eric every minute they were apart. Given the number of times Eric had invited him over, it seemed the feeling was mutual.
But it was just sex. That was what Kyle reminded himself every time he left Eric’s house, even though most of those times, he’d been leaving in the morning.
Other than one afternoon hookup, he’d spent the night with Eric every time after, wrapped in his strong arms in that heavenly bed.
They would always talk after sex, snuggled together and fighting sleep.
The talking was almost Kyle’s favorite part.
Almost.
“I had another customer last night who suggested we have a proper whiskey menu,” Kip said during a commercial break.
“Yeah, I had two of those on Thursday,” Kyle said, grateful for something to talk about that might cool his blood a bit. “I’ll pass it along to Gus, but, you know.”
“He’s not going to do anything to change the place.”
“Nope.”
“What the hell is wrong with your boss?” Maria asked. “Why doesn’t he want his bar to be good?”
“I don’t know,” Kyle said. “He’s a nice enough guy, but his heart hasn’t been in the place for a long time.”
“I wish he’d at least consider new tables,” Kip said. “Almost all of them wobble now, and they’re kind of permanently sticky.”
“He could at least refinish them,” Kyle agreed.
“I wish you were in charge,” Kip said. “You have great ideas for that place.”
Kyle flushed a bit at Kip’s praise. Secretly, he’d like nothing more than to be in charge of the Kingfisher. “Yeah, well. I guess it’s popular enough the way it is.”
“Only because people keep going there hoping to catch a glimpse of Scott,” Maria said, standing up. “I’m hitting the bathroom and then getting more beer. Anyone need one?”
“Sure,” Kip said.
“May as well,” Kyle agreed.
After Maria was gone, Kip nudged Kyle and said, “Eric is there almost as much as Scott is now. For some reason.”
“What are you implying?”
“That there’s something going on with you two.”
Kyle frowned. “We’re friends. Remember how you said we should be friends? Well, now we are.”
“Just friends?” Kip asked. “Because I’ve noticed the way he looks at you...”
The truth was, Kyle really did want to talk about this with someone, and this seemed like an invitation. “Okay. So I’ve been kind of...helping him out with the whole dating men thing. At first it was just talking. Like, we went to a gay bar together, just to get a drink.”
“I thought Eric doesn’t drink,” Kip interrupted.
“He drinks liquids. We talked, and it was nice. And then we sort of...kissed.”
Kip punched his arm. “I was right!”
“He kissed me! I swear. Like, I kissed his cheek, but then he totally went for it.”
“Holy shit. Then what happened?”
“Nothing. We kissed. And then I offered to help him with any other...firsts.”
“What did he say?” Kip asked eagerly.
“Nothing at first. We went our separate ways. Then a few days later, he invited me to his place for dinner. And...we had educational sex after.”
“Educational sex?”
“Extremely hot educational sex. And then we did it a few more times.”
“My mind is blown here,” Kip said. “So are you two a thing, then?”
“No,” Kyle said quickly. “Definitely not. It's just sex. Casual.” He did not like the way Kip was grinning at him. “What?”
“You are so into him.”
“Irrelevant.”
“Extremely relevant!”
“What’s extremely relevant?” Maria asked as she returned from the kitchen with three bottles of beer.
“Nothing,” both men said at the same time.
Maria narrowed her eyes. “Well, that doesn’t sound suspicious.”
Kyle laughed nervously. “Just work stuff.”
“And it has nothing to do with the fact that Kyle is clearly crushing hard on someone?” Maria accused.
“I’m—no, I’m not!” Kyle sputtered.
“Uh huh. I’m just saying, there might be more than one person in this room who’s fucking a New York Admiral.”
Kyle’s mouth fell open. He would honestly love to tell Maria all about Eric, but Eric wasn’t fully out yet. And besides, it wasn’t like it was a real relationship. He decided to deflect attention away from himself.
“Why? Are you fucking Matti Jalo?”
“I wish,” Maria sighed as she dropped onto the sofa. “We got food together once after that drag show in December and I never heard from him again.”
“Aw,” Kip said. “Was he nice to you, at least?”
“He laughed at my jokes and asked me questions. Guys! He asked me questions! About myself!” She grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to herself.
“Wait. And listened to your answers?” Kyle asked.
“He asked follow-up questions. It was legit the best date I’ve ever been on. Except for the part where it wasn’t really a date.”
Kip hugged her. “Sorry, buddy.”
“Like, I know that I don’t have a shot with Matti Jalo, but still. Damn.”
Kip gasped. “Of course you have a shot with him! I’m engaged to a hockey superstar! Me! We used to work together, remember?”
Kyle nodded. “If anything, it’s weird that you’re not dating an NHL star, Maria.”
They all laughed, and then were distracted from their conversation when Scott scored a goal on the television.
“That’s my guy,” Kip said happily, then leaned against Kyle and rested his head on his shoulder.
The warmth Kyle felt from this casual touch was welcome, and didn’t contain any of the anguish or guilt he may have suffered before.
He leaned into the arm of the sofa so his friend could relax more solidly against him.
It seemed to take forever for the third period to happen, but finally Eric was in the net and Kyle was watching the game a lot more closely. Maria’s mom had called her, so she’d taken her phone to the kitchen, leaving Kip and Kyle alone again.
“You should talk to him,” Kip said sleepily.
“Who?” Kyle asked, as if he didn’t know.
“Eric. If you have feelings for him, you should find out if he shares them.”
“And what if he doesn’t?” Kyle asked, instead of denying the feelings he knew he had for Eric.
“Then at least you tried. Because what if he does?”
The idea was overwhelming. Kyle hadn’t allowed himself to truly imagine a life where he was Eric’s boyfriend. Where he was allowed to fall in love with him.
He watched Eric make a save on the television, and quietly contemplated Kip’s question.
What if he does?