Nate #3
After the violinist walks off stage, the afterparty kicks off with music, drinks, and many stylish people. Mel and I are quickly swept into a whirlwind of introductions. Most of them are strangers, but a few offer us their cards, promising to be in touch. It’s surreal.
I keep looking around for Carter, but I don’t see him. He must’ve slipped away while I was being pulled in ten different directions. I lean over to Mel and say, “I’ll be back. I’m going to look for Carter.”
She gives me a confident smirk like, I’ve got this. I know she’ll represent us perfectly. As I walk away, I see her already jumping into a conversation with two well-dressed women, smiling and tossing her hair like she owns the place.
I head toward the hallway by the bathrooms, and that’s when I see Carter, talking to a tall, broad-shouldered man with brown hair and light brown eyes. Carter looks…uncomfortable. Not in a scared way, but like he’s caught off guard.
I walk over and casually slip my arm around him.
Carter looks at me and, without smiling, gently moves my hand off his back.
Now that I’m up close, I realize who the man is. Coach McCormick. What the fuck. What a small world.
“Hey,” the coach says, offering a friendly smile. “Not sure we’ve met. Your performance with your partner was incredible. My wife and I were bopping in our seats, really impressive.”
Carter says nothing, his expression unreadable.
Coach turns to me and adds, “I should introduce myself. I’m Patrick. Not sure if you were able to see, but we were sitting at the back table with Carter.”
I blink, thrown. “I, uh…I’m Nate. Carter’s…” I start, but Carter jumps in fast.
“This is my friend Nate. We were college friends. I came to see him perform.”
“Nice to meet you,” Coach says with a nod.
I can feel how tense Carter is beside me, and honestly, I’m not exactly radiating my usual bubbly charm either. Still, Coach McCormick doesn’t seem to notice. He’s friendly, talkative, and totally unaware that both Carter and I are dying inside.
After about five minutes of awkward small talk, I gently excuse myself, letting Carter continue the conversation. I head back toward Mel, who’s still deep in conversation with the two women from earlier.
As I walk up, one of the women turns mid-sentence and lights up. “Oh, hi! You were amazing!”
Mel grins. “I was just telling them that you, I, and Carter Elliott from the Hawks are opening a cafe.”
I freeze. “You what?”
The second woman chimes in. “You have to let us know when it opens! We’ll post about it. We’ve got at least a million followers each.”
Mel and I exchange a don’t freak out look, but we’re clearly both hyped.
The four of us keep chatting a little longer before the women drift off, leaving just me and Mel.
I turn to her. “I haven’t had a single drink tonight. This must be a new record.”
Mel smirks. “I’ve had three. You’re a little bitch.”
I laugh. “Okay, I’m getting only one. I’m not an alcoholic like you.”
She flicks my shoulder. “Hey, three drinks. I’m just chilling. Three drinks is nothing.”
“I’m kidding,” I say with a grin.
We head back to the bar, and after about five minutes of waiting for the overwhelmed bartender, Carter strolls over, looking like a guilty puppy. He orders a drink and glances at me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you as my boyfriend,” he says quietly. “That was so stressful. I don’t even know why. My coach is the nicest guy ever, and I know he wouldn’t care.”
I shake my head. “Listen, it’s going to get easier. It’s completely fine. Now let’s have a drink and relax.”
Carter just nods and offers a grateful smile.
Mel turns to him. “So, are you excited for your next couple of games? Looks like you’ve got a home game tomorrow and an away game the following Sunday, both teams pretty evenly matched with the Hawks.”
Carter and I both glance at her, surprised.
“You know football now?” Carter asks.
“Not really,” she says with a shrug. “I follow the team because you’re on it, and because Jack Sawyer is on it and he’s cute as fuck.”
We all burst into light laughter.
Carter gives me a side-eye and says, “Remember I told you I used to fantasize about him in the locker room.”
I grin. “That you did, babe.”
He turns to Mel. “You have to hook up with him and report back everything. Tell me everything. Every detail!”
I smack his arm playfully. “Hey, not allowed! Just kidding,” I add quickly. “Say whatever you want. Just no touching.”
Carter sighs and leans against the bar. “I haven’t really been in the best headspace. With that article coming out…I don’t know. It’s messing with my head. It’s crazy, no one’s said anything. And that somehow makes it worse. Do people know? Do they not? Are they just waiting for me to bring it up?”
Mel looks at me, then at Carter. “No,” she says softly. “I haven’t seen anything.”
Carter nods. “I’m just trying to get out of my head. I need to focus. I’ve got to play well. Hopefully get those touchdowns everyone’s expecting.”
I take a sip of my drink and lean into him slightly. “You will.”
And somehow, even in this crowded, glamorous room, it feels like we’ve found our little corner again; just us three.
After another hour and one more drink, the three of us finally decide to call it a night. It’s been almost two hours since the afterparty started, and now it’s creeping past 11 p.m., which is late for us. It also means we’re definitely crashing the second we get home.
In the Uber, which Carter and I just jumped into, I lean against Carter and mumble, “I’m gonna pass the fuck out when we get back home.”
Carter glances at me with a smirk. “Oh, so now it’s your home?”
I nudge him. “Shut up, your home.”
We both chuckle. I pull out my phone and my AirPods, handing one to him. “One episode of Schitt’s Creek. You’re already hooked, I know it, and we’re mid–season three. Can’t quit now.”
Carter nods, settling into the seat. “Fair enough. This Uber’s long enough for one episode anyway. And yeah, the show’s grown on me. The main family is way more tolerable now. I'm kind of obsessed with Alexis. Not going to lie.”
I grin. “Right? She’s literally the best. But also, how hot is Ted?”
Carter laughs. “Okay, yeah, he’s ridiculously hot. I wasn’t gonna say it, but since you did, it’s fair game.”
We get home not long after the episode ends, both of us yawning as we kick off our shoes. We crawl into bed with zero hesitation, wearing only our briefs. After a few sleepy minutes of quiet cuddling, I whisper, “Roll over.”
Carter obeys with a small smile, and I wrap myself around him in full big spoon mode. My hands naturally slip his briefs off and wander to his balls, he likes it when I touch him like this, and I can feel his dick respond immediately. I tease him a little, gently and slowly.
“Let’s make this quick,” I whisper. “I’m exhausted.”
“I’ll try,” he says through a low groan. “But keep doing what you’re doing…”
I jerk him off for only two minutes and every time I go over the head of his penis, he lets out such a loud moan. Finally, he lets out one final moan and releases all over my hand. He looks at me. He turns to me, his face flushed with satisfaction. “Now your turn.”
I laugh softly and lie back, letting him take over. He undresses me slowly, with care and a little grin that says he’s enjoying this more than he probably should for someone just as tired as I.
Carter starts stroking my penis slowly for a few seconds, before putting it in his mouth. He takes his right hand and grabs my shaft, and every thrust I do into his mouth, I can feel the pressure of his hand around my dick. It must be a new record, but I cum in his mouth so quickly.
Carter looks up, licking his lips like a smug idiot. “Thank you. That was yummy.”
I squint at him. “That’s gross. Go brush your teeth.”
He stretches, already half-asleep. “Nah, I’m tired,” he mumbles, flopping back onto the bed like a starfish.
I groan. “Disgusting.”
Still, I get up, brush my teeth like a normal person, and wash up. When I come back, Carter’s snoring, fully nude and completely out, his bare ass half covered by the blanket. I stare at him with pure satisfaction.
“This is who I love,” I mutter. “Bare ass and all.”
And somehow, that thought makes me smile.