Chapter 3
Chapter three
Johnny
The gym he liked to go to opened the day after Christmas, so Johnny took advantage of it. He could get on his treadmill at home, but he needed to get out of the house. He’d spent too much time alone in there over the holiday, thinking about Pilot and Supercross...and Gavin.
He couldn’t get that guy off his mind, and thinking about Gavin Peri was hella-better than thinking about what he’d never have with Pilot, though he doubted he’d ever hear from the guy again.
He got up on the treadmill and pushed the buttons to set it how he wanted. He vowed to stop and get a milkshake on the way home as a reward. Motivation!
Twenty minutes in, and his phone buzzed.
Who would be calling him? Uncle Gary was working, and Pilot had taken both his guys out to the track to practice.
They’d probably be staying in a hotel near there rather than coming home to get enough time in.
Since the races started the first week of January, Johnny wouldn’t hear from them anytime soon.
No one else would call him. He had no one else.
With a quick vow to find some new friends, Johnny upped the intensity of his workout, ignoring the phone.
When he passed his forty-five-minute mark and sweat sufficiently covered his body, he got off the machine and grabbed his towel.
After wiping his forehead and neck, he finally gave in to his curiosity and peeked at his phone.
Gavin Peri?
Why would Gavin call him? They’d exchanged numbers, but Johnny never thought Gavin would use it in a million years or more.
He checked his voice mail.
Hey, cutie. I’ve been thinking about you. I’m in Denver and thought maybe we could meet up. Can I take you to dinner and maybe...dessert? Call me if you’re interested.
Johnny bit his lip. He couldn’t believe his ears. Gavin had been thinking about him—Wow! “Cutie...” he said out loud.
A muscle-bound guy passing by stopped and turned to him. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry,” Johnny answered, holding up his phone. “Talking to myself.”
The guy nodded and walked off. He had muscle, but he was no Pilot. Why did Johnny keep comparing everyone to him? He chastised himself and focused on the call from Gavin. Hell, yeah, he had to call the man back.
He took a quick shower, changed, and headed out to his car.
He paired up his phone to the Jetta’s Bluetooth system and tapped Gavin’s contact information.
The phone rang several times, but then he heard a sweet, honey-coated voice.
“Johnny...” His name purred from Gavin’s lips, echoing through the car.
“Hi, Gavin.” His squeaky voice horrified him. Why couldn’t he be smooth? He shoved his glasses back up his nose. “I, uh, got your message...”
“Great. I hope you’re free tonight.”
“I am. Nothing’s going on after Christmas.” He hoped that didn’t sound lame.
“That’s perfect for me, then. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“You said that.”
“I did? Well, uh, I hoped you were thinking about me too.”
Johnny let silence fill the car. He had been, but he didn’t know what to say, how to answer.
“Johnny?”
“What?”
“Have you been thinking about me?” His voice changed. It went from sugar-sweet and playful to commanding and oh-so-hot. Butterflies attacked his stomach as if going berserk over some crazy flower garden.
“Yes...” he said with a sigh. He remembered Gavin using that commanding tone in bed—that night. It compelled him to answer.
“Good. Text me your address, and I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Okay.”
“Be ready for me, cutie.”
“Okay, Gavin.”
He heard a little chuckle before Gavin hung up. He hoped it meant the man was happy. Johnny sure was. He had a date. A real honest-to-fucking-goodness date and Gavin was super hot. Not in the same way Pilot was—he had to stop thinking like that. Fuck how Pilot looked.
Johnny drove home to plan. He had to find something to wear, and he didn’t know where they were going.
How casual or dressy should he go? He didn’t want to call Gavin back to find out, which was stupid.
He needed to be ready like Gavin said because Gavin asked, no.
..because Gavin commanded it. Johnny might be making shit up in his head, but he’d rarely experienced this kind of thing.
He had guys interested in him, especially when they went to the clubs like the Apollo, best for picking up hot guys, but it was still about fucking, not dating, and he hadn’t been interested in finding a relationship in a long damned time.
Of course, he’d hit it off with Gavin. They’d discovered they had a lot in common, and he’d been fun. It still felt like a hookup. They’d gone to his hotel and fucked—hookup.
What the hell did one wear when the hottest hookup of the century turned into a real date? His closet sucked. It was still early in the day, though. Still enough time to go shopping!
Johnny dashed out to his favorite store in the mall, and the salesgirl helped him pick out the perfect outfit.
The soft gray slacks hugged his ass perfectly.
The button-up shirt was a shiny blue that the girl swore made his eyes pop.
He planned on ditching his glasses in lieu of contacts.
He didn’t do that often, but a date with Gavin certainly called for it.
He took his purchases and headed to his car.
He’d pair his outfit with his loafers so it would look a little more casual, and he’d skip the tie.
The salesgirl had assured him he was young enough to get away with that unless they went to an ultra-fancy restaurant, but his outfit could dress up quickly too.
He stopped for his milkshake on the way home before giving in and texting Gavin.
Do I need a tie?
That would tell him which way to go. If he said yes, Johnny would wear his favorite black-and-blue tie and his dress shoes.
No. Not jeans, but no tie.
Perfect. No tie and loafers would work.
Shopping, milkshake, home. Then he jumped into the shower and messed with his unruly hair.
It was time for a haircut, but he wouldn’t have time for that before Gavin showed up.
He’d have to make do. He chuckled at the unintended pun, feeling like a total geek, but for once he was happy, so he shamelessly enjoyed it.
He used product to protect his hair from the heat and blow-dried his craziness.
It wasn’t curly, but it had a lot of natural wave in it.
That meant sometimes it had a mind of its own, curling in weird and unintended ways or flopping limply when he least expected or wanted it.
After the blow-dry, he used his anti-frizz stuff that smelled like cloves, jasmine, and what he considered to be the outdoors.
He rubbed it all in then washed his hands.
A little styling gel would mostly hold it in place.
His hairdresser had made him purchase a very light one, and it left his hair feeling soft and natural but still kept his hair from revolting on him.
His hair was left shiny, soft, and while long on the top, it waved away from his face.
His face wasn’t all that great with a long nose and forehead, both too long, but his cheekbones.
..killer! He hoped Gavin liked what he saw because he couldn’t change those features.
He put his contacts in, hoping Gavin would like a better look at his blue eyes, one of his better attributes. Highlight the best!
He brushed his teeth and used his favorite mouthwash. He had to be kissable. That was mandatory. He needed to be doing a lot more kissing with Gavin before the night was over.
Johnny dressed and checked how he looked in the mirror. He was pleased with the overall impression, which was good because he didn’t have time to change anything. He had just enough time to get nervous, and that was about it.
Gavin knocked at the door, a rhythmic tapping that set those psycho-butterflies off again, racing through his intestines. He gulped. Breathe, Johnny!
He opened the door.
Gavin stood there with a little smirk on his face.
Hints of red scattered through his brown hair.
He didn’t notice the tint the last time, but the red showed up in the fading sun, and it had been cut stylishly over his ears.
He had a mustache and a soft, trimmed beard that made him look distinguished.
He was like a cross between Ryan Reynolds and Joe Manganiello, only with tinted red hair.
He didn’t have the typical freckles you’d expect from the red hair either.
His eyes were a swirl of green and brown and bore into him with a sexual demand, strong enough to take his breath away. “Hi, Johnny.”
Breathe
“Hi...”
“You look good. Are you ready?”
Johnny glanced down his front then back at Gavin.
He wore a navy sports coat over a light blue button-up shirt with the first few buttons open, hinting at what hid under his clothes.
Johnny had forgotten how handsome he was and how deep the attraction went.
Gavin’s essence pulled at him like a magnet—not the fridge magnet kind, but one of those super, strong superconductor ones.
He had to get a grip. “Yes. Uh, let me grab my wallet.” He picked it up along with his keys off the little table beside the door.
He shrugged into his coat and locked up before following Gavin out to his car.
“It’s a rental, but it’s nice, right?” Gavin asked, opening the door to the sleek sedan.
It was a white BMW and looked like some kind of big prowling cat with its angled hood and shiny rims. He slid into the leather seat, and Gavin gently closed the door behind him.
He watched as his date circled the front of the vehicle without taking his eyes off Johnny.
The entire night was going to be intense.