3. To a… woman? #3
“In the shop? Like broken?” Bonnie sounded genuinely concerned, and Colby clung to that and used it to make himself be nicer.
“It’s gonna be fine.” He had no idea if that was a lie or not.
“I can send you some money if it needs repairing,” Bonnie offered. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Thanks, Mom, but it’s fine.”
“Where are you living if the van is in the shop?”
“With friends. It’s all good. Look, I have to get ready for work.”
“At Trader Joe’s?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I was actually calling you to invite you home for a party,” Bonnie said quickly, her words clipped like she was trying to get it all out before he could hang up on her. “Atlas is engaged!”
“What?” Colby’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“Yes!” Bonnie sounded over-the-moon. “He would have invited you himself, but he says he doesn’t know your phone number.”
“Okay.” Colby wasn’t shocked by that. He switched his number when he moved from Oceanside, where he grew up, to Los Angeles, and he never sent it to his brothers.
Brodie, the middle child, emailed him to ask for it, but Atlas never bothered.
Colby was sure it was so he could avoid inviting him to things like this.
Not that Colby ever thought this would actually happen.
Atlas. Engaged. To a… woman? “Who is he engaged to?’
Bonnie laughed like it was a silly question. “Her name is Gina, and she’s lovely, Colby. She’s blonde and petite, and she works for the Sea Dogs. Well, she did. She had to quit her job when she and Atlas went public. The team has a no fraternization policy or some such nonsense.”
Oh Jesus. She quit her job for him?
“Anyway, it’s fine. She doesn’t have to work once she’s married,” Mom said airily, with zero consideration that maybe this Gina woman would actually want to work.
“So, we’re throwing him—them—an engagement party this coming Sunday afternoon.
I’ve hired caterers, and it’s in the backyard.
It will be wonderful. Can you come, Colby, honey? ”
His immediate instinct was to tell her he’d be working, even though he wouldn’t.
He never worked Sundays in case he scored gigs on Saturday nights, which he usually managed to do.
Luckily, he didn’t have a way to get to Oceanside, which was almost two hours from West Hollywood.
“I can’t guarantee anything with the van out of commission, but I’ll try. ”
Yeah, because if Atlas was engaged—to a woman—Colby did want to see it with his own eyes. Even though the idea of going anywhere near his family made his chest too tight to take a deep breath. In the end, he probably wouldn’t go because he wouldn’t be able to get there.
“I’ll count you as a yes, then,” Bonnie said with glee in her voice. “Because I’m manifesting it.”
Oh God.
“I really have to go.” Something moved in his peripheral and Colby turned to see Hunter standing in the archway of the hall that led to the bathroom and bedroom. “Thanks for calling Mom. Talk soon.”
He didn’t wait for her to say goodbye. He put his phone on the coffee table and ran his hand through his hair. “Morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Nah, man. All good.” Hunter yawned. He was also half naked, like Colby.
Instead of underwear, he was wearing gray sweats, but no shirt.
Colby thought Hunter’s body had felt muscular when he jumped on top of him on the bathroom floor, but now he had visual confirmation.
Hunter had broad sculpted shoulders, rounded biceps, and rippled abs. It was… impressive.
“I’m gonna get dressed and get out of your way.
Thanks again for letting me crash.” Colby grabbed his pile of clothes that Hunter had rescued from the van, which included the jeans he’d been in last night and a vintage Gibson’s guitar T-shirt Briar had given him for his birthday last year.
He didn’t have clean underwear or socks, but he’d live for now.
“You can shower if you want. And I can make you breakfast.”
Colby shook his head. “I’ve put you out enough.”
“I was gonna make a breakfast burrito for Leandra anyway,” Hunter said and then turned his eyes to the front door. “But she took off, didn’t she?”
Colby nodded. “Yeah. Said she had a class or something.”
“Yoga on a Thursday? That’s new,” Hunter said, and he looked… wounded. Like his girlfriend’s disappearance physically hurt. But then he blinked and shot Colby a small, soft smile. “Don’t make me eat two burritos, dude. Come on.”
Colby didn’t point out that Hunter could just make one because he was actually fucking ravenous. So he nodded. “Yeah, okay. Wouldn’t want to put you through that hardship.”
Hunter grinned. “Cool! You go shower, and I’ll make the food.”
“You don’t need help?”
Hunter shook his head and started toward the kitchen. “No dude, I wanna surprise you with my culinary prowess.”
Colby laughed. As Hunter disappeared into the kitchen, he called out, “Extra towels are under the sink.”
Who used words like prowess? This guy was a trip, Colby thought, as he walked into the bathroom smiling in spite of the shit show that was currently his life.