26. Kiss her #2
“I can’t even…” Hunter shook his head. Colby stepped closer.
His hand rested on the bar, and Hunter stared at it.
His fingers were the same fingers that had skillfully wrapped around Hunter’s cock.
He knew how they felt, how there were calluses on the tips from playing guitar.
He wanted to feel them again, if not around his length, then against his own hand.
His fingers twitched in protest, and he refused to allow them to move to Colby’s hand.
“It’s a lot. I’m scared I’ll fuck it up. ”
“You won’t,” Colby assured him in that way he always did.
He sounded so sure of himself. He was truly the best friend Hunter could ever ask for.
“You’ve earned this. You’re a phenomenal talent, and you got the break you needed.
You did it. It’s going to be a crazy ride.
I’m on my own one right now. It’s scary and amazing and lonely. ”
Hunter met his eye again. “You’ve got me.”
“You’ve been busy. Rightfully busy,” Colby replied. “How is your mom?”
“I talked to her before the premiere. She’s doing well, considering,” Hunter explained. “She is excited to see the press from tonight. She’s been making my dad print every article she finds, and she’s starting a scrapbook.”
Colby’s dimple popped. “I want to meet her one day. She sounds like the best mom ever.”
“I hope you can.”
Colby crossed the distance Hunter wouldn’t allow himself to, and inched his hand closer until his fingers rested on top of the back of Hunter’s hand. He squeezed softly. “I will. She’ll beat this.”
Hunter sniffed. The constant swirl of anxiety and the elation of the night had his emotions raw. He would cry if he thought about his mom too much right now, so he changed the subject. “What about your parents? They say anything? Have they heard you on the radio or seen any of your press?”
Colby’s eyes darkened, and he shrugged. “If they have, they haven’t said anything. I got a long voicemail from my mom expressing her disappointment that I bailed on my brother’s wedding, and that’s it. Haven’t heard from anyone since.”
“So he went through with it?” Colby nodded, and Hunter flipped his hand over on the bar.
The tips of Colby’s callused fingers deliciously tickled the soft flesh of his palm now.
“I’m sorry. About your brother and your parents.
They should be proud of you. Not just for how talented you are, but for what an incredible person you are.
You’re the most authentic, kind, funny, loyal person I know, and you deserve better than them. ”
Colby lifted his eyes to Hunter. “Hunter, you can’t… don’t make me lo—”
“Hey, lover!”
Lover? Hunter’s brow furrowed as Mikayla’s bright voice was like a spotlight landing straight on them. Colby and Hunter both bristled and stepped apart. Not that Mikayla gave them a choice, she slid herself in between them, facing Hunter. Chris and Marc were right behind her.
“We need a toast for the cast,” Marc announced, holding up his drink and pointing it at the bartender. “Tequila shots for everyone here.”
“I was just going to head out,” Hunter said.
Chris stepped closer. “Kiss her.”
“What?” Hunter hissed.
“There are network folks staring quizzically at you and your roommate.” The way he said "roommate" had the hair on the back of his neck stand up abruptly. He locked eyes with Chris and instantly realized he knew. About Colby. “So take the fucking shot and then kiss your costar.”
The bartender lined up glasses on the bar and started pouring tequila.
Chris started handing them out. “I’ll let you throw this away if that’s what you want, after all the struggle it took to get here,” Chris whispered fiercely as he handed Colby a shot and turned to look at him.
“You want that for him? Because you two are not fucking subtle.”
“To Platonic Planet!” Marc announced loudly, drawing the attention of the room if they weren’t already looking. “To the talented cast about to make history! May this be the beginning of all your dreams coming true.”
Everyone held up their shot glasses, and Hunter glanced over at Colby, who was pale and looked panicked, which was something Hunter had never seen on his face before. It made the situation all the more real. Fuck. Were they really going to fuck this all up before they even got to enjoy it?
Everyone downed their shots. Mikayla, who was hanging off him with an arm wrapped around his shoulder, reached over and grabbed a lime wedge the bartender had placed in a metal shot glass on the bar. She bit into one and shivered against his side. Her big, beautiful eyes squinted. “Your turn.”
She took the second lime wedge and placed it, flesh side out, between her teeth. Marc whistled. Hunter felt his skin heat. Chris glared at him, imploring him to play along. He wanted to look at Colby but knew he couldn’t. He heard him, though. A soft, resigned, “Do it.”
So Hunter did it. He wrapped an arm around her waist, leaned in, and bit the lime, their lips crashing together at the same time.
Laughter and applause came from around the room.
Hunter suddenly wanted to puke, but as he pulled away, he forced a smile onto his face and let a laughing Mikayla wipe his lips with the pad of her thumb.
“On that happy note, we’re heading out,” Chris said casually, like he wasn’t just hissing commands into Hunter’s ear a second ago. “How about you all?”
“I should get home. I have a meeting with the label tomorrow,” Colby mumbled.
“I need to go too,” Hunter said, and Mikayla looped her arm through his as he stepped away from the bar.
“We’ll share the car back to the hotel, right?”