3. Lucas
Lucas
After making it through security, I consulted the app.
It was new for this Olympics, some partnership with a tech startup in Silicon Valley.
My entire personal schedule was there, as well as the schedule for every event for when we wanted to be a spectator.
Shane could add things to my schedule that only I could see, and Woodward could add things to the team’s and it would notify all of us.
It also had a map, not just of the village, but of every venue related to the Olympics and included navigation as well.
Because of it, I didn’t need to check-in. Everything would be waiting for me in my room, which I would access with a punch code that was sent to me this morning. I brought my schedule up and clicked on ‘Arrival.’ The map popped up and showed me the way to the American dorm.
After a brisk walk and a few flights of stairs to stay loose, I was on the fourth floor.
I punched in the code and opened the door. “Hello?”
“Lucas, is that you?”
“You can call me Luke, but yeah, it’s me.”
My roommate, Ezra Barnes, entered the room.
“Hey, man. I still can’t believe I’m rooming with you. This is so exciting! We share this common area and the bathroom, but we each have our own bedroom. I took this one, though they’re both the same, but I can switch if you want.”
Ezra was five years younger than me and had come on strong the last few years.
His brown hair was shaggy but straight and he was always sweeping it out the way.
I couldn’t help but notice his brown eyes as he sent a killer smile my way.
He was the tallest on the team, so I had to look up at him, which felt weird since he was younger.
“I’m sure the other bedroom is fine.”
I made my way to it, but felt Ezra following me.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about him.
I knew that Woodward had paired me and Orion with two of the newer members of the team, so we could help them out blah blah blah.
I got Ezra, the youngest on the team at twenty-two.
I think O’s roommate was Preston. Somehow, the fifth member, Miles, had his own room.
I thought Ty had worked with Preston and Miles in California, but I wasn’t one hundred percent on that.
“You’ve been training in Colorado with O, right?”
“Who?” Ezra asked.
“Oh, sorry, Orion. I call him ‘O’.”
“Oh yeah, I was. He was with you in London? You went to school together too, I think?”
“Yeah, he was and we did.” I tossed my suitcase on the bed. Ezra leaned against the door.
I had to smile inwardly at his attitude. He was a bubbly one. I was sure I’d be feeling like that if Cam were with me. Instead, it felt like a part of me had stayed with him. It wasn’t a surprise I felt that way, but I was going to have to get used to it.
“You want help unpacking?”
“No!” Ezra looked disappointed, which made me feel guilty. “I mean, no thanks. I have some personal stuff in he-”
“If it’s like a dildo or something, I don’t care. It won’t bother me.”
I must’ve stared at him for too long.
“Hey dude, I know you don’t really know me, but everyone knows you and Cam.
It’s not as big of a story anymore, but I’m gay, too.
My parents and coach know, a few friends back home, the guys I’ve been with, obviously.
” He paused and smiled, then his hands continued weaving what I could only describe as the world’s most intricate invisible scarf.
“My coach said I could learn a lot from you and I know you don’t really know me that well, but I really look up to you, and Cam too.
And I know it’s probably a huge understatement to say it sucks that Cam isn’t here, and I have no idea what that must be like, but I’m really glad we’re roommates and we’ll hopefully be spending a lot of time together because you seem like a great guy and Orion had nothing but nice things to say about you-”
“You can take a breath, Ezra.”
He laughed. “Sorry. I’m just really excited.”
“I can tell.” I chuckled. “Your enthusiasm is refreshing. It’s making it a little easier for me to be here.” I swallowed. “Without Cam.”
Ezra left the door to make himself comfortable on my bed.
This boy had no boundaries and I kind of liked it. He was a little bit of Cam, Colton, and Orion all packed into one tall, likely ripped, body.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all?
“Jesus! Is that your dildo?”
I thought he was on his phone and didn’t think he’d notice. “Uh, yeah.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Seriously?”
“I mean, if you aren’t comfortable, I understand. I just don’t have a lot of gay friends and while my coach is super supportive, it’s a little weird to talk about that with him. My parents are obviously out of the ques-”
“Okay, okay. I get it. I should be less weirded out and more supportive of your curiosity. I’m an only child and Orion’s not a baby gay anymore, so I haven’t been a mentor for a while. Here ya go,” I said, handing him my Cam-sized toy.
His eyes widened. “You can take this?”
I nodded, smiling. Cam would never believe this. “My boyfriend’s actually bigger than that.”
“No fucking way, you lucky bitch. I mean…you’re lucky. I didn’t mean to call you a bitch.”
“It’s okay, I am a lucky bitch. You can be jealous.” I finished unloading my clothes into the dresser.
“Okay, good. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re hot, but Cam…woo.” He dramatically fanned himself.
“So, boy-next-door is your type?” I sat down next to him, trying not to be distracted by how he was absent-mindedly stroking the dildo.
“Yeah, probably. Your beard definitely gives off a little daddy vibe, and that’s not a bad thing, just not quite what I’m looking for.”
“Well, my first piece of advice is to focus on the Olympics! Dick can wait.”
“You didn’t follow that advice.”
“I know and it made things way more complicated. Trust me. Medals first, dick later.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I grabbed the dildo back from him and placed it in my dresser. “You want to do some exploring or grab something to eat before our first team meeting?”
Ezra and I ended up at the American dining hall. It wasn’t the largest, but it was the closest. Since we had a team meeting in an hour or so, I didn’t want to get caught up in exploring the new village just yet.
“So, I’ve seen you at meets, but I don’t know much about you. Why don’t you give me the Cliff Notes version?”
“The what now?”
“Jesus, I’m not that much older than you. What would your Wikipedia say about you?”
“Oh.” He thought about it for all of one second.
“Well, I’m Ezra Barnes. I’m twenty-two, five-foot-nine, and a hundred and fifty eight pounds.
I’m an ESFJ Gemini. I was born and raised in Bellevue, went to Washington University in Seattle, and majored in sociology with a minor in kinesiology.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.
I came in second at the last National Championships and medaled in the parallel bar and vault. ”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Uh…my favorite color is blue. My favorite cartoon is Spongebob Squarepants. My favorite cereal is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and my celebrity crush is Henry Cavill.”
“Henry Cavill? Not Camden Kane?”
Ezra gave me a smirk. “Cam’s definitely my sports crush, but I’m a sucker for Henry’s accent.”
“?Entiendo que te gustan los acentos?”
“Spanish is kind of hot too.” He winked. “Is that all you wanted to know? Is it my turn to grill you yet?”
I finished the last of my chicken salad sandwich and shrugged. “What do you want to know?”
“How the fuck can you balance a relationship and the Olympics?!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “It definitely hasn’t been easy.”
“Well, you make it look that way. You and Cam.” He lifted his shoulders and exhaled dramatically. “Goals, dude. Goals.”
“To be honest, this is a huge test.”
“You mean, that you're here and he’s an alternate?”
I nodded. “It sucks. It felt like we were competing against each other for the same slot.”
“You can’t think of it that way. Cam did his best and it wasn’t enough. That’s it. Period. End of story. The fact that he came so close. What are you guys? Twenty-seven?”
I nodded again.
“Exactly. And you’re all-arounders, not specialists. Sure, there are guys here older than you two, but they’re here for one event. You were both - are both - still doing all of them. That’s literally ridiculous. There’s no one else doing that right now except maybe Jack Davies.”
Fuck, he’s making some good points. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I am.”
“You’re a brat, aren’t you?”
He looked taken aback. “Me?! Never. And I’m sure you’re worried about Cam, but don’t be. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Speaking of - shit - I haven’t checked in with him. I was trying to give him space. Normally, I kind of suck at that.”
Luke: How’s the hotel? Colton there yet?
I didn’t have to wait long for a response.
Cam: Yeah, Zeph’s here too. Hotel is nice.
Cam: All male, clothing optional. You’re missing out, tiger.
Luke: You’re joking.
Cam: Already got hit on by a porn star.
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. And here I was, thinking he was going to be depressed.
“What?”
I showed Ezra my phone.
“How are you guys this lucky?”
Luke: So, when’s our threesome?
Cam: Funny. He didn’t ask after I said we were monogamous.
Cam: Zeph and Colton were big fans though.
Luke: I bet. Plans post-porn star flirt sesh?
Cam: Not sure. Exploring the Castro?
Luke: Have fun.
Cam: How’s the roomie?
Luke: Hasn’t shut up about you. I should be offended, but I understand his appreciation.
Cam: Apparently, I attract younger men.
Luke: Don’t let it go to your head.
Luke: And don’t you dare type ‘it’s not going there’
Cam: You don’t know me. :-P
An alert came through on my phone. Same for Ezra.
“We should head out soon. Meeting time,” he said.
Luke: First meeting’s coming up. Call you later. Love you.
Cam: Love you more.
“Welcome, everyone. As you can see, we’ve got quite a crowd.”