Page 3 of Convenient Rivals

He smiled, unable to stop himself. Jason, Charlie, Paolo, and Langdon were more like brothers to him than his waste of space younger sibling. They’d all met in their first year of university, moved in together the following year, and had stayed that way ever since. Except for Charlie, none of them had experienced a positive childhood. When Gregory arrived at university, he’d just been disowned by his parents for being gay, and the men who would become his brothers took him under their wing. He was the most introverted of all of them, and he knew he was a bit weird, but they’d never made him feel that way. They’d saved him, and when he had the opportunity to provide the safety of a home, he didn’t hesitate. So when Legs Up had become a tremendous success, Gregory bought a flat for them all in Soho. He’d wanted them to always have a place to call home until they all met their knights in shining armour and got their happily ever afters. That had already happened for two of his friends, and he knew they’d all fly the nest one day, but no matter what happened, he’d always hold their rooms for them. He knew he’d never meet someone who would tolerate all his quirks, and he was fine with that. When he needed it, he could always find some tension relief, although it had been a while.

Charlie had recently announced he was moving out to live with his partner, Sebastian, who was perfect for the brother they all thought of as the heart of their group – older man, protective, rich, and hot. They were all happy for Charlie, but he’d be lying if he wasn’t struggling a bit with the idea of them no longer all being together. Gregory had never felt like he had a true home until he’d found his brothers. He’d wanted for nothing materialistic in childhood, but affection was not something his parents believed in.

Langdon, the oldest of their group, had met Eric at work, and he had practically moved into their flat. Not officially, but he was always there. The only person who didn’t realise Eric had moved in was Langdon. Gregory didn’t want another brother moving out so quickly, so he was happy with the arrangement. Paolo had never had a boyfriend in the whole time Gregory had known him, and Jason loved dick too much to settle down.

He asked Hannah to let Brad know on Monday morning that it was a no, so if his other offers were genuine he wouldn’t miss out on anything. Gregory hadn’t taken to Brad, but that didn’t mean he’d leave him hanging when he had other potential opportunities. He could never understand people who did that. They spent five minutes going over the agenda for next week. It was barely autumn, and they were already thinking about promotions for Black Friday and Christmas. It was the time of year when business dipped, before the inevitable spike in the new year when people signed their life away only to never really commit. Gregory had been adamant when he started the business that he’d make it easy for people to walk away if they wanted to. There were no long-term contracts – you went month-to-month, with simple and clear pricing so people knew where they stood. It worked as a business model, so he wasn’t about to fix something that wasn’t broken.

Jason had named Legs Up. His youngest brother had been going through a tough time, and during a moment of weakness, Gregory had offered Jason the opportunity to name his company. Legs Up had been born, and after the initial cringe moment, he’d realised how brilliant it was. The name was memorable, and just naughty enough to not be offensive... well, to most people. You couldn’t win with everyone; oxygen offended some people.

The business was going well. They were growing, but not too rapidly, and it was practically running itself. Gregory was bored. He needed something new to sink his teeth into. He’d always been drawn to creating a sense of community, given how that had saved him at university, and he loved his online gaming groups. The community he’d created through his app had achieved what he wanted. Now he needed something else. A physical space for people to come together. He had an idea, but he’d need to convince one of his friends to join him. Gregory was self-aware enough to know when he didn’t have the expertise for something, but he knew a man who did.

“Good afternoon, sexy,” said Jason, jumping into Gregory’s arms.

He instinctively caught him, but felt his face heating as people passing by on the street and gave them knowing looks. Jason was a pint-sized dynamo, although not much shorter than Gregory’s five feet nine. If there was one thing Jason liked to do, it was push his friends out of their comfort zone, but none of them would change him.

Gregory dropped Jason to the ground, but carefully, so he landed on his feet. After planting a smacker on Gregory’s cheek, Jason linked his arm with his own and walked into the restaurant he’d booked in the heart of Soho. It was an authentic Italian place they all loved – only small with around twenty tables – which was only a short walk from their flat, so they were regulars and were greeted warmly by the owner as always. They didn’t accept bookings, but Jason had worked his charm, much to the chagrin of those in the long queue outside.

“Aren’t you working today?” he asked Jason.

“Working from home.”

“And flat out I see.”

“I’ve done fifty hours already this week. Nobody’s going to give me shit about a long lunch.”

Jason was Head of HR for an insurance company, which was impressive given that, like Gregory, he was only twenty-eight. He might be boastful about his sexual conquests, but Jason was surprisingly humble with his career achievements.

They didn’t have to look at the menu, and ordered straight away. Gregory had his usual, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina – you couldn’t go wrong with the classic flavours of tomato and cheese – and Jason ordered a pizza. Where he put it all was a mystery. There was nothing of the guy. He was all lean muscle.

“What do you want, Jason?”

“Gregory,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically. “Can’t two friends have a pleasant lunch together without there being an ulterior motive?”

He suppressed a smile. “There can, but I know you.”

“When did you last get laid?”

Gregory flushed, looking around to check nobody had heard them.

“That long, eh? Order some bread with your pasta.”

“Why?”

“Line your stomach. We’re going out tonight.”

“I can’t go out tonight.”

“And why not?”

“It’s a busy time for the business.”

“Mate, that place runs itself and we need to drown our sorrows.”

“Why do we need to drown our sorrows?”

“You know why. Charlie is abandoning us.”

Gregory couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest. Jason was the most clingy of all of them. He was practically a koala bear with how he’d latch onto you when he was down. He also knew that when Jason was in a low mood, he could do some reckless things.

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