Page 17 of Summer of the Boy

“Your chest,” I admit, honestly. “It’s incredibly sexy.”

“Glad you think so.”

Changing the subject because thoughts of Ridley’s bare chest does things to me which should not be witnessed by innocent carnival goers, I ask, “You want a drink?”

He understands. One of the best things about being with the man, he understands me in a way no one else ever has. “Sure,” he answers, letting me off the hook.

I leave Rid to do his job while I hunt us down some cold beverages. He doesn’t really care for soda too much, but all the places that sell bottled water are sold out.

So soda it has to be.

As I walk back toward him, sipping my Coke through the straw, I cough, choking on my drink because of who I see leaning against Ridley’s game.What’s he doing there?

A freaking sneak attack on Ridley. I could kill him, standing with his hands shoved in his pockets trying to look docile. Like someone just up for a chat. Rid looks to be handling himself okay, not freaked or anything. But damn, after what he said to Rid earlier. I’m pulling up strength reserves I didn’t know I had to keep from charging him and tearing his head clean off his body.

Damn, Gabe Cera.

Alone this time.

Jesus, why can’t he leaveusalone?

“What the hell are you doing back?” I spit out. Both heads spin my way. “Here.” I hand the drink off to Ridley.

“It’s cool Fraser,” Gabe says to me. No. Nothing is cool about him being anywhere near Ridley. And when you’ve seen someone naked, the way Gabe and I have seen each other naked, you’d think you’d be beyond the last name thing.

“Rid, you okay?”

He nods.

“He was just apologizing,” Ridley says to me. His head dipped low.See me Rid, you’renot in trouble. “He was just apologizing,” Rid says again.

Really?

What happened to ‘leave or I’ll have securityremove you from the park’?

I’ve known him for years and one thing I know about Gabe Cera, he does not apologize. Ever.

“I was out of line.” Gabe shrugs.Shrugs. As if calling someone a retard could ever be okay because he said he was out of line. As if I’m the one overreacting here. It’s no big deal, right?

“What’s your play?” I ask, not trusting him as far as I could throw him, and I’m not sure I could even lift him off the ground.

“No play. I’m not a bad guy, Frazer. You know me.”

“Yeah…I do.”

No doubt Gabe is hot, in that cocky bastard sort of way. He has nothing on my boyfriend, of course.

Nothing.

As I continue to stare down Gabe, not talking, he takes the obvious hint and finally leaves us.

“You okay?” I ask Rid again.

“Yeah. He was fine.”

“I don’t want you talking to Gabe without me. You can’t trust him.”

“Leif, I think you’re spending too much time around my mom. I’m a grown man. Just like I tell her.”

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