Page 36 of The Grumpy Vet
"Why didn't you say anything?"
I shrug. "I don't know. It's not that big of a deal."
"I suppose. I mean, if you guys were fucking,thatwould be newsworthy." He chuckles to himself then stops and pins me with a hopeful look. "Don't suppose you've had any luck on that front? And before you try and deny it, let me save you from embarrassing yourself. You may think you're a great actor, butyou're not fooling anyone. We've all known for years that you have a massive boner for Linus. Don't stress about it. It's cool. Just know that we're here for you, okay? If you need a wingman, or three, Muir, Fitz, and I have got you covered. Okay?"
Just when I think I can't get any more stunned…I get more stunned.
All this time I thought I was being discreet about my crush on Linus. Granted, getting shitfaced and needing Linus to rescue me isn't exactly low-key behaviour, but how did they knowwhyI was getting so wasted? I thought I was managing to check Linus out without anyone clocking me, but, based on what Wilby's just informed me, I guess I wasn't.
"Okay. Thanks?" I manage.
Wilby, completely oblivious to how near he got to the actual truth, demolishes the rest of his éclair in two giant bites, downs the rest of his chocolate milkshake, then lifts his head to the ceiling and lets rip with a massively loud belch. "All right. I gotta go. Remember what I said." He backs out of the lounge, points to himself, mouths "WINGMAN," then gives a double thumbs up before disappearing.
The second he's gone, I slump in my chair, processing howeveryoneknows about my crush on Linus. And that they've known the entire time I've worked here. Ugh, this is so embarrassing.
On the other hand… I perk up a little. If everyone still thinks I have a crush on him and haven't acted on it, then it's kind of the perfect cover for what we actuallyaredoing.
Linus
"So while I'm mortified that everyone knows I've had a crush on you for ages, at least it helps us keepthisunder wraps," Ryde says, keeping a watchful eye over me.
I struggle to finish another punishing set—we may have joked about Ryde being a tough master, but he really is living up to it—and drop the dumbbells onto the rubber floor. "And bythisyou mean…"
Ryde smiles, looking all sexy in his black PT getup. He's really enjoying taking control, and I can't help but wonder if he enjoys taking control in other areas as well.
"You being cheeky?" he asks, folding his arms across his chest.
"No, sir."
"Good. Otherwise you'd be in trouble."
"What's this about trouble?" Dario pants from the treadmill. "And how can I get in on it?"
I chuckle. God, I love spending time with these guys. Yes, I really like all the sex stuff we're doing, but it's moments like these, when it's just the three of us chatting and having a good time, that are my favourite thing. It feels so easy, and I'm more relaxed than I've been in a very long time. The awkward sexual tension between Ryde and me has vanished, and there's a nice energy humming between Dario and me. And Dario and Ryde. Well, between all three of us, really.
Ryde switches us around, guiding Dario through a set of barbell lifts as I jog lightly on the treadmill, watching them.
I can't deny that an initial part of my attraction was sexual, that something about the two of them together unlocked a voyeuristic side of me I never knew existed. Whether it's seeing them around the clinic, or working out in front of me, or on their knees worshipping my cock, the visual of the two of them together drives me wild.
But over the past few weeks, the sexual and physical attraction has slowly been morphing into something else, taking shape in a new and very unexpected way.
I've been closed off to anything happening between Ryde and myself for so long, but ever since Dario entered the picture and we started doing stuff, it's made me wonder if there is a possibility for us.
And byus, I mean the three of us.
Because as much as I'm interested in Ryde, I can't deny that I'm equally as interested in Dario. Which elevates an already complicated situation into a whole new stratosphere of complicatedness.
I've been doing my best not to go there, not to overthink and imagine what a future with these guys might look like. Why torture myself? Not only is Ryde completely off limits, the three of us becoming a throuple is about as likely as Wilby learning how to eat food like an actual human.
Mucking around and having fun the way we have been is one thing, but a committed, long-term relationship is something else entirely. Just because we're good with this arrangement doesn't automatically mean we'd be able to transition to the other.
But, fuck, I wish we could.
For the first time in my life, and against my better judgement, I'm picturing a future where I have someone to share my life with, someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone to unwind with and share any problem or burdens I'm dealing with. These guys already make me feel better than I have in years, and we haven't even scratched the surface of where our relationship could go.
And here I am, doing it again. Being silly and unrealistic. I need to stay focused on what this is. A casual, fun, hookup situation. Nothing more.
We end the training session with some cooldown stretches, which is a lovely segue into ournexttraining session for the evening.
