Page 52 of Pull
We go to the far end of the yard and start passing the ball back and forth. The rest of the guys join us, but we’re mostly just goofing around. And it’s fun.
Ben, the former football prodigy, schools everyone, but I’m almost as good. I love adding a little healthy competition into our relationship. It’s almost like foreplay. Seriously, watching him gets me hard, as does letting him boss me around.
It’s one of my many fantasies. He’s the hot quarterback who likes to get fucked by his wide receiver in the showers.Yumm, I fuckin need it.
I catch one of Ben’s all-star passes, darting away from him while he chases me all over the place. He catches me and pulls me to him, both of us out of breath and feeling the sexual tension like a current between us. And just as I think we might need to sneak off for a quick blowy in the shed, I hear someone shout, “Hailey!”
Ben and I look up to find Hailey walking into the backyard, blonde hair flowing just like her beautiful floral dress, on the arm of my former Sociology professor, Oliver Morrison.
Aka, her new boyfriend.
The first thing I do is look at Ben. I can’t imagine he extended the invitation to Oliver, which is confirmed by the look of shock on his face. Hailey finds Jess first, giving her a massive hug. Oliver hands our wife a bottle of wine, smiling and polite in his outfit that makes him look like a Harvard alum going for a sail.
Ben begins stomping over to them, holding my hand in a death grip, which means he’sdraggingme along.
“Hi, Daddy!” Hailey smiles, giving Ben a hug, before moving to me. “Ryan! Happy anniversary!”
“Thanks,” I mutter weakly, feeling the tension thicken in the air like smog.
“You guys remember Oliver,” she gestures to Professor Morrison, whose smile is a bit wary as he extends a hand to Ben.
Ben shakes it with his left so he can keep squeezing mine with his right.
After that, no one says anything for what feels like an eternity, though in actuality it’s no more than ten seconds.
“I didn’t know you’d be bringing a date,” Ben finally grumbles, giving Oliver a studious once-over.
“Yea well, it worked out so well last time, I figured I’d give bringing a guy home another shot,” Hailey grins.
Ben pales.
I choke.
Oliver chuckles. “Yes, don’t go falling in love with me now.” When Ben’s eyes nearly bug out of his head and my face turns the shade of Satan’s asshole, the professor backtracks. “I’m sorry. My sense of humor often leaves much to be desired. Obviously I have no intention of um… Never mind.”
“Jesus take the wheel,” I mutter to myself as Jess saunters over with a drink in her hand.
“What are we talking about?” She smiles.
Hailey blinks a few times before I respond, “Nothing much.”
“Nothing much,” Ben repeats, sounding like he’s broken.
“Wow, Hailey, you’ve got guts, huh?” Bill stumbles over, clearly half in the bag, looking all disheveled. “Bringinganotherguy home!” He lets a drunk giggle slip before looking to Oliver. “Hey, pal, whatever you do, don’t spend the night!”
Jess’s face freezes, before she turns to our friend, glaring at him until he looks terrified. I can practically hear her telepathically threatening his life.
“Anyway!” Hailey shouts, tugging Oliver closer to her by his arm. “I just wanted you guys to get to know Ol a little bit better since he’s very important to me.” She pauses and blinks. “I mean, notget to knowhim, like that, but like… Just as my boyfriend. Not yours.”
Bill snickers and I cover my face with my free hand.This has to be the most awkward moment of my entire life.
“For fuck’s sake,” Ben barks. “We’re not animals, okay? We can control ourselves. Ryan was an isolated incident, brought on by something like… fate or whatever.”
“Ben, please…” I mutter, shaking from the sheer uncomfortableness of this conversation.
“Hailey, I love you,” he sighs. “You’re my daughter, and you’re the most important thing in my life. That said, your man’s not even that cute. Boom.”
“Ben!” Jess gasps out loud, the eyeballs fully exiting her skull.
