Page 100 of Common Goal
He hadn’t seen or spoken to Kyle in two weeks either. He’d taken the back-to-back road trips as an opportunity to clear his head and maybe allow himself to think reasonably about what he was doing with Kyle. He’d thought some distance would relieve his cravings for the man.
It hadn’t worked.
Eric still felt heated every time he thought of their last time together. Which was often. In fact most of his thoughts had been dominated by Kyle. He’d thought about him when he was on the road—in planes, on buses, working out, and definitely in his hotel rooms. He’d thought about him while he’d been at home with his family. He’d thought about him a surprising amount on Christmas morning, even wishing that Kyle was there with him, meeting his parents and siblings, which was a little alarming.
Eric had wanted to text him yesterday when he’d gotten back into town. Maybe see if he wanted to come over. But he didn’t want to seem too eager, and he also didn’t like how unmanageable his feelings had become. Kyle was forcing his way into Eric’s heart like a puck sailing into the top corner of the net while Eric was sprawled helplessly on the ice. He couldn’t control what was happening, and he hated things he couldn’t control.
Usually.
“You guys enjoy hanging out with Dallas Kent in the snow,” Carter teased. “I’m going to be on a beach with the love of my life.”
“Rum?” Scott asked dryly.
Carter threw a roll of tape at him.
Eric:What are you up to?
Kyle did not appreciate the way his heart lurched when he saw Eric’s text. It was a completely inappropriate and disproportionate response.
Kyle:Just leaving campus.
He watched the three dots blink on his screen for what felt like an eternity as Eric typed. Kyle couldn’t imagine what this was going to be about. He hadn’t heard from Eric in two weeks. He’d almost given up hope.
Eric:I was wondering if you might like to get coffee.
Well, that was adorable.
Kyle:Sure. Where?
They agreed to meet at a café near Columbia that Kyle liked. He ducked into a bathroom before leaving campus. After a three-hour seminar, he doubted he looked his freshest. He examined himself in the mirror and finger-combed the front of his hair so it wasn’t falling into his face. He finally decided it was a lost cause and pulled a black winter hat out of his backpack. He had his favorite glasses on today, at least.
Maybe it was sad that he was so excited about a coffee with a friend, but he’d been having a hard time not obsessing over Eric Bennett lately. Every shift he worked at the Kingfisher he hoped Eric would walk through the doors, even when Kyle knew he was out of town. He’d watched most of the Admirals’ road games, some on the televisions at work, and some at home. His heart had fluttered every time the broadcasts showed Eric’s face, even if it was behind a mask.
Kyle could have texted him. He knew this, and had been tempted to do it several times. On Christmas morning he’d had a message all typed out—just a simpleMerry Christmas—but he’d deleted it. For whatever reason, he’d made a deal with himself that he would let Eric make contact next. And if Eric never did, well. That was that, then. It wasn’t like Kyle had never been ghosted before.
It wasn’t like Eric had ever promised him anything.
So getting a text—aninvitation—from Eric now, after a long and particularly tedious seminar class, was extremely welcome.
When Eric entered the café, Kyle’s stomach flipped. Somehow he’d forgotten how gorgeous the man was in person: tall and elegantly dressed in a long wool coat that was dusted in snowflakes. When he spotted Kyle, he smiled warmly, and Kyle silently commanded himself to be cool.
“Hi,” Eric said.
“Hi.” They stood near the counter, facing each other. Kyle’s hand twitched with the desire to touch him, but he didn’t. From here he could see the snowflakes that were melting into Eric’s hair, making it glisten.
“It’s, um, nice to see you,” Eric said. “It’s been a while.”
Had it seemed like a long time to Eric? Had hemissedKyle? “It has. Did you have a nice Christmas?”
“It was short, but good. It’s always nice to go home.” Eric’s smile fell. “I mean—”
“It’s fine,” Kyle said quickly. “Mom called me on Christmas. We talked for ten whole minutes. It was very festive. Apparently my older brothers are both doing wonderful things and my parents are very proud of them.”
God, why had he just said all of that? He saw unwanted sympathy in Eric’s eyes, so he changed the subject, “Let’s order. I need caffeine after that class.”
A few minutes later they brought their coffees to a small table in one corner.
“I heard that you made the All-Star team. Congratulations.”
