Page 44 of Common Goal
“Shame.”
Eric shook his head, smiling. “What are you drinking?”
“It’s something autumny and spicy that Calvin came up with. I’ll switch to soda after this, though.”
Eric was touched that Kyle was willing to abstain for his benefit, but it really wasn’t necessary. “You don’t have to.”
Kyle waved a hand. “I don’t mind. Besides, we’re here on a mission. I need to keep a clear head.” He leaned in. “So. Who do you like?”
Eric was caught off guard by the question. And by the answer that immediately popped into his head: he liked Kyle. He liked his clear, blue eyes and his carefully styled hair. He liked the peek of collarbone that jutted from the wide V of Kyle’s neckline.
“I don’t know,” Eric lied. “Everyone here is very attractive.”
Kyle turned to the side and observed the crowd for a moment before returning his gaze to Eric. “It’s a good bar for that. What about him?” He nodded at someone over Eric’s shoulder, which meant Eric would have to turn around to see him.
“Who?” Eric asked, without turning.
“Tall, beard, muscles.”
Eric turned, as subtly as possible, and easily spotted the man Kyle had described. He was definitely handsome, but more in the way Eric’s teammates were handsome, which didn’t do it for Eric.
“Attractive,” Eric agreed, turning back to Kyle. “But not for me.”
Kyle’s eyebrows shot up as he sipped his drink. “Too big? Too hairy? What’s the issue?”
“I think...” God, this was torture. “Too...hockey player.”
Kyle laughed like this was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Eric buried his face in his hands. “I can’t do this,” he groaned.
“You can. I get it. So we’ll look for someone less macho and athletic.”
“I didn’t say not athletic,” Eric argued. “Just not...that guy. I don’t know.”
“How about him?” Kyle blatantly pointed a finger at the table next to theirs, and Eric batted it down.
“Don’tpoint!”
Kyle crossed his arms. “Sweetheart. We’re all here for the same thing.”
Eric glanced in the direction Kyle had been pointing and found three men drinking cocktails. One of them was smiling at Eric.
Eric quickly turned back to Kyle. “He looks nineteen!”
“Is that a no?”
“That’s an absolute no.”
“Good to know.”
Eric glared at him. “Was that a test?”
“Not at all. First of all, he’s older than nineteen. And secondly, I dated men about your age when I was younger than him.”
Eric didnotlike thinking about that. “Well, I’m not interested in anyone that young.”
Kyle looked down at the table, frowning. “What would be an appropriate age, do you think?”
“I don’t know. Thirty at least?” Eric had picked the number because it felt right. Itwasright, wasn’t it?
