Page 26 of Dangerous Pursuit
"I could, if I had to. If my best friend didn't just get a crash course himself on the matter and is now able to give melegitinfo, as opposed to me finding some dubious musings of God knows who on Reddit. So get off your high horse and over whatever nonsense embarrassment you're feeling andtell me."
It takes me another five minutes of convincing my sudden prude of a friend, but I finally manage, scribbling things likestretching,lube—buckets of it, andgay porn for researchon my little post-it. It's not until Blake dictates a rather important question—Are you a top or a bottom?—that I take a mental pause, because how the fuck am I supposed to know that?
He ends his lectures with a couple graphic tidbits—yeah, once Blake starts talking he forgets to be shy—and says, "There. That's all I have. You want more, you ask uncle Internet.Nowwill you tell me why the fuck do you need to know all that?"
I consider cluing him in for a whole half a second before saying, "Nope. Thanks though, appreciate it. See you oncampus," and end the call before Blake has a chance to inquire further, because I just know he's dying to. I'll tell him first thing Monday, of course. I'm not that great at keeping secrets, especially my own. But for now, let him wonder. He didn't tell me about Sawyer right away either, so…payback, bitch. Besides, I'm not sure there's even anythingtotell.
I get a pang of satisfaction when I'm able to crosscall Blakeoff myotherpost-it, before inspecting it further. Right. Now, down to business.
Unlike Blake, Sawyer doesn't take forever and a day to answer his phone, his fully alert voice greeting me from the other side. "Yo, yo, yo. What's up?"
"Well, you sound cheery. Good. Great actually, cause I need a favor. Huge one."
"Shoot."
"Do you think you could put my name on that damn list? To the club? Like you did Blake’s? I may have a…thing I need to take care of and you guys are well overpriced." They're not, really. It's me who's broke.
"Put you on the list, huh?" Somehow, he sounds even more cheery now. Maybe he also overdosed on caffeine. "Sure, I can do that."
"Thanks man, I—" The rest of the words die in my throat when a poorly concealed laughter comes from somewhere in the background, and it's not fucking Sawyer's. "Wait, are you—" It takes a second for my brain cells to rub together. "IsBlake there with you?"
Sawyer does an even worse job of trying to conceal the laughter in his voice. "Umm, kind of. I'm at Blake's. Why?"
I open and close my mouth a few times, like a fish out of water, before I huff, my cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "Fuck you, both of ya!" I bark and tap the end call button twenty times for good measure.
Trying not to think about how much of a heyday these two will have when I see them, I scribbleget new friendson my post-it and stick it to my monitor.
I huff and puff for another few seconds before shooting Sawyer a text.
Me:Seriously, you're the biggest asshats ever, and I hate you both! Remember to put me on that list, though, k? Thanks!
Sawyer's reply has Blake written all over it.
Sawyer:Will do! I'm actually dying to see what you're up to :D :D
Assholes.
Chapter Ten
Liam
I CAN SENSE he's here even before he emerges from around the corner, and I've no idea how. The breeze grows a little warmer, the street lights shine a little brighter. Either that, or I just heard car doors slamming somewhere in the distance. Fifteen minutes late.
"Alright, gotta go. Have a good one," I say as I push off the wall outside Skin on Skin and fist-bump Milo, who's already replaced me a long time ago. Unlike Xander, he was on time.
I head down the night-bathed alleyway toward where I heard the car door, and sure enough, a head full of blond messy hair appears in the distance, absorbing light, giving him a gold halo. If he's half-asleep, he has himself to blame. I did offer we meet before my shift, or on a different day altogether, but I'm quickly learning once Xander sets his mind on something, there's no talking him out of it. And what he set his mind on is adate. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, even if it's just a non-committal late night walk, but once we get close enough and I can make out his familiar features surrounded by the golden halo, I find it hard to keep a straight face, my lips insistent on forming a semi-grin.
"You're late," I say the second he's within earshot.
Xander smiles his usual million-bucks smile, most of his teeth showing. "Fashionably." He stops and waits for me to reach him before turning around, so that we're both facing the direction we're going—toward a more civilized area of the city.
I glance at his perfectly fitted black jeans and what looks like a freshly ironed purple button-up with sleeves neatly rolled to his elbows and I wonder if fashion had indeed something to do with his timing. If it did, it was time well-spent.
"Where are we going?" I ask. Despite the lazy pace he set, his steps seem to have a purpose.
"It's a surprise."
"I don't like those."
