I checked in at the front desk with a perky teenage girl with pink hair and a nose ring who gave me a curious once-over when I told her I was there to meet Rory.
“He’s finishing up a class in the main gym. You can hang out on the bleachers or wait out here,” she said just as a band of wild grade-school kids charged into the reception area, bouncing balls and doing their best to outyell each other.
“I’ll wait in the gym.”
“Good choice,” she agreed with a chuckle.
I made my way down a wide corridor lined with photos and posters commemorating recent events and spotted Rory the second I stepped through the open double doors. He stood in the middle of a series of blue mats laid out on the far end of the area with his hands on his hips. I couldn’t hear what he was saying over the echo of activity on my end. A few parents sat in the stands watching their kids’ basketball practice. They looked like they might be around six or seven. Rory’s group seemed to be a few years older.
They sat at the edge of the mat and appeared to listen intently to whatever he was saying. I wanted to get closer so I could hear him. But when the kids threw their heads back and laughed uproariously to something he said, I felt compelled to observe. I remembered reading somewhere that you could tell a lot about someone by how they treated children and animals. The best teachers were patient, kind, and used inventive measures to hold their pupils’ interest. And they weren’t afraid to show a silly side to make a point.
So yeah, when Rory suddenly crouched low and did a backward somersault that sent the kids into hysterics, my heart soared. Who could blame me? The badass brainiac was a big ol’ teddy bear of a guy with a sweet soul. Fuck, I liked him. A lot. Maybe too much. I hiked my workout bag over my shoulder and made it two steps before someone yanked my elbow and pulled me into a spontaneous hug.
“Hey! What the f—what are you doing here?” Evan asked as he released me.
“I’m…um…” I nodded like an idiot and tried to gather my wits. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” he replied.
He looked great, but he always did. Evan was six two with a thick muscular build, dark short hair, brown eyes, and strong even features. He was anyone’s definition of a handsome man, but his looks were the least impressive thing about him. He was a good-natured goofball and one of my all-time favorite former teammates. He worked hard but knew how to have fun without being obnoxious or taking advantage of his position. He led by example and he’d always supported me as team captain, whether that meant backing me up in the locker room or attending school functions when he would have rather been home with his boyfriend.
“How’s Mitch?”
Evan’s eyes lit up. “He’s great. He’s busy with grad school. Midterms are coming up and he’s stressed, but he’s doing well,” he gushed.
I grinned. “What about you? How’s the real estate game?”
“Dude, I’m actually kicking ass. If the market is still hot when you graduate, I highly recommend taking a chance. I bet I can get you an interview at my firm. You interested?”
“I don’t know. I have to graduate first…and I’ve been warned that won’t happen unless I pass statistics.” I gestured toward the opposite end of the court. “Rory is my tutor.”
“He told me. Shocked the hell out of me, that’s for sure,” he huffed in amusement. “But Mitch always said Rory was really smart.”
“He is. He’s a math genius.” I tried to tone down the note of hero worship in my voice, but Evan’s curious double take made me think I was doing a lousy job. “Perez suggested him when I needed help.”
“Then you’re in good hands.” He shot a thoughtful glance in Rory’s direction before turning back to me. “Hey, Mitch and I are having a small barbeque at our house this Saturday. Can you come?”
“Me?” I asked, pointing at my chest like an idiot.
“Yeah, you. I was going to text you anyway. We moved into our new place a couple of weeks ago. It’s not perfect yet, but we’re getting close. Mitch insisted on buying outdoor patio furniture and a grill last week, so we might as well break ’em in. Nothing crazy. It’s a casual get-together with mostly old college friends. Like you. And Rory too. I was just going to remind him about it, but you can do that for me, eh?”
“Uh, sure. So you’re friends with Rory.”
Evan chuckled. “I know. Weird, isn’t it? We bonded over weight training. We spot each other when we lift and talk sports while we run on the treadmills. He’s a good guy.”