Out on the Serve (Out in College 7)

“Hey, babe, have you seen my wallet?” Elliot asked.

I took a moment to admire my man because seriously, a shirtless Elliot was a gorgeous sight. His damp hair, stubbled jaw, and mischievous grin added a roguish appeal, and I definitely wasn’t immune to the way his gray sweatpants fit low on his hips, showcasing his impressive abs. I continued my southward visual exploration, then gave him a sheepish smile.

“Uh…what was the question?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement, and his lips curled in that lopsided smile that always made my heart skip a beat. This man rocked my world. He was fun, vivacious, and warm. And he was mine. All mine.

After Elliot’s final the tournament of the season, we decided to move closer to LA. We found a great condo in Manhattan Beach just two blocks from the boardwalk. It was an ideal location for both of us—Elliot could walk to work if he wanted, and it cut a ton of time off my drive to UCLA.

We’d been in our new place for three months now. It had a spacious open layout and had been recently renovated. Our kitchen alone was seriously worth the slight uptick in rent. The island was twice the size of our old one, and the white quartz and black cabinetry worked well with our neutral color scheme. I insisted on new furniture. Nothing crazy. Just a new sectional sofa and coffee table. Elliot dismantled the surfboard coffee table, thinking he might try it out in the water again. But he gave the denim sofa to Tucker…his new partner.

His split with Gus was a nonevent. They didn’t complement each other’s strengths. The person Elliot always worked best with was Tucker. It took a little persuading, but ultimately Tucker wasn’t ready to walk away from the game.

And when they opened their new business last fall in Hermosa, they were blown away by the response. Kids and young adults came from all over Southern California to attend their clinics. I pitched in coaching when I had free time. And as soon as my season wrapped up in May, I planned to be at the beach more often.

“Well?” Elliot moved into my space, lifting my chin with his thumb, then setting his bagel on my lower lip. “Take a bite. I used the jalapeño cream cheese.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Sounds gross.”

“Trust me. It’s good. Open up.”

I obeyed. I leaned against the island and hooked my fingers under the elastic of his sweats, pulling him toward me as I chewed and swallowed.

“Not bad. But I just remembered that I’m irked.”

He snickered. “Irked? Hmm. Did I leave crumbs somewhere?”

“You did. All over the counter and probably the floor and…” I trailed off when he nuzzled my neck and nipped my earlobe.

“Sounds like a serious offense. What are you gonna do to me?”

“Um…”

“Are you going to tie me up and spank me?”

I slipped my hand under the fabric and tugged it before smacking his bare ass. “Like that?”

“A little harder.”

I laughed. “You’re a pervert.”

“True. And I want to do all kinds of perverted things with you, baby,” he purred.

“Me too, but my parents will be here any second. My mom doesn’t like perverts as much as yours does.”

Elliot snorted. “She’s a weirdo.”

I grinned. His mom was a lot, but we both adored her. And my parents adored Elliot. Of course, he was easy to love. He could talk sports with my dad, and he ate everything my mother put in front of him. We’d officially been “together” for six months now, but sometimes I wondered if my folks still thought of us as roommates. If they did they kept it to themselves. They showed up and they tried. That was all I needed for now.

“I’ll make it up to you later,” I promised. “We can do all the pervy things.”

He sealed his lips over mine and hummed into the connection. “I’m counting on it. Do I still have to clean?”

“It would be nice.”

“Hmm. I love you, Bray.”

I squeezed him around the waist and beamed. “I love you too. Want me to show you the best method for efficient crumb-disposal?”

“Absolutely not. There’s only room for one crumb warrior in this house, and that’s you, baby.”

Fine by me. Appreciating each other’s differences made us stronger, and in many ways, it made us better people. I’d like to think I was kinder to myself now, more open and willing to try new things and see other points of view. I liked who I was when I was with Elliot. And I loved who we’d become together.

He was my best friend, my lover, and my greatest champion. I was grateful we’d taken a chance on our future. And on each other.