Out for the Holidays and Out for Gold (Out in College 8.5)

“Fuck, you feel so good,” I grunted, nipping his shoulder as I pistoned my hips and wrapped my free arm around his chest, holding him close.

“Yes, yes. Oh God, I’m gonna come.”

His release spurted over my fingers and probably landed on my pillow. I didn’t care and I couldn’t stop. I pulled his chin to the side and licked the corner of his mouth as he gasped and shook. When his momentum faltered, I pulled him onto the mattress, lifted his right leg, and bucked into him. Three pumps later, I fell apart, shooting deep inside him and holding on for dear life until the last wave of pleasure subsided.

I panted heavily and stared at the ceiling. “Do you think it’ll still be this good when we’re old dudes?”

Derek chuckled as he rolled to face me. “Yeah, I do. There might be Viagra involved, but I know I’ll always want you.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

3

Derek

Wow. What a mess.

I adjusted my face mask as I walked away from the flying debris at the far end of what would soon be the kitchen. Under the billowing dust of the remains of the old, chipped black-and-white flooring, the exposed wires, and AC ducts, I could see the finished product. Bonne Terre was going to be the coolest new eatery on the street. No, in the city…no, the state. They’d be talking about our modern aesthetic and the fabulous cuisine up and down the coast, demanding to know when we’d open nationwide.

All right, maybe I was getting a little ahead of myself. It looked like a bomb had gone off in here. But that was to be expected at a demo party.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and headed toward the front door to get a better angle for a photo, humming to an old Drake song blaring from someone’s Bluetooth speaker. I snickered at Evan’s dance moves, then laughed outright when Christian beaned him on the stomach with a half-empty water bottle.

Gabe was right. We were lucky.

Our friends rallied around us in a big way. A dozen or so guys and their boyfriends and a few girlfriends came by for an impromptu pre-construction party. They smashed part of the wall we’d decided to open between the kitchen and the dining area, jimmied tiles off the floors and countertops, and pulled old fixtures from the walls. My friend Chelsea served mimosas and played deejay. It was pure chaos…the fun kind.

I’d spent the past few weeks finalizing plans with the contractor, dealing with permits, and ordering equipment and supplies. On Monday construction would begin, and we’d be one step closer to making this crazy dream of mine a reality. Sure, there were still a few important details to handle, like lighting and staffing. I spent an hour pre-champagne chatting with Mitch and Chelsea about marketing ideas. And Phoenix was supposed to be here any second to go over lighting.

I took another sip of bubbly from my red Solo cup and smiled. Speak of the devil.

Max and Phoenix sailed through the door a moment later. Max greeted everyone with a cheery, “Wha’s up?” before giving me a sheepish look. “Sorry we’re late. I had to cover an open house this morning, and Phoenix had play practice.”

“Rehearsal,” Phoenix corrected with an affectionate eye roll.

Max kissed his boyfriend’s temple, then smiled at me. “How can I help?”

“Um…” I glanced at the mini party behind me. Gabe had clearly lost control of his crew. Evan and Mitch were dancing with Chelsea and a couple of water polo hunks. I took another drink, angling my head toward Christian and Rory, who were chipping away at the tile countertops with Gabe and a few my old teammates from college. “They look more productive on that end of the room.”

“All right. I’ll start there and boogie later.”

“Thanks. There’s beer and bagels too. And champagne,” I said, raising my cup.

Phoenix pulled my drink from my hand and took a sip. “Oh, you got the good stuff.”

“Yep!”

I gave him a quick once-over when he handed the cup back. Phoenix was lean and graceful. He moved like a dancer and looked like a model. He had platinum-blond hair and blue eyes, and though he wasn’t traditionally handsome, there was something about him that made you look twice. He reminded me of Evan’s boyfriend, Mitch, sometimes.

They both had a confident queer energy I admired. It was cool to be around them because every other guy in this room, gay, straight, or bi, was a typical jock. Myself included. I wore basic Levi’s and a Long Beach State sweatshirt while Phoenix wore black jeans, a long herringbone coat, combat boots, red lipstick…and a rainbow scarf tied around his neck.

Phoenix caught my stare, grinning as he untied the scarf and waved it like a flag. “I forgot I had this on. I found it tucked in the seat in Max’s car. Must have been from Pride and since that was five months ago, that car obviously doesn’t get cleaned often.”