Gone for You (Wild Side 1)

“Come on.” Oliver locked a finger with his and led Matt over to the line. As they went, he noticed a couple of men gaze toward Oliver. Watched eyes roam his body, which made Matt do the same. Oliver was an inch or two taller than he was, broader.

He wore crisp, dark blue jeans and a red Polo shirt that showed off his arms.…Arms that looked bigger, more toned than they had in high school. Huh.

“What?” Oliver turned to him, making him realize he’d said it out loud. Oliver’s short, blondish hair looked as though his hands had raked through it a few times. He had these hypnotic, chocolate eyes—wide and innocent. He understood why men looked at him. It wasn’t that he’d never thought Oliver was an attractive man because he always had. But when he looked at his friend, he’d always seen Oliver’s kindness first. His compassion. Seen how he held himself back sometimes and let the world move around him if that was what he thought was better for others. He saw the things that Oliver had done with him, the help he’d given and the laughs they’d shared but fought to allow admitting the things he noticed now.

But he got it, got why men were looking at him and wondered why Oliver didn’t take advantage of that more often—but then that was Oliver, wasn’t it? Nothing was only skin deep with him. He wanted things to mean more. He ran off his heart more than anything else.

Again, he wondered why Oliver wasn’t in a committed relationship. Wondered how someone hadn’t seen how fucking incredible he was and snatched him up. There had to be a man out there for him, someone who deserved him.

“Do I have food in my teeth or something? Now you’re the one looking at me funny,” Oliver said, pulling him out of the thoughts he’d often tried not to have. They moved up in line a bit.

“You grew up good, Ollie,” Matt admitted honestly.

There was a brief flash of shock in Oliver’s face before he steeled it. “Well obviously not that well if you’re just noticing.” He laughed it off but Matt didn’t join him. Oliver always brushed off compliments, but he never stopped giving them to others. It was just the way he was built.

“I’m serious. You’re gorgeous and you look good. If you weren’t my best friend, I would definitely try to get in your pants tonight.”

“Oh stop.” Oliver waved him off playfully, but Matt noticed the faint blush on his face. Noticed the way his pupils grew and those doe eyes of his opened more.

“You’ve been eye-fucked by like three men just since we’ve been in line.”

“They were probably looking at you,” Oliver said as they moved a few more feet up in line.

A wave of unease slid down Matt’s spine but he ignored it. This was about Ollie. “Fuck off. I know what I saw. They were looking at you. We should get you laid tonight. You owe yourself after how everything went with your date the other night.”

Oliver’s whole body visibly went tense, and Matt wondered if he’d gone too far. If maybe he was stepping over his bounds, but fuck that. Oliver always spoke up when he thought it could benefit Matt, so why couldn’t Matt do the same for him? “Come on.” He put his hand over Oliver’s heart and tapped it twice with his fingers. “I know you run off this, and that’s so fucking rare and beautiful in this world, but it’s okay to enjoy yourself too.”

Oliver stepped back, making Matt’s hand fall. “You sound like Miles—except without all the heart talk if it was coming from him. Believe me, I know how to fuck when I want to. It was just under a week ago you got here and I was going out, remember?”

The discomfort from the moment before settled at the base of his spine. He didn’t know why. Of course, Oliver went out and got laid when he was horny.

“You’re shocked. Jesus, you’re actually fucking surprised. Why the hell do all my friends think it’s their responsibility to help me get laid?”

“I volunteer!” the man in front of them said and laughed.

They ignored him. Shame made Matt’s bones feel too heavy—like they didn’t fit in his body anymore. “Fuck. You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said anything.”

He could still see the frustration in the set of Oliver’s body. In the wrinkle above his brows.

“Because you think it,” Oliver replied.

Or maybe it was easier to concentrate on Oliver than all the shit going on with himself. Or just as likely, he wanted to give something to Oliver, wanted Oliver to need something from him, even if it was only advice and a compliment because Matt had always needed something from Oliver. “You’re probably the last person who would need help with anything. I don’t think it’s my responsibility to get you laid. It was a dumb thing to say, and I’m sorry. I say stupid things around pretty boys, and there are a whole hell of a lot of them here, counting you.” Matt cocked a brow at him. “Ignore what I said and have some fun with me tonight. I’ve been looking forward to hitting up WeHo with you since I was a kid.” The line moved again, putting them at the front. Matt latched his hand with Oliver’s again, stepped in front of them and paid the cover before pulling them both into Wild Side.