Where the usual hatred of any indication of a relationship is absent, the notion still makes me uneasy. Especially when Tripp gives me a knowing look.
Oh well.
Tripp knows that I hooked up with Anton and that I’m probably the guy Anton is referring to, but Dex has no idea. It cements the kind of bond and support we have in our group. Tripp and Dex are the best of friends, but our experiences as queer athletes will always be put first. It’s why I think Anton should be part of us.
“I actually had plans for him tonight,” Anton says.
“You did?” I ask.
“Mhmm. Booked a hotel away from the team and everything. But … he had other things to do.”
Tripp watches us, clearly amused, and I make a mental note to tell Anton that he’s not fooling anyone. Except Dex, which isn’t hard to do.
“Maybe he could come see you after he’s finished with his thing?”
“Depends on how long he’s going to be,” Anton complains.
I shift in my seat. “Check your phone. There could be a text telling you he’s done already.”
Anton takes out his phone, and of course there isn’t one there because I’m sitting right here. “Says here he’s ready to meet up.”
I stand. “Sorry to cut this short. We’ll see you guys when you’re in our neck of the woods.”
Dex fist-bumps me like he always does, and Tripp stands to give me the one-armed man hug.
“You guys are as subtle as a sledgehammer,” he says so the others can’t hear.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Tripp slaps the back of my head. “If you’re going, I’m gonna go to bed.”
“No,” Dex says. “Don’t make me go home.”
“You know you’re welcome to crash here anytime you want.”
“You just wanna wake up next to me again.”
Tripp closes his eyes briefly. “There’s plenty of space, so I don’t know why you always end up in my bed, but maybe you should think about why you don’t want to go home.”
“Because Jessica is there.”
“And you don’t think that’s a red flag?”
I drag Anton away. “Let’s go. They’ll be arguing about Jessica for a while.”
“What’s Dex’s deal?” Anton asks in the elevator.
“From what I can tell, he loves his girlfriend, but she’s … high-maintenance. I think she wants a ring, and she wants it bad. Wants to be head of the WAGs for Vegas and fights puck bunnies off with a stick. I don’t even know if she likes Dex or if she’s with him for the status. Dex doesn’t see her that way though. He doesn’t see a lot of things.”
“Like Tripp being totally in love with him?”
“Thank you. It’s obvious, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Do you really think he doesn’t know, or does he pretend not to?”
“Oh, he has no idea. I love Dex, I really do, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
“The elevator doesn’t go to the top floor?” Anton taps the side of his head.
I laugh. “Exactly.”
I tap away on my phone. “There’s an Uber three minutes away, but I need to know where I’m going. You said something about a different hotel?”
“I did.”
Anton checks in while I wait at a slot machine and pretend to play. As soon as he heads for the elevator banks, I follow.
It all feels covert and over-the-top, but at the same time, the last thing either of us wants is for it to get out that we’re fucking around.
Anton has a reputation and standards to uphold. I … well, the only thing sleeping with Anton would do to my reputation is uphold it for being a fuckboy.
We’re silent on the elevator up to the room, and we both hang our heads as someone passes us in the hallway.
As soon as the hotel door closes behind us, I expect Anton to pounce on me, but he doesn’t.
“Want a drink?” he asks.
“I didn’t come here to drink, and neither did you.”
“I might need another.” He opens the minibar and takes out a baby bottle of Jack Daniels. He throws it back in one go.
“Need to be drunk to have sex with me now?”
“Nope. Just need a little liquid courage to ask you to top me.”
This is … different. “Should I be scared? You telling Tripp and Dex you’re seeing someone. Asking me to fuck you while being exclusive … This is—”
“Still an arrangement, you egotistical prick.” His smile takes the bite out of his words.
“Good. Because I really didn’t want to have to turn you down.” The scary thing is, even if this was more, I’m not sure I’d actually reject him.
Anton approaches and takes my hands, putting them on his ass. “You really think you could turn this down?”
I lick my lips. “Fair point, but I’m trying to figure out why you’re suddenly so open to giving it to me.”
“I figure if we’re going to keep hooking up, we should give each other what we want, and you’ve made it no secret you want my ass.”