Messy Love (Stumbling into Love 3)

But yeah, the point was that BFF Tuesdays had morphed some lately, and it often ended up being a group of us. Tonight Shaw’s best friend, Will, would be there, along with his boyfriend, Jameson.

Elijah and Shaw’s place was about a block from where MARTA dropped me off. It was almost seven, but still hot and muggy because, well, because the South. That basically explained it all.

I went into their building, waved at the doorman, who knew me by now, then took the elevator to the eighth floor. When I got to their apartment, I could already hear voices inside. I knocked, and a few seconds later Elijah opened the door. He was wearing a short pair of shorts and a cropped T-shirt, showing all sorts of his creamy, brown skin. Not gonna lie, even though we had only ever been friends, I’d have to be crazy not to admit he was beautiful, with his high cheekbones and abs for days. He taught Pilates and danced ballet.

“Hey, hermano.” I kissed his forehead before walking inside. “I’m sorry you guys had to suffer without me. I got out of work a few minutes late.”

“You know, sometimes you say things like that and it’s almost as if you think you’re as cool as me. Then I realize that would be a ridiculous thing for anyone to think because I’m me and I’m special,” Shaw joked. He was always teasing like that. When I’d first met him, the playful overconfidence turned me off, but then, I was kind of like that too.

“You’re a dumbass is what you are,” Will countered. “Hey, man, what’s up?”

“You’re a dumbass is what you are,” Shaw mocked. Elijah and Jameson both rolled their eyes.

“I’m sorry I left you alone with them—God, it smells good in here.”

“Shaw’s making orange chicken and fried rice,” Elijah replied.

“God, it stinks in here,” I joked, which earned me the middle finger from my bestie’s man. “So, what’s up? What’d I miss? Any new drama from the real boyfriends of Midtown?” I was the only single one in the group. I had to poke fun at their boyfriend status sometimes.

“I’m off school for the summer,” Jameson replied. He was so fucking cute. He wore these adorable bow ties and hats and was maybe the most awkward guy when you first meet him. He had a habit of rambling and spilling things, but once you got to know him, it eased up. I wasn’t sure if he knew how much he had Will wrapped around his finger. I was pretty sure there was a photo of Will’s face for the definition of the word smitten in the dictionary. But then, Jameson was the same about Will.

It was all slightly nauseating.

“That means I get my professor all to myself.” Will nuzzled his neck.

“Yeah, and I have to share you with my dad,” Jameson countered.

“Ew. That sounds gross. How about you never say that again?” Will replied. He was Jameson’s dad’s PA at his entertainment firm.

“How about you all stop being mushy, because I’m over here all by myself.” I stood and went into the kitchen. “I need wine. Is there wine?”

“Isn’t there always wine?” Elijah grabbed a bottle. There was, in fact, always wine. “Also, don’t blame us because you don’t want a boyfriend.”

“Boyfriends are gross.”

Shaw finished cooking, and the five of us sat down to eat together. We were halfway through the meal when Shaw asked Will, “How’s your brother?”

I’d met Jonathan a couple of times in the last few months, the first one being at Will and Jameson’s place in December. He was this sort of masc guy, who I knew had come out not long before. Apparently it was something he’d been struggling with for a while, but I didn’t know all the details. He seemed nice enough, a bit quiet and uncomfortable when all of us were around, but we’d struck up a pretty decent conversation the first time we met because we’d both played football in high school and still liked it. He was in his early thirties, and I figured the age difference between him and the rest of us, plus him being a baby gay, was probably why he was quiet around us.

“I don’t really know for sure,” Will replied. “He talks to me a lot more than he used to, and we’re closer than we’ve ever been, but he still isn’t overly chatty about how he feels. Jonathan’s like our dad was, and…well, like my brothers are; if it’s serious and makes you feel things, you keep that shit locked tight.”

I understood that. My dad had been the same…and then he bailed. Just walked out when I was the only one home…

“He wants to move into the city,” Jameson added. Jonathan lived about forty-five minutes away. “I think something went down with him and their other two brothers, but he hasn’t said much. We just know he’s had a couple of interviews. He’s looking to rent a room. We offered him our spare, but I think he feels weird because of everything.”