Out on the Serve (Out in College 7)

Elliot hummed as though seriously considering the question. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I haven’t seriously looked at a girl since I came out, but I guess that could change. Tucker offered to set me up with one of his friends recently. No freaking thanks,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just not interested. Plus, he has a tendency to mix up dates and times. I could see him setting me up with two girls on the same night and covering it up by saying he thought I wanted a threesome.”

The insta-twinge of jealousy at the thought of Elliot with…well, anyone, bugged the hell out of me. I had to reset the conversation. What the hell were we talking about before marriage and dating?

Oh. Right.

“What if the redheaded divorced dad shows up with a buddy and talks Sophie into a threesome?”

Elliot guffawed. “No one is gonna mess with her unless she wants them to. She’s a tough chick.”

“She doesn’t want a threesome. I don’t know why I said that. Sophie’s a romantic. She wants to meet one guy and have a grand romance. But…she takes it to the next level, and it usually has something to do with whatever play she’s in. Now it’s The Comedy of Errors. It’s a slapstick farce, heavy on mistaken identity. Sophie likes life to mirror art. A guy shows up to woo her, her friends wait in the shadows to rescue her…anything can happen.”

“You should go. ‘Anything can happen’ is like a weather report. Fun alert with a chance of adventure. Would you really say no to that?”

“Yes,” I replied quickly as I pulled into our complex.

“Party pooper. Hey, what if Sophie is trying to set you up with two guys?”

I parked in my usual spot and turned off the engine, then unbuckled my seat belt. “Are you ever serious?”

“I’m dead serious.”

He wasn’t. His eyes twinkled merrily, and I couldn’t decide if he was funny, crazy, or annoying.

“Right,” I huffed sarcastically as I reached for the door handle. “Are you into threesomes?”

I stepped out of the car, expecting to hear Elliot’s laughter boom through the apartment complex. Any second now, he’d tell me he was definitely into threesomes before launching into some farfetched tale designed to make me blush furiously. I opened the trunk, then crossed my arms and waited while he dragged his bag out. He hiked the strap over his shoulder and beamed at me. Pure sunshine and pure mischief. I didn’t know whether to laugh or run for cover.

“I tried it once. It was a lot of work. I came like a motherfucker, but I’m not sure I had fun.” He waggled his brows playfully and snapped his fingers. “Shoot. I forgot my hot chocolate.”

Dammit! I knew he’d do that. My dick was a fucking iron rod in my khakis, and he was talking about hot chocolate? I squeezed my eyes shut and repeated “hot chocolate” over and over until he bumped my elbow. I should have changed the subject. Better still, I should have pulled my phone out and texted Phoenix. I forgot to tell him I was leaving early. Not because it was life or death news, but I needed a diversion, so I didn’t do something stupid like—

“Did you really have a threesome?” I choked. “Or were you hoping I’d ask a stupid question like that so you could make me squirm?”

Elliot tugged at my wrist without breaking stride. “I love making you squirm, but there’s nothing stupid about asking questions.”

“And the answer is…”

“Yep, I really did. Last January with two guys I met at a bar. A straight bar, no less,” he said with a laugh. “It was surreal. Turned out they were boyfriends who liked to hook up with bi or bi-curious dudes. One was a former college football player and the other was in construction. It was like a gay porn fantasy come to life. They had their hands all over me under the table. We made out in the bathroom and then…they invited me back to their place.”

I stopped in my tracks and gaped at him. “You went home with two burly dudes and…had sex with them?”

Elliot cupped his ear with his free hand and narrowed his gaze. “Did you want to say that a little louder?”

I winced. “Sorry. No. I just…I’m surprised. Did you, um…did you like it?”

“Sex is fun, so yes. I liked it. And I can check that box off my list of To-dos and To-trys. But I wouldn’t be in a hurry to do it again. I prefer being with one partner.”

“Mmm.” I fixated on his perfect ass as I followed him along the low, hedge-lined path leading to our apartment. When he wiggled his fingers, I handed over my keys. I studied the flex and pull of his muscles and the faded volleyball emblazoned on the back of his T-shirt while he fiddled with the lock. Then out of the fucking blue, someone who sounded like me asked, “Who did what?”