Page 45 of The Hookup Mix-up

“Yes they—”

“Shh! He’s coming back!”

“One beer and one Screaming Orgasm.” He sets the drinks in front of us, and though I try not to look up at him, I can’t help myself.

He’s got a little piece of something by his mouth. I don’t know what it is, but I reach up and wipe it off with my thumb.

“Sorry…you had…something.”

“I took a bite of a cookie. You caught me.”

“I like cookies,” falls out of my mouth. I like cookies? What the fuck is wrong with me?

I drop my head to the table and bang my forehead a couple of times. I’m an idiot, and I need help.

“Hey. Don’t do that.” Perry slides his hand under me so the next time my forehead hits, it’s his palm.

“Ignore me. I’m being weird tonight.”

“Are you going to sit up, or do I have to tell my boss I’m your head rest for the night?”

“I mean…if you think she’d be okay with it.”

Jack clears his throat, and I snap up. Shit. I forgot he’s here.

“I should get back to work. If you don’t have plans later, I’m probably going to get off early. I owe you some…anime.” His tone is flirty, but then, as if he realizes what he’s doing, he turns to Jack. “He’s forcing me to watch anime, but what are friends for?”

“I can think of a few things.”

I kick Jack under the table. “Yeah, sure. We can watch anime tonight. I rode here with Jack, so can I ride home with you?”

Perry grins, but then it keeps stretching into a large smile, one that says he’s extremely happy I’m saying yes, which makes me a little syrupy inside.

“Cool. I have about an hour left. I’ll bring you a cookie. And the drinks are on the house.”

Perry winks, and damned if I don’t watch him walk away.

“Just friends with benefits my ass,” Jack mumbles, but it is. We’re just two guys experimenting together who are buddies. Nothing more.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Perry

An hour later we’re in my car, heading home. “I’m sorry if I was flirty at Shenanigans. I didn’t really think about it. I don’t want to out you to your friend.” I’m really upset about that, to be honest. I should have been more careful. And bringing up the anime? That was a screwup on my part. Jack isn’t an idiot. I’m sure he knows that was code for hooking up. “I can fix it if I overstepped.” I don’t know how, but I’ll figure out a way.

“It’s okay. I actually told him.”

I glance at Theo in the passenger seat, my body feeling heavy. “Fuck. Because of me?”

“No. Because of me. I blurted out that we’re having sex. I didn’t plan it. The words just tumbled free.”

“Are you okay with it? Coming out can be a big deal.”

He shakes his head. “I’m fine. It felt good to tell someone. I still think I want to keep it to myself a little while longer, but Jack won’t tell anyone. Was it hard for you? Coming out, I mean?”

I think for a minute. “Not really. I’m bi too, and I realized I’m attracted to girls first, I think because that’s socially ingrained, right? It’s the default that boys like girls. I was a freshman in high school when I started noticing guys, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, the way it did you. One day I was out to lunch with my mom. I was fifteen, and our waiter was gay. He was really fucking cute, and I got all tongue-tied around him. I acted like you do, Puppy.” I shoot him a glance and a smile. “When he left, Mom said, goodness, he’s cute, right? And I said yep, and that was her way of telling me she knew and was okay with it, and from then on, it was common knowledge at our house. She never asked if there were girls I liked, just people. Her reaction made it easier to own my truth publicly. I didn’t have a lot to lose, though. I didn’t grow up with a lot of close friends. She was the only person I cared about, and she accepted me, so fuck everyone else.”

It takes me a moment to realize what I said to him. Sharing personal things isn’t usually that easy for me, but with Theo, it’s just like breathing.

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