Page 9 of Teasing the Winger

“Just because I don’t want to have sex with someone I haven’t developed a close connection with doesn’t mean I don’t want to dance and have a good time. I’ve actually had some of the best nights there because the club provides special bracelets to symbolize a bunch of different things. I wear one that broadcasts I’m demi and not looking to hook up. People respect that and I’m able to let loose without the fear that someone is going to try and pressure me into something I’m not comfortable with. The club is huge on consent, and if anyone goes against the rules, they get banned.”

Monster is silent for a moment as he takes in what I just said. “That sounds really cool. Do you think you could help me become a member? I’d like to check it out.”

“When you’re twenty-one, I’ll be happy to help you,” I tell him, and he sighs.

“Being young sucks,” he grumbles.

“Getting old is worse,” Sasha tells him, and I quickly turn to see the vibrant twink entering our apartment.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” I check with a raised brow.

He waves me off while closing the door behind him. “Why would I have to do such a thing? This is practically my second home.”

Sasha has been spending a lot of time at our apartment, and I’ll admit that he’s been growing on me over the past year, but I’ll never let him know that. As far as he knows, his mere presence annoys me, and I just put up with him. And to be honest that was true for a long time. He was too over the top for my liking, and I just thought he was a playboy who didn’t care about anything. As I got to know him better, I realized that wasn’t true, but at the same time, I kept up my charade of not caring about him. I’ll never tell him that I admire his sweet and caring side. The way he takes care of his neighbors who can’t take care of themselves, like mowing their lawns or tending to their gardens, with no expectation of getting anything in return. I’ve started to see under his over-the-top personality to the person he really is, which is a good guy.

“That’s weird. I haven’t seen your name on the rental agreement,” I tell him, keeping up the charade.

Sasha rolls his eyes, then pulls Monster in for a hug. “Why are you wanting to grow up so fast?”

Monster’s cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink, and he shrugs. “No reason,” he mumbles.

“We were talking about Waterfalls,” I inform Sasha, and his eyes light up with a mischievous joy.

“I love that place,” he gushes. “I was really hoping they would be hiring when the dance academy got flooded, but unfortunately, they weren’t.”

“So your new job isn’t a stripper?” Monster blurts out.

Sasha throws his head back, letting out a hearty laugh that wraps its way around me, caressing me like a lover would. Goosebumps erupt over my arms, and my cock stirs the tiniest amount. I almost gasp at the sudden feeling. Since when have I ever reacted this way to someone’s laugh?

Sasha sighs at Monster, thankfully not paying me any attention. My face is suddenly hot and probably a bright shade of red, so I quickly head down the hall, making a beeline for the bathroom. I need a moment to compose myself and figure out what is going on.

Things have been changing since the night he randomly popped into my thoughts as a potential partner, and I don’t know what to do about it. How is it that I’ve gotten comfortable enough with Sasha to develop an attraction to him? Of all people to develop a sexual attraction to, why does it have to be the playboy who was the most annoying person when I first met him?

CHAPTER FIVE

SASHA

Rio darts down the hall, leaving me confused by his abrupt departure. Ever since the weekend that he helped me job hunt he’s been acting weird, but I can’t put my finger on exactly why, and I don’t have time to think about it now either. Monster is still waiting for my response.

“Sadly, no,” I answer his question on a sigh, pouting at the same time. “Which is a travesty, really. I would be a perfect fit there.”

Monster laughs his cheeks still the brightest shade of pink. I love how easily he gets flustered, but he doesn’t let that stop him either. I have no idea what it would be like to be on the ace-spectrum. I can only imagine it’s confusing as fuck. Especially growing up in sports when the majority of the guys you hang out with are constantly talking about sex and girls. I mean, all that was on my mind as a teenager was sex. Of course, I wasn’t thinking about girls, and that wasn’t something I was able to or wanted to hide.

People tried to bully me for my flamboyancy, but I never gave a fuck. That’s something I learned from my mother at a young age. She told me that there are always going to be people who don’t like me, and if I let their opinions of me matter, then I’d live my entire life chasing a joy that I could never catch. If I wanted to be truly happy in this life, I had to find joy inside myself. People can say what they want about me, but the only thing that matters is what I believe.

I forgot her lesson one time, and it almost killed me.

Maybe if she wasn’t taken away from me by a drunk driver when I was fifteen, I wouldn’t have made that mistake. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and wish she wasn’t taken from me far too soon. I can’t change the past, though. I just have to keep living and try to remember all the amazing things she taught me.

“Where are you working then?” Monster asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“The last place you’d expect me to be working,” I tell him, shaking my head, still in disbelief myself.

How did a nerd like me, who only watches sports when I’m wanting to hook up with someone, get a job as the school mascot?

Monster’s brows pull together, his lips purse, and he stares at the ceiling, probably trying to figure out on his own what my new job is. Eventually he shakes his head and makes eye contact with me again. “I’ve got nothing.”

I chuckle, patting his shoulder. “It’s okay. Thinking can be hard for you athletes,” I tease, and he shrugs my hand off while sticking his tongue out at me.

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