Page 36 of Nate

Kevin realized the guy had misunderstood him. “No. Not my first timeoutout. Just out to this club.”

“Well, we should still celebrate. Come dance with me.”

Kevin let the guy pull him onto the crowded dance floor. They danced together, Kevin making sure to keep a PG rating distance between them. When the guy tried to pull him close again, he came clean. “I have a boyfriend.”

The guy’s eyebrows arched, like he didn’t understand why that was a problem. He explained a little more. “I’m not looking to hook up. I just wanted to have some fun tonight.”

That got him another smile from the guy. He leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re cute. But Iamlooking to hook up. So thanks for the dance.”

He left, but was so cool about it that Kevin wasn’t bothered. Kevin turned to go back to the bar and find Alex. Before he could get there however, he ran into another guy. This time, his smile was returned with an offer to buy him a drink. This was going to be easier than he thought.

Several hours and two clubs later, Kevin was back at home. He looked at the cards and scraps of paper on his coffee table. Five. That’s all he’d needed for his little experiment. He had no intention of calling the numbers he’d been given. But the confidence booster he’d been after had worked.

He’d talked to several guys tonight. They’d all shown interest in a dance, buying him a drink or more if he was up for it. If they were looking to use him for anything it would only be sex since they didn’t know him. And it might be silly, but having actual proof that men found him attractive made it easier to really believe that Nate was interested inhim, and not just what he could do for his company.

Kevin got up from the couch, crumpling the papers up in his fist. He didn’t need them anymore so he tossed them in the trash. With that in mind and some other research he’d been doing, he was ready to give things one more try with Nate. He even had another plan that he’d be putting into effect. Right after a hot shower and several hours of sleep.

Trying his hand at flirting had turned out to be fun, but it was exhausting. So even though he’d seen that he had several missed calls and texts from Nate, he wasn’t going to call him back this late. He needed to rest before he saw Nate again.

Chapter Fourteen

Nate sat at his desk, phone in hand. He slid a thumb across the screen, tempted to try and reach Kevin again. Deciding against it, he set the phone down. He wasn’t a quitter, but he wasn’t a stalker either. He decided to hold off on any more calls, texts or visits. He’d made it clear that he wanted to talk. Now all he could do was wait for Kevin to meet him halfway.

He got up and went out to the main area. He’d get his workout in before he came back here to look over the information for the three properties in Austin he was considering. He also needed to hire an app designer, since Kevin was no longer available for the job.

Nate was on his way to the stationary bikes to warm up when he saw a familiar figure walking towards the squat rack. Kevin. He was back, in workout clothes with his hair up in a bun. He was clearly there to work out. Nate didn’t even hesitate before changing his course to go meet him.

“You’re back.” Kevin turned at the sound of his voice. He didn’t look hostile. That was a good sign.

“I paid for a year’s membership, remember?”

“Yeah, you did.” Nate stood there and an uncomfortable silence settled between them. Before it thickened into awkward silence he asked a question. “Did you want any help today?”

Kevin eyed him for a moment. “I could use a spotter for bar bell squats.”

“Yeah, sure. Definitely. I can do that.” Nate realized he was rambling and shut his mouth. He followed Kevin over to the weights section and watched as he got set up. Once Kevin had the barbell balanced over his shoulders, he squatted down at a steady pace. When he was upright again, Nate began his count. “One.”

---