Page 108 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

“Do you think people would pay for hugs?” I ask Joey.

He’s doing chest presses while I work on leg curls. We’ll switch machines once we’re done with our reps.

“Probably,” Joey answers, his arm muscles doing very nice things. “People pay others to cuddle them, right?”

“Oh my God,” I realize. “I could do that! Platonic cuddle sesh. Unless… Would that bother you? If I cuddled someone?”

Joey is quiet for a long moment, his face set in concentration or contemplation, maybe. “You’re a physically affectionate person, bub. I wouldn’t ask you to change that.”

The sentiment hits me warmly before I realize Joey didn’t actually answer the question.

He goes on before I can bring it up. “I think I’ll offer a remodeling service. I could do kitchen cabinets or whatever the person needs.”

“That’s a great idea,” I tell him, switching to the chest press machine when Joey waves me in. He starts his leg curls. “We both know when it comes to polishing wood, you’re, uh… You…”

“Brad?” Joey prompts, lying on his stomach now, his ass in the air and his legs curling behind him.

“Hard,” I mumble. “You’re hard…to beat! At wood. You’re an exceptionally hard woodworker. Very…proficient and stuff. The hammies probably help. Why am I sweating so much?”

Joey huffs a laugh as I do my best to focus on my chest presses and not the way I want Joey to press me between his thighs.

“Hey, so—”

My ringing phone stops me from asking if Joey would be interested in squeezing my head like an exercise ball later. Probably for the best, considering gym-boners are frowned upon. I pull out my phone and answer Jason’s call.

“Hey, Birdie.”

“Uh… What the fuck is on the wall of your bedroom?” he asks without a hello.

“Dude, you’re in my bedroom?”

Not wanting to disturb the other gym-goers, I stand, pointing toward the windows so Joey knows where I’ll be. He gives me a nod, and I head that way.

“Yeah,” Jason says. “You asked me to drop off your suit. All clean and pressed, by the way. You’re welcome for that. Now why am I staring at your nearly naked ass with…is that Joey? Your gym guy?”

“Gym guy,” I say with a snort. Sweet, oblivious Jason. “It’s gym-bro. And yeah, that’s him. Why?”

“Why?” he parrots. “Uh…I thought that’d be obvious. Is this…from that boudoir photoshoot?”

“Yeah, his date didn’t show up, so I stepped in. I just got the picture hung up the other day. What’s the problem? I thought it looked nice.”

“Putting aside the fact that you hung this in your bedroom…oranywherefor that matter…” He takes a breath, puffing it out. “Bee. That man is in love with you.”

“What?” I nearly screech.

“He is one hundred percent in love with you.”

I huff. “No way, dude. That was, like, a couple weeks after we met. We weren’t even…you knowback then. We were just friends.”

“Yeah…” he says slowly. “Your friend? He’s looking at you as if you’re the single most important thing in his life. He has feelings for you, Bee. Big ones. Like, the biggest. So whatever it is youtwo are doing? This whole friends with benefits thing? It either needs to end or…notend. You can’t string this guy along.”

I look back at Joey, my pulse pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. He’s wiping down his machine, not paying me or my phone call any attention.

“I wasn’t…” I try to explain, my thoughts getting jumbled. “I’m not…”

“I know you would never try to hurt him,” Jason says, his voice softening. “But if you’re not…feelingit, you need to cut things off. Before he gets in any deeper.”

I clutch my phone tight, unable to take my eyes off Joey. “How’d you know? That you were in love with Cas?”

---