Page 2 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

“Jason’s mom called him Jaybird, which became Birdie,” I explain. “And I’m Bee, the little flying dudes? Bee for the letter B for Brad. We’ve been friends a long time.”

“That’s…sweet,” he says, and he seems to mean it. “Sounds like you’ve been through a lot together.”

“Yeah,” I breathe out.

Sharing nearly your entire life with a person is bound to make you close. You see the good and the bad. You go through hard times and joyous ones. Jason’s my man, and he always will be. He’s been there for me without my ever having to ask. I never really had much of a family of my own, but Jason was that for me. Still is.

So, yeah. We’ve been through a short lifetime together. But it’s no surprise things are changing. Jason foundlove.

Maybe, someday, I can find that, too.

“Are you new here?” I ask Joey before I can get stuck too far inside my own head. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“Just moved to town.”

“No shit? You wanna work out sometime?”

That smile lights his face again. It’s a good smile. Kind. “Yeah, I’d like that a lot. Can I have your number?”

“Yeah, man. Ready?” He nods, phone out now, and I rattle off my digits. “Text me anytime. I work out most days. Need to, considering I sit for eight hours. I get a little antsy, you know?”

“Office job?” he asks, slipping his phone away.

“Kinda? Except I work from home. What do you do?”

“Construction.”

“No way! With the tool belts and everything?”

He huffs a laugh. “Yep.”

“Dude. I dated this girl once who had this, like, costume for Halloween? The belt was hot as fuck. She wore it while we…”

Aaandthere go his cheeks again.

“Too much?” I say, nodding to myself. “Too much.”

“You’re fine,” Joey tells me, but I’m pretty sure he’s just being polite. I know I have a tendency to come on strong. Here I am, meeting a brand-new gym-bro, and I’m being crass without meaning to.

“Tell you what. I’m gonna leave while we’re on a semi-high note,” I say, appreciating Joey’s responding chuckle. “And you go ahead and text me if you still want to meet up. I promise I won’t talk about my past exploits again.”

His smile is soft. Sweet, almost. “Deal. And Brad? I will text.”

“Cool, man.” I hold out my hand, and Joey clasps his palm with mine.

Fuck, there’s nothing like making a new friend.

Letting Joey go, I grab my water from the bench where I left it and head off toward the locker room. I’m still caked in sweat, soI make quick work of dropping trou and showering off, lingering only long enough to finish singing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Song’s the tits.

When I come out of the shower, I end up running into Joey. He must have been finishing up his own routine.

“Hey, man,” I greet because ignoring him would be plain rude. He’s at a locker a little ways down from my own, his eyes going wide when I drop my towel.

“Uh, hi,” he says.

I pull my briefs up, hopping a little when they stick to my damp legs. Joey coughs.

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