Page 171 of Men in Shorts

“And I thought about why I come to watch Evan’s matches when I’m not keen on football. Like, what do I get out of it?” He flourished a hand in an upward spiral. “I mean, apart from seeing him in a really hot kit and then eating his amazing macaroni cheese recovery meal.”

Robert’s stomach growled at the mention of hot food. “Go on.”

“It’s the way he looks up at me from the pitch.” Ben pressed his palms to the front of his Warriors T-shirt. “I know he loves having me there. I love Evan, and I want to make him happy. I want that more than anything.”

“Right…” Robert waited for Ben to bring his point home.

“And that’s when I thought of your game. NotGlasgow Effect, but one of your old ones.” He perched on the edge of the bed and leaned forward. “RememberRugby Armageddon?”

“Aye, of course.” Robert also remembered how Liam had tormented him during the game’s development by incessantly singing the title to the tune of “Rock Me Amadeus.”

“I didn’t care for it at first,” Ben said, “because I don’t like sports apart from curling. But just as I decided to uninstall it, I discovered myself thinking about it when I wasn’t playing. I pictured all the people on my team facing Armageddon without my help. I’d never met any of them in real life—they probably lived all over the planet—but I cared about them and this world I’d become part of.” He slapped his palm atop Robert’s deep-blue duvet. “It ended up being my favorite of all your games!”

Robert nodded as Ben’s message got through. “Because of the social element.”

“Exactly. So why not add that toGlasgow Effect? Let people’s characters interact with one another.”

“I love it.” Robert turned his desk chair around and started typing. “It’ll give players a sense of community and a reason to keep coming back—a reason tocare.”

“Plus,” Ben said, “if people can see what others are doing, they’ll get all competitive and want to beat them.”

They brainstormed for a few minutes, and Robert outlined the email he planned to send to his university contacts tomorrow. He definitely needed the researchers onside before proposing such a massive upgrade to the funders on Monday.

Soon Ben left the flat with Evan, and Robert heard Liam coming down the hall. He spun to face the door. “I think I can fix things!”

Liam crossed his arms and leaned against the doorpost. “How?”

Robert summarized Ben’s insight about adding a social aspect, then blethered on about all the ways he might implement it. He knew he probably sounded like a hypercaffeinated hedgehog—he certainly felt like one—but he couldn’t stop the excitement bubbling over.

“That’s fucking brilliant, mate.” Liam finally came forward. “I just ordered us a pair of pizzas. They’ll be here in half an hour.”

“Oh thank God.” Robert pushed his keyboard drawer beneath the desk surface, ready to forget all about work. “That’s perfect timing.”

Liam sidled over and straddled Robert’s lap—to the extent he could, considering the arms of the office chair. “Are you still wearing you-know-what?”

“Of course.” Robert reached down into his tracksuit bottoms and pulled the fiver out of the knickers’ waistband. “Did you want this back, by the way?”

“Actually, yes.” Liam snatched the note. “I deserve a refund after waiting.” He seized Robert’s face and kissed him hungrily, stubble scraping his lips and sending a zing of heat down his spine.

As Liam’s mouth moved to his throat, Robert said, “You’ll not be taking my knickers off.”

“Sorry?”

“I thought perhaps we’d cut a wee slit in them so I could keep them on while we fuck.”

Liam sat back to gape at him. “A slit?” He glanced down and licked his lips. “In front or back?”

An easy choice. “In back. That way you can feel your cock sliding in and out of the silk.”

Liam gave a low growl, then took Robert’s mouth again, more roughly than before, pausing only to yank Robert’s shirt over his head.

Finally Liam got up from his lap. “Bend over the desk and I’ll see to your slit.”

Robert eagerly complied. The room was small and so was the desk, so the opposite edge came only to his chest, forcing him to press his cheek against the wall below the window.

Liam got the scissors from the side drawer. “That won’t do. Bend over it lengthways.”

Robert moved to the narrow end. “Here? But what about?—”

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