Page 40 of The Bro Date
He leans forward and slips the map from his back pocket, pointing at where we are. “We’re here. And if we keep going down this trail, we’ll hit the snapdragons and then the Rose Garden.”
“Sounds good to me,” I say, enjoying the shade and the cool breeze.
Toby takes his hand off the map for a second, and the wind picks it up, blowing it off the table and onto the ground. He turns around on the bench and bends over, his underwear peeking out of his jeans. It’s not even a thong this time, just regular boxers, but I can’t stop picturing him in that tiny black G-string and imagining what he would look like in something colorful and lacy.
What in the actual fuck?
I’m not sure what’s happening to me. It’s like ever since Toby came out to me, I’ve been questioning everything about my own sexuality. Because girls have always just been a means to an end for me, and the thought of another man putting his hands or lips on my best friend makes me want to destroy things. I push the life-altering thoughts away because now is not the time to figure it out.
We finish our drinks and start walking toward the snapdragons next, taking photos with the bright pink flowers before we end our date in the Rose Garden.
“Wow. It’s stunning here,” Toby says in awe, spinning around in a circle for a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view. Towering rose bushes of all colors surround us, broken up by paved pathways and rows of arches looped and woven with even more roses.
The relaxing sound of flowing water from the many fountains, combined with bees buzzing, and the warmth of the sun, sends a shot of dopamine straight to my brain, happiness radiating from within me. I glance over at my best friend, and judging by the dopey smile on his face, it looks like he’s experiencing the same thing. Stepping into his space, I stare down at his lips.
Fuck.I want to kiss him right now.
The thought comes out of nowhere, and I immediately shut it down, stepping back from Toby and the second kiss we were about to share.
What if it ruins our friendship?
Having Toby in my life is too important to me, and I’m not willing to mess it up. The disappointment in his eyes is clear as day, but these new desires are something I’m not quite ready to face.
“Ready to head home?” I ask, not missing the flicker of disappointment.
Maybe I’m already ruining our friendship without even realizing it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
TOBY
Iwake up to the mouthwatering smell of bacon and something sweet. “Mmm,” I moan to myself, rolling over and stretching my arms above my head while arching my back. The smell is so delicious, it’s luring me out of bed before eight on a Sunday.
“Breakfast for the third morning in a row?” I ask with a yawn as I stroll into the kitchen.
“Now that I don’t work so much, I have more time.” Shane shrugs, and I wish I could hug him, but Jake and Spencer are sitting at the island, inhaling all the bacon.
“I’m not complaining. This is amazing,” I say, grabbing a plate. “Save some bacon for me, assholes,” I joke, taking my own handful before it’s gone.
Shane is busy at the stove, adding more pancakes to the platter. He grabs a pair of tongs and serves two piping hot, round flapjacks to Spencer’s plate. The next two are for me, and they’re shaped like hearts.
“Aww. How sweet,” I say, trying to laugh it off and fight the blush threatening to take over. It’s a simple gesture, but it shows that he cares, and I don’t take that for granted.
Jake’s next, and Shane slaps two oddly shaped pancakes onto his plate, and I have to do a double-take at what I see.
“What the—” Jake’s brow’s scrunch together, and he tilts his head slightly.
I press my hand to my mouth, holding my plate with the other.
“Eat a dick,” Shane taunts good naturedly.
“Ahahaha!” Spencer howls with laughter, nearly falling off of his barstool.
“Alright. Alright. You got me, you got me,” Jake concedes with a grin. “But Ima still eat these. Should I start with the balls or the tip?”
“Oh my lord above,” I murmur under my breath, scurrying off to the dining room table while Jake eats his phallus-shaped pancakes in private.
“So, what do you want to do today?” I ask Shane with a big smile, cutting into the fluffiest and cutest pancakes ever. I’m so happy the catering job is working out well and allowing him more free time to enjoy life.
