Page 7 of Brad & Finn
Finn’s blush was now spreading down onto his neck, and his eyes danced with something Brad couldn’t quite read. “I’m going to tell her you said I was a gentleman. She’ll get a kick out of that.” Finn made a huffing sound, not quite a laugh, but on its way to being one. “You know what’s so funny is you’re not completely off. She originally booked the hotel for herself, but her plans changed. She was going to cancel and stay with her mom, but it worked out perfectly when I offered to come down and help. She only has a twin bed at her parents’ house, so fake dating or not, I needed the hotel room, and it also has the added benefit that if she gets drunk or it gets too late after the reunion, she can crash in the hotel with me, and it won’t look weird.”
“See? You already have the first part of your story worked out. So how did you two meet?”
Finn’s shoulders stiffened, and he sat up, pulling his leg away from Brad’s. “I—we…we’ve been friends for a long time,” Finn said, his eyes glancing everywhere but at Brad.
Brad laughed good naturedly, even though Finn’s reaction surprised him. They really hadn’t rehearsed their story at all, had they? “And what made you guys decide to go from friends to lovers?” Ah, yes, one of his mother’s other favorite tropes. If he hadn’t just sworn himself to secrecy, he would have loved telling her about this.
Finn’s shoulders slowly relaxed, and he gave Brad a sheepish look. “Oh…I…I see. Uhm, well, that’s a good question, isn’t it?” Finn squinted at Brad, like maybe he could read the answer on his forehead. “Chloe and I…we’ve been friends for a very,verylong time. There’s no one else on the planet I trust as much as her, and no one I’ve ever felt as truly seen by. She’s always supported me, through every season of my life, and…well, this just seemed like the next phase for us.”
A grin slowly spread across Finn’s lips, and it transformed his face, lighting his eyes up from the inside like burning emeralds. “How was that?”
Brad tried to swallow, but a lump had formed in his throat. “Yeah,” he managed to choke out. “That…that’ll convince everyone for sure. It sounds like you two actuallyshouldbe dating?”
It had sure convinced Brad that he had no chance with this interesting, enthralling man—not when he had such genuine feelings for Chloe. That’s how all these stories ended, right? The couple would fake date, only to realize they were perfect for each other, and they’d ride off into the sunset—with Chloe’s mom in tow.
Finn snorted. “Except for the fact I’m as queer as a three-dollar bill and…well, let’s just say Chloe and I want different things from a relationship. We’re destined to be best friendsforever, but there’s no chance of anything romantic coming out of this weekend.”
Brad must have made an incredulous face because Finn snorted again and slid forward in his seat. His expression was earnest and painfully adorable.
“Truly, there’s nothing between us,” Finn said.
Their legs were almost like the teeth of a zipper, lined up one after the other, touching not just at the knees but along the lower half of their thighs. Brad had never been so aware of his legs before. He could feel the bunched-up fabric of his pockets and the stitching in the seam of his jeans. As they continued to sit there, pressed together, Brad wondered if the knob of Finn’s knee would leave a permanent impression in Brad’s skin.
“I’m glad it was convincing,” Finn added, shifting ever so slightly on his stool. His knee dragged along the inside of Brad’s thigh, leaving a path of heat in its wake. “I appreciate your help with this. Chloe is so distracted by everything going on with her mom. If I can nail down our backstory for her, she’ll be thrilled and can hopefully enjoy the reunion she’s been so excited about.”
Brad nodded, even though he was only half listening. His entire focus was on their legs and the electricity building between them.
Someone walked by, jostling Brad’s shoulder, and it was like a spell was broken. Finn’s body was giving off a pleasant heat, but the whiskey began to burn behind Brad’s navel, and he was suddenly aware of how crowded the bar had gotten. When he’d arrived, there’d been seats available at almost every table. Now it was standing room only, and the crush of bodies seemed to press in around them, raising the temperature to nearly stifling.
After all the evasion and discussion, Brad should’ve felt excited by the final confirmation that Finn and Chloe weren’t a thing. Or at the very least, he should’ve been intrigued bythe potential for something to happen between him and Finn that weekend. Instead, he was exhausted and quickly becoming overwhelmed.
He shifted ever so slightly away, and Finn folded his arms across his chest. The move was practiced and yet somehow not defensive, more like a nervous tic. Brad didn’t know what to make of this, and his brain felt too muddled to try. The last thing he wanted to do was push someone’s boundaries, though, so he took it as a sign it was time to call it a night.
“I’m not sure about you, but I think that’s about all I can drink,” Brad said, and Finn studied him carefully before nodding his agreement.
Careful not to jostle the smaller man, Brad slid back on his chair so he could pull out his wallet. Finn did the same, and they turned to the bar to close out their tabs, breaking that tantalizing, confusing connection between them.
As they walked towards the exit together, Brad found himself reaching for Finn, like his body needed to maintain some form of contact with the man. Thankfully, he was able to catch the door with his outstretched hand, hoping to play off his moment of desperation as chivalry. Finn tilted his head politely and stepped out onto the sidewalk, and Brad followed at a safe distance behind.
They only got a few paces away from the bar before the door banged shut and the sidewalk fell peaceably silent. Brad tilted his face up to the cloudless sky, and the fresh evening air washed over his heated cheeks. It only took a few deep breaths for that feeling of overwhelm to dissipate into the night.
Finn made a satisfied noise in the back of his throat, and Brad turned to face him. His earlier assessment had been correct; Finn was about half a head shorter than him, meaning that Brad didn’t have to crane his neck down to look at him.
“Did you park nearby?” Brad asked, rolling first one shoulder and then the other. His old football injury liked to flare up anytime he sat still for too long, running from his shoulder down into his back.
He tried to shift and stretch subtly, but when that failed, he gave up and shoved his hands against his lower back, arching until he received a satisfying pop. Finn watched this with stony grey eyes, and although it was hard to tell by the light of the streetlamps, Brad could have sworn his pupils dilated.
Maybe the evening air hadn’t cooledeverythingbetween them.
“No, Chloe took the rental car back to her mom’s house,” Finn said. “I figured I’d walk back to the hotel.”
Brad brought his hands behind his head to stretch out his triceps, which, admittedly, were a bit stiff from the plane ride and the long night at the bar. If it just so happened to make his muscles pop for Finn’s viewing pleasure, who could blame him?
Finn’s eyes roved over him before glancing away and up the street in the direction of the hotel.
“I parked at the hotel, so I’m walking that way, too. Care for some company?” Brad asked.
Finn’s eyes flitted back to him, giving his shoulders one more appraising look before he turned and began heading down the sidewalk. “Sure, why not?” he called back.
