Page 30 of Gym Bros
Deacon returns to the kitchen, and I look up at him. He’s a very tall, sleekly fit white man with carefully styled dark hair and bright blue eyes. He’s got deep dimples that are visible whether he’s smiling or not. So lovely. “I’ve got this,” he tells Bailey in his low, quiet voice.
She and I back away from the chowder in favor of pouring some wine. I take my glass over to the couch where Miguel is sitting. He’s closer to my size and wears his dark hair in a bun most days. He’s got on skinny jeans and a pink sweater that makes his pale brown skin look fantastic.
“You look nice,” he tells me with an up and down appraisal.
I grimace, sipping my wine. “Thanks. Same to you.”
Miguel preens because he’s capable of taking a compliment like a normal person.
A rock song is playing on the sound system, and I can’t help wishing for something I could dance to. “How’s work?” I ask him.
“It’s fucking brutal,” he tells me. “This is the first night all week I’ve managed to tear myself away from it for more than an hour. If someone told me the homework would be worse than grad school, I might have stuck with being a content creator or tried my hand at waiting tables.”
“I take it you’re not getting out much, then.”
He laughs drily. “No. You?”
“Not really, but I don’t have a good excuse. Are you still seeing Nathan?” I ask.
He nearly chokes on his drink. “Um…it’s complicated.”
“Care to share?”
Before he has to answer me, Mal and Ryan join us, and Mal takes over the conversation as he tends to. I finish my glass of wine, and Ryan pours me another from the bottle he brought with him. When it’s full enough to meet my needs, the roommate finally makes his appearance.
Pretty is my first impression. Not pretty the way I am, but pretty the way Malcolm is with smooth skin and well-balanced features. He looks nervous when he notices we’re all staring at him. Well, everyone except Deacon, but then he smiles and waves. He lights up the room.Fantasticsmile. “Hey, I’m Evan.”
So…not nearly as awkward as Deacon then.
Aside from his million-dollar smile, Evan’s got straight brown hair cut shorter on the sides. The rest brushes his cheekbones. He has an athletic build, but he isn’t tall. Maybe five-ten from where I’m sitting. His ass, though—just wow. It might even be better than Samuel’s. An actual bubble of an ass, and this is showcased by pale blue short shorts. His upper body is cut, too. He’s wearing a skin-tight athletic shirt that shows every bulge of lean muscle.
Deacon gets the hottest roommates, I swear. He’s got to be gay, right? Ryan swears he isn’t, but come on. Evan definitely is.
We introduce ourselves. Bailey even comes out of the kitchen to say hello to him. Deacon, however, remains intent on his cooking tasks.
I remember the first time I met him when Ryan was living here a few months ago. I thought the two of them couldn’t be worse matched as roommates because they both have issues with socialization, but now I think Deacon is probably the issue. He’s so…shy.
Evan is effervescent in comparison. He also keeps sneaking glances into the kitchen like he’s waiting for his roommate to notice him, but no luck. Deac is locked in.
“How do you know each other?” Miguel asks.
“We work at the same software company.”
“Which one?” I ask. I don’t think I’ve ever asked Deacon.
“Polytech,” Evan says, rolling his eyes. “I know it’s a terrible name, but the owner doesn’t get it.”
My ears perk up at the company name. “Do you know Isaac Sullivan?”
Evan blinks at me, his cheeks getting pink. “He’s my boss.”
“Ah.”
“How do you know him?” he asks.
“Just here and there,” I lie. “I’ve run into him at some parties.”
“I’m his assistant.”
