Page 44 of Filtration Play
Chapter Fifteen
For someone who didn’t play board games, Ollie was at Tabletop Tavern more than expected lately. Granted, most of those instances revolved around Jules.
Plus, that was where he’d first met Fin, so he didn’t regret a damn time he showed up after that.
However, today was one of the final days of his chastity stint. Fin had told him to come by Whipped for their last photo shoot tomorrow, and he’d get his reward. He strolled up to the front door of Tabletop Tavern. As much as he was dying for the end of chastity, he wasn’t looking forward to the end of modeling for Fin. Part of him worried that once the excuse of a photo shoot didn’t exist, Fin would get cold feet and vanish.
Even if their sunset date at Clipper Cove had been engraved on his soul.
Still, the more uncertain things became, the more the itch beneath his skin intensified. To be honest, it had been brewing for a while, and meeting Fin had been a temporary Band-Aid. Which meant getting to the therapist again.
He opened the door to Tabletop Tavern, and the wash of sounds hit him, as did the vibrant scent of orange and coffee. When it came to coffee shops, though, the one that drew him in more was Whipped. And not just because of the purple-haired hottie barista who worked there. Because whenever he’d gone to visit, when he’d gone for the munch, the people there had taken his measure on their own—and they’d welcomed him in.
No living in shadows or fighting to carve a space.
And that had been a breath of fresh air.
Cal stood behind the register, chatting with a customer. He glanced up and waved at Ollie, a smile breaking out on his face. “Jules will be out in a second. He’s in the back catching up with Arjun. Keeping the bromance alive.”
Ollie snorted. “You’re not worried Arjun’ll scoop him up?”
Cal let out a bellowing laugh, and his customer looked between them. “Not in the slightest.”
“Ollie?” someone said from over by the tables.
A few familiar people sat deep in one of those table-sprawling board games. He recognized Sloan, Kai, and Ezra from Whipped, even if he hadn’t gotten much of a chance to talk with them before. All three guys were fucking gorgeous in different ways—Sloan was like a more lithe Captain America, Ezra, dark, brooding, and punk, and Kai, a tanned Greek hottie. Fin had mentioned Sloan came here too sometimes, but seeing the three of them outside of Whipped still jarred him a bit.
“You looking to play?” Sloan waggled his brows.
Ollie couldn’t help the grin that stole his face. Sloan wasn’t talking board games. “With you three? Sign me up.”
Ezra skimmed him over, those dark brown eyes filled with heat. “You’re the one Fin’s losing their shit over, right?”
Was that the reputation he had over there? Fuck, he liked hearing that a little too much. His chest puffed up.
“We’ve just been having fun,” Ollie said, even though those words tasted like a lie. “I’m modeling for a shoot for them, but that ends tomorrow.”
Sloan arched a brow. “Is that what you want or what you think?”
What the hell was with these perceptive fuckers? Ollie licked his lips, not sure what to say. Was he in far too deep when it came to Finley Williams? Yeah, he fucking was. However, he didn’t want word of that getting to them and sending them running for the hills. “What I think,” he said, offering a bit even as he held his cards close to his chest.
“Right, because a little birdie named Meg told me Fin asked if they could bring you to Play Night tomorrow,” Sloan said.
Kai let out a whistle. “Damn, when are the wedding bells ringing?”
Ollie blinked. He had no idea what any of that meant.
“Play Night is our Wednesday night tradition for anyone who works at Whipped. The only people invited in outside of coworkers are spouses or serious partners.” Sloan’s steady gaze conveyed the rest. “Fin’s never brought anyone to Play Night before.”
God, that flooded him with so much hope his head whirled. Like going from low blood sugar to slamming back a fruit juice. He had the feeling Fin wasn’t the sort to go on drives with people, to confess anything serious about their past, and yet the other night, they had done both. Ollie soaked up every bit of information Fin was willing to give, because he was beyond addicted to them.
And their prickliness, the way they eased from serious to teasing and back again, offered a comfort that coaxed him out. He’d never felt so heard by anyone before. Fin made him feel seen in a way he’d longed for his entire life.
In a way that quieted the voice in his head that told him he was a burden. That he was too much of a problem for anyone to love.
“And is this mysterious Play Night just all orgies all the time?” Ollie needed to keep things light.
Sloan waggled his brows. “Sometimes. When I’m lucky.”
