Page 13 of Meet You in the Waves
Ajay barked out another laugh, this one not so happy. “I feel like that would cause more drama than my life is worth. And it’s also … well, I feel like if I break up with Kira, I’m breaking up with Dee and Dane too.”
“Wait. You’re dating my brother?” I asked. I knew what Ajay had meant but I wanted to see that delicious flush on his cheeks again and my boy did not disappoint.
“That’s not what I meant,” he huffed. “It’s just, the three of them are really hung up on the whole high school glory days. They call us theawesome foursomeyou know.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Sorry. That’s kind of lame.”
“Right?”
“Seriously, Ajay. You’re way too young and far too pretty to be wasting your youth away on someone you don’t want to be with. You’re what, how old?”
“Twenty.”
“Aw, you’re such a baby,” I grinned, using the opportunity to tug on one of his gorgeous curls. He batted my hand away but he was smiling. “Life’s too short, man. She doesn’t sound worth it.”
I knocked my head back to soak in the sun’s rays. When I opened my eyes again, Ajay was watching me.
Those eyes.Fuck me.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he finally agreed.
“Course I am. Be brave, my friend,” I replied, sending him a wink to reiterate my point.
“Mmm,” is all he said. I watched from the corner of my eye as he closed his eyes, letting the sun beam down on him and giving me a chance to check him out properly. Damn this boy was cute. And maybe a little helpless too and damn if those two attributes didn’t call right out to me.
I let him be until he eventually glanced up at me and I took that as my cue. We made our way back up to the house and I showed him the hose to wash off the boards and the freezing little outdoor shower that never saw the light of the sun to wash off the sand and salt. I respected my mum well enough to follow her house rules even knowing she’d be gone for the next three months.
And if it just so happened that Ajay might have used the opportunity to check me out while I washed off under the coldwater, well then who was I to stand in a guy’s way, especially one as pretty as Ajay Olivier.
Dane was quick to reclaim my new favourite toy and I soon agreed it was probably for the best. Obsession never did anybody any good. Even if I did shed a little fake tear when they headed out together later that morning to do their best friend stuff together alone. Best friend stuff that didn’t involve me.
I was just about to start some reps in my home gym that I’d set up in the boat shed when my phone pinged with a text. I jumped at the offer when I saw it was from Rob texting to meet up with him and Mateo for a drink. Guess I could do with some best friend company for myself too.
I’d overheard Dane mentioning something about taking Ajay out to see the town but I was certain he’d take him somewhere wanky and overpriced, the type of place designed just for tourists. In other words, somewhere I would never accidentally run into them.
Never let the visitors see the real side of town, right?
I parked my motorbike down a back alley and chained my helmet to the bar. I knew better than to take my Jeep Wrangler out to town during tourist season. I had better things to do than park three miles away.
Our usual haunt was as dingy as ever and packed with locals. Rob, Mateo and I favoured Paddy’s for its long list of Irish whiskeys and good old fashioned décor. It was a no frills pub of the best kind with friendly, unfashionable, unpretentious bartenders and the rugby or cricket guaranteed to be playing on the large screen televisions while locals talked trash or played pool. Just my kind of place.
Rob and Mateo were there already, commandeering our usual spot and I upnodded them as I beelined for the bar and ordered myself a schooner of pale ale from Terry. The three of us had claimed the battered velvet sofa by the unlit fireplace as our own. It was in good walking distance to the bar, right next to the pool tables and was good for the one or two occasions in winter when the fireplace had cause to be lit.
Rob was already chalking up a pool cue which I knew meant Mateo and I would soon be teaming up to try and take him on, our very own resident pool shark. I had known Rob forever and been best friends with him even longer. Never had beaten him at pool.
It had been many years since Rob, Mateo and I became an inseparable trio. It had started out just me and Rob and then Mateo had expanded our little friendship group at the start of high school when he had moved out to Australia from Italy with his family. His parents still spoke Italian exclusively at home while Mateo spoke English with an accent. I used to think it was cute.
I pulled up alongside my best friends, that little flicker passing between Mateo and me that we hadn’t quite been able to put aside yet. It was not that I wanted to be with him anymore but it was difficult at times pretending we were just friends when I knew the exact sound he made just before he came.
Rob tried to avoid all mention of our little tryst but he was also well aware of his role as our buffer. Mateo and I no longer met up alone unless we knew Rob was going to be there to stand in the middle. It had not been easy but Mateo and I had made a pact that our friendship would always come first and we were both trying our darndest to make that happen.
Even though sometimes it was hard to remember what we used to be to each other before we decided having sex with each other was a good decision.
“Boys,” I said, holding out my beer as we clinked glasses.
“How was your Christmas?” Rob asked easily, taking a long sip of his drink.
“Actually pretty good.”
