Page 28 of Meet You in the Waves
“So you want me to get onthat?” he asked again. I just grinned, finally finding the white helmet I was after and stepping towards him. He stood perfectly still as I planted it on his head, brushing a loose curl under the lip and knocking the visor down.
“I know what I’m doing, Ajay,” I told him even though that was the clearest lie I’d ever spoken. I had no fucking clue what I was doing with this boy, about all the things I had accidentally said to him in the boat shed just now. What had I been thinking, letting my thoughts about him spill clear out of my head? “I’ll keep you safe,” I added, tugging on a curl that had found its way free.
He let out a longsuffering sigh. “I know you will.”
“Good. Now be a good boy and put this on,” I added, thrusting my spare riding jacket at him. He pulled the leather jacket on over his arms and I had to turn back to the cupboard for a moment to still my beating heart at the sight of him standing therein my jacket. I liked it way more than was healthy for a guy lusting after his brother’s straight best friend.
I pulled my own jacket on over my tank top and then climbed onto the bike, patting the seat behind me and indicating with my head for him to climb on. He hesitated for half a second before climbing on behind me. I willed my body not to react, to just pretend it was Rob back there and not my gorgeous, sexy Ajay. That it was not his thighs pressed up against mine or anything else back there I was trying not to think about.
I glanced back at Ajay, smiling as he seemed lost about what to do with his hands. So I solved that problem for him, taking hold of one and guiding it around my waist. He caught on and did the same with his other hand, clasping on tight. Pulling our bodies even closer together.
“Hold on,” I grinned as I started the engine, revving her a couple of times before I released the throttle. The bike shot forward and I heard Ajay curse in my ear as he gripped even tighter and I tried not to think too hard about the fact he had his arms around me.
This bike rode as smooth as a panther but could shoot like a bullet train if I pushed her hard enough. But I refrained myself,not wanting to give the guy on the back of my bike any reason to not want to get back on with me again. Slowly I felt Ajay relax behind me, loosening his vicelike grip enough to tell me he was maybe enjoying the ride and hopefully getting out of his head the way I’d hoped.
Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve and Espy was absolutely bursting at the seams, well beyond its capacity or ability to cope with the influx of tourists. I hoped Ajay appreciated the motorbike all the more as we passed the outskirts of the town where parking rangers were directing droves of cars into paddocks for the long walk into town.
As expected, all the touristy spots were filled to the brim as I carefully guided the bike down the high street and into the ever reliable back alley behind Paddy’s. Paddy’s was just off the high street, hidden enough to make it unattractive for tourists but close enough for the rest of us to appreciate.
I parked the bike and waited until Ajay had climbed off before I dismounted. I couldn’t help myself from removing his helmet for him and then mussing his curls a little like I’d been wanting to do since day zero. Yep, they were as soft as I’d imagined.
“There. Perfect,” I said, hoping he didn’t notice the rasp in my throat. Ajay said nothing, waiting for me to lock up the helmets before I turned to face him. We shucked off our jackets and I noted the way his eyes drifted to my biceps which I’d purposely kept on show for him. Looked like I’d found another way to distract Ajay. Interesting. “Now, want to see where the real locals drink?”
“Definitely,” he agreed, eyes shifting back to my face, that smile of his that was enough to stall a man’s heart.
I led the way inside, returning the many hellos and call outs from the locals as their eyes drifted between me and the very cute boy at my side. I kept my distance from him, not wanting to start any rumours that sadly had no truth to them.
Terry was behind the bar like I expected for a Thursday and he grinned at me as I approached.
“Hey, Nick,” he greeted, looking straight past me to Ajay as he looked around at our old favourite drinking hole. I suddenly felt a bolt of nerves that he wouldn’t like the place, that maybe he preferred the types of places Dane would have taken him to. “The usual?”
“Two schooners of the pale ale on tap thanks, mate,” I answered, trying to ignore the knowing smirk Terry sent my way as Ajay came to stand beside me. It was wishful thinking. This small, gossipy little town couldn’t keep a secret even if it tried and the big, burly guys in this pub were the worst gossips of the lot.
“I got it,” Ajay said, pulling out his phone as though I was going to let him pay.
“I don’t think so, darlin’,” I scoffed. “Your money’s no good here.”
“Pretty sure that was part of the agreement,” he returned.
“No, the agreement was that you would come out for a drink with me,” I pointed out. Believe me, I’d been the one to carefully craft the wording, so I knew.
“Not quite sure how that works,” Ajay replied, a little tug on his pouty lips.
“You just got your heart broken,” I returned. “The least I can do is buy you a drink to drown your sorrows.”
“Whatever,” he laughed. Terry of course chose that moment to place the schooners on the bar, obviously not missing our little chat as he winked at me and I pointedly ignored him.
“I’ll put it on your tab,” Terry said while I led Ajay over to the old velvet sofa, only just remembering to remove my hand from the small of his back after half the pub had seen me touch him.
“So, this is your local hang out?” Ajay asked, an appraising eye roving around the old building, our grand old dame.
“It is.”
“I love it,” he said. And no, I should not have put so much stock in Ajay’s opinion but I felt an immediate sense of relief and joy come over me at his approval.
“Yeah?”
“Definitely more up my kind of ally,” he told me, a smile tugging on his face that had me wanting to know more.
