Page 4 of Jacked
The bar is crowded enough that AJ and I are shoulder to shoulder, our legs bumping each other any time either of us shift on our barstools. No big deal though. The place is air conditioned, at least, and the food and drinks aren’t half bad. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of energy in a sports bar when the home team is winning. Even if it’s notmyteam, I don’t mind joining in to cheer when a rookie player cranks a home run out of the park.
“We should go to a game,” AJ says, grabbing the last wing off the plate and tearing into it with his teeth, his tongue darting out to catch a stray bit of sauce that clings to his bottom lip. Myeyes are naturally drawn to the movement, and I shift in my seat, nodding along before my brain catches up with his suggestion.
“Oh, hell yeah,” I agree after a second, dragging my eyes back to the TV just in time to see the next batter strike out to end the inning.
The bartender sets another round of beers in front of us. I pick up my glass and swivel towards AJ, our knees bumping again.
“To new friendships.” He beats me to the toast.
I clink my glass to his and then take a generous gulp, wiping the back of my hand across my mouth when I’m done. “What brought you to the city? You said you grew up farther north?”
“Yeah, smaller town near the Wisconsin border.” He bobs his head, hunching over with his elbows on the sticky bar top. “I needed a change of scenery after a breakup, and getting out of the suburbs felt like the right move. Guess I just got tired of the same old faces and all my training clients being bored housewives hoping that if they got in shape their husbands would stop stepping out on them.”
I wince and give him a sympathetic smile. “Here’s hoping Sweat will be different.”
He bobs his head and makes a show of crossing his fingers for luck. “What about you?”
“Basically same. Had a breakup and I was itching for a change, then by some miracle I got a promotion that required me to be in Chicago. I swear I’ve been pulling shit out of my ass since, like, two promotions ago, but either they haven’t noticed or someone at corporate has some kind of crush on me.”
“Failing upward.” He smirks, like he knows the experience well.
“Dumbassing my way to the top,” I agree, clinking my glass against his again and taking another drink.
“So, your brotherandyour best friend are gay?” AJ asks.
“Yeah, and now they’re gaytogether, so that’s…” I shake my head and focus on the TV again for a second. “I mean, it’s cool, whatever, but it also kind of…”
“Sucks?” he guesses.
“Yeah, it sounds like there’s definitely a lot of sucking.” I manage to keep a straight face for all of half a second before I bark out a laugh.
He sputters into his drink. “Dude,” he complains, reaching for a handful of napkins.
“Oh, come on, I couldn’t leave that one on the table.” I snicker. “Seriously though, I guess I feel kind of left out.” I pull my hat off to card my fingers through my hair, then replace it. “Not in a gay way,” I hurry to clarify.
AJ chuckles. “No, I get it. It’s like your brother stole your best friend.”
“Kind of.” I feel bad even thinking that way. Nolan and Caspian make each other happy as fuck, and obviously that’s what I want for them. “Maybe I’m just pissy because I’m single.”
He wheezes a laugh in obvious understanding. “I feel you. I’m not sure I want to date again, but being single also blows. I don’t know, I think I’m just shit at relationships. I like the idea of them more than I like actually being in one, you know?”
“Yes! I feel like relationships are one secret test after another that I’m constantly failing.”
He slams his hand down on the bar top. “Fuckingexactly. My last girlfriend was always on me about not expressing my feelings more. I don’t know what she wanted. Am I really supposed to come home at the end of the day and be like ‘I missed you babe, let’s snuggle’?” He snorts into his drink, takes another gulp, then sighs. “It’s not the women. They’re great. It’s me. I’m emotionally stunted or some shit.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I just slap his shoulder and flag down the bartender for another round.
AJ
Four rounds deep, the game in the final inning with the Cubs in the lead, and I’ve got a nice buzz going that’s equal parts the booze and the company.
“Hey.” Slater bumps his shoulder against mine and leans towards me. He smells like beer and day-old funk. It should be unpleasant, but there’s something I’ve always liked about the smell of sweat on a guy. It reminds me of the gym and male bonding or some shit. He jerks his chin, and I follow the gesture to see a blonde in a tight baseball jersey making eyes in our direction.
“She’s checking you out, man.” I bump his shoulder right back and his warm breath puffs against the side of my face as he chuckles.
“No way,” he argues. “She’s looking at you.”
She smiles shyly and then tucks her hair behind her ear and looks away, all coy and cute as hell. After my last breakup though, I think my dick might be broken. It doesn’t even twitch.
