Page 14 of Bulletproof
Derek nodded, as if eating enough food for three people wasno big deal. “I have an appetite. But don’t listen to Jeremy. I share.” He held up the giant plate of bacon and offered it to Travis. “Bacon? There’s plenty.”
“I heard that, MacAlister!” Jeremy yelled from the living room.
“I meant for you to hear it!” When Derek looked back at Travis, the guy had filled an enormous plate full of everything on the table and was coveringall of it with maple syrup. He watched Travis stuff a huge forkful into his mouth and roll his eyes at how good it tasted. “You can fuckin’ eat.”
Travis nodded enthusiastically, still chewing.
“A man after my own heart.” Derek was so caught up in watching Travis enjoy his meal that he forgot about his own plate, until his stomach nudged him from the inside. They ate insilence for a few minutes, each shoveling food into their mouths like they hadn’t eaten in a week.
Laughing and kissy noises from the living room broke through the silence as they were forced to listen to Jeremy and Alan’s lovesick interactions.
“Can you knock it off? Some people are trying to eat.” Derek didn’t know if their behavior was making it awkward for Travis,but it was making him horny as hell.
“It’s OK,” Travis said, after a swig of coffee. “They’re just young and in love.”
“We’re young and in love!” Jeremy shouted, to which Alan replied, “Shut up, dork.” More laughter followed and the sounds of roughhousing ensued.
A pillow flew into the room and landed on the dining room table, almost obliterating the untouchedtray of fresh fruit. No loss there. “Nice shot!” Derek laughed.
Travis made a face. “No one wants to eat that healthy shit anyway.”
Derek stared at Travis, mouth agape, and eyes wide with awe. “You and I are soulmates.”
Alan, with his T-shirt bunched under his armpit on one side, and Jeremy, whose disheveled long hair crisscrossed in front of his face, raninto the dining room, both out of breath.
“Sorry.” Alan retrieved the pillow. “This dude can’t throw to save his life.” He socked Jeremy in the face with the pillow, and then ran out of the room.
Momentarily stunned, Jeremy blinked a few times. “You’re a dead man, Delgado!” He pushed his long hair out of his face and took off into the living room after his lover.
Derek watched with amusement. One thing about Alan and Jeremy, no one could ever call their relationship boring. “Those two forget they’re not 15 anymore.”
A howl from the living room probably meant that Alan had Jeremy in a headlock or pinned between the drummer’s massive arms.
Travis glanced over his shoulder with an affectionate smile. “Have they always roughhousedlike that?”
“Yep. Since we were 14 these two have been wrestling together. It never stops. If they’re not play-fighting or busting each other’s balls, they’re making out. Or screwing.” Derek lowered his voice and leaned over the table, closer to Travis. “You don’t know the things I hear through the bedroom wall.”
“I think it’s sweet. It must be nice to have someone whoreally cares about you.”
“Really? Are you looking to settle down?”
Travis abruptly sat back in his chair, fork midway between his plate and his mouth. “Absolutely not.” He let out an amused laugh. “I’m living the rock star life, just like you. Free, single, and having a good time.” He raised his coffee cup to toast his claim to freedom.
Derek clinked hiscup against Travis’, although the toast was half-hearted. He was starting to think that maybe it would be nice to have a steady partner. His eyes flipped wide open. What the fuck was happening to him? Too much love-dovey shit constantly shoved in his face – Jeremy and Alan, Brandon and Cam – distorted his thinking. He was inadvertently being brainwashed. He needed someone like Travis, who enjoyedhaving fun, hanging out late into the night, doing crazy shit, taking risks without worrying about the consequences, and screwing around, to remind him that he was still young and wild. He needed someone who was looking for a good time without strings, someone who also wanted to live the rock star life. That’s what Derek planned on doing until the day he fucking died, which reminded him that Travisspent the night having a threesome with two chicks, and the happy bubble in Derek’s head popped like a balloon pricked with a pin. “So how’d your night go?”
“Eh.”
“Eh? That’s it?”
“Yeah. Those girls were more into each other than into me. One of them didn’t even want me to touch her.” He shrugged one shoulder as if the night didn’t live up to his expectationsand he didn’t really care about it. “I just ended up watching and jerking it, and then I must’ve passed out because I woke a little while later and they were gone.” He chomped on a sausage link. “What’d you do last night?”
“Got hammered. Puked. Passed out. You know, the rock star life.”
They shared a laugh and then Travis grew quiet. “I called you last night.”
Derek searched his memory. “You did?”
“I left a message.”
