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Whet Your Appetite

Shane K Morton

ChapterOne

Ryder

Martin laughed as he pulled away from the giant hug I’d enveloped him in. I hadn’t seen him in months, and it sucked to be away from your best friend. I missed him, and it made me consider a lot. Honestly, way too much. To miss someone this much had to mean something. I was scared of the answer.

“The flight was a shitshow. Seriously! It was so choppy that they didn’t even bring around the drink cart.” Martin dropped his bag beside the door. “At least it was quick. A ten-hour drive, but a little over an hour flight is not too horrible.”

“Your hair is so long.” I reached up and fingered one of his dark curls. “You need a haircut, unless you're aiming for aging hippy.”

“Your hair is so short it looks as if it’s receding.”

“Bitch. I’ve missed you.”

“I know. I’m very lovable.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I chuckled.

He grinned at me and opened his arms. “I need another hug. I’ve missed your hugs. No one, and I mean no one, gives a hug like you in Vegas.”

I wrapped him in my arms again and squeezed tightly. His head pressed into my shoulder, and his sigh tickled my neck. It caused chills to erupt up my spine.

When you find that friend who completes you in almost every way, it really sucked to not be able to see them very often. I missed him more than I would ever admit to him, but I knew he felt the same. It didn’t need to be said – it just was. A shared bond that had survived too many ex-boyfriends, arguments, and drunken nights. Our friendship had survived everything the world could throw at it. It was the most stable thing in my life.

“Ok, you might have just cracked a rib,” he whispered.

I let him go, and my arms fell to my side. His body was always so warm.

“You’ve been working out,” I smirked.

“Doctor’s orders. You know how much I hate the gym.”

“Doctor?”

“Yeah. My back was hurting from sitting in that fucking chair all the time. I even got an ergonomic desk so I can stand whenever I want. I actually really like it. But my new doctor told me that I needed to be more active, or I was going to have issues in a few years.” He walked over and sat down on the couch, putting his feet up on the table just as he always had done whenever he came over. “I mean, I don’t really have any friends in Vegas, so… I started going to the gym to walk on the treadmill, you know? Why walk for free on the street when you can pay to walk on a machine?” he snorted. “But while I was there, this trainer came up to me and offered me a few free sessions, and I said yes.”

“He was hot.” I rolled my eyes. I knew him too well.

“Scorching hot. His muscles had muscles, and his misspelled tattoo made him even hotter.”

“So, you’re working out because your trainer is hot?” I nodded and picked up the remote to turn down Taylor Swift on my record player.

“At first. Then I started to like it. Weird, right? I go three times a week, and I’ve lost weight. Vegas is also too fucking warm so I’m sure I lost ten pounds from water weight.”

“You look good. I always tried to get you to go with me. Denver has gyms, too.”

“I know. I should have. You’ve always been so good at staying in shape. It’s why you always have the boys getting all hot and bothered at the club,” he snickered.

“Like ten years ago. I don’t even know the last time I went out or had a date.” I groaned.

“Three months ago. You called me after…”

I nodded and chuckled. “Of course I did.”

“He was a nurse, and he wouldn’t stop talking. You also didn’t like the way he drank his beer.”