Page 6 of Accidentally Joining His Cult (Chicago Awakenings #1)

CHAPTER SIX

Cody

L ongest. Three weeks. Of my life.

Luckily, Beck gave me the go-ahead to text him, or I probably would’ve gone insane from the anticipation. I seriously have no idea what it is about him that makes me so excited to see him again, I just know that I am.

Everything else in my life has been just as great as usual.

I’ve been traveling a lot. The week after meeting Beck in Chicago, I was in Minneapolis teaching more classes. Then, I spent a week at home in Montana for meetings before heading to California for seminars. Now, I’m in Florida, eagerly anticipating his arrival.

I’ve met some great people since Chicago, too. And I always love my weeks at home with my coworkers and friends.

But for some reason, I’ve found myself thinking about Beck a lot .

I catch myself comparing the new people that I meet to him, wondering what he’d think about the classes I’ve been teaching, and wanting to share anything funny that happens with him.

Texting him has been really fun. At first, it was just memes and silly pictures we thought the other might like—or that reminded us of each other. Somewhere along the way, it shifted into actual conversations.

The first time that he called me instead of texting, I was shocked. I assumed it was a butt dial.

Instead, he explained it was intentional, that sometimes work keeps him busy and makes texting hard, but he can still chat while getting things done. And he didn’t want me to feel neglected by his slower replies.

He’s always so thoughtful.

Getting to know Beck and learning more about his interests and life has been amazing. He’s so funny, his dark humor and sarcasm never cease to entertain me.

I feel like I’ve known him for years. I know all about his siblings and his friends. I’m now practically an expert on the Chicago Werewolves and am very excited that they’ve officially secured a spot in the playoffs, which begin in two weeks. I’d love to go to a game with him. To see first hand if he gets excited when they score, nervous if they’re losing, or if he tries to play it cool as their owner.

I dismiss that thought as soon as I have it. I’m really glad that Beck wants to be friends, but realistically, this will be mostly a texting friendship.

We live in different parts of the country, and both have super busy jobs that we love. I know that his demanding life will probably prevent it from becoming a common occurrence, but I’m so excited that he decided to come this weekend.

I can’t imagine where my life would be today if I hadn’t found my way into a Kyla program. During my senior year of college, my fraternity brother’s mom had signed him up for it, but he’d really wanted to go to a sorority formal that weekend instead. He asked if I was interested, since the class was already paid for, and agreeing to go was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.

After that first class, something in me clicked into place, and I knew I needed to continue taking them. My grades improved, my relationships improved, and I felt a sense of purpose in a way I never had before. Sure, I was already going to a fancy college for a business degree, but I had no real ambition or idea of what to do after graduation.

I am the man I am today because of what I’ve learned in these programs. When the opportunity to join the Kyla team was presented to me after graduation, I didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge. I work hard to do the team and our founder justice every day, striving to improve people’s lives the same way that mine has been.

I always love these retreats. It’s a chance to reconnect with friends from over the years and to learn from Kyla’s senior leaders. This weekend, at least thirty coaches I’ve personally trained will be here, plus some of my closest friends from management.

But if I’m being completely honest, I’m probably the most excited to see Beck again.

When my Uber pulls up to the venue, I spot Beck leaning casually against the building, absorbed in his phone. Excitement courses through me as I grab my bag and head straight for him.

He doesn’t notice me approach, so I lean in close and whisper in his ear, “Just who I was hoping to see.”

In the next moment, Beck spins to pin me against the wall with his forearm horizontal, digging into my chest, holding me in place. Damn, he’s strong. Not many people could hold me down so easily.

He’s panting, and his pupils are blown as he looks up at me with an expression of anger and confusion. Then, it melts into relief as he recognizes me and smiles.

“Holy shit, Cody, you fucking scared me. You can’t surprise someone from a big city like that.”

“I didn’t expect you to attack me. I thought I’d get a little jump or a laugh or something.” I smile back at him, but it’s hesitant. Beck is still holding me against the wall, and as our eyes meet, I’m suddenly very aware of how his hard body is pressed up against mine.

My cheeks heat as I realize that’s not the only place blood has rushed to. I finally give him a little shove to get him off of me before he realizes that my dick is hard.

Apparently, I like being manhandled?

I’ve never been with a girl who’s tried anything like that before. And I’ve never really played any contact sports where I would be that close to other guys.

I’ve obviously never been with a man sexually. I’m straight.

Right?

Yeah, I’d know if I was into dudes by now, I’m almost thirty years old.

Definitely straight. I just wasn’t expecting that, and it got my adrenaline going and my blood pumping.

Totally a thing.

Beck clearly has no idea what tangent my brain just went on, and a laugh seems to force its way out of him. He has a great laugh, and hearing it instantly brings my smile back full force.

“Well, that wasn’t how I expected our reunion to go,” he says when he finally stops laughing.

Nodding, I gesture toward the front entrance, where I see a few more people heading in. “Should we act like responsible adults and go get checked in?”

“Yeah, I figured I’d wait for you since this was my first time, and I didn’t know if there was a special system.”

For some reason, hearing that he waited for me makes my chest feel lighter.

“We can go to the front desk and check in with the hotel employees. Then, there are usually a few different Kyla tables set up with name tags and itineraries for the weekend, depending on your rank in the company.”

He looks at me a little skeptically as I say that part, so I rush to clarify. “Not a ton of people who are new to the programs want to jump right into the retreat weekends. They tend to be more for coaches to learn from the company executives about how they can improve their own courses or learn new materials for themselves before going out to teach them to people.”

“So it’s okay that I’m here, though, right?” he asks, still looking unsure.

“Definitely!” I assure him. “Viktor loves when people want to join retreats, especially people who are already so successful on their own, like you. We’ve had CEOs and politicians come to these retreats, they can skip the middleman and learn from the people actually creating the material. The coaching system is great for helping to make Kyla more accessible for everyone by coming to them, but learning from Viktor himself is something that I wish everyone could experience,” I add with enthusiasm.

Beck finally looks convinced, visibly relaxing as he picks up his own bags to follow me inside.

We’ve arrived toward the end of the check-in period, and there’s only one person ahead of us in line. We approach the desk together, but I gesture for Beck to give his information first.

Then the woman looks at me expectantly to also give my info like we’re together.

“Sorry, I should have hung back. We’re booked separately.” I flash her a big smile. Her cheeks darken a little, and she looks at her computer and then back at us again, her expression growing more concerned.

“I’m so sorry.” Her friendly demeanor has been replaced, and she’s in full customer service apology mode. “It seems we’ve overbooked this weekend. I think there was an error with our system because we only have one open room left on the property.”

I glance at Beck, who gives me a questioning look.

The venue consists of the main building with hotel-style rooms, where I’d planned to stay, and cabins near the lake used for team-building and bonding activities. The cabins are typically reserved for couples or high-level executives like Viktor.

My job title might qualify me for one, but I’ve never bothered—it seems unnecessary when I’m used to regular hotel rooms.

“The opening is a studio-style suite,” she continues. “It’s a cabin, so more spacious than a hotel room in the tower here would be, but unfortunately, there’s only one bed.”

Beck raises an eyebrow at me, clearly wondering how I want to handle this.

“Would you be okay sharing a room?” I ask. “If you want your own space, I’m sure I could ask around and find someone else to crash with. I know most of the people here.”

I don’t want him to think that I don’t want to share with him, though, so I backtrack. “But I was also really looking forward to spending time with you this weekend, so a sleepover could be fun! No pressure. Either way, I’m sure we can hang out.” I really do try to sound casual as I ramble on, but I can’t stop some of my excitement about the idea from showing in my tone.

Beck grins at me indulgently. “If you’re okay with it, I think that a sleepover with you could be very fun.” He winks and turns back to the woman checking us in. “That will be fine with us both, thanks.”

After giving her my info so that she can combine our reservations into one, we each get a key and head toward the only Kyla welcome table that still has someone sitting at it with papers.

The young man behind the table perks up as we approach. “Hi, Cody!”

I recognize him from a program in Vermont and smile back. I'm pretty sure his name was Justin. “Hi, Justin! Good to see you again.”

“Oh my god, you remember me?” He’s so excited. Nailed it.

“Of course. How’s Vermont?” I always try to connect with everyone I meet, and moments like this, where someone feels seen and special, make the effort worth it.

It doesn’t cost me anything to be kind. Why wouldn’t I be?

“It’s great! I just graduated, so now I’m able to work for Kyla full time. I love it so much!” he replies.

“Congrats! Hopefully I’ll see you in Montana working at our headquarters soon.”

He nods eagerly at the idea. It’s a big deal to be promoted to corporate headquarters, and it’s a goal for many in the company. Everyone who works there raves about the community, so even those who’ve never visited understand how special it is.

Once we get our welcome materials, Beck and I head out toward the cabin.

“I didn’t even think to ask beforehand, will we have similar schedules this weekend, or will you be working a lot?” Beck asks as we arrive at our door.

“I probably should have asked if you had any special interests in the smaller classes. I could still change your schedule if you do, but I went ahead and matched yours up with mine so that we could hang out all weekend,” I admit with a laugh.

“Sounds perfect,” he agrees.

Luckily, he looks genuinely happy and not like I’m being a clingy weirdo. Small victories.

Opening our door reveals a nice studio-style, open-concept space. There’s a small kitchen just ahead, with a stove, microwave, and even a full-sized fridge. Off to the right, where the space opens up a bit more, there’s a round table with chairs for four. Behind that is the bedroom area. The bed looks smaller than the one I have at home, so it must be a queen or even a full.

When she’d referred to the cabin as a suite, I assumed there would be a couch of some sort, but the seating area beyond the table only has two plush armchairs facing a television. There’s a desk pushed against the wall to the right of the bed, and a door to the left of the bed must lead to a bathroom behind the kitchen.

Looking around, I realize there’s nowhere else to even volunteer to sleep to avoid sharing the bed. I glance at Beck to see if he seems annoyed or upset by the lack of options, but he just sets his bag down at the foot of the bed and smirks at me. “I call the side closer to the bathroom.”

“That’s fine,” I agree with a laugh. If he doesn’t care about sharing, then I won’t either. It’s no big deal. I’m not sure why I’ve even given it this much thought. No need to be this nervous.

“I’m going to shower off my day of travel before the welcome dinner if you don’t mind me using it first?” Beck asks, and I nod for him to go ahead.

This weekend is going to be great. I just need to stop overthinking everything with Beck.

He obviously wants to be my friend. He’s here to spend time with me. He didn't hesitate about us sharing the room... or the bed.

My old feelings of loneliness from moving around so much as a kid and never having consistent friends have no place here. I’m going to have fun with my friend.

So why am I so nervous?