Page 36 of Center of Gravity

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The beach wasalive with the late-night party crew and Tom disappeared as soon as our feet hit the sand. I had an idea he wouldn’t come out with my art school friends again. He seemed uncomfortable, though I wasn’t sure if it was because we’d gone to a gay club or because he just didn’t feel like he fit in or something.

I wandered around, sipping a beer with Sam and Max, but I was fading fast. I didn’t want to spend the cash to get back to Tom’s and had no idea where he was anyway, so I thought I’d just walk home and try to be extra quiet going in. I said goodbye to Max and Sam and told them to tell Tom I’d left if they found him. Then, I started home on foot.

The streets were quiet, the music and voices from the beach buffered by the sand dunes and it wasn’t a long walk home, but I got the brilliant idea that I should go by Rob’s place, since it was on the way. Until I remembered he wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow. When I passed by, though, I saw his car was in the drive. The house was dark, so I double-checked that it was his car before I strolled up the walk. I wasn’t hammered, just in that soft-glowy state of tipsiness where any idea seemed like a good one.

I parked myself in one of the Adirondacks on his porch and pulled out my phone.

Alex:What are you doing?

No response. To be fair, it was almost two in the morning. I listened to the waves in the distance, the occasional drift of voices from the shoreline. Tom was probably on a blanket with some chick. Max and Sam…who knew? Their so-called friendship was a little unusual. I’d started to doze when my phone chimed.

Rob:Sleeping. Or trying to.

Alex:You came back early.

Rob:How do you know?

Alex:I’m sitting on your front porch.

There was a longer pause this time.

Rob:Why?

Alex:It seemed like a good idea.

Rob:It’s not. Go home.

Alex:Can’t.

Okay, that wasn’t one-hundred percent true, but it wasn’t a complete lie, either.

Rob:Why not?

I heard movement inside the house, a few thumps.

Alex:Just let me in. It’s hot as hell out here. It’s my birthday. Linen doesn’t breathe as much as they say it does.

I squinted and covered my eyes as the porch light flicked on. The door swung open and Rob stood bathed in the yellow glow that spilled over onto the porch. He was bare-chested, one hand tugging a pair of pajama pants the rest of the way over his hips. And he was delicious that way. Pure groggy gorgeousness even with his mouth pinched in a frown. He scrubbed at one eye with the heel of his hand.

I imagined how warm his skin would be, that sleepy scent that bodies got. I exhaled something that was too close to a sigh for my liking, so I cleared my throat.

“Hey.” I hadn’t planned this far in advance and wasn’t sure where to go from there. Turned out I didn’t need to worry. Rob waved me in with an irritated slice of his hand through the air and I trailed him to the kitchen, already feeling guilty for waking him.

“So why is it that you can’t go home? And who’s watching Winslow? You look smashed, by the way.”

Damn. I’d been hoping forsmashing. “I’m not. Or, well I was earlier. More so.” I accepted the glass of water he handed over to me, watching the way muscle shifted under his shoulders. He wasn’t super built like a gym rat, but his physique was trim and toned. Which I liked even better than a muscled-out dude because of the way it kind of surprised you beneath clothes. Average height, average build and then—boom—all of these fine delineations of fitness beneath. Rob opened another cabinet and pulled out a bottle of scotch.

“It’s not for you,” he said, catching me watching him.

I air toasted him with my water glass.

“My sis is watching Winslow in exchange for taking over my bedroom with her friend.” I paused for a sip of water that tasted like fucking heaven. “I was supposed to stay with Tom, but I lost him down on the beach and I was tired, so…”

Rob poured a ridiculously modest amount of scotch into a glass and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs before kicking out the one opposite him. I hoped it was an invitation since I took it, toeing off my flip-flops and venting my shirt a couple of times. The A/C was working much better now and turned the sweat on my shoulders into a soothing chill. We looked at each other across the table and I suddenly felt stupid. “You know what? I can get a cab to Tom’s. It’s no big deal. I shouldn’t have woken you.” I could just put it on my credit card and worry about it later.

Rob’s brows rose. “Oh, you were assuming I’d invite you to stay here?”