Page 48 of This Time Around

“Lucky for you, I like to giveyourdick head, so I’ll give you a pass this once. However, I do think we should clear the air a bit more.” Milo smiled wryly at me and his eyes twinkled with mirth in the darkness. “I wasn’t as sexually active as I might’ve led on. All that flirting with the hunky superintendent and the others was for your benefit.”

“You don’t say,” I deadpanned.

“I know, I’m quite the actor.”

“Well, I wasn’t as indifferent to the flirting as I let on. I might’ve wanted to smash some windows or slash tires,” I confessed.

“You don’t say,” Milo repeated just as wryly.

“We’re so mature and shit. I told you it would be different this time around. No more running and hiding behind pretense.” I wasn’t sure what I said to make Milo look uneasy. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but there was a knock on my truck window. I looked and saw that Ollie was standing next to my door.

“You left your phone on the table,” Ollie said loud enough so I could hear him through the glass. He held my cell phone up for me to see. I rolled down my window, and he handed it to me.

“Thank you, Ollie. I hate how much I depend on that thing, but it’s pretty vital for my business.”

“You must’ve been really distracted to leave it behind then.” Ollie’s mouth turned up at one corner. “Or in a hurry to celebrate your victory.” Oddly, it seemed like he aimed that last part at Milo. I’d gotten a weird vibe from them all damn night, and I needed to figure out what was going on between them.

“Uh, something like that,” I replied. I mean, Ollie was cool and all, but he was still a pastor. Talking about sex or hinting that I’m about to be balls deep in Milo, or he in me, just feltawkward.

“Drive careful, guys.”

“Will do. I’ll be at the meeting on Wednesday,” I assured him.

“I look forward to it. You can always reach me by phone should something come up and you need me before then.”

I just blinked at him because I felt like his words had double meaning. Did Ollie think that my relationship with Milo was a fleeting thing? Did he still hold out hope that maybe we could be together? When Ollie confessed that his feelings for me extended beyond his sponsorship, he had assured me that he would find another sponsor for me if I returned his feelings, or if his interest made me feel uncomfortable.

Ollie was a beautiful person, inside and out, but I wasn’t attracted to him in that way. He needed to accept that there could never be anything between us beyond friendship, regardless if Milo was in the picture or not.

“Your friendship means a lot to me, Ollie.” It was the only thing I knew to say right then. I could tell it wasn’t what he hoped to hear because I saw his inner light dim.

“Likewise,” he said jovially, but it seemed forced. Then he looked at Milo once more and his smile turned brittle. “It was good to meet you, Milo. I meant to tell you that after the game ended, but you seemed eager to be someplace else.”

I expected Milo to zing him with a snarky comeback, but he surprised me. “I look forward to getting to know you better, Ollie. Any friend of Andy’s is also a friend of mine.” I looked at Milo so fast I nearly got a crick in my neck. There wasn’t a shred of sarcasm, boastfulness, or spite in his voice. He was sincere.

Ollie visibly relaxed, and I wondered exactly what they said to each other when they went to get drinks and snacks between games. “Goodnight, fellas.”

I watched Ollie walk away for a few seconds before I rolled up my window and looked at Milo. He too was watching my friend depart and looked at me when he realized I was observing him. I would describe Milo’s expression as speculative and maybe a little unsure, but about what? Did he still believe there was something between Ollie and me?

“I’ve never been involved in a relationship with him. I’ve never kissed him or was intimate with Ollie in any way.”

“I know,” Milo said softly. “I believe you, Andy.” I wasn’t expecting such a mild reaction from him.

“What exactly did you guys talk about?” I asked.

“That’s between Ollie and me,” Milo stated. Regardless of his words, I saw that something was weighing on his mind. I had to respect that he would talk to me about it when he was ready.

“Ready to get home?” I’d practically moved myself into his place, but it was the first time I’d implied it was my home too.

“Yes,” Milo said breathlessly. “I’m sure Alli Cat will have found a way to show her displeasure at being left home all by herself this evening.”

“You mean like barfing inside my work boots?” I asked.

“Yeah, or pissing on the jeans you left on my bedroom floor.”

Alli Cat adored me at first, but that didn’t last long once she was banned from the bedroom at night. “Why would your cat blame your absence on me? Surely you spent some nights away from home before I came back into your life.”

“Not really,” Milo said. “I never brought guys home, and I didn’t date much. She knows you’re the culprit.”