“I’m just trying to help him.”
“Okay. But so what if you’re into him?”
“I shouldn’t be. He’s a baby.”
Honey abandoned his phone, brows meeting. “He must be eighteen at least?”
“Nineteen.”
“You’re twenty-two. What’s the big deal?”
“He’s a virgin, okay? So even if I am attracted to him—”
“Which you are. Even Mike noticed, dude. Mike.”
Max groaned. “Fine. Jeremy’s cute.” Saying it out loud made him squirm. He’d really, really, really tried not to think about it. “But he doesn’t need me taking advantage of him.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t. That’s not how you play. You’re the most responsible person I know besides my mom. You were captain for a reason. That virgin ass couldn’t be in safer hands.”
Max ruthlessly shut down all thoughts of Jeremy’s fine ass. “Look, it doesn’t matter if I’m into him. I said I’d help him get laid. That’s why we’re going out tonight.”
“Then help him get laid.” Honey swigged from a bottle of orange sports drink. “I know you’ll be all tender and shit. Want me to sleep at Alicia’s tonight?”
“No. I’m not screwing Jeremy. It wouldn’t be right. I’m going home to Pinevale in a few days.” The mess of feelings of both looking forward to Christmas while dreading his LSAT results was now joined by guilt over leaving Jeremy to spend the holidays alone. He hated to think of Jeremy all by himself in a depressing dorm room.
He was struck by a memory of his mom saying, “Christmas can be a very lonely time for some people.” He’d been baffled—Christmas was the best. Presents and food and time off school. His seven- or eight-year-old brain hadn’t been capable of imagining people lonely at the holidays.
Now, he imagined Jeremy’s family apparently off on some trip, leaving him in that bare dorm room. Max’s chest tightened. This was stupid. He barely even knew Jeremy. This was, what, day three? He shouldn’t feel attached to him already.
Sure, he was attracted to Jeremy. He could admit that. He was attracted to plenty of guys! It didn’t mean anything. But it was more than that. How was it more than that already? Why had he been watching the clock all damn day, counting down until he got to see Jeremy again?
“Even if Jeremy wanted me—”
“Oh, he does. You’re both real, real bad at hiding it.”
Despite himself, Max’s belly swooped like he’d just intercepted a pass. “You think he likes me?”
“Yeah, he passed me a note after third period. I put it in your locker. It said, ‘Does Max think I’m cute? Y-slash-N.’ So tomorrow in homeroom—”
“Okay, okay.” He had to laugh. “Fuck you.” Max slouched back on the cushions, blowing out a noisy breath. “This wasn’t the plan.”
“You and your plans.” Honey shrugged. “Roll with it. Now we gonna play, or what?”
They both grabbed controllers and started a new game. Max kept getting killed as his mind wandered again and again to Jeremy. T-minus five hours.
Not that he was counting.
“Just a sec!” Jeremy’s flustered voice came through the flimsy door.
Max could hear him scrambling around, and when Jeremy flung open the door, his wire glasses were askew and half his hair stood up in a mess. Max laughed. “Were you jerking off?”
Jeremy flushed even redder, shaking his head and tugging at the collar of his blue, too-big polo shirt. Which was inside-out. For a second, Max thought someone else was there and he’d caught Jeremy getting busy.
For a second, the jealousy burned so hot Max couldn’t breathe.
Which was ridiculous! He should be glad if Jeremy had found the confidence to hook up. They’d just met—Jeremy didn’t owe him anything. There was no reason to be jealous. Definitely no reason to feel weirdly hurt.
But when Max went inside carrying Jeremy’s shopping bags from yesterday, the room was empty, and Max was undeniably relieved. His mind circled back immediately to the idea that he’d interrupted Jeremy jerking off, and boy, did Max’s dick like that. Imaginary slideshow images of Jeremy working himself clicked through Max’s head, and his twitching cock was going to jump up to a full salute if he didn’t lock that shit down.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry if I’m early. I brought your stuff.” He put the bags on the floor. “I can wait in the hall if you want?”
“No, of course not. I lost track of time. I…” Jeremy was still wrestling with the shirt collar.
“It’s inside-out.”
“Oh!” Jeremy rubbed a hand over his face. “Oh my God, I’m an idiot.” His hands dropped to his sides. “I was trying to take a picture. For that app you recommended. I figured I should set up a profile, right? And I don’t want to show my face, so…” He motioned to his body, now draped in the huge inside-out polo.
“Gotcha. Want me to help?”
“Sure. It’s not like I could humiliate myself any more in front of you. Although I’m sure I can find a way if I put my mind to it.”
“I mean, you’re a bright kid. You should never limit yourself,” Max teased, fighting through another surge of jealousy at the idea of thousands of nameless, faceless men scoping out Jeremy on the dating app. Well, technically a dating app, but obviously it was mostly for hookups. Which was the whole idea! Even if Honey was right and Jeremy might be into Max too, that wasn’t the plan. Max had promised to help him navigate the app and take him to the Village.
“I should be shirtless, right?” Jeremy asked.
“Yeah.” It was the truth, after all.
So Max watched Jeremy peel off the shirt, exposing his lean, tight little body. That Max wanted to run his hands over. Mmm, those dark pink nipples and scattering of ginger hair around them. Max wanted to bite and suck and see what kind of touch Jeremy liked.
Hair dusted Jeremy’s freckled arms. There was another hint of ginger just above the waistband of his dark skinny jeans. He was slim, and his belly was soft. Max wanted to navigate that pale skin with his tongue. He wanted to hear what kind of sounds Jeremy would make as he got hard.
“Max?”
Blinking back to focus, Max said, “You look great.” Also not a lie. When Jeremy rolled his eyes, Max said more forcefully, “Seriously. You’re hot. Here, give me your phone.”
Keeping a lid on his desire and reminding himself to be a friend and not a creeper, Max took some pics, keeping Jeremy’s face out of frame. “You wanna pose on the bed?”
Jeremy shook his head and put out his hand for the phone. “I’ll look at these later. I don’t even know if I’m going to…” He pulled on a green Henley, tugging at the sleeves. “Is this okay? Or should I dress up?”
“That’s perfect.” The forest green cotton hugged his slim body, and Max wanted to run his hand over Jeremy’s chest. He didn’t, obviously. Operation: Don’t be a Freaking Creeper was in full effect.
Max added, “We’ll go to Buddies. Buddies in Bad Times. It’s a queer theater company, but they do events and club stuff too. It should be a mixed crowd—not just shirtless dudes looking to score. Sunday night is pretty chill. Less pressure.”