The Backup Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Chronicles) (17 page)

Alec came to a halt in front of the condo and rang the doorbell. Gearing up for the upcoming encounters, he squared his shoulders and gave himself a swift mental kick in the ass.

He heard footsteps and tugged his sleeves to cover the marks on his wrist. Get in. Discuss the next fundraiser. Get out.

Should be simple.

Noah opened the door. “
There
you are.”

Well, simple except for two things. He had to endure the tension between him and Tyler and deal with Noah, the one who couldn’t seem to comprehend that Alec had finally gone out and found a life.

Refusing to feel guilty, Alec gripped his coffee cup more firmly. “Of course I’m here.” Alec passed his friend and entered the foyer.

“You’ve been avoiding me all week,” Noah said. “And you were supposed to call last night to discuss this meeting.”

Mind searching for a believable excuse, Alec could feel Noah’s eyes on him as he entered the living room done in muted gold and russet, the furniture and decor reflecting his friend’s expensive tastes. Tyler sat on an overstuffed couch in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking San Francisco Bay. Alec headed for the matching loveseat.

No sense lying because he sucked at it. “I was busy, Noah.”

Busy learning that Dylan did indeed like sex. Lots of sex.

Alec dropped onto the cushion and a stab of pain shot up his ass, a reminder to be careful. He went to shift into a more comfortable position and then noticed Tyler watching, his eyes narrowed. So Alec made a show of placing his latte on the coffee table next to a platter with crackers and cheese.

Focusing on the reason for the meeting seemed Alec’s best hope of getting out of here in a reasonable time frame. “How much do we have in the building fund anyway?”

Tyler reached for his computer, powering up his laptop. “I can tell you in a second.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong.” Noah leaned against the doorjamb, eyes on Alec. “But I believe you agreed to print out a financial report
before
this meeting.”

“I forgot,” Alec said. “I do have a life outside of work and this project of ours, Noah.”

Skeptical lines bracketed Noah’s eyes. “Since when?”

“Since DOMA died and Alec and I broke up,” Tyler said.

Alec tried, but failed, to ascertain if his ex’s statement held any subtext or not. Since the party, they’d generally tried to avoid each other. The constant, low-grade tension was beginning to wear Alec out.

Noah stared at Alec. “Which doesn’t explain why you didn’t return my message yesterday.”

“Which one of the eight messages are you referring to?” Alec said drily.

“Eight in one day?” Tyler looked up from his laptop. “Sounds like it’s time to have Noah’s number blocked.”

Alec couldn’t be sure, but the crack from Tyler felt like support.

Noah tossed Tyler a tolerant look, finally crossing into the living room. “I purchased these crackers just for you, Tyler, despite the fact they appear to have been made out of birdseed. Don’t make me toss them out the window.”

Tyler concentrated on his computer. “You know you love me, Noah.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, vegan man.”

“Vegetarian,” Tyler said. “Not vegan.”

Noah dismissed the distinction with a wave of his hand. “Whatever.” Apparently he’d finally realized Alec refused to apologize for being unavailable, because Noah sent them both a grin. “But you two are going to love
me
even
more
when I share the news about our fundraising efforts.”

Finally. Now that the meeting had officially started, the tension in Alec’s shoulders eased, and Alec reached for a cracker and took a bite. Alec’s phone beeped again, and he discreetly checked the message.

Climbing in shower. Don’t make me get started without you
.

A seed got caught in Alec’s throat, and he coughed, taking a sip of his latte.

“God, Tyler,” Alec said, trying to recover from the mental image of Dylan jacking off while washing away a day’s worth of sweat and dirt. “I forgot how dry these crackers are.”

“I thought you liked them,” Tyler said.

“Alec lied to spare your feelings because he’s too nice.” Noah dropped onto the couch. “No offense, Tyler, but your strict, healthy diet is horrendously dull.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when I’m adjusting the insulin drip treating your red-meat-induced diabetes, Noah,” Tyler said.

A chuckle escaped Alec, and Noah shot him a look.

“Back to our funding issue,” Noah said, his expression turning serious. “Remember Jack Davis from my party, the moody bastard who sits on the board at Charity Regional Hospital? Anyway, I got a call from him today. He and his wife, Sylvia, have a proposition for us.”

Alec sat up higher in his seat. Maybe this discussion would be over even sooner than he’d hoped.

“They want us to throw a charity bachelor bid,” Noah said.

Tyler stared at Noah, obviously unimpressed, and Alec sank back against the couch, his optimism for a quick meeting slipping away.

“A bachelor auction?” Alec said.

The way Noah had spoken, Alec had thought the couple planned to hand over enough to meet their goals. Problem solved. Back to Dylan. A pipe dream, clearly, but a nice one nonetheless.

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Tyler said. “An event like that is a waste of time.”

“You haven’t heard the rest of the proposition. If we throw a bachelor bid and raise forty-thousand dollars, then they’ll donate the rest to meet our funding goals.” Noah cleared his throat and picked up a seed from his pants. “With the condition that we include their nephew in the event,” he mumbled.

“We can’t raise that kind of money with a charity auction unless we’re selling sex along with the dates,” Tyler said. “And wait…” He glanced back at Noah. “Who is their nephew?”

“Probably some loser in desperate need of a social life,” Noah said with an indifferent shrug. “But their reasons don’t matter. Except that, lately, Charity Regional has gotten a lot of flak in the news for their lack of community involvement. Jack wants the hospital to team up with us on this and the bachelors to be volunteers from their employees.”

Tyler looked less than convinced, but Alec couldn’t think of a valid reason for continuing to argue against the idea.

“Look,” Noah said, “the hundred grand we’re getting for the humanitarian award is significant. And we could continue to slowly eek forward and eventually meet our goals to secure financing for housing. But we also need to think long term.”

Times like these reminded Alec why he and Tyler had chosen to include Noah in their plans. The man’s fierce dedication and boundless energy were an asset.

Except when applied to Alec’s personal life.

“Starting a popular annual event will provide us funds for future projects,” Noah went on. “I think a bachelor bid has the potential to be a regular draw
and
pull that kind of figure off, provided we generate a good amount of buzz.”

“How?” Alec asked.

“First,” Noah said, “we sign on someone famous and film a couple of creative commercials.”

Alec barely restrained the groan. Christ, he’d never get home to Dylan with this kind of delusional thinking on Noah’s part. Not without a massive supply of antipsychotics.

“Oh?” Alec knew he sounded as weary as he felt. “Is that all?”

Noah looked unconcerned. “Between the three of us and the six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, I’m sure there is a famous acquaintance in our midst.”

Alec tipped his head. “One of Tyler’s exes fits the bill.”

The snap of Tyler’s gaze to Alec spoke volumes, and guilt stabbed him.

Never one to let the chance for a well-aimed dig slip by, Noah said, “Tyler has a lot of exes, including you.” He popped another Gouda-topped cracker into this mouth. “Which one?”

Alec bit back the name, considering his options. The look on Tyler’s face made his feelings clear. He didn’t want the stunt man involved. Alec had two choices. He could out Tyler, and watch his ex suffer Noah’s relentless hounding, or he could truly put the past behind him and support his ex. All middle school feelings aside, the time had come to move past the residual resentment and anger.

“No one special,” Alec said, avoiding Noah’s eyes. The need to lie made the words feel pressured. “Just a guy Tyler dated in med school who is now some big wig at Stanford. He went on to host a morning talk show on a small local cable channel.” Shit, now what? His mind spun, searching for something that would make the made-up ex sound unappealing to Noah. “He’s…uh, super smart and probably knows more about the rates of sexually transmitted diseases in this county than anyone else.”

Noah stared at Alec for a moment before responding. “Are you on drugs? We need sex
appeal
,” Noah went on. “Not a STD expert.” Noah shook his head in defeat. “Never mind. I’ll find someone myself.”

Relieved, Alec quietly blew out a breath. His stomach grumbled, and he tried hard not to think of the Chinese food waiting at home and Dylan, naked, in the shower…

Distracted, Alec reached out to slice a piece of cheese— “Hey!”

Noah gripped Alec’s wrist, and Alec almost dropped the knife.

“For chrissakes, Alec,” Noah said, staring down at the faint bruises on Alec’s skin.

Fuck.

Time ticked by in painful increments. Alec waited a moment before releasing the knife and pulling his arm from Noah’s grasp. Face burning, he tugged his sleeve down to cover the marks while the two men stared at him.

Noah looked shocked, but Tyler was studying him as if seeing Alec in a new light.

Tyler had been serious when he’d claimed Alec didn’t have a sex swing. Their sexual relationship had been satisfying, but nothing like the headboard-banging, mind-melting ride with Dylan.

Alec knew Dylan had only been kidding in his earlier text—ninety percent sure anyway. But their sex life had left Alec feeling high for days. Dylan couldn’t seem to decide which he liked more, being the top or the bottom. So far he’d exerted a considerable amount of energy testing the two positions while trying to make up his mind, with Alec happily encouraging the comparison process.

“Are you and Dylan a thing now?” Noah asked.

The answer rolled easily off Alec’s tongue. “That’s none of your business.”

Two seconds later, Noah turned to Tyler. “Will you grab the second package of crackers on the counter in the kitchen?”

No one commented on Noah’s request for more birdseed. After a last glance in Alec’s direction, Tyler silently headed into the kitchen.

Noah turned to Alec. “Has Dylan decided he’s bisexual?”

The question shot through Alec’s brain and ricocheted around his skull, and he glanced at the kitchen doorway. For reasons he couldn’t explain, especially to himself, he didn’t want Tyler to know the truth just yet. Mostly because he wouldn’t survive another person giving him shit about his choices. Noah’s doubts were bad enough, and Alec’s were tenuously held at bay by the sexual fog Dylan induced.

But Alec had made a decision.

“I’m not just the hand, Noah,” Alec said.

As soon as he’d spoken the words, Alec sat up higher in his seat. Noah’s original claim that Dylan had only slept with Alec out of convenience still burned in ways Alec hadn’t recovered from.

Noah looked confused, so Alec went on. “I’m not just the most accessible means for Dylan to get off,” Alec said. “He
is
attracted to me.”

Alec felt that simple truth in Dylan’s every glance. He didn’t have to touch Alec or say anything suggestive because every time Dylan looked at him there was no doubt the man felt the same pull. It was The Look from that first night at Danny’s Suds and Sports. The attraction had most definitely been mutual then. Dylan had just needed a little time to sort the realization out.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Noah said. But before Alec could celebrate his victory, Noah’s voice dropped an octave. “But I’m not sure that protects you much, Alec.”

Shit. Noah always went for the jugular.

Alec fought the need to close his eyes and ignored the misgivings howling in his brain.

He shoved his hair back from his face. “Look, I hear what you’re saying,” Alec said. The more of Dylan he unraveled, the bigger the remaining puzzle pieces grew. “I won’t argue with you about the risks. But—”

Tyler reentered the living room and set the second package of crackers on the coffee table. Alec went on, despite his ex’s presence.

“Right now I’m choosing to be with Dylan.” Alec steadily met Noah’s gaze, refusing to look away first. “And I don’t need any more lectures from you.”

Alec sent his friend a small smile to ease the sharp edge to his words.

With a sigh that bordered on melodramatic, Noah reached for the cheese board. “Fine,” he said, slicing a piece of Gouda. “But when it all goes to hell in an overpriced messenger bag, I’m going to find new and creative ways to say I-told-you-so. On a daily basis. For the rest of your life.”

Noah’s gaze remained firm. “Which means every morning you’ll be subjected to a wakeup call from me as I deliver a long-winded reminder of why you should follow your friends’ advice.”

“Another good reason to have Noah’s number blocked,” Tyler said.

Alec shot his ex a small smile, grateful for the loss of hostility and what appeared to be a return to their supportive, collegial relationship. With any luck they could relearn how to be friends. Standing firm in the face of Noah’s well-intentioned meddling felt like a major accomplishment too.

Alec had no idea how long Dylan would continue with a status quo that consisted of easy companionship, great sex, and zero talk about what the situation meant.

For now, Alec intended to sit back and let Dylan set the pace.

“You’ll never find another one like her, Mr. Booth.”

Standing on the driveway, Dylan kept his eyes on the Triumph TR5 Trophy and bit back his disagreement with the owner’s claim, acutely aware of Alec’s gaze on his back.

“Mmm hmm,” Dylan murmured, sure he sounded as unconvinced as he felt.

Dylan had already taken the bike for a quick spin around the block, and seriously, the girl ran rougher than some of the neighborhoods Dylan had grown up in. Weird to now be standing with Alec in front of a middle-class home located in middle-class suburbia, the warm breeze smelling of freshly cut grass. A place so squeaky clean and sweet the sight made Dylan slightly sick to his stomach, like he’d overdosed on cotton candy and been sentenced to Stepford neighborhood hell.