Chapter 1 – Part one – Go for it!
The gym was nearly empty this late; only seven or eight men and women were there to shape their bodies into perfection. Matt liked that he didn't have to stand in line for the machines, as could be the case earlier during the day, and preferred these late evening workout sessions to taking time at lunch. His work was hectic enough right now anyway without him running off during the day.
Matt had dulled the stress and pressure of work by running a few miles on the treadmill before starting on the other equipment. He had been at it for little more than an hour now, methodically working himself through the routine for the day, and his muscles were starting to burn.
Getting up from the machine he took a sip of water, briefly checking his reflection in the wall to wall mirrors. The grey t-shirt he had on was drenched in sweat down the front of his chest and he could feel it sticking to his skin between his shoulder blades as well. His black sweatpants were loose enough to not cling, but they would sure need to go in the wash when he got home.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed with contentment, as a good workout always helped clear out his head. His workout was nearly finished for today and then he'd head home for a good night's rest.
"Excuse me?" someone said and Matt turned to see a young man with black, wavy hair and a small smile on his lips looking at him from over at the bench-press.
"Yes?" Matt wondered, absently flicking back a blond strand of hair that got in his eyes.
"I was wondering if you could spot for me?"
Matt glanced around; there were a few other guys still in the gym, one over by the free weights with headphones on; a girl over by the treadmill, looking their way briefly.
"I feel a bit uncomfortable having all these pounds over me and no security," the guy said and Matt looked back at him. "And you look pretty reliable."
He had to smile at that; he had always heard his friendly smile and brown eyes inspired trust in others. No wonder he'd always been asked to help the old lady down the street when living back with his parents.
"Sure," he agreed at the expectant look the other man was giving him.
He took position by the head of the bench while the other man lay down and gripped the bar. "Ready?" Matt asked and his partner nodded. "One…"
The repetitions were on three sets by eight and the weight nearly as heavy as Matt pressed. They guy hadn't looked it but the wiry muscles in his chest and arms were strong, his biceps rippled at each push and Matt liked the look of his shoulders under the straps of his black tank top.
Matt helped put the bar back in the cradle and grinned down at his partner as the attractive brunette let out a "phew" and smiled up at him. "Pretty nice definition you got there," Matt complimented, which seemed to make the guy proud.
"I've worked hard for it too," he answered, flexing a biceps and grinning as he got up. "It doesn't come easily." He eyed Matt's chest under long lashes and sweat damp bangs. "You don't look too bad yourself," he said with a wink.
Matt smiled, blinking bemused at the gesture, but thinking no more of it. He hadn't been hit on in a while. There was no reason to assume he was now either, the guy might just be the winking type.
"I can spot for you, if you want to go a round?" the other man offered.
Matt shrugged. "Sure." The bench press wasn't on his program for today, but there was no harm in doing a few presses anyway since he now had someone to spot for him.
He upped the weight a bit, noticing the approving grin of his partner in the corner of his eye, and got ready. When he reached to grip the bar his gaze strayed past it, focusing on the young man leaning a bit forward over him, his eyes twinkling and a smile on his lips. Lush, pink lips, Matt's brain noted.
"Are you ready?"
Matt barely heard the question but muttered a "yeah" on autopilot.
"One," the guy counted out and Matt pushed the bar off the cradles.
He lost count somewhere around eight or nine when his eyes began to stray to the masculine form standing, legs spread, above his head, musk and sweat drifting down to his nostrils, making them flare with more than just physical exertion.
"Sixteen!" he heard and blinked in confusion. How'd that happen?
The bar rattled back into its holdings and Matt had to chuckle at his own distraction, but then again it had been a while since he'd laid eyes on something pretty.
"Hey, that's quite impressive," his partner said as Matt sat up. "Thought you were going to go on there for a moment." He smiled at Matt in a way that made his stomach tighten.
"Yeah, I got a bit distracted," he admitted.
The dark-haired guy's smile widened even more.
Matt got up and glanced at the clock over by the entrance; it was getting late, even for him. "I've got to go," he said, just a tad regretful.
His partner nodded. "Yes, this was my last stop as well. Thanks for the help," he held out his hand and Matt shook it, a firm grip of long fingers around his own hand, sending a thrill up his arm.
"Matt," he heard himself say.
"Huh?"
"I'm Matt Harper."
"Oh," the guy grinned. "Gabriel Sinclair."
"Nice meeting you." He made himself let go of the hand.
"Yeah, you to."
With a last lingering smile Matt made himself pick up his bottle and towel, and head for the showers. And if he glanced around for the other man, it was just because he was curious.
* * *
Gabriel grinned widely as he strolled over to the bench where he had his bottle of water and boxing gloves. That had gone well, the guy, Matt Harper, he tried the name on his lips, had been just as nice to talk to as he looked.
Piggy grinned at him from the treadmill and waved encouragingly at him as he headed out the doors to the locker room. She was always a great supporter whenever Gabriel was looking for some action. She even admitted to having checked out this guy for herself, but had let Gabriel have the first go.
"I'll swoop in and take over when you're making a fool of yourself," she had stated graciously and waved him on. He liked Piggy for her easy attitude, or Peggy, which was her real name. However, with her always wearing her brown hair in pigtails, Peggy had soon become Piggy among their friends, and she had adopted her new name with good humor.
Gabriel pushed open the locker room door and headed over to his locker, surreptitiously glancing around to see if he could spot the guy that had caught his attention. He saw a blond head of hair a few rows over and hurried to get undressed, and his towel and soap in hand when he realized the guy was heading for the showers. This was something he refused to miss!
He tried to make it look as casual as possible when he strolled in and grabbed a shower, two stalls over and across the aisle from Matt Harper – he smiled when the name caressed his tongue. From there he had a good view, but nothing too obvious; he didn't want to be taken for a stalker, because that would be just plain creepy.
He soaped up and washed his hair, keeping an eye on the other man over a shoulder. What he saw was good enough to make his mouth water. Matt was tall, about 6'2'' if he had to guess, which was two or three inches taller than himself. He had broad shoulders, his arms and back were tightly muscled without being bulky, and his butt... well, let's just say Gabriel was fairly certain the guy could crack a nut with those gluteus. Long thighs and sculpted calves, and with Matt being blond what body hair there was, was nearly invisible.
Then Matt turned around to lean his head back in the spray and Gabriel nearly choked on the water from his own shower. Getting an eyeful of Heaven could do that to you. He hastily turned his attention to what he was doing, muttering under his breath at the soap stinging in his eyes, and trying his hardest not to turn around and ogle the guy. He was pretty sure the heat in his face was from more than just the hot water.
"Hey, you okay?"
Gabriel gasped, pulling more water down his throat, and sputtered and coughed to clear it out. Still rubbing impatiently at his eyes he turned around and thought he was going to die from embarrassment. Matt Harper – Oh, god! – stood outside his stall and looked at him with a concerned frown on his face.
"What?" was the best Gabriel could come up with, he never had professed to be eloquent when being faced with the embodiment of male perfection. And only wrapped in a towel too.
"You looked like you were about to drown there," Matt Harper said, a small amused smile on his lips, his brown eyes twinkling. God, brown! Gabriel's favorite!
"Nah," he said and tried a grin. "Just swallowed some water. I'm fine." Oh, yeah, that sounded just great. Suave, man!
Matt Harper nodded and with one last look – that Gabriel liked to think flicked down his body for just a short moment – and a smile, he continued on his way.
Gabriel quickly finished his shower and grabbed his towel. He couldn't let this one get away that easily, embarrassment or not. He had never gotten dressed so fast in his life.
* * *
Matt pulled a hand through his towel-dried hair and closed the locker before he grabbed his bag. He always felt a bit warm and sluggish after taking a shower; he hoped the night time air woke him up before he got to his car. Maybe he should buy a coffee-to-go in the café, but then he'd have a hard time going to sleep when he got home.
He got as far as the lobby before he realized he'd forgotten to return the key to the locker at the desk and headed back, muttering under his breath.
"Hey, fancy meeting you here!" someone said cheerfully and Matt looked up to see the guy from the bench press – and the showers – walking towards him. Gabriel Sinclair.
"Hey," he managed with a smile, before his brain went into meltdown at the sight of the tight jeans the guy was wearing. "Uuh…"
"Yes?"
"What?" Matt blinked and wrenched his eyes back up to the guy's face.
Gabriel grinned, probably laughing his ass off at Matt's very articulate response. He got a grip on himself.
"I was just returning the key to the desk," he said, and tried kick-starting his brain. How long had it been since he'd gotten some action again? The sudden attack of hormones might have something to do with his current lack of eloquence. "They don't like it when you take it home."
"Oh, yes. I managed to do that once too."
Gabriel looked at him as if he expected and answer, but Matt just couldn't find anything to say, his brain refused to function. Were Gabriel's eyes blue? They looked like it, a dark blue, but he couldn't tell for sure without getting closer.
"Well, I should return it." The key jingled in his hand. He'd taken two steps when Gabriel said his name.
"Would you like to get together sometime?" he asked and Matt turned to look at him. Gabriel looked back, his lips twitching at the corners as if he tried not to smile. "You know, for a beer or something?" he added casually.
His heart made a thump deep enough to be felt in his stomach and he had to swallow before he could answer. "Sure, I'd like that." Hell yes, if this was going where he hoped it was, he'd like that very much!
"Great!" Gabriel said, finally letting the smile out. "How about tomorrow? I know of a good bar not far from here, they even have a big screen TV so we can watch the game."
Game? "Sure, that sounds good to me. I get off work around six, so shall we say seven?" Good, his brain was working again.
"Seven it is." Gabriel pulled out a piece of paper from his jeans pocket and held it out. "This is the address for the bar; there is a parking lot around the corner if you have a car."
Matt took it, noticing his hand was shaking just a little. "Good."
"Great!" Gabriel said again. "See you tomorrow, then." He grinned and hoisted his bag up over a shoulder. Before Matt could do more than smile in return, Gabriel was heading out the door and disappeared down the street.
Matt blinked and looked at the note, scribbled in round-ish small letters. Wicked Willy? Heh. He'd heard of that bar, known for sports and gays during the week, and live performances and gays during the weekends. Brad said it was a good place for a beer and a chat.
Then he noticed the paper had the gym's logo on the top right corner. Gabriel had been lying in wait for him? He chuckled. Well, wouldn't want to make Gabriel disappointed if he was eager enough to get to know him that he had a plan made up in advance. And he had nothing to lose either. Anne always told him to "Go for it already!", so he decided he would. Who knows? This could be the start of something really great.
* * *
Matt could hardly concentrate the last hour at work. He zoned out more than enough to make Pete suspicious and Emily look at him curiously. He forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand, but the pen and ruler just wasn't enough to keep him occupied for long before his thoughts started buzzing around like bees again.
"Hey! Earth to Matt!" Emily waved a hand in front of his face, and he blinked and started bad enough to drop his pen.
"What?" he asked.
Emily snickered, attempting to hide it behind a hand. "You are so gone," she said with a wide grin. "Who is it? Tell me!"
"Who's what?" Matt hedged as he bent to find his pen; it had rolled in under his desk and he had to get down off the stool to reach it.
"Who is it that's getting lucky?" Emily asked, and Matt was surprised enough by the question to hit his head against the edge of his desk when he tried to get up too fast.
"Lucky?" he said, or rather squawked inelegantly, rubbing at his abused head. Emily just grinned at him.
"Oh, for crying out loud, Em." Pete sighed where he sat leaning back in his chair, a sketchbook on his knee. "Let the guy off the hook, he can't help that he's transparent and a terrible liar."
"Am not!" Matt said indignantly.
"What? Transparent or a terrible liar?" Pete wondered, one eyebrow arched. Then he leaned forward and pinned Matt with his grey eyes, getting that need-to-know look Matt had learned there was no use trying to escape when Pete was on to something. "You are so found out, buddy!"
Matt sighed and sat back on his stool with a defeated expression. He guessed he was; his two closest co-workers really knew him too well, but that was as it should be since they had both graduated together as well as gotten employed at the same firm just months apart.
He shrugged. "It's just a first date, nothing to get excited about."
"Suuure," Emily said and rolled her eyes. "You're getting that faraway look that you get when you're nervous, so don't try telling me there isn't something going on."
Pete laughed at Matt's deep sigh. "You've got it bad this time."
"It's just a first date. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, okay?" He raised his hands when Emily opened her mouth, putting a stop to the whole conversation when it seemed she was ready to fire off another question. "No. I'll tell you after, not now. We've got work to do and this is not getting us anywhere."
Emily pouted but sat down behind her desk and got back to her own sketching.
Matt sighed, trying to make it as soundlessly as possible so as not to attract more attention. Truth was he was a bit nervous. He'd gotten home from the gym last night and gotten as far as the bed before it hit him that he was going on a date. With a guy. The first in a long time. And of course that realization had been enough to keep him awake long past his bedtime.
Matt was bi, although perhaps a bit more gay than bi, which sometimes made it a bit difficult to find someone. Not to mention dodging nosy co-workers and friends. Not that he fought to keep it all a secret; he was just a bit uncertain as to how they would react. Emily probably would be okay with it, but he wasn't so sure about Pete. Matt had had a hard time with his family and some former friends not to want to go there again if he didn't have to.
He sighed again. This was getting him nowhere. He looked down at the sketch he was working on, an exterior for a new hotel. The firm he was working for – The Bower's – had gotten the contract just the week before and now they were all hard at work to design it. Matt's little team was doing the first sketches of their proposal and next Monday they were pitching it to the Boss. That was something to be nervous about, if nothing else. The Big Man was picky and mean enough to let you know exactly what he thought about a design, which made his employees strive to do their utmost to impress him, which in turn might have something to do with the firm's good reputation in their business. They had contracts piling up, just waiting to be signed.
Matt shook his head and focused once again on his paper. A few lines later he glanced up at the clock. Only thirty more minutes to go before he could call it a day.
* * *
Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, glancing at the digital clock on the dashboard, glaring up at the streetlight in a vain attempt to make it switch, Matt was getting more and more agitated the longer he had to wait. The clock was nearing seven and he didn't want to be late.
He looked once more at the note lying on the passenger seat, just to make sure he had read it correctly. Then the lights switched to green and his foot came down a bit too hard on the gas, the tires screeching as the car jumped forward. He let up a little and flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. Shit, man! There is nothing to get so worked up about.
He nearly missed the entrance to the parking lot and pulled hard on the steering wheel, the suspension took most of the impact as the tires hit the edge of the sidewalk, but it was still enough to jar his teeth. He cursed under his breath. Get. A. Grip!
Finding a parking space took his attention for a few minutes and he had calmed down enough by the time he turned off the engine to realize he was on time, behaving silly, and that there was someone standing by the corner of the lot. By the looks of it, and if the streetlamp wasn't making him see things, it was his date. Matt pulled at the collar of the tan shirt that he had chosen to wear with his dark blue jeans, and raked a hand through his hair.
Get out of the car, lock it and get over there! he sternly told himself. And don't forget your wallet.
He managed to do all that, even remembered his jacket, and walked over to the corner. It was Gabriel standing there, dressed in charcoal washed-out jeans and a dark blue, formfitting t-shirt under his leather jacket. Matt smiled, delighted at the vision of male perfection, and Gabriel smiled back.
"Nice driving, man. Thought you'd blown a tire."
Matt glanced down at his shoes, blushing just a bit. "Uh, yeah. I was a bit distracted and almost missed the turn."
Gabriel laughed. "Happens to the best of us. Shall we go? The place gets a bit crowded on a game night, so I figured we'd make sure to get good seats before the game starts."
Glad for the change of topic, Matt nodded. "Sure."
They headed over to the door with its green neon sign, the doormen nodding at Gabriel like they knew him, as they were ushered inside. Gabriel seemed to know the place pretty well, more than one guy nodded at him as they wound their way towards the bar, and the bartender grinned and leaned over the bar to shake hands with him.
Matt couldn't hear what Gabriel ordered for them both, but soon two tall beers were put down before them. Gabriel handed him one and then grabbed the other.
"Hope Carlsberg is okay?" he asked with a smile.
"Probably the best beer in the world," Matt quipped, his brain was not working properly again, but it seemed to be a good thing to say since Gabriel's smile widened.
"Over here." Matt followed him over to a booth for two by the windows, the bar across from them and the big screen TV suspended above it. There were speakers set up throughout the bar so that when the game begun and the volume were turned up, everyone would hear everything.
"Nice place," Matt said, taking his seat across the table from Gabriel. "How'd you know about it?"
"I work here sometimes, in the bar or at the door." Gabriel took a sip of his beer, a bit of foam sticking to his upper lip before he licked it away.
Matt stared. "Oh."
Gabriel either didn't notice or chose not to comment on his rude staring. "Yes, I take a few courses at the university, so it's good money and good hours."
Matt kicked himself back into the real world. "What courses?"
Gabriel looked up at him. "Religion, ancient civilizations and history. Weird choices, huh?" he said and a smile tugged at his lips.
"No, I don't think so. It sounds interesting."
Gabriel seemed relieved. "It is. And when taken together you get a whole different picture than if you just read them separately."
"Oh? How so?" Matt wondered.
That question sparked a long discussion about how old empires had come and gone because of a new religion, or how great rulers had persecuted whole races because of their beliefs. Matt was easily sucked in by Gabriel's convincing arguments and descriptions, lured into creating his own theories about what had really gone on between Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Before he knew it, the game was on and their attention was drawn to the TV.
During the first half Matt kept stealing glances at Gabriel, intrigued enough by this young man to ignore what went on around him. Gabriel's eyes really were blue, dark blue, like he had thought, and his wavy black hair was long enough for the ends to tickle the nape of his neck. His bangs kept falling over his eyes in a thick disarray of waves and Matt wondered if it was as silky as it looked.
He lifted his beer to his lips and found the glass was empty. Gabriel looked over at him, winked, and waved at the bartender for a refill. Then he cheered at something happening on the TV and Matt found his eyes drawn to the dimples in Gabriel's cheeks.
During the second half of the game Matt's glances were more and more often met by Gabriel's, and slowly the glances turned into looks that turned into heated, inviting stares. If anyone had asked who won the game, Matt wouldn't have been able to answer.
"Wow, that was a good game," Gabriel said when the volume was turned down to something close to ear friendly and the channel changed to MTV. He tilted his glass a bit and looked at the foam lingering at the bottom of it.
"It was," Matt said, not really knowing if it had been. Gabriel looked up at him from under his dark bangs and smiled.
Matt really wanted to reach out and stroke them back, but he didn't know if a touch that intimate would be welcome or not, even if he considered the looks they'd given each other earlier.
A waitress came over with their tab and Gabriel, not being occupied by staring at the way Matt's hair fell, snatched the note before Matt could react.
"Hey, that's not fair," Matt complained.
"Is too. I get a discount here anyway, since I work here sometimes, so don't worry about it, okay?" Gabriel smiled at him. "I'll be right back." He got up and headed over to the bar.
Matt watched as Gabriel talked with the guy at the cash register, leaning a bit over the counter to better hear, his jeans stretched tight over his buttocks and coming into relief against the front of the backlit counter, Gabriel smiling at something the other guy said, laughing. Matt suddenly had this inexplicable feeling of jealousy.
He got up and walked over just as Gabriel finished the conversation and paid the bill. He turned around and jumped when he noticed Matt so close behind him.
"Oh. You surprised me," he said.
Matt smiled; it was just a bit forced. "Sorry." He gave the guy behind the counter a look, which got him a wide-eyed and rather baffled look in return.
"You ready to go?" Gabriel asked and looked up at him.
"Sure."
They headed out the doors, more guys waving at Gabriel and asking him to come back soon and don't be a stranger, Gabriel grinned and said he wouldn't. Matt was relieved when they finally got outside and the cool night air hit him in the face. Gabriel was still smiling as he put on his jacket and when he glanced up he caught Matt staring. Gabriel tilted his head and stared back.
Matt wanted to lean down and kiss him. Gabriel's lips were inviting and he had been easy enough to talk to during the evening, that Matt felt relaxed enough in his company to dare it. He took a step closer and Gabriel tilted his head back to look at him.
Then the moment was gone at the beeping signal of a cell phone and Matt jerked back. Gabriel had his phone in his hand in an instant and flipped it open. The only sign he gave that he was as frustrated at the interruption as Matt was, was the small frown on his face.
"Yes," Gabriel said and his voice was a bit rough.
Matt sighed and pulled a hand through his hair, which seemed to catch Gabriel's attention again. Their eyes locked even as Gabriel continued the conversation, his responses short but friendly. "Sure. Okay. I'll be there. Yes. Tomorrow."
Matt took another step closer and Gabriel's eyes darkened a bit, his lips parting and the tip of his tongue flicking out. Matt caught his breath at the sight and felt a stirring in his pants.
"Okay. Bye," Gabriel said and flipped the phone closed. The next thing Matt knew Gabriel was pressing up against him, his lips brushing over Matt's and a hand sliding around his waist. As brief as the contact was, Matt reacted quickly and answered in kind.
They kissed, tongues meeting and lips molding, Matt tasting beer and spice in Gabriel's mouth. He slid both hands around the slim waist under the jacket, and stroked his thumbs along the bottommost ribs, which caused Gabriel to gasp and then giggle against his lips.
"You're ticklish," Matt realized with delight.
"And you're hot," Gabriel answered, his tongue flicking out again to tease Matt's lips.
He stared for a moment, taking in the face of the man in his arms, and then leaned in for another kiss. This one was a bit more gentle, more of a mutual caress, and it made Matt groan with pleasure.
When they came up for air next Gabriel took a step back, making Matt let go, and he looked a bit apologetic. "I have to go. I've got class tomorrow and that was my boss calling to tell me I've got work tomorrow night."
Matt's heart contracted painfully. "Oh."
"Hey," Gabriel said and peered up at him from under his bangs. "I want to see you again, so don't think I'm blowing you off here. Okay?"
They looked at each other for a moment, Matt trying to figure out if he dared hope. He heard Anne's voice in his head again, Go for it! "Okay," he said. "When?"
Gabriel laughed. "No beating around the bush?"
"No bush." He didn't have the patience for it for some reason.
"Okay, how about tomorrow? I'll be working the door at a club downtown and get off at twelve. We can meet there and see if we want to stay or go somewhere else."
"You get a discount there as well, I presume?"
"Of course!" Gabriel said with a shrug. "I'll even get you through the door for free."
Matt pretended to consider the offer and was happy to see Gabriel almost getting anxious before he answered. "Okay. Tomorrow."
"Great!" Gabriel fished out a small note from his jacket pocket and gave it to him. "The number for my cell phone. Of course I hope you'll use it to ask for directions."
Matt glanced at it before he put it in his pocket. "I'll be there around eleven thirty then, in time for when you get off from work."
Gabriel smiled. "Sounds good."
"But the drinks are on me this time."
"Oh, a gentleman," Gabriel murmured and leaned in again. Matt blushed slightly and was caught off guard by the quick kiss Gabriel planted on his lips. "See you tomorrow, Matt Harper." And then he stepped back, winked at him, and headed down the sidewalk to disappear around the corner of the bar.
Matt stared after him, his gut tight and his groin tingling just a bit. He was so hooked.
* * *
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