by Lina Langley
“And what was that?”
“My reward,” Max replied. “Clearly.”
Eli licked his lips. “And what if I’m not around when you come out? What would that be?”
Max swallowed, but he tried to make his smile look as sincere as he could. “Very sad for me, but your choice.”
“I feel like you could convince anyone of anything,” Eli said.
“So I’ll see you when I get out of the shower?”
“I can’t exactly wear my clothes when I look like this, right? And it’s so late. Getting a car to go home is going to be a nightmare. It just seems more convenient to stay here for the time being.”
“That seems very sensible to me. You strike me as a sensible man, Eli…”
“Woodward,” Eli said. “Now you have to tell me something personal about yourself that no one else knows.”
Max scoffed. “Because I know your last name? That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Yeah, but your last name is on Wikipedia,” Eli said. “And Garcia is hardly a family secret, yes?”
“Fair enough,” Max said. “I’ll think of something juicy in the shower. More motivation for you to stay.”
“Sounds good,” Eli said. Max leaned forward to kiss him on the mouth again and then moved away from him, slowly, when he felt how sleepy he was. He couldn’t stay in the shower for too long but hot water could do wonders for his back. As he moved away, rubbing his eyes and stretching, he thought he heard Eli talk.
He turned around to ask him what he meant, but his brain, slow as it was right then, processed the words, burning them into his brain.
“Yeah,” he’d said. “As if I needed any extra motivation.”
Chapter Three
Eli didn’t leave.
He was still there when Max came back from having a shower, feeling refreshed but exhausted. The exertion of the night had finally gotten to him. He fully intended to stay away dicking around on his phone until Eli came back to bed from the shower, but he fell asleep with it in his hand, and he only woke up when Eli was taking it. Max wanted to protest, because in his sleep deprived mind, he thought that Eli was going to take it and perhaps use it. But he didn’t. He deposited it softly on the nightstand next to him, face-down so he wouldn’t even be able to look at the screen, and then climbed into bed next to him.
He smelled like him still, but now there were hints of the hotel soap on his skin and when Max rolled over so that he could put his arm around him, he got a whiff of the hotel shampoo. It was something subtle, vanilla, maybe coconut, and his hair was wet. Normally it would have tickled his nose, but he didn’t mind it right then. Max’s body seemed to fit perfectly around Eli’s and the two of them fell asleep immediately. Max woke up once, during the night, because his arm had fallen asleep from being under Eli’s neck. He turned around, feeling dizzy with sleep, and Max felt as Eli rolled over and put his arm around Max’s waist. He was asleep still, his breathing deep. He was a little warm, too, but not warm enough for Max to disturb him. He kicked the quilt off his feet and closed his eyes again, quickly going back to sleep.
When Max woke up in the morning, woken up by the rays of sunshine and the people speaking down in the pool, the first thing he noticed was that Eli wasn’t next to him. The bed was still warm, so he couldn’t have gone anywhere too quickly. Max sat up, stretched and yawned, his back protesting, but only a little bit. The shower really had done him good. He looked around the room to try and find Eli, but he was nowhere to be found, and his clothes were all gone from the floor. Not that Max had kept track of where they had landed the night before, but he was sure he would have noticed his clothes now as his gaze searched desperately for them.
He wondered when Eli had left his hotel room when he heard the door click. Eli went toward him, wearing his own clothes, the pajamas that Max had lent him the night before folded neatly and held in his arms.
“Good morning,” Eli said when he saw that Max was awake. Max was too sleepy to convey how relieved he was—at least he hoped he was too sleepy to convey how relieved he was—so all that he managed to do was smile at him.
“Good morning,” he replied. “How did you sleep?”
“Pretty well. I rarely have trouble sleeping anywhere.”
Max smiled. “Another thing to be jealous of.”
“I thought you would be used to it, considering how much you travel. And how you were out like a light last night.”
Max shook his head. He intended to tell him that he was not normally the way that he was that night, that what they had done together had done wonders to make him sleep. Before he could open his mouth, though, Eli was talking.
“So listen,” he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned in. He kissed Max on the cheek, probably because neither one of them had brushed their teeth yet. And it was also that it wasn’t as intimate, and a little bit of the hazy magic of the night before had been lost. Max would have been naïve to think that it hadn’t. “Thank you for letting me stay last night. You didn’t have to, but I was a little… It was a surreal experience and I don’t even know if I would have been able to find my way home.”
“Thank you for staying,” Max replied. “I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah,” Eli said. “Anyway, I should…”
He didn’t say anything else. Max sighed. “Do you have somewhere to be? I can walk you downstairs.”
“No, it’s okay. I mean, I make my own schedule, so really, I have nowhere to be.”
Max licked his lips as his heart leaped in his chest. In his head, he knew that he should let Eli go, that he shouldn’t try to extend this anymore than it already had. But surely Eli had to eat and the two of them were unlikely to ever see each other again.
If he had no other commitments, then there was no reason for him to go quickly.
“Then you should stay.”
“Excuse me?”
“You should stay,” Max said. “You must be hungry. I heard the breakfast in this hotel is good.”
“And free?” Eli said, smirking.
“Some of it,” Max said. “But I can take you to the fancy brunch restaurant if that’s more your thing.”
Eli laughed quietly. “That’s a stereotype.”
Max laughed with him. “Should I call and make sure that they have tables free?”
“Okay,” Eli said, his expression softening. “But it’s just… it’s just brunch.”
“What do you mean?”
Eli bit his lips, his gaze darting away from Max’s face. “I don’t want you to think that I’m getting the wrong idea.”
“What kind of idea?”
Eli shook his head. “Forget it,” he said. “I’m being stupid.”
“We can talk about this over brunch, if you want.”
“Let’s not,” Eli replied, scrunching up that gorgeous face of his. If Max wasn’t dazed with sleep and worried about what Eli had just told him, he would have been tempted to grab his face with both hands, yank him toward him and kiss him right on the mouth until they were both panting for breath.
“Okay,” Max said. “Whatever you want. Will you hang on a bit while I get ready?”
Eli bit his lower lip. This time, any hesitancy was replaced by desire. “Do you mean I get to watch you undress?”
Max smirked, his cheeks red with heat. “I wasn’t thinking about that, but yes, I suppose you can.”
“That’s all I’m thinking about,” Eli replied.
Max rolled his eyes, still smiling, and got to his feet. The clothes that he wore were so much more comfortable than his performance clothes that hard denim and a five-year-old cotton shirt felt heavenly. It wasn’t as nice as his pajamas, which were expensive and felt like wearing a second skin, but at least he wouldn’t be wearing those ridiculous platform shoes. He hated heels. Worse than that, his back hated heels. His back also normally hated sleeping with someone and while he was sure that the fact that his back was okay was a stroke of luck instead of anything as s
illy as destiny, he couldn’t help but smile at how well it had all gone with Eli.
The sex. The sleeping together. Everything had been perfect. Max knew that he shouldn’t let himself get carried away. They would have brunch and that’s as far as it could go. He was okay with that, he had to be okay with that, because he was sure that after brunch, he wasn’t likely to see Eli ever again.
He wasn’t trying to be sexy when he was taking off his clothes, but he still heard Eli wolf-whistle.
“You should see me when I’m trying,” Max said.
“That wasn’t you trying?”
Max shook his head, turning around. Eli was still sitting on the bed, his fingers now on the button of his jeans, though he hadn’t made a move to open them yet. Max wanted him, his mouth was watering at the thought of what had happened the night before, but his stomach grumbled. He shook his head. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head.
“I forgive you,” Eli said. “Plus, honestly, I’m hungry too.”
“We could get room service.”
Eli looked him and down, cocking his head as he seemed to consider this. “I…”
“No, it’s okay,” Max said immediately. “I’m sorry for suggesting it, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just—”
“You didn’t make me feel uncomfortable,” Eli said, waving his hands in front of his face. “I’m just—”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Max replied. “You don’t owe me anything. Let’s just go have brunch and, uh, end this on a high note.”
Eli’s eyes widened. Then he nodded, quickly, saying nothing for a second. Then he cleared his throat and smiled. Max thought that it was a little shakily, but he couldn’t be sure. “Okay,” he said. “Sure. That sounds like a good idea.”
***
The diner attached to the hotel, not the continental one but the one opened to the public, was a modern establishment. Tastefully decorated with soft lights and locally sourced paintings, the lighting was bad enough that Max had to strain to read the menu. It was a short menu, with few things on it, all of which looked good. Max wasn’t struggling with the menu so much as with the idea that once the brunch was done, he would likely never see Eli again.
He didn’t want to come across as too intense, but he would have liked to ask for another date. If this were any other situation, if Max’s party didn’t have to leave Sierra in only a couple of days, he would have done so in a heartbeat. Max had caught a couple of people sneaking pictures of him. He didn’t mind so much. As long as no one bothered him while he was spending time with Eli, they could take as many pictures as they wanted.
“So,” Eli said, flashing him a beautiful smile. “Are you sure you haven’t decided what you want?”
“Other than a coffee IV, I don’t have the slightest idea,” Max said. “Have you been here before?”
“Yes,” Eli said. “It’s kind of inevitable not to come to this place when you live in Sierra.”
“So what do you recommend?”
“Everything here is good,” Eli said. “Or at least, everything I’ve tried. It depends on what you like.”
“I like everything,” Max replied. “Except very sugary breakfast. They throw me off for the rest of the day. I’m like a giddy kid.”
“I would pay to see that.”
Max looked straight at him. “You don’t have to.”
Eli looked down at the menu and sighed. “Can you stop that?”
“Stop what?” Max replied, cocking his head.
“Look, Max, you’re really nice,” Eli said. “And I had a lot of fun last night. But let’s just be honest with each other, okay?”
Max nodded, saying nothing. He wanted for Eli to be done talking so he could make his case, but he also wasn’t sure what case he was supposed to be making. He thought that Eli liked him, but then again, he wasn’t sure what kind of case he needed to make. He could say that he liked him, but that would be worth nothing. He had work and Eli had just spent an evening together. Eli, as a fan, was likely to go home and tell his friends about it. Max would become nothing but a fond memory, someone to tell his family about when he was old. If people still knew of Maxx Neon by then, he seriously doubted it.
Max knew that he was being foolish. Stupid. He knew better than that. He knew better than to think that there was a future with a fan, someone that he had literally picked out of a crowd for the purpose of having sex with them. Max wasn’t a diva. At least Max had never thought he was a diva, not before the night before. Eli brought something so strange out of him, though.
“You’re… I’ve noticed that lots of people keep looking at you,” Eli said.
Max furrowed his brow. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t do anything to stop it.”
“No, no, I’m not saying you have to stop it,” Eli replied. “I’m just feeling a little self-conscious about all this.”
“About people looking at me?”
“No,” Eli replied sharply. “God, are you really going to make me say it?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Max said. “I’m sorry. I’m lost here.”
Eli dropped his voice. His tone was sharp when he spoke. “You’re out of my league, okay? And I feel like everyone is judging me because I don’t look like you do.”
Max’s eyes widened. He didn’t want to make it obvious that he found this adorable, because he didn’t want Eli to feel like Max was being condescending to him.
He stretched out his hand and grabbed Eli’s. He didn’t flinch away from him. His hand was soft and warm under Max’s. “I’m not out of your league,” Max said.
Eli raised his eyebrows.
“I’m not,” Max said. “First of all, that shit is totally made up. Second of all, you’re gorgeous. Seriously. The moment that you walked into that meet and greet, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.”
“Flattery doesn’t work on me,” Eli replied, smiling at him.
“Good, because it’s not flattery,” Max said. “I’m being sincere.”
“Max—”
“No, I’m serious,” Max said. “People are only looking at me because they know me, Eli. They’re not looking at me because I’m better looking than you. They’re snapping pictures of me because I’m a familiar face, not for any other reason.”
Eli looked down at their hands, their fingers now interlaced together. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Max replied. “Look, these people know me. That’s the reason they’re looking at me. It’s a little weird at first but you do get used to it.”
“Okay…”
Max squeezed his hand. “And I’m not here with any of them, okay? I’m here with you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know, but I want you to know that I’m here with you. Nobody else. Just you.”
Eli’s cheeks reddened. He looked down and bit his lower lip. “You’re sweet.”
“I’m not trying to be sweet,” Max replied, shaking his head. “I’m just being honest. This is part of my life. It’s probably not going to stop being part of my life for a long time. I totally get it if it makes you uncomfortable, but you shouldn’t feel like I want to be here with anyone but you.”
Eli sighed. Max thought there was some relief in his expression, but he couldn’t be sure. There was no way that he could be certain and part of him didn’t want to ask, mostly because he didn’t want to have his own hopes crushed. He was just going to pretend that everything was fine during breakfast and then when things weren’t fine anymore, he would push through with doing the work that he needed to do. He would forget about Eli. Well, no, he would never forget about Eli.
There was no way that he would ever be able to forget Eli. He would never be able to forget the night that they had together, regardless of how magical a night it had been. He wanted to repeat it, but he kept telling himself that it had only been one night and that a second night would probably not be nearly as good as the one they’d just had. They were both high, o
n each other, on the night. It was magical. It was a first, though, and that was all that it was. Max’s real first time hadn’t been magical at all. It had been difficult, fumbling, and it had ended awkwardly for both of them. It wasn’t like that with Eli, unless the day was heading that way. He didn’t think so.
“Thank you,” Eli said. “I appreciate this.”
“It’s really okay,” Max replied. “I want to be here. With you.”
Eli smiled at him. His eyes sparkled. They were blue but they looked black under the dim restaurant light. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“I’ll say anything you want me to say.”
Eli shook his head, chuckling quietly. “I don’t doubt it. So do you like it?”
“Being here? With you? Love it.”
“No,” Eli said. “That’s not what I meant, though I’m happy to know that’s how you feel. I meant being recognized. Do you like it?”
Max looked away from him, moving his head from side to side. “I don’t dislike it,” he said. “It’s just part of the job. It’s not my favorite part and sometimes people can be a little bit pushy, but most of the time, people are sweet.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” Max said. “People are good to me. Nice and polite. It’s really great when people tell you that they enjoy your work when you’re just on the street, but of course, I’m a human being. Sometimes, I’m not in the mood for it.”
“Like when?”
Max smiled at him. “Like when I want some privacy,” he said. “Like when I’m with someone I like.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Not as often as I would like,” Max said and shrugged his shoulders. “I spend most of my time with people and they’re mostly people that I work with. I like them a lot, don’t get me wrong, my team is comprised of people that I love. When you work with someone until three in the morning, you have to make sure you like them.”
Eli nodded. “That makes sense to me.”
“But I need time alone to recharge,” Max said. “I’m kind of an introvert at heart.”
“You are?” Eli said, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes, I am,” Max said. “I told you I was shy.”
