Chance Encounter

by Jerry Cole

  My boyfriend. I never thought it would happen so soon after the breakup. I realized that Gray was the one I was meant to be with, not any of the exes that played through my mind. I rested against my pillows, thinking about the night before.

  I sent Becca a text, and she told me that Mari showed up early as a surprise. She asked if we wanted to meet them for breakfast in a couple of hours. I told her that I’d ask Gray when he woke up, and she teased me about falling so fast. Becca knew that I was a relationship guy, but she was the same way and couldn’t criticize me. It ended up hurting us at times, but it was worth it when we were happy.

  We ended the text conversation, and I rose to head into the bathroom. I was a bit of an early riser, so I made some coffee. I sat in the living room, reading some things on my phone as a few minutes passed. “Are you here, Hayden?”

  “Be right there,” I called. I freshened the coffee and headed back, grinning when I saw him stretching out on my bed. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Are you okay? I woke up alone.” He asked, making me wonder if he worried that I’d leave him.

  “I chatted with Becca for a bit and made coffee. Want a sip?” I asked, and he took the cup with a grateful smile. “Her girlfriend got here early. Want to meet them for breakfast?”

  “Yeah, that sounds great. Do you work tonight?” He asked, watching me nod slowly.

  “I work a lot. My next day off is Monday. I won’t be a wild party animal on Saturday night,” I apologized as he chuckled.

  “Nor will I.” Gray sipped the coffee again before kissing me. “Tell her we’re in. Let’s get ready.”

  We were close to the same size, so I handed him a shirt to wear with his jeans after a shower. He was ready a bit earlier than I was with my hairstyling, but we made it out the door to drive to the diner in time.

  We walked into the small restaurant, and I looked around at the booths. “There they are.” Gray took my hand as we walked to the back table toward the two smiling women. “Mari. It’s good to see you again.” She hopped out of the seat and rushed over to hug me. I introduced her to Gray, and Mari hugged him as well. That led to Becca doing the same before we settled into the large booth to order coffee.

  Becca smiled at us, asking what we did the night before. Gray told them about our lunch at Luna’s and the walk after, skipping over the details that followed. I could see that Becca knew by her smile and judging by the way she and Mari were hanging all over each other; they did a bit of the same. Mari was a pretty girl with dark brown silky hair and deep coffee eyes, perfectly complimenting my best friend.

  We chatted about everything over breakfast. I thought that Gray got along with both of the girls and looked forward to spending time together. When we finished, Mari and Becca headed to the city to hang out, and I smiled at Gray. “Want to come over?”

  “Sure. I can do my work later.” We headed back to my place, making love in bed again. It was Gray’s turn to fuck me, making me moan in pleasure as I thrust back against him. So far, everything was great with this guy. I didn’t want to jinx anything by thinking too far ahead, so I enjoyed the moment.

  He left when I went to work. I walked in with a smile on my face, clocking in and bustling around to get my work done. “Why are you so happy?” Helen asked as I winked at her. “Do you have a new boyfriend? Please tell me you didn’t get together with the old one.”

  “No. It’s someone new,” I assured her as the woman grinned at me.

  “Good.” I did the usual jobs, feeling like I was walking on a cloud. Becca had the next few days off to spend them with Mari, but the other girls at the cart also supplied me with endless caffeine. I felt amped when I got off, texting to see what Gray and Becca were up to. The girls were dancing at our favorite bar. Gray apologized for being buried in work, asking if he could see me later.

  I met Becca and Mari at the bar, nursing two margaritas in between dancing and catching up. It was a lot of fun seeing the two of them fall harder for each other. I missed Gray but knew he was working. I admired that about him, having to remind myself that we were new. I needed to slow down.

  That was my thought when I headed to the bathroom. I crashed into my ex, leaving, and he took me in slowly. “Hayden. How have you been?”

  “Great. You?” I kept it short, ignoring his hungry hazel eyes. They used to make me weak, but right now, I felt angry.

  “I see that Mari is visiting again.” I nodded, and he smiled a wicked smile. “The word is that Becca is having a party. What time should I be there?”

  “Why would you even consider it? We’re over, and I am your only tie to either of them.” I knew that I could get upset and give him the loss of control that he was looking for. I just refused to play his games.

  “She’s a drunk. She’d never even notice. Did you see the two of them dancing?” He smirked, and anger rose in me. He knew her dad was an alcoholic and that Becca and I kept our drinking in check.

  “Get the fuck out of here and stay away from Becca. We’re done, so there’s no reason for you to be around.” My voice was low, and even I was surprised by my control. “I’m sorry I ever let you in.” I gripped his button-up shirt, shoving him into the wall. “Get out.”

  Becca was sensitive to the damage done to her by her father before he died of liver failure. I knew all about it, confessing it one night in bed on the anniversary of her father’s death. I still felt pissed off that I wasn’t with her that night.

  “Fuck. Fine.” Ryan scrubbed a hand through his long hair, looking annoyed. He turned on his heel, walking down the hall and, hopefully, toward the door.

  “Mother fucker,” I said, walking toward the main room to see where he went. He grabbed the hand of a man, dragging him to the door as I shook my head. I looked toward the dance floor where Mari and Becca were dancing, seemingly oblivious to what just happened. I took a deep breath, intending to keep it that way. Why did I trust him?

  I went and got some water to cool myself down, drinking it in gulps. A shot sounded great right now, and while Becca would never judge me for that, I just couldn’t do it. I finished the water, heading to the dance floor as I forced a smile to my face. I moved next to them, dancing to the Erasure song as they squealed and grinned at me.

  We finished the night out, walking to our cars before driving to our homes. Becca invited me to stay with them, but I told her that Gray might be coming over. I took the time to calm down completely as I drove. I needed to be levelheaded if I were to see him, and I didn’t want to drag ex drama into such a new relationship, if at all.

  I heard my phone in my pocket as I unlocked the door, closing and locking it before pulling it from my jeans. It was Gray, and he asked if he could come over this late, by text. We nearly closed the bar. I dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. When I heard the knock at the door, I opened it to see Gray dressed in shorts similar to mine. He had his hair pulled up, making me salivate as I pulled him inside. “I love man buns,” I told him, closing the door as I kissed him.

  “Of course, you do.” Gray chuckled, pulling me against him as he cupped my ass. “So do I.” His kiss was hungry, and I reached out to lock the door. I pulled him into my bedroom, pushing him to the bed as we both laughed.

  We moved right to the good stuff, fucking hard and fast. Gray dominated, giving me the insight that he might prefer this. I didn’t care. I loved this part of the relationship, clinging to it as long as I could before letting it go. Becca accused me of craving it, but I could say the same about her. Mari was the one person that she seemed to fall for over the last few years.

  When he finished, we collapsed to the bed together. Both of us were panting heavily, soaked in sweat and thirsty. I jumped up naked to get him some water, running back in from the kitchen. Gray drank half of the bottle in one gulp as I did the same with mine. “You were out at a bar?” He asked, and I made myself smile.

  “We went dancing after I got off work. We do that often when Mari is here since they met at a
music festival doing the same thing.” I smiled at the memory of the event I attended as well, just to wander and listen to some music. I thanked myself for bringing an extra tent since she and Mari took the one she brought with us.

  “The one in Seattle?” He named the one we were at, and I nodded. “I was there. It was amazing.”

  “I know. I found some good bands to listen to.” We finished our water, and I moved against the pillow. “Can you stay?”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I think we’re both tired now,” he replied as I nodded in agreement.

  “We can do breakfast tomorrow again if you want. It’s something the girls do when Mari is here.” My voice was soft as I closed my eyes, snuggling into the pillows.

  Chapter Five

  Gray

  I woke up before Hayden, blinking as I looked around. Something roused me from sleep, and I realized it was his phone on the nightstand. It kept vibrating, making me think that something was going on. I pushed my hair back, walking carefully around to lift the phone. It felt like I was invading his privacy, but I also needed to know if I should wake him up. I saw Becca’s name on the screen a few times, but there was also another name.

  Ryan.

  Was that his ex? Hayden had seemed distracted, and I knew that he wasn’t drunk. I wondered if something happened with them since he initiated sex the second I got in his door. It was also one in the morning, and that’s what made sense at the moment. I went there for sex as much as I did to see him.

  I knew I was awake and set the phone on the carpet so that it wouldn’t bother him. Based on the night I spent with him, Hayden didn’t sleep in late. I went to the kitchen, figuring out how to make coffee before I sat on the couch to look through my phone. Doubt filled my head, and I pushed it away. Hayden wanted this. He told me so, and I wasn’t going to let Corey affect my thinking this long after our breakup months ago. I didn’t mention it to Hayden, but I was there with my now ex-boyfriend. I thought we were happy, but it seems as though he was sleeping with other guys.

  I needed to let it go. I didn’t date for months due to what he put me through. Hayden was not Corey. I heard footsteps to see a groggy man rubbing his eyes. He dressed in shorts as I did before walking out here and held his phone in one hand. “Morning. Have you been up long?”

  “Just a bit. There’s coffee in the kitchen,” I told Hayden as he read it.

  “Becca messaged. They’re going to breakfast in an hour if you’re in.” He walked over to give me a kiss, headed to get coffee afterward.

  “Sounds good. Where does she want to go?” I asked, sipping from my cup.

  “Eclairs and coffee.” He smirked as I laughed. “Mari is going to be fancy and save a table for us.”

  “I can’t decline that.” We smiled at each other, deciding to take a shower.

  He dressed in clean shorts and a shirt, offering me the same, but I changed before coming over. We decided to walk since the weather was unusually nice, and I took his hand.

  He didn’t mention Ryan. I didn’t know who Ryan was, but it was safe to say that it could be his ex. Why was his ex calling him?

  Fuck.

  “Are you okay?” Hayden asked as I blinked, forcing myself back into reality.

  “Yeah. Great. How are you?” I knew that we had great sex in the shower but didn’t talk too much past that.

  “I am a little tired, but maybe I can slip a nap in before work.” He smiled at me as I reached out for his hand.

  “Of course,” I replied, looking forward. We reached the coffee shop to see Mari waiting at a table that was surrounded by several other crowded ones.

  “Is she in line?” Hayden asked, and Mari chuckled. She nodded.

  “How did you manage that?” He asked as Mari stood up to give us hugs.

  “You don’t want to know,” She replied as Hayden pretended to gag.

  We took our seats and waited in the sun. Mari’s phone buzzed, and she glanced down. “I need to help her.” The woman stood and went in while I looked at Hayden.

  “I can’t believe that she’s in there. Normally, Mari does everything that she asks,” he said, laughing. The girls came out with a tray of coffee and a bag of pastries, laughing together. Becca hugged us before sitting down, looking happy.

  We ate and drank coffee as they talked about last night. The girls portrayed it as light and fun, so I wondered why Hayden was so quiet. Did something happen that they didn’t know about?

  “What’s up with you?” Becca asked Hayden after he’d remained quiet for a while.

  “I think I’m just tired.” I glanced at him as she stared him down. “I didn’t sleep a lot last night.” He took a bite of an eclair, leaning back into his chair.

  “You have something simmering. I see it in your eyes and come to think of it; you were brooding last night. What happened?” She asked as he let out a sigh.

  “I ran into Ryan there last night.” I leaned forward as the girls cursed.

  “What did he say?” Becca asked as I watched the conversation.

  “He was a dick, as usual. I told him to get out.” There was something more that Hayden wasn’t saying.

  “Did you sleep with him?” Becca demanded as she looked at me.

  “Fuck, no. I got him out of there, and now he’s left some messages on my phone. I feel like I’m right back in his shit.” He pushed his hair back. “He threatened to come to the party.”

  “Is this guy threatening or something?” I asked as they all looked at me.

  “Not physically. He’s just a manipulator, and the only reason he wants to come to this party is to fuck with me,” Hayden said as relief flooded my body. I sucked in a breath as he stared at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” I reached for my coffee. He didn’t sleep with his ex.

  “I’ll handle him if he shows up at the party. Don’t worry about it. Ryan just wants attention.” Becca waved her hand in the air.

  “I hope so,” Hayden said, looking serious for a moment before he smiled. We enjoyed breakfast and went up to their apartment to hang out.

  When we walked back to his place later, I slipped an arm around his waist. “He’s not going to do a thing. I’ll be there.”

  “I’m not scared. He was going after Becca last night since I was fool enough to trust him with some stuff.” Hayden nibbled on his lip. “I don’t want her getting hurt.”

  “Becca seems pretty tough to me,” I told him, and he shrugged.

  “I hope so.”

  I dropped him off at home, letting him grab a nap and heading home to get some work done.

  Hayden seemed like he had a weight lifted from his shoulders after talking to me, but I wondered about this ex of his. I already cared a lot for his friends, and I took care of those that were close to me.

  He worked the next few nights, and I sat in on some podcasts. I had picked up a few more clients in the last few weeks based on reputation, but it meant more time working. I sat in on newer shows to get a feel for the hosts and their style, if at all possible. I did that both day and night until the Saturday of the party.

  I showered that evening, dressing in jeans and a blue button-up with short sleeves. I slipped my feet into worn chucks, heading down to my car to drop it near Becca’s apartment around the time Hayden got off from work. I parked and glanced up to see that the windows brightly lit, hearing the sound of voices and music. I hoped they had understanding neighbors as I locked my car, turning to walk down to the theater.

  People were walking out the doors into the street with smiles on their faces. They seemed to like the play, and I smiled as I leaned against a pole to wait for him. The air was starting to get chilly with Fall approaching, and I smiled as I thought about the things I wanted to do with Hayden.

  “Hey, you.” I smiled as I heard his voice, turning my head to look at him. “How long have you been here?”

  “Just a couple of minutes. It sounds like it’s lively upstairs.” I cracked a smile as he
rolled his eyes.

  “I am not going to drink myself into chaos, so don’t worry about that. Neither will Becca. From what I’ve seen, Mari enjoys a good party.” He leaned in to kiss me.

  “I don’t drink a lot. I did when it was younger, but now I tone it down. I’m always working, and I sleep when I’m not doing that. I don’t love the hangover stage, either.” I shrugged, smiling at him.

  “Good. You’re perfect.” He took my hand as we started walking toward the apartment. It was louder now, and Hayden sighed. “Here goes nothing.” Hayden led the way upstairs, opening the door as bodies moved to let us by.

  “You’re here!” Mari dragged out the last syllable, making me share a long look with Hayden. She ran over to hug both of us as Becca followed. “Hi.”

  “My girl has had a little too much strawberry wine,” Becca said, hugging us both when she had the room. “Come in. The drinks are in the kitchen.” People were dancing in the small living room, and we made our way through the crowd.

  We both selected soda to drink, cracking open diet Dr. Peppers. Becca smiled, holding up her own, and we made a toast. She caught us up on what happened so far, including a fight over a girl and a wrestling match in the kitchen.

  “I hope you warned your neighbors about this,” I told her as she shrugged.

  “They’re all here.”

  “Perfect.” I slipped an arm around Hayden as we found a spot against the wall. “Don’t you dance?”

  “I dance when I have room to do so. This is more like a mosh pit.” He looked at the group of people crashing into each other.

  “We’ll go dancing before…before Mari goes back.” She looked at her girlfriend, spinning in the circle of dancers.

  “She still has a week. They haven’t decided on who is moving where yet.” Hayden smiled, and I lifted a brow as I glanced at Becca. She blushed a deep red, and Hayden looked at her. “Did you?”

  “We were going to tell you at breakfast, but she decided that she’ll move here.” Her eyes brightened, and Hayden hugged her before I did. “Don’t say anything. We’re not making it public right now.”