Pledgeling
Page 6
My heart thudded in my chest as we waited in silent anticipation. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the doorbell chimed.
“Here we go,” I said as Momma pulled open the door.
He stepped inside and my breath caught. I put a hand to my chest feeling like my heart had literally skipped a beat. He was miraculous. I’d caught a quick glimpse of his photo before, but it absolutely paled in comparison to the real thing.
The goofy grinning head shot on his file was not the same man that stood in front of me. This guy had just walked out of a Men’s Health magazine. He was chiseled and bulky with shoulders that seemed to take up the entire space of the doorway. Even beneath the loose fitting t-shirt he wore, I could see the outline of abs a person could climb. I desperately wanted to be that person.
My throat went dry. He was going to be living with us for a week? Sleeping in our basement? Using our shower? I had known for a long time that I was attracted to men, but I hadn’t told a soul. It had been a surprisingly easy secret to keep as most men didn’t look like this guy. Most men didn’t make my knees go weak just looking at them.
The sun managed to light him up like a film star walking the red carpet. His eyes twinkled, popping against the backdrop of tanned skin and dark hair. I couldn’t quite tell if they were a muddy blue or a shiny brown, but I knew I could stare into them for hours. And I probably had. He cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting the weight of his bag on his shoulder.
How long had we just been standing there staring at him?
“Um, hi.” He held out his hand to us. “I’m Alex Greene. I’m from the Sponsor A Marine program…Am I in the right place?”
“Sweet mother of Jesus,” Chasity mumbled.
Amen to that, I silently answered. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one startled by the unexpected beauty in out doorway.
“Yes, you’re in the right place.” Momma seemed to be the only one able to compose herself. She reached out to push his hand away and embraced him. I was immediately jealous that I hadn’t snapped out of it first and stolen myself a hug.
“Welcome, welcome. Come in and get settled.” She waved him inside. “You surprised me. You don’t look like the photo.”
He grinned and I nearly fell over from the sheer power of that crooked smile. Chasity reached out and gave my arm a painful squeeze, assuring me that she too felt the shock of Alex Greene’s grin.
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “That was before Boot. I wasn’t exactly a photogenic teen.”
Chasity laughed a hysterical over the top laugh. “Handsome and funny,” she cooed.
Momma shot her a look. “Chasity go check on the food,” she said sharply.
Chasity rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Come on, sweetheart,” she whispered to Willow, taking her along to the kitchen.
“I’m Alise. That’s Chasity and my granddaughter Willow working on the food. And this is my son, Trey.” Momma gently squeezed my shoulder as she introduced me.
“Nice to meet you.” Alex held his hand out to me and I nervously reached out to shake it. His hand swallowed mine up and I forced myself not to sigh with pleasure from the contact.
“Trey, help Alex with his bag and show him to his room.” She gave me a pat on the back as she beamed. “Make yourself at home. We’ve got plenty of food, help yourself. Trey can take you anywhere you need to go if you make any plans. He and Chasity will take you out to show you around tomorrow.”
I nodded. Normally, I’d have been annoyed that she volunteered me without asking, but she was on the money. I’d gladly take him anywhere he wanted to go.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He gave her that million-dollar grin. “I actually grew up here, so I may know a few places already.”
“Is that so?” Momma hummed. “Greene. I don’t think I know any Greenes. Is your family still here?”
Alex’s smile dampened and he shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, uh…I don’t know.”
Momma’s eyes softened and she reached out for him. “Well, no matter. Consider us family, now.”
He gave her a light grin and she shifted her gaze to me. “Well, go on, Trey. Don’t leave the boy standing in the living room.”
I nodded. “Oh, sorry. Y-yeah. It’s this way.” I moved awkwardly to the door to the basement, counting each step as we entered it and concentrating on not tripping over myself.
“Yeah, so, this is it,” I said softly. “The TV remote is on the nightstand there. You just hit the power button and…yeah, you know…It works like a TV.”
He laughed and the sound filled me with more feelings than I could process.
“Good to know.” He placed his bag down and settled onto the bed. God, he was going to be sleeping right there, just two floors below me.
“Is that a PlayStation?” he asked nodding to the box of things I couldn’t actually find a place for in our new, trendy basement.
“Uh, yeah.” I shuffled over to the box and pulled it out. I hadn’t seen the thing since I was a kid and holding it in my hands gave me an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. “Do you want me to hook it up?” I blew the dust off the top. “I’m not even sure if it works anymore.”
He laughed again and suddenly I wished I was a funnier person so that I could make him laugh all the time. “Yeah, I’ll give it a try if you’ll play with me.”
I bit down on my tongue. I’ll play with you any time.
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Honeymoon
Pledgeling
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Pool Boy
Campfire
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