Page 5 of Whirlwind

He knew that it would be an even greater violation of privacy, but he had to know. He scrolled down past the height and weight and all that… and there it was. The secret kinks that he’d suspected was there.

Taylor liked to wear panties. He could guess that was what he’d always been hiding. But the rest of it was what made his heart race. Taylor wanted to be tied up. He thought he might be interested in exploring some more kinks. And he wanted to be controlled.

Julio closed his eyes for a moment, imagining Taylor at his feet, hands bound behind his back and one lacy strap slipping off his hairy shoulder as he gazed up adoringly. His cock would be jutting out of his silky panties, but he wouldn’t be allowed to come.

It was everything that Julio had ever wanted. He could already feel himself starting to get hard.

Alright, he needed to think, not just react. If there was even the slightest chance that Taylor was interested in him and just too shy to share his adorable little kink, he needed to gently show him it was OK.

And if he wasn’t interested… God, it would hurt all over again. But at least he could help his best friend see his own worth.

Which meant that he needed to win Taylor over, not just march in and claim him. He needed to slow down, listen to his words and his cues, and be patient for as long as it took. But he also needed to act quickly, before anyone else could beat him to it.

He really, really hoped he didn’t suck at this. He could pick up some nobody for a few minutes of fun in the bathroom without a second thought, but here he was out of his depth.

Quietly, he put the phone down. In a daze, he turned back to the truck. He automatically started working on the brake system, but his thoughts were filled with Taylor.

For the rest of the day, time and space seemed to flow in distorted bubbles. Julio was anxious and jumpy, but he talked to customers and repaired engines as if he was in a cloud.

He couldn’t remember anything he’d said to anyone except Taylor, and then he felt like his words were strange and stilted. He knew exactly where Taylor was at every moment, but he bumped into tables and stubbed his toe.

At one point, he’d kept drifting closer while they were talking. Taylor was on his knees switching out the tires on a Camry, and Julio just kept getting closer and closer.

Words were coming out of his mouth, teasing, flirty words that he probably said all the time without any hope of them being accepted. But they tasted different now, when there was some possibility.

He’d drifted so close that his foot almost touched Julio’s boot, and Julio’s elbow brushed against his knee as he tightened a lug nut. If Taylor turned his head, he’d be right at the level of Julio’s cock, which was doing all sorts of things to his overactive imagination. Thank God his work pants were so loose.

“Taylor,” he said in a soft voice.

Taylor looked up. And was that… Yes, he thought it must have been… Maybe… a flash of desire in his eyes. It was hidden so quickly. And then he was blushing, so beautifully. Julio pictured him naked, but for a little scrap of lace. Damn, he wanted that.

But what if Taylor didn’t want him?

And now Taylor was hiding his face again. “What is it?” he growled. “And why are you looming over me?” Was his voice strained? Was he just annoyed?

Julio really needed to walk away. With great effort, he forced himself to follow through on it. He took two steps back.

After all these years, wouldn’t Taylor have said something if he was interested? Though if he was too self-conscious to say something, there was still a chance, right? For a moment he thought he’d seen something.

His brain barely kicked back into gear. Taylor had asked him a question. “I was just wondering if you were joining us for trivia night.”

He couldn’t see Taylor’s face, but the subtle shift in the angle of his head told him that Taylor was rolling his eyes. “It’s Tuesday and I don’t have anything else to do. So, yes, I’m going to trivia night.”

“Ah, sounds good. I’ll tell Ben and the rest to expect us.” Because like, that was normally something he would do. He was such a fuck-up today.

It wasn’t until he was driving home that he shook off his mental fog and came up with an idea. It would probably be stupid, but it might at least clear up a few things. And maybe give him a chance.

When he got home, he took the world’s fastest shower, and then got out his phone.

Normally he’d just go to Whirlwind in whatever clothes weren’t stinky or covered with motor oil, but tonight he wanted to look sharp. He pulled out his tightest jeans, and the gray shirt that made his eyes look warm. While he got dressed, he downloaded Grindr.

It took him a few minutes to think of a screen name. Taylor was Newbie427, which was totally him—uncomfortable and falling back on his birth date instead of putting himself out there. Julio wanted something that would catch his baby’s interest. Maybe something about the garage? Cars?

Then it came to him. BabyDriver. They both loved the song, it referenced cars, and he would love to “drive” his baby.

He needed a picture, which also threw him off for a moment. He couldn’t very well show his face, but he didn’t want something stupid that Taylor would just ignore. Then, he had it.

He grabbed a pair of cuffs—the real black, leather kind—pulled up his shirt, and dangled the cuffs over his abs. He stood in the living room where the light was good, took a couple shots, and chose the one that looked best.