AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Would they wonder what Ben saw in me?
Ben leaned close to me, as if he read my thoughts. His voice cut through the music. “Are you sure you’re not too tired?” he asked, his hand resting on my back, possessively.
I nodded, that small move settling most of my fears—for now. “No, I’m good.” Even if I was tired, I would have still agreed to come with Ben to celebrate Kevin’s birthday. Ben had been working long hours all week, and our communication had suffered. But tonight was a chance to reconnect, to spend time together after the interview. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s have fun tonight.”
We waded through the crowd of scantily clad dancers, searching for Trevor and Kevin. When Ben finally spotted them, he waved enthusiastically. “Hey guys, over here!”
Trevor and Kevin made their way toward us, their well-defined muscles in tight t-shirts leaving little to the imagination. I saw a hint of skepticism in their gazes as they looked me up and down. Yeah, I didn’t fit the mold of their typical crowd, but as I looked around, I saw plenty of other men around here at the bar whose body types were different, and I didn’t feel so out of place.
“Leo, you remember Trevor and Kevin from that barbecue at my house last summer,” Ben introduced them. “Guys, this is Leo.”
“Great to see you both,” I replied, trying to exude confidence as my eyes made brief contact with each of them. I wanted to prove that I belonged here, surrounded by these attractive, fit men.
Trevor smirked, his gaze roaming shamelessly over my body. “Nice to see you, Leo. Ben’s mentioned you quite a bit.”
Kevin playfully elbowed Trevor and shot me a genuine smile. “Pay no mind to him. He lacks tact sometimes. It’s great to meet Ben’s boyfriend.”
Boyfriend. That word sent a surge of warmth through me, making my chest tighten with happiness. I leaned into Ben as he wrapped his arm around my waist. “Good to meet you too, and happy birthday.”
“Let’s grab a drink,” Ben suggested to me, taking the lead towards the bar. After we got our drinks, the four of us found a spot where we could stand together and talk without speakers blaring music at us. I listened mostly at first, as Ben and his friends talked about mutual friends, bar regulars, and just caught up on gossip. The entire time we stood there, Ben’s body pressed against mine, a silent signal to everyone that we were together.
I don’t think I needed that reminder, not after listening to Ben talk about us at the bar during the interview, but I savored that feeling.
“So, Ben, you said you guys were getting interviewed for some ad campaign?” Kevin asked, sipping his drink. “Tell us more about it.”
Ben took a swig of his beer and grinned up at me. “Yeah, it’s for a dating app called Mangle, the one that matched us up. Leo’s in marketing, and his company is handling the ad campaigns, so we’re helping one of his friends since things worked out for us on the app.”
Trevor snorted. “Damn, Ben, things must have been bad if you had to resort to an app.”
Ben’s arm tightened around me, and his voice turned serious. “I wasn’t just looking for anyone, Trevor. But the universe was feeling kind, I guess, and it pushed me toward Leo. Showed me what was standing right in front of me the whole time.”
I locked eyes with Ben, that same feeling in my heart. “Charmer,” I teased, wrapping my arms around him, a playful smirk on my lips.
Ben chuckled, his laughter rippling through me. “Just speaking the truth.”
“Well, it sounds like I need to sign up for Mangle. None of the guys I told to meet me here tonight showed up.” Kevin raised his glass. “To Ben and Leo, the perfect match.”
We clinked our glasses together, laughter filling the air as we toasted to our blossoming relationship. In this moment, I understood more than ever that I belonged—not just in this club, but in Ben’s life.
When Ben excused himself to use the restroom, I was left with Trevor and Kevin. They seemed more at ease now, their initial skepticism fading as they got to know me better.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Trevor leaned closer to me. “Alright, Leo,” he began, the bass of the music vibrating through his words. “Now that we’re getting along, tell us—is Ben treating you right? Cause if he’s not, you need to be upfront and let him know. He doesn’t mean to just drop off the planet like he does, but it’s a bad habit he’s gotten into.”
“Yeah, we’ve always got Ben’s back, but he can get self-centered sometimes.”
My cheeks warmed, as the turn in the conversation surprised me. “Nah, we’re good. He’s been great to me,” I said, taking another swig from my drink. “I know about his work and all, and it’s okay. He gives me everything that I need.”
“Everything? Oh, do tell,” Kevin hooted, and Trevor snorted.
My face went red. “I guess I walked into that one,” I murmured, shaking my head.
Kevin leaned in. “Since you brought it up, how does it feel now to be one of us? Did you get your LGBTQ—” Kevin waved his hand, as if he couldn’t remember more than that, “—membership card?”
“Also, your complimentary mesh t-shirt, the official uniform of Rebar. If not, they’re probably in the mail,” Trevor added with a smirk. “So, Ben’s always bragging about how good he is in bed. He treating you right there too?”
Coughing as I swallowed my drink, I nodded as I looked them both in the eye. “Oh yeah. If I’d known how good it was, I’d have jumped him years ago,” I said, and gave them both a wink.
“That’s our boy,” Trevor said, as Kevin laughed, and they raised their glass. “Welcome to the family, Leo.”
