Tyrone beamed. His large African-American family was as warm as Tyrone. Eric loved being fussed over by Ty’s mama and aunties, and the food was to die for.
“That sounds nice.” Will seemed wistful.
“You should come too,” Tyrone said. “There’s always room for more, according to Mama. We could all go out dancing.”
Eric laughed. “You and your dancing. That place in Richmond we went to last year was wild.”
“I don’t know about dancing,” Will said.
“Oh baby, we gotta do something about that. Dancing is life.” Tyrone sighed. “Besides, I need all my friends this year, now that Calvin and I are over.”
“Calvin is a fool,” Eric declared.
The game had started again, and Will focused on the TV.
“I told you it wasn’t going to work,” Jerry said to Tyrone. “You’re both bottoms, and when has that ever worked?”
“Jerry.” Eric glared at him and glanced at Will.
Eyes still on the game, Will said calmly, “I know what a bottom is.”
Do you? Eric sat back in surprise.
“Oh, yes?” Jerry raised his eyebrow. “Has Eric been instructing you in our ways?”
A flush crept up Will’s neck. “Not really.”
“Shut up, Jerry. Dearest.”
Eric and Jerry traded glares.
JERRY STOOD and stretched. “Well, Will, this was an experience. And breakfast was good, but alas, I must leave you all. I need to get back and pack.”
“Have a good break. I’ll think of you in Texas while I’m bummed out in Georgia.”
Jerry broke into a sweet smile. “You do that, and I’ll do the same.”
Eric nodded. “Yeah. See ya. Don’t let Texas get you down.” Then he remembered about being boyfriends and scrambled out of the booth. “Goodbye, honey. I’ll miss you.” He leaned in to kiss Jerry who stepped back.
“It’s a sports bar, Eric. Let’s not rile up the good ol’ boys.”
“Oh. Yeah. Um… text me when you get there.” Eric suppressed a sigh. Playing pretend boyfriends was getting to be a strain.
“I’ll see you Christmas day, boo.” Tyrone stood. “Will, let me know if you change your mind. How about New Year’s? Can you get away from Georgia for that?”
“Probably not. See you later.”
After Tyrone and Jerry left, Will and Eric lingered. The Redskins won. Eric didn’t want to stop hanging out with Will, but that was nothing new. What Will said next, however, floored him.
“I broke up with Jessie.”
“What? Really? Why?”
“It wasn’t working.” Will gave a shrug and his eyes strayed back to the TV.
“Wait a minute. This is major. Haven’t you guys been together for, like, all of college?”
“Yep.”
Eric couldn’t believe Will was being so casual about it. It had to be eating him up inside. “How do you feel about it?”
“I….” Will turned his gaze to Eric. “The thing is, it’s something I should have done a long time ago. It wasn’t… you’d probably say something like healthy. Yeah. It wasn’t healthy. So now it’s over, and it’s gonna be okay.”
“Okay. If you say so. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Sure thing. I wanted to tell ya so you wouldn’t be surprised that I’m not disappearing on the weekends anymore.”
Eric brightened. “Hey, you being around on the weekends is awesome. More brunches.”
“Dude. Brunches are rad.”
Chapter NINE
“NO YOU’RE not. Or you wouldn’t be so unhappy,” Will said, staring down at the Wicked script, his brow furrowed.
“Fine. Look. If you don’t want my help….” Amused at Will’s wooden delivery, Eric smiled at the dorm room ceiling from his prone position on the bed. “You could try to put some emotion into it, roomie.”
“Dude, you’re the actor, not me. And that was right.”
After a few more lines back and forth, Eric yawned. “So what do I owe you for this service?”
Will frowned. “No talking till we get to the end of this scene.” He read out the next line. “Okay, that’s the end. But I don’t get why she says, ‘It must have scratched you,’ and then he says, ‘Or maybe it scratched me.’ Didn’t she just say that?”
“He’s flustered by her. She’s like no one he’s ever met, and he’s getting more and more attracted to her. Right then she touches his face, and he can’t think any more, and he runs off.”
“Hmm.” Will’s voice sounded funny, and Eric glanced over to find him still bending his head over the script.
“You okay?”
Will closed the script and shook his body as though he were trying to wake himself out of a dream. “Yeah, yeah. Come on. Your turn to help me.”
“With what?”
“Anthropology.”
“Um… Will, I think you may have me mistaken for someone who could give a shit about ancient ruins. I don’t think I’ll be any help. Hey!” Will’s pillow flew dangerously close to Eric’s head. “Why does everyone throw things at me?”
“It’s not ancient ruins, dummy. That’s archaeology.” Will walked over to Eric’s bed and dropped a heavy textbook beside him. “You don’t need to know anything. All you gotta do is quiz me for my exam. The answers are in the book.”
Eric affected a long-suffering sigh. “If you insist. But I’m going to need some caffeine. Let’s go to the student lounge.”
“ABSOLUTE DATING,” Eric said. “Sounds fun.”
“The determination of age with reference to a specific time scale, also known as chronometric dating.”
“Right.” Eric yawned. “Jeez, how do you stand this? It’s so boring.”
“I know. Keep going.”
“And what does this even have to do with your econ major?” Eric took a large sip of his latte and heaved another sigh.
“It doesn’t. I needed another credit. And stop being such a drama queen,” Will added with a smirk.
“Moi? How dare you?” Eric tried to look offended, but it was hard going with Will in smirk mode. God, he was cute.
As they continued to slog through the anthropology book, a guy with a guitar started to fiddle with a mic and a small amp in the front of the lounge. Finally he said hello and launched into a song.
Eric groaned. “‘Shape of You’? Ed Sheeran’s okay, but I’m so sick of everyone covering his music.”
“Yeah.” Will took the book out of Eric’s hands. “I think we’ve done enough for now. Thanks.”
“Do you want to stay and listen? Although you’re much better than that guy.”
“Naw.”
Will watched the guy play, and Eric watched Will. He noted his long fingers and remembered how they looked when he played his guitar. It was true. Will was much better than that guy, and he didn’t need covers when he composed his own amazing songs. But he wasn’t doing anything about it. He still hadn’t been to The Jam Station open mic.
A short, curvy girl with wavy brown hair stopped by their table.
“Hey, Will,” she trilled, smiling widely and a trifle coquettishly.
“Oh, hey, Amber. What’re you up to?”
“Studying for anthro, of course. God, it’s driving me up the wall! How far have you gotten?”
“Up to chapter five.”
“Wow, you’re fast. Can I?” She indicated the spot next to Will on the worn couch. At his nod, she sat down. “I could really use some help because I’m not getting….”
Eric tuned out their voices and brooded. After Will informed him that he and Jessie had broken up, Eric was prepared to support him in his heartbreak, but Will didn’t seem sad. The only change Eric noticed when they got back from Christmas break was an increase in the amount of time Will spent hanging out with him, even though he could’ve had any girl on campus. They gave Will a lot of chances—they practically threw themselves at him. At least it seemed that way to Eric.
Wh
en the guitar guy launched into some Nirvana and Will and Amber still had their heads together gazing at the book, Eric shifted in his seat and then stood up.
Will noticed. “You going?”
“Yeah. Jerry and I are getting together.” It was a lie, but Eric could always text Jerry and make it be the truth.
Will got a faint line between his eyebrows as Amber settled herself a fraction closer to him. “Oh.”
“Besides, you’re busy.” Eric winced inwardly at the pissy tone of his voice and put on a smile. “Hey, study hard. I’ll see you back at the room.”
“You got rehearsal?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe I’ll meet you after.”
“Sure. Come by the theater around seven. We’re going out to Blackie’s.”
“Sounds good.”
Amber put her hand on Will’s shoulder to draw his attention to something in the book.
Hussy, Eric thought acidly as he walked out and stifled the urge to look back at Will one last time.
Chapter TEN
“OKAY, GOOD rehearsal, guys. See you tomorrow.” Ms. Manchini, their director, saluted them and strode backstage.
The cast slowly dispersed. “Going to Blackie’s, baby?” Tyrone asked as he danced in front of Eric with a sultry look.
“Oooo baby.” Eric smiled at him. “Yeah, probably.” He glanced out at the auditorium.
“Looking for your boy?” Tyrone teased.
“If you mean my roommate and co-RA, then yes, he’s supposed to be meeting me here.”
“Mm-hmmm. He’s fine, boo. I knew you’d cure him of his straight.”
Eric shook his head. “I wish.”
“Never too late.”
“Not gonna happen. Oh, there he is.” Eric smiled in spite of himself as Will came rapidly down the aisle.
“Hey, sorry I’m late, man.”
“You’re not.”
“Cool.”
Tyrone piped up. “Come to Blackie’s with us, Will. Imma make you dance with me so you can see what you’re missing in that straight world of yours.”
“Oh yeah?” Will retorted, but his face grew pink.
Eric said, “Go easy on him, Ty.”
As they walked up the aisle to leave the auditorium, Will asked, “Jerry coming?”
“Hmm, not sure.”
In Blackie’s, Eric and Will shared a plate of cheese fries and a pitcher of beer while the rest of the Wicked cast tore up the dance floor. They were laughing at something when Amber stopped at the table.
“Will, you wanna dance?”
Will glanced at Eric and then said to Amber in a slow drawl, “Maybe later.”
“Okay.” Amber regarded Eric with a curious look. “I’m Amber.”
“S’cuse my manners,” Will said. “This is Eric, my roommate. We’re RAs for Hutchinson House.”
“Hi,” Eric said. He slouched in his seat and turned on his dazzle-’em smile.
“Hi.” Amber didn’t seem impressed and immediately turned her attention back to Will. “I’ll be back for that dance, mister.”
Will nodded, and she disappeared into the crowd.
“Will Butler, lady-killer extraordinaire,” Eric said drily.
“Whatever.” Will shrugged. “I’d rather dance with—” He stopped abruptly and coughed, and the color rose in his cheeks.
“With who? There’s that other girl you hang out with over there. Allison? I think she’s cuter than Amber if you’re looking for someone to dance with.”
“Yeah. Maybe I’ll do that later.”
But instead, when Tyrone came bopping by their table and cooed, “Boys, boys, get on this dance floor right now,” Will hopped up and followed Tyrone.
He turned around and said to Eric, who was gaping, “Aren’t you coming?”
“Uh, yeah. In a minute.”
Eric watched as Will joined the merry group from the theater club, guys and girls writhing dramatically, like a bunch of wannabe Isadora Duncans. Will shouldn’t have fit in, but there he was, looking cute and then sexy as all hell as he began to shake his hips.
Eric sent a text to Jerry. At Blackie’s. Will is being adorable. Save me.
He set down his phone as Will returned to the table, a sheen of sweat on his neck.
“You coming to dance, roomie?” Will chugged down some beer and mopped his face with a napkin.
“Yeah, in a minute.” His phone buzzed. “All right, Jerry’s coming.”
“Uh-huh.” Will looked away, his jaw set. “I’ll go get us another pitcher.”
ERIC WAS coming out of the men’s room when he felt his phone vibrate and checked the text. Need RA back at dorm. Freshman meltdown. He looked around for Will and saw him in the middle of the dancing crowd, swinging his hips back and forth and managing to look like a drunk but naughty schoolboy. Jerry had joined the group, and a couple of girls were dancing close to Will, but he didn’t seem to be paying them much attention. He stumbled, and Jerry put his hand on his shoulder to steady him while Tyrone and the rest laughed.
Eric made his way to the dance floor and shouted over the music. “Hey, Will.” The laughing group ignored him. “Will!” Jerry glanced over, and Eric pointed to Will.
Jerry whispered something in Will’s ear, then escorted him off the floor. Still smiling, Will walked over, loose-limbed and weaving, his arm slung around Jerry’s shoulders. Jerry shook his head with a wry glance at Eric.
“We have an RA situation,” Eric began. Then he stopped. “Never mind. I’ll go—”
“I’ll go! I’ll go with you.”
Eric took in Will’s flushed face and slurred words. “No, thanks. I don’t think I could handle both you and the freshmen right now. You stay here with Jerry and everyone. Okay?”
“No. I wanna go with you.” Will peeled off Jerry and basically fell against Eric’s side. Eric froze, but then he gingerly put his arm around him and gave Jerry a pleading look.
Jerry touched Will’s back. “Will, come here. Our Eric’s got to do his RA duty.”
“Yeah, and I’m his co-RA. I should be with him.”
“How about you and I go, then? We’ll let Eric go ahead because someone needs to get there fast, and we’ll meet him at the dorm.” Jerry put his hands on Will’s shoulders and nodded at Eric, who stepped slowly away.
At Will’s sound of protest, Eric said, “I’ll see you there. You and Jerry. Okay? See you soon.”
AS HE approached their room, Eric paused and listened. No sounds. He pushed open the door. Will was sprawled over the covers of his bed, fully clothed, snoring lightly. Jerry sat cross-legged on Eric’s bed, rolling a joint.
“Hey, no smoking pot in the RA’s room,” Eric said.
“Ingrate. I need something after babysitting Will for the last hour.”
Eric gazed at Will’s sleeping form and sighed. “Shove over.” He flopped down on his bed. Jerry moved his knee slightly, but it still pressed uncomfortably into Eric’s side. “Jerry,” he complained, but he was too weary to put any bite into it.
“Oh, okay.” Jerry set aside the joint and stretched out face-to-face with Eric. “So.”
“So?”
“How’d the freshman meltdown situation go?”
“Oh, fine. Someone needed to cry on my shoulder, but they were all better after that.”
“Good. I had an interesting conversation with your roommate.”
“You did?”
“Are you sure he’s straight?”
“Of course I’m sure. What’re you talking about?”
“It’s what he was talking about. Eric this, Eric that. He couldn’t stop talking about you.”
Eric stared at Jerry and then averted his eyes. “You’ve got it wrong,” he muttered.
“Maybe you’ve got it wrong. Straight or not, Will is hung up on you. Like, seriously.”
Eric turned back. “He can’t be. He’s been through a breakup, and yeah, he’s been acting kind of dependent on me, but….” He trailed off at Jerry�
��s skeptical expression. Great. He so didn’t need a lovelorn roommate drama, especially not with someone hopelessly straight and hopelessly hot. “I mean, I’ve been kind of worried about him. He’s been getting drunk a lot, probably because of the Jessie situation.”
“Maybe that’s not the only reason he’s been getting drunk.” Jerry’s face was very close, turned toward his as they lay on Eric’s narrow bed.
Eric curved his fingers around the back of Jerry’s neck and gently rubbed his thumb over Jerry’s cheekbone. “Fuck, life is complicated,” he whispered. “Sometimes I wish we could forget about it all and go back to sophomore year.”
“Yeah,” Jerry whispered back, “and end up screaming at each other in the middle of the quad.”
“Shut up. I meant before that.” Eric drew him closer, and Jerry tensed up. Then he let out a sigh and sank against Eric. They kissed.
A sound from across the room recalled Eric to his surroundings, and he pulled back, looked over, and caught Will awake and watching them from his bed. Will lowered his eyes, turned his back to them, and curled in on himself.
“Crap.” Eric rolled over and sat up.
Jerry sat up as well and whispered into his ear. “Let’s go somewhere else. We have to talk.”
“OKAY,” JERRY said as they sat in the booth in Alekos.
“Okay.” Eric picked up his cup of coffee and then set it down again. “I think you’re wrong about Will. We’ve gotten close, but he’s totally straight. I’m just a friend to him.”
Jerry groaned. “You never get when people are interested in you. I remember having to knock you over the head with a two-by-four before you figured it out with me.”
“Not literally,” Eric said, but he smiled a little at the memory of Jerry in his scandalously tight pants at the dorm holiday party their freshman year. He came over and straddled Eric in a chair, snaked his arms around his neck, and gave him a dirty kiss that had curled his toes. Mmm. “I don’t want to talk about Will. Let’s go back to your place.”
The Kinsey Scale Page 4