Fine. Whatever. You better be there Friday.
Of course.
Their Friday night beer after work was a long-standing tradition. Not expecting anything else from Sam, Matt filled up his water bottle and sent a quick text to Ryan.
You ready?
Yep, see you out front in 2 mins.
Grabbing his phone, keys, and water bottle, Matt headed downstairs to meet Ryan.
The sight that greeted him as he stepped outside had him grinning from ear-to-ear—Ryan, bent over, arse in the air, stretching. “Nice shorts.” They were black and the same make as his grey T-shirt. Both looked new.
Ryan straightened and smiled back, his face flushed. “Thanks. Thought I’d better invest in some proper gear if I’m running with you.” He gestured to Matt’s shorts and top. Matt rolled his eyes. “Seriously though, I needed some better ones, and these have a phone pocket and everything.” He patted the back of his shorts under the waistband, where his phone was, presumably.
“You bring some water this time?”
“Yep.” Ryan pointed at the ground next to his feet where a hand-held bottle sat. “I’m all set.”
Matt did a few stretches of his own to loosen up his muscles and then checked the route he’d planned for them on his phone. He tilted it so Ryan could see. “Look okay to you?”
“Um….” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck and bit at his bottom lip. “It's further than I tried on Sunday, and you saw the aftermath.”
Matt laughed. “Bet you tried to run all the way though, right?”
The small shrug and the mumbled, “Might have,” made Matt’s laughter die off. He hadn’t meant to embarrass him.
Ryan sighed, a wry smile appearing. “I know I should’ve probably built up to it, but I honestly didn’t think I was that out of shape. Obviously I was wrong.”
Nudging Ryan’s shoulder, Matt pointed at his phone again. “We’ll take it easy this time. I don’t think you’re that out of shape.” He turned and winked at him. Ryan laughed. “But stopping to walk a couple of times might help. We’ll see how it goes. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” Ryan bent to pick up his water bottle.
Matt did the same. Normally he wouldn’t take one on a short run because it was a pain in the arse to have to carry it, but something told him to bring it, just in case. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with.”
Matt pocketed his phone and set off down the path, with Ryan falling into step beside him.
The route he’d chosen picked up the bike path at the edge of the estate, about four hundred metres from the flat, then followed alongside the dual carriageway for a couple of kilometres, before finally cutting back through the park and heading home again. Their pace might have been a touch slower than Matt usually ran at, but not slow by any means.
He kept a close eye on Ryan as they ran, not wanting a repeat performance of Sunday. About halfway along the bike path, he tapped Ryan on the arm and slowed down to a brisk walk. “Take a two-minute breather, yeah?”
Ryan nodded as he slowed down and took a drink from his water bottle. Sweat dripped from his hairline, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. An errant drip slid down his cheek, and Matt watched as it got caught up in Ryan’s stubble. He was halfway to wiping it away with his thumb before he caught himself.
They walked along a little while until Ryan got his breath back. “Ready to go again?” Ryan glanced at him, eyes shining and cheeks flush with colour.
It brought with it a few memories of other times he’d seen Ryan like that, and Matt quickly looked away. Checking his watch, he said, “Yeah, let’s go. See if we can get through to the other side of the park without stopping.”
By the time they got back to their building, Ryan’s sweat-soaked T-shirt clung to him, and he gasped for breath, bent over with his hands on his knees. He showed no signs of collapsing, so Matt counted it as a success. He took a long drink from his water bottle, finishing it off, and sprinkling the last few drops over his face. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Ryan stayed bent over, still breathing heavily, and turned his head to squint up at Matt. “You’re not even out of breath, and I’m about dead.”
Matt kicked the side of Ryan’s trainer. “Fuck off, I’m sweating as much as you.” After wiping his fingers over his forehead, he showed them to Ryan as proof. “See.” He might not be as tired out as Ryan, but it was still a good workout. “And make sure you stretch properly. I bet you ached on Monday.”
Ryan grimaced. “Like you wouldn’t believe.” He laughed softly. “Getting in and out of my chair at work was agony.” He watched Matt for a second, then copied his moves.
As Matt bent over, stretching out his hamstring, he cast a quick glance at Ryan. His new shorts pulled tight, outlining his arse perfectly, and for a second Matt remembered getting his hands all over it. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he turned away and concentrated on his own movements.
Sufficiently cooled down, Matt fished out his keys and waited for Ryan to finish up before opening the front door to their building. “I called Trish, by the way. About cleaning for my parents.”
“Oh?” Ryan smiled. “What did she say? Can she fit you in?”
“I think so. Apparently she cleans for another elderly couple nearby, so it would suit her too. Thanks for giving me her number.”
“No problem.” Ryan followed him inside and up the stairs. “How’d you get your mum to agree?”
“I haven’t yet.”
Ryan barked out a laugh. “Sorry. But shouldn’t you have done that first?”
Yes, I should have. “Initially I only called Trish up to check her availability, but then we got chatting and….”
“Yeah, I know. She can talk.”
“I’ve got till Monday to persuade my parents it's a good idea.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Thanks.” I’m going to need it. It would probably require reinforcements. He’d call Liz as soon as he’d had a shower. When they reached the first floor, he stopped and turned to face Ryan walking up behind him. “Want to go again on Saturday?”
“In the morning?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got a work’s do, Friday night. Might be a bit rough.”
Matt shrugged. “It’ll either make you sick or fix you.” He grinned. “Kill or cure.” Going on a run after a night out generally made Matt feel better, blew out the cobwebs, so to speak. But it didn’t work for everyone.
Ryan seemed to mull it over for a few seconds before sighing. “Oh, what the hell, fine. Just not too early.”
“Great. See you Saturday.”
After putting some of his mum’s lasagne in the oven to heat through—she still gave him portions to take home—Matt settled on the sofa with a glass of water and called his sister. Liz answered on the second ring.
“Hey, was just about to call you.”
“Great minds.”
She laughed, and the sound settled behind his ribs, warming him. “Have you seen Dad since his fall?”
“Yeah.”
“And how was he?”
“Not too bad, a little bruised, but in good spirits. And he was still getting around okay.”
She sighed down the line, and Matt imagined her closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. Exactly like their mum did, although he’d never tell her that. “We need to get some handrails installed. At least by the back door where the step is.”
“I know.”
“They had no issue with the ones in the bathroom. I don’t see what the problem is with having them put up outside?" She sighed again, frustration clear in her tone. “I hate to leave this all to you, but I can’t get up there for a few weeks, and it’s not the same trying to convince them over FaceTime. The pair of them are as bad as each other. They make some excuse as soon as I mention it. She virtually hung up on me yesterday—said she had to go and feed the birds. The bloody birds, for Christ’s sake!”
Matt laughed; he couldn’t help it. “God, they’re going to love me, then. I found them a cleaner. Trish. She sounds nice. Just need to persuade Mum that it’s a good idea.”
“That’s great. She’s doing too much at the minute, but you can’t tell her.” She paused as if realising something. “You’ve not even mentioned it to her yet, have you?”
“Um…, no.”
Her laugh sounded again in his ear. “Good luck with that one. God, what are we like? It’s not as though they’re going to send us to our rooms for being cheeky.”
“I know, but I don’t want it to seem like we think they can’t cope anymore. If you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s a fine line. I don’t want to upset them either, but they’re both so stubborn.”
Matt took a sip of his water and grinned as a thought hit him. “You know that’s going to be us one day.”
“Yep. That’s why I had kids—to look after me in my old age.”
“Can I borrow them?”
She snorted. “No, get some of your own.”
“Yeah, that’s never going to happen.” That meant settling down, and… just no.
“You keep telling yourself that. It’s exactly what I used to say, and now look at me.”
Matt didn’t bother responding, she’d never believe he didn’t want a long-time partner, and he’d never entertain the idea that she might be right. “I’m going to pop round Mum and Dad’s tomorrow night. Can you give them a call in the morning and maybe pave the way a little?”
“I can try.”
“Good enough. I’ll let you know how I get on.”
“Bye, then.”
“Bye.”
He hung up and sighed. Tomorrow should be interesting.
Friday night came all too quickly, and for once, Sam was waiting when Matt entered the bar, two pints already sat on the table in front of him.
Sliding onto the stool opposite, Matt smiled. “Sorry I’m late. Had to sort some shit.”
Sam waved him off. “I think I was early.” He waited for Matt to have a drink of his pint, then rested his arms on the table and met his gaze with a determined expression. “So, what’s going on with you and Ryan, then?”
Matt swallowed, almost choking on cider. “Nothing.”
“Mhmm. Really?”
“Yep.”
“So, what, you suddenly decided you need a running partner? In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve always done it on your own, and it never bothered you before now.”
God, he should have known this was coming. Sam was a nosey bastard who never let things go. “Look. I found him collapsed on the grass looking like he’d run a marathon, not 5k or whatever it was.” He shrugged as though it was nothing. “Thought I’d give him a hand to get back into it, that’s all.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “And I guess it doesn’t hurt that he probably looks hot in his running gear?”
An image of black arse-hugging shorts slipped into his mind, and Matt smirked, unable to contain it. “I’m just doing my bit to help out one of my neighbours. The fact that he looks good in running shorts is a bonus.”
Sam let that sit for a minute and took a drink. “You’ve not had sex again, then?”
Once more he timed it so Matt had a mouthful of beer and laughed as Matt struggled to swallow it. “No. I told you. It’s not like that.”
“So just helping a neighbour, who happens to be hot, and also someone you’ve had sex with. And there’s no ulterior motive?”
Matt shook his head. “Nope.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
He reached over the table and punched him lightly on the arm. “Fuck off. I’m not that bad.”
“Er… yeah, you are.” Laughing, Sam dodged out of his way as Matt swatted at him again. “Hey, I love you like a brother, but you are not boyfriend material.”
For some reason, that stung. “I’m not trying to be his boyfriend or anyone’s, for that matter. But let’s be clear, if I did want to, I’d be an excellent boyfriend. And you keep telling me often enough that I should give it a try.”
“That’s because I think you should give it a go before dismissing the idea totally. Not because I think you’ll be any good at it.”
“Oh, piss off.” Matt flicked the beer mat at Sam's head, catching him square on the nose.
“Bastard.”
They drank the rest of their pints, and Matt went to the bar to get the next round. As he brought them back to the table, Sam asked, “How’s your dad doing? Recovered from his fall?”
“Yeah, just about. And I’ve managed to convince them to have someone come in twice a week to help Mum clean. At least until Dad’s back on his feet properly.” No one had mentioned that might be months. Or possibly never.
Sam knew Matt’s parents pretty well, and Matt wasn't surprised by Sam’s “Wow. How did you manage that?”
“I said that if nothing else, she’d have a bit of female company twice a week, and it apparently did the trick.”
“You’ve got someone lined up already? That was quick. I assumed you’d have some huge vetting process.”
Matt glanced down at his pint as he spoke. “Ryan recommended them.”
“Ahh. I see.” Sam smirked over his glass at him. “Well, if Ryan says they’re okay….”
Matt ignored him. “Her name’s Trish Connolly, and she also cleans for Ryan’s mum. Been doing so for well over a year, so I figured I’d rather go with someone who’d been recommended. I also got them to agree to—”
“Hey.” A hand on his shoulder stopped Matt midsentence, and Sam’s Cheshire-cat smile confirmed it was who he thought it was. “Thought I recognised that hair.” Ryan ruffled Matt’s hair a little, and Matt grinned as he realised Ryan was drunk or at least well on his way.
Shifting on his stool to face him, Matt looked up at a smiling and slightly flushed Ryan. He glanced at the time on his phone—six-thirty—then back at Ryan. “How long have you been out?”
He peered over Ryan’s shoulder to try and see who he’d come in with. Two tables had been pushed together in the corner, and about ten people sat crammed around them, all looking slightly worse for wear.
Ryan hooked a thumb over in their direction. “Leaving do. We started about half past three.”
Sam laughed. “No wonder you look a bit pissed.”
“Yeah.” Ryan’s smile widened, and he managed to look sheepish. And hot. His short dark hair looked less styled than normal, and his stubble was a little darker than Matt remembered from Wednesday. When Ryan licked his lips, Matt’s gaze automatically dropped to his mouth. “I should probably eat something to soak up all the beer.”
Ryan’s sentence took a moment or two to register, and only a sharp kick under the table from Sam made Matt realise Ryan was waiting for him to respond. “That sounds like a good idea. And the food here’s great.” God, I sound like my bloody mother, for fuck’s sake. “I don’t want to have to stop every five minutes on our run tomorrow because you need to throw up.”
Ryan groaned. “Shit. I’d forgotten all about that.” He glanced at Matt, dark eyes large and pleading, and reminding Matt of Puss in Boots from Shrek. “Maybe we could—”
“Nope.” Matt laughed as Ryan’s pitiful expression turned into a grimace.
“But I’ll be—”
Shaking his head, Matt said, “If you start putting it off, then you’ll never get back into running.” Besides, he was looking forward to seeing Ryan bend over in those shorts again.
“It’ll be one time.” Ryan held up a finger to illustrate his point. “One.”
“That’s how it starts.”
Ryan groaned and looked to Sam for sympathy or support, Matt couldn’t decide. “Is he always like this?”
Sam met Matt’s gaze, eyebrows raised, before turning to Ryan with a smirk. “Actually, no.” Matt glared daggers at the side of his head, but Sam carried on. “I’ve never seen him this invested in someone—”
Matt kicked him this time. “—else’s fitness before.”
Thankfully alcohol seemed to have dulled Ryan’s skills of perception, and he didn’t bat an eye at Sam’s stumbled reply. Instead, he sighed dramatically. “Lucky me.”
Sam was now full-on grinning. “Indeed.”
One of the guys from Ryan’s group of workmates chose that moment to come over and join them. He was all smiles on the surface, but it never reached his eyes, and Matt didn't miss the way his gaze darted between him and Ryan. When he stopped, it was as close to Ryan as he could get without slipping an arm around him. Their hips brushed, and although it was subtle, Ryan’s flinch was noticeable—to Matt, anyway. The guy seemed oblivious.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Ry?”
Another sigh, but the playfulness was gone from his expression as Ryan gestured to the guy next to him. “Guys, this is Dominic. We work together.” He then waved a hand at the table. “Dom, this is Matt and Sam.”
Dom nudged Ryan in the side. “Don’t call me Dom,” he said, flashing a smile at Sam, and sort of acknowledging Matt, although Matt got the impression it was forced.
“Well don’t call me Ry.”
Dominic pouted, and it made him look like a disgruntled teen and also a little drunker than Ryan. “Your friends call you Ry all the time.”
Ooh, Matt could see it coming from a mile away, but Dominic seemed oblivious to the opening he’d handed Ryan. Clearly there was some history between them that Matt wasn’t privy to.
Not wanting to watch whatever this was unfold at his and Sam’s table, Matt picked up the bar menu and held it out to Ryan. “I thought you were going to order some food?” He pointed behind them to the relatively quiet bar. “I’d go do it now before it gets busy.”
Dominic plucked the menu from Matt’s hand and slung his arm around Ryan’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s go see who wants what.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ryan looked less than pleased with having Dominic draped over him like that, and he managed to duck out from under it as he turned to head over to the rest of his workmates. As the two of them walked off, he glanced back over his shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”
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