Princes of the Universe

by Serene Franklin

  It was the day of the pre-launch for Eat Cake, and my anxiety was on high. I’d texted Bryan that morning to wish him good luck, and ease his nerves. The exchange had quickly morphed into him calming me down. He ended up calling me to ensure that I was okay and asked if I’d be coming by to check things out.

  I’d immediately said yes, because why wouldn’t I want to support my friend? He’d worked so hard to get that space ready and realize his vision, and there was no way I’d miss out on supporting him. The pre-launch was scheduled from noon till two in the afternoon, and I promised I’d be there before wishing him well and hanging up.

  Making promises over the phone was fine and dandy. Rounding the corner to the bakery reminded me that there would be a room full of strange people that I sincerely did not want to face. I’d been by last week, but the sign hadn’t been up yet. Seeing it while my stomach was already in knots over the social outing had a strange effect on me; I felt a weird mix of pride and embarrassment at seeing my painted logo emblazoned on the bakery’s sign for the world to see. I’d never put my personal art “out there” before and, although no one would know—or care—that the logo was mine, it still made me nauseous. Despite that, I was insanely proud of Bryan and happy to have been able to create something he loved. I was proud of that, even if I couldn’t shake my negative reaction.

  Someone bumped my shoulder, generating an automatic apology from me and making me realize that I couldn’t continue to stand on the fucking sidewalk like a light pole. I took a few deep breaths on my way up to the door, pulled it open, and stepped inside.

  The weight of the room immediately hit me, making me jittery and wanting to turn and walk out. There were more people present than I’d expected, which shouldn’t have surprised me too much. Bryan had to have a lot of friends, and of course they’d want to be there to support him, just as I was. Even so, I considered leaving and texting Bryan the biggest apology when my eyes found him. He was talking to a short brunette woman I recognized as being Paige Turner. He smiled at something she said, and in that moment I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. As much as I wanted to run, I wouldn’t. Supporting Bryan was more important than giving in to my social ineptitude.

  But even I had my limits. My eyes darted around, looking for the nearest corner I could melt into when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

  “You must be Eli,” I heard a man’s voice say, almost musically.

  I spun around and came face-to-face with a blond man I’d never seen before. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

  “Not even a little bit.” He extended his hand to me as a mischievous grin lifted his lips. “I’m Macalister Buchanan, but please feel free to call me Mac.”

  Mac. Bryan’s Mac. “Oh.”

  I took in his appearance again; he had short blond hair, brown eyes behind thick lashes, was about as tall and fit as Bryan, and had subtle creases around his mouth and eyes, leading me to believe the smile he was flashing me was there more often than not.

  “This will be rather embarrassing for me if Bryan hasn’t mentioned me as much as he talks about you.”

  “Oh. No. No, I’m sorry.” I extended my hand, which Mac shook, smile never faltering. “Yes, I’m Eli.”

  “You’ve done a really great job getting Bryan exposure. He’s—how should I put it—rather pleased with you. And your work.”

  “Thank you. He’s worked hard and deserves success.” My eyes wandered to the crowd behind us, settling on Bryan. His broad shoulders filled out the white button-up with rolled sleeves that he wore. His eyes locked with mine and he smiled at me for a moment before turning back to his guests. It was only a second or two, but that was all it took for my lips to twist into a grin and for my stomach to feel like I’d been upended. I attributed the strange feeling to my anxiety but couldn’t quite pull my eyes away from Bryan before Mac cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at me.

  Mac scanned me head to foot and back again, sighing in the back of his throat, as if he’d just reached a conclusion about something. “Interesting,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet the guy he’s been spending all his spare time with. You certainly are intriguing.”

  Oh no. Mac probably thought I was some kind of home-wrecker. I didn’t want to cause Bryan problems or give him the wrong idea. “No, no. Bryan and I are, uh, just friends. He’s mentioned you a lot, and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. At some point. I should have expected you’d be here tonight, but the thought really never crossed my mind and—”

  Mac snorted a small laugh and lifted his drink to his lips, never taking his eyes off me.

  “I’m sorry. I talk too much when I’m nervous.”

  “Do I make you nervous?”

  I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair to occupy my hands. “Yeah, you do. You’re Bryan’s partner, and I’m making an awful impression.”

  Mac choked on whatever was in his glass, coughing turning to laughter as he regained his easy composure. “I’m going to have to set you straight there, so to speak. Bryan and I are not dating, nor have we ever been romantically involved. He’s not exactly my type. Like, at all. Now, if he had a cute sister…”

  Mac kept talking, but I couldn’t hear it above the blood pounding in my ears. I felt the flush creeping up my neck and cheeks while my stomach did more aerobics. “You’re not… Oh my God. I shouldn’t have assumed. I’m so sorry.” My eyes fell to the floor as the realization of what I’d just learned sunk in; I was embarrassed that I’d made a fool of myself in front of Mac. More than that, I was actually kind of happy that he and Bryan weren’t together. No, happy wasn’t right. Relieved, maybe. Whatever it was, it washed over me and was almost strong enough to make me forget that I’d made a horrible misstep with Bryan’s best friend.

  “Bryan said you worry about things. I’d wager a guess you’re doing that right now. It’s seriously okay. I’m not offended, and if it’ll help, I won’t tell Bryan that you thought he and I were boyfriends. Trust me—you wouldn’t be the first person to make that leap.”

  I looked up to see Mac still grinning at me, though not in a condescending or snide way. If he was Bryan’s best friend, I should probably put more faith in him to be a decent person, though I couldn’t simply shake those feelings I’d become so accustomed to.

  “Thank you,” I replied quietly, unsure of what else to say. I didn’t want Bryan to know about my assumption, but it was a stupid thing to keep from him. Why did it matter? I had no doubts he’d find it amusing and not take offense, yet I still didn’t want him to know.

  “Don’t sweat it, man. Hanging out with you has been putting him in a ridiculously good mood, so maybe I should be thanking you. Care to tell me your secret?” Mac winked at me before finishing his drink.

  I make him happy? I bit back a smile and shrugged. “We mostly just watch movies and cook. He started joining me for runs as well.”

  Mac wrinkled his nose and widened his eyes at me. “Bryan running? Shit, I’d love to see that. That guy has the cardio of my dead grandfather.”

  I burst out laughing, far louder than I probably should have, garnering a few looks from men and women I didn’t recognize. I covered my mouth with my hand while my shoulders shook, Mac’s own laugh egging me on.

  “It’s not that bad,” Bryan’s voice said from beside me.

  I froze, and my laughter ceased as I turned to him and felt myself shrink. Bryan rested his hand on my shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze while he smiled at me again. It worked to reassure me that he wasn’t upset with me, and I found myself leaning into his touch. Based on past experiences, I’d never considered myself to be a very tactile person, but Bryan seemed to bring that out in me. He turned to Mac and they threw playful jabs back and forth before Mac held up his empty drink and excused himself.

  “I hope he didn’t say anything inappropriate. Mac is a sweetheart, but he’s also a perpetual teenager.” There was no malice or even a hint of annoyance in Bryan’s vo
ice—only the fondness I’d heard before when he talked about Mac; the very same fondness I’d misconstrued for romantic love.

  “He was fine—very well-behaved.” Bryan stared at me and snorted a laugh. “That’s weird to say.” I wrinkled my nose and tried again. “He was funny. Seemed nice too. I can see why you like him. He, uh, startled me. He came up behind me and addressed me by name.”

  “I told him all about you. Most of the people here are our friends, so it probably wasn’t difficult to pick you out.”

  “Yeah, I guess. He’d just have to look for the boring guy who looks like he’s about to throw up,” I deadpanned.

  “Stop. You’re not boring. Are you feeling unwell?” Bryan asked, his brows slightly raised in concern.

  “No, I’m not sick. I didn’t want to let my shortcomings prevent me from supporting you. That”—I flicked my eyes down to my feet then back up to Bryan’s—“seemed like a really shitty thing to do for a friend.”

  “Shit. I didn’t think about that. You didn’t have to come if you weren’t comfortable. I don’t want to force you into things you don’t want.” Bryan clenched his jaw and cast his eyes away from me for a moment. “Don’t force yourself to do things you don’t want to do for my sake. I’d still consider you a friend if you hadn’t come today.”

  I considered his words and appreciated his concern for me, but he was wrong. “If not for you and Eve, then whom? From what I understand, friends should support each other, even if it’s not always easy. For Eve that means standing up with her at her wedding next month, and for you it’s me being here today. You’re both important to me. I wouldn’t be showing that by hiding away at my desk or at home.”

  Someone called Bryan’s name, and we both turned to see a blonde woman waving at him. She was chatting with one of the bloggers I’d invited. Bryan nodded his head and turned back to me, tension faintly visible on his brow.

  “I have to go schmooze. You must have hyped me up somethin’ fierce for all these people to want to talk to me.”

  A half grin pulled at my lips, and I shook my head. “Not a chance. You’re an easy sell. And your baking speaks for itself; people just needed to come in and try it.”

  “You flatter me. Are you going back to work this afternoon?”

  “No, Andrea told me to take the afternoon and make sure this goes well and that you’re happy.” As if I needed to be told such a thing.

  “I’ll be sure to tell her how well you’ve done. Do you have plans after this since you’re off early?” Bryan asked.

  “No. I was going to go home and take Prince to the dog park. It’s not too far off the trail. It’s pretty busy after work, but it’s not too bad during the day.” We didn’t go as often as I’d like, but it was safer for her to go when there were fewer dogs around. Too many owners got spooked when they saw a pit bull, even one as sweet as Prince. I’d hate to have someone complain or do anything to risk losing her.

  Bryan’s expression softened, his lips forming the faintest of smiles. “Sounds fun. Do you want any company?”

  “Sure. You’re always welcome to join us, but you don’t have plans with your friends tonight?” I motioned to the clusters of people around us. “I’d think you’d want to celebrate.”

  “That’s what we’d be doing. I can only celebrate because of the work you’ve done for me. Seems fitting to do so with you and that super sweet pup of yours,” he said with a smile.

  I was beyond thrilled that he wanted to join us. In that moment I forgot about my nerves and could breathe normally, like it was just the two of us in my kitchen or on my couch. “Okay. That would be good.”

  “I’ve got another hour that I need to be here. You don’t have to stay the entire time, of course, but if you do, feel free to use the kitchen to get away if you need to. No one will go back there except me or maybe Mac if he gets nosy.” Bryan ran his fingers over his collar, making sure it was nice and crisp, and checked his sleeves, pleased with how they appeared. “I really do need to go, though.”

  “Go on. Don’t let me keep you any longer. I’ll wait here for you—probably in the kitchen,” I added quickly.

  Bryan laughed softly, dimples on full display, and told me to eat whatever I wanted in the kitchen before drifting off through the small crowds of people. My eyes tracked his every movement until I forced myself to look away. In doing so, I caught sight of Mac watching me from across the room with an amused grin on his face. I waved in response to him winking at me before making my way to the privacy of the kitchen and helping myself to the fare spread about on the stainless-steel counter.

  Ten

  Bryan

  I was jolted from the best dream about Eli from the loud, obnoxious sound of “Return of the Mack,” signaling that Mac was calling my cell. He insisted on having his own ringtone—and on picking it—and I’d foolishly agreed. That was back in university, so it was too late to complain.

  I kept my head buried in my pillow and blindly reached toward the ringing until I found the phone on my nightstand. The friction from my morning wood rubbing against my stomach while I stretched across the bed made me whimper. After the dream I’d had, it wouldn’t take long to come. I was already halfway there when I answered the phone and croaked out a husky hello.

  “Um, hello? Are you fucking right now?” Mac asked, sounding amused.

  “What? No.” I flipped onto my back to avoid any more of that agonizing friction. Mac knew me too well not to know exactly what I was doing, and there was no way I could stay horny talking to him. I loved the guy to pieces, and as objectively handsome as he was, he was a serious boner-killer for me.

  “Whatever. Are you home?”

  “Of course I am,” I replied with a groan. My erection was already flagging.

  “Is Eli with you?” he asked in that singsong voice that made me want to punch him in the nose most of the time.

  I froze. Why would he ask that? Mac knew Eli was straight. “No. Why would he be?”

  “Hmm. No reason. Anyway, were you planning on showing up to the game today, or should I stop trying to stall?”

  I held the phone away from my face and looked at the time. “Oh, fuck.” I shot up and pivoted out of bed in one fluid motion, heading straight for my dresser. “I overslept. I’ll be there in twenty. Start without me.” I hung up before Mac could reply and dressed in my baseball uniform as quickly as I could. I’d have killed for a shower, but that could wait until after the game. As soon as I finished brushing my teeth, I packed a bag with clean clothes, my phone, and a couple of protein bars, and was out the door.

  I plunked down on a bench next to Mac as Axel stepped up to bat. I was sweating and panting from running already, which was a shame, because it was only going to get hotter as the morning went on. I hung my head low and took deep breaths while I promised myself to go running with Eli more to improve my cardio. The loud crack of the bat hitting the ball reached my ears followed by the cheers of our teammates’ instructing Axel to haul ass.

  Mac nudged my ribs with his elbow and waited until I sat up to speak. “Had a late night, huh?”

  “It’s not what you think,” I said.

  Mac ran a gloved hand through his wavy blond hair, messing it up more than anything. “Yeah? What do I think?”

  “Don’t be coy. It doesn’t work for you.”

  “Don’t be obtuse. It makes me look stupid by association,” he quipped.

  “Obtuse,” I muttered.

  “It means—”

  “I know what it means, dick.” I sighed and leaned against his shoulder for support. “I’m tired. We watched two movies last night after going for a run and spending time at the dog park. I got home kinda late and forgot to set my alarm. That’s all.” I hated that I sounded like I was dismissing my time with Eli, but there really wasn’t more to it. Not mutually, anyway. I had such a fun time with him that I honestly did lose track of the time. When The Last Jedi ended, I hadn’t wanted to leave. Eli sat cross-legged next to me on the c
ouch, and Prince was in my lap—her new favorite place, it seemed—with her head resting on his thigh. His knee lay on top of mine and it was all so… comfortable. Leaving felt wrong, but I couldn’t linger around all night without cause. I faked a smile on my way out and told him to have a good night when all I wanted to do was kiss him and hold him until the sun rose.

  No wonder I dreamt about him.

  “What time did you get home? I was out all night.”

  “Um, around two.”

  Mac drew his brows together and sighed. “Eli didn’t offer to let you spend the night?”

  Um, what? “No. Why would he do that?”

  Mac shrugged and turned back to the game. “No reason,” he said noncommittally. “Did he sit next to you or at the other end of the couch?” he asked after Santiago struck out.

  “He sat next to me.”

  Mac made an amused sound in his throat but didn’t say anything else. For reasons unknown to me, it made me go on the defensive. “It doesn’t mean anything. His dog likes me, and she sits in my lap; he likes being close to her.”

  “Right. He likes being close to her,” he said dryly. I wasn’t sure how to read his tone. It was like he was annoyed with me, yet still somewhat amused. I brushed it off and grunted.

  “What did you say to him yesterday?”

  “Ah, now that’s a secret, and you know how much I love secrets.”

  I snorted a laugh and shook my head. Yeah, I did know. I also knew he wasn’t planning on telling me what they discussed, which was strange. Mac and I told each other everything. He was an expert secret-keeper, but it was usually my secrets he kept from others. Being on the other end of that felt… wrong. What could be so important that he wouldn’t want to tell me? Eli had dismissed me when I’d asked him about his chat with Mac as well. Not knowing would probably eat at me, though trying to force it out of Mac would be fruitless, and I’d never even think of threatening the truth out of Eli, whether it was a joke or not.