by M. E. Parker
All the guys burst out laughing except for Andy, who stood there with his hands on his hips shaking his head. “Well done, Cam,” Ben said.
I crossed my arms and stomped my foot. “Fine Andy, if you don’t want to, introduce me to some of the people in that pastry class you take, I’ll find someone else to do it.” I looked down and examined the fingernails on my right hand, pretending to be hurt.
Chance put his hand on Andy’s shoulder, “Andy, maybe you should think about it, if you can really pay him back in a couple of years and he wants to do this—”
Andy interrupted Chance, “But he doesn’t want to do this. He did it for me and it’s too much. Where did you get the money for this anyway? You told me yourself that you didn’t have access to your trust fund for a couple of more years.”
This might have been a good time to make a confession about a certain billionaire I’d been extorting money from for the last two years. But I wasn’t ready to go there. “I had savings and with some creative financing, it’s taken care of. I’m telling you Andy, this place makes enough money and I know you can make more than Sam. I’ll make my investment back in two years, three tops.”
Andy groaned. “Jesus Cam. If I do this, and that’s a big if, I’m giving you more than ten percent. We’ll be equal partners and we’ll pay off whatever you owe as quickly as possible. I love you, but you’re fucking crazy. I can’t believe you did this.”
I squealed and wrapped my arms around Andy’s neck. “Oh my god, this is gonna be so great. Just wait! We’re going to make this place so cute.” Gayby took that second to bark. Probably because he thought I was trying to kill his daddy. I grabbed Andy’s hand and pulled him back into the bakery. “I’m so excited. I already have a million ideas.”
“I haven’t said yes,” Andy said stumbling behind me.
“Yes, you have.” I replied grinning back at him.
Twenty minutes later, the five of us stood in the bakery kitchen sipping champagne in celebration of me getting my way. I had to admit I was proud of myself. I’d managed in less than an hour to keep Andy and Chance in Gilcrest indefinitely. Andy, because he’d agreed to take the bakery and Chance, because I knew that he’d never go anywhere without Andy. I was feeling a bit smug when I ran my hands across the stainless-steel ovens behind me. “Do we have to keep these? They’re so ugly and dirty.”
Andy choked on his champagne. In between coughs, he said, “Oh my god, Cam. Those are the ovens. You can’t have a bakery without ovens.” I tried to hold in my laughter. I loved that even after all the years he’d been my best friend, he still couldn’t tell when I was teasing him.
I was about to fuck with him some more when I heard bells ring. Someone had come in the door, which made no sense, because no one knew where we were. “Cameron?” As soon as I heard him call my name, I panicked and fell to the floor behind the stainless baking table. As I fanned myself, I whispered, looking up at Chance. “I’m not here. I was never here. You haven’t seen me,” I babbled.
Chance furrowed his brow and left the kitchen. I heard Chance’s voice, “Can I help you with something?”
The disgustingly charming voice answered, “Yes, I’m looking for Cameron Ansley, can I trouble you to go to the back and ask him to come out?”
“Umm…I’d like to. But he’s, uh, he’s, not here.” Chance’s voice trailed off. Jesus he’s a terrible liar.
“Cameron, I know you’re back there. I’ve tracked your phone.” He called out.
Goddamnit. Who the fuck does he think he is? Stalker. The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became. I looked up at Andy, Jordy, and Ben who were all staring down at me in confusion. “Cameron. You’ve got exactly thirty seconds until I come back there.” Prick.
Chance spoke up, “Listen, I’m not sure who you are, but maybe it’s best if you go. I don’t think he’s interested in seeing you.” I looked up to see Andy. He looked nervous. I immediately felt bad. I jumped out and stormed out of the kitchen.
“What do you mean you’ve tracked my phone?” Jesus, he looked perfect standing there in his navy Armani suit. Beard trimmed to perfection. Not a chestnut hair out of place. Laughter dancing in his matching chestnut eyes. He fiddled with his platinum cufflink and looked up at me flashing his stupid charming smile, which revealed his stupid dimples. Motherfucker.
I could feel all the blood rushing to my face. “Jesus, do you have a private detective following me? What the hell? Who did you pay to track my phone?”
His laughter carried through the bakery. “Don’t be so dramatic. You do remember I pay for your phone, right? I didn’t have to pay anyone to track you. I used the ‘Find My iPhone’ app.”
Asshole. “Well, that’s a complete invasion of my privacy.”
He shrugged. “Well, you haven’t answered my calls for weeks.”
“I told you, I was busy. I’ve been very busy.”
He grinned, “I can see that. Graduating from college. Buying bakeries. Aren’t these things you generally discuss with your fiancé?” Holy shit.
I heard an audible gasp come from behind me. I wasn’t sure if it came from Andy or Jordy. Andy passed by me and held out his hand to the dickhead, “Hi, I’m Andy, Cam’s—”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Andy. Rein Davenport, Cameron’s fiancé.” I watched him grin and shake Andy’s hand. He turned to Chance. “You must be Chance Wyrick.”
Oh jesus, this is getting completely out of hand. I stormed over and grabbed Rein by the arm, “Can I have a word with you outside please?”
“Well I was just meeting your friends—”
“Now.” I said, not in the mood for his shit.
Once we were safely out of the bakery and standing on the sidewalk, I looked up at him. Damn, he’s so tall. He was smiling down at me as he rubbed his left arm in the spot where I’d grabbed him to pull him out of the bakery. I didn’t even want to think about the shit show waiting inside for me. “Why are you here?” I snapped.
“To attend my fiancé’s graduation, why else would I be here?”
I gritted my teeth. “Your fake fiancé.”
He shrugged. “Semantics.”
I shook my head. “No. Not really.”
He sighed. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for weeks. We have things to discuss.”
“Fine. Call me when you get back to Chicago or wherever you’re going. I’m in the middle of something.”
He furrowed his brow. For a second, he almost looked hurt. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought I hurt his feelings, but I knew better. Rein Davenport didn’t have feelings. “Come on Cameron, I’ve come all this way. You looked great crossing the stage by the way,” he said before he winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you. I wanted to see you graduate.”
“Why? Why do you care?”
He sighed and looked up. “Look this is a crucial time in the merger. I need you. How would it look if I weren’t here?”
I rolled my eyes again. “Rein, you don’t need me anymore. Those guys don’t care. The only thing they care about is money at this point.”
“That’s not true. Any hint of a scandal could blow the whole thing up.”
I reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone and held it up to take a selfie of us. I kissed him on the cheek. I tried to ignore how good his skin felt under my lips as I snapped the picture. I turned towards the camera and plastered a fake smile on my face and snapped another photo. “There. Post them on your facebook or myspace or whatever you old people use these days. Proof of the happy couple. That’s what you needed right?”
He smiled at me. “I’ve missed you.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“Please give me an hour. One hour to talk. That’s all I’m asking.” He looked at me with his stupid, dumb, puppy dog eyes.
“Fine. Where?”
“I’m staying at the Gilcrest Inn.
” I couldn’t help but laugh. The place was a dump. But it was the only hotel in town. It gave me pleasure to think about him staying there.
“Fine. I’ll see you there in twenty minutes.”
A giant smile creeped across his face. Smug much? He nodded toward the bakery. “Perhaps I should go inside and properly introduce myself?”
That was the absolute last thing I wanted. “No! You stay away from my friends, got it?”
He offered a small smile as held up his hands in a defensive posture. “Fine. I’ll see you in twenty.” I watched him walk away before I summoned the courage to go back inside.
Inside the bakery, I was surprised to find my four best friends sitting quietly around a table, until I looked closer. Shit-eating-grins. On every single one of their faces. “Okay, get it all out. Say whatever it is you have to say. Let’s get it all over with,” I said crossing my arms in frustration.
Chance looked up at me and smiled, “What? He seems like a nice guy,” he held up his phone and waved it, “for a billionaire luxury hotel tycoon.” Oh, sweet jesus, they googled him.
Jordy gasped, “Oh my god, did he really break up Princess Charlemagne’s marriage?”
Before I could respond, Ben asked, “Are you aware that he was voted number four on the list of the World’s Most Eligible Bachelors in the January 2016 issue of People?” His perfect British accent grated on my nerves. They were all grating on my nerves.
“Not so fast, Ben,” Andy said, “It seems he’s officially off the market and has found the love of his life, Cameron Ansley, sole heir to late media mogul, Samson Waterford. It’s such a sweet picture, don’t you think?” Andy asked, holding his phone up. I rolled my eyes. It was a picture taken of us at a charity benefit in Chicago. Andy looked up at me and smiled, “I’m happy for you, Cam.”
I scrunched up my forehead. “Wait. What? No. Eww. He’s old. No.”
I let out a deep breath as they all broke out in laughter. “He’s thirty-three. That’s not old,” Chance said.
“And he’s fucking hot,” Andy said.
Chance narrowed his eyes at Andy. “He’s not that hot.”
Jordan laughed. “Sorry, Chance. Andy’s right, he’s fucking hot.”
“Smoking.” Ben added.
I stomped my foot. “Ugh. I don’t know what you gays are thinking right now. But none of that is real. This isn’t real. It’s all fake. It’s a business arrangement. So, shut it.”
“I don’t know, the way he looked you seemed real to me,” Andy said smiling.
I shook my head. “He looks at everyone like that. It’s not what you think. It’s not what any of you are thinking.”
Andy raised an eyebrow at me. I could tell he didn’t believe a word of what I’d said, “Fine. Pull up a chair. Tell us what it is then.”
I frowned at him. “It’s long story, okay. I have to go meet him. But I promise, after my meeting, I’ll tell you guys everything.”
Ben asked, “When you say meeting, do you mean meeting in the biblical sense of the word?”
“No! Jesus. It’s business. It’s all business. I’ll see you guys back at home and tell you the whole story.”
“When will you be home? Can we expect you before tomorrow morning?” Andy asked.
I rolled my eyes. “An hour, tops,” I said, turning on my heels to get the hell out of there.
As I walked out the door. Andy yelled, “We’ll be waiting.”
I let out a breath as walked slowly down the sidewalk. I tried to figure out what I was more nervous about, spending the next hour alone with Rein Davenport, or facing my friends to tell them the truth about Rein Davenport. Neither option appealed to me at all. But it seemed I had no choice. As I walked towards the Gilcrest Inn, I thought about the day it all started …
A Note from the Author
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—M.E.
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ALSO BY M.E. PARKER
M/M
Chasing Chance
Gilcrest University Guys
Book One
There are moments in your life that become part of you. They become so ingrained in your memory that you can’t let them go, no matter how hard you try. Some may seem small and insignificant when they happen. Others are so big and important that you know, even while you’re in the moment, that your life will be forever changed. For me, almost all those moments—both the small and insignificant as well as the big and important—were moments I shared with Chance Wyrick.
If I were in a support group for hopelessly pathetic gays, I’d have to introduce myself by saying, “Hi, I’m Andy Michaelson and I can’t stop myself from thinking about Chance Wyrick.”
From the time we met, when we were only six years old, and for the next twelve years, he was my best friend. I fell in love with him along the way. I couldn’t say exactly when it happened, only that it happened.
Words of advice:
Never fall in love with your best friend, especially if he’s one of the most popular kids at school, the best high school quarterback in the state, or if he happens to be your next-door neighbor.
But most of all…
Never, I repeat never, fall in love with your best friend if he’s straight. Nothing good can come of it. Trust me.
Our friendship was over before we finished our last year of high school. My best friend became my ex-best friend. I hoped to forget about him when I went off to college. But Chance followed me there. So did all the memories.
I tried to forget him. I did. But he was more beautiful than ever. He was the starting quarterback for Gilcrest University. He was larger than life. He was impossible to ignore. We hadn’t spoken in years, but the memories still hit me out of nowhere, and they still hurt.
By the time I started my third year at Gilcrest, I was beginning to think I’d never be over him.
As it turns out, I was right …
Chasing Chance is the first book in the Gilcrest University Guys series. It’s a full-length, “friends to lovers” romance novel. It has “coming out” and “first-time gay” themes, is stocked full of STEAM, heartache, and laughter, and it has a guaranteed happy ending. The series will follow the love stories of four college friends. Chasing Chance is the first of two books that will tell Andy and Chance’s love story. Look for book two, Catching Chance, to come out next month!
Just Be You
When Scott Cohen got word that he’d been nominated for a Grammy, he wondered if the universe was playing some cruel trick on him.
Of all the songs he’d written, why did it have to be that song?
Over ten years had passed since he’d written the song, and even more since Scott had become obsessed with Marshall Donavan, his brother’s best friend. It didn’t matter that Scott hadn’t seen Marshall in years, nor did it matter that Marshall never belonged to him, or even that Marshall was straight. Scott never managed to stop thinking about him.
When Scott got a call from his manager asking him to submit a song for a movie and a call from his brother Abe informing him of Marshall’s engagement to Julia Sterling on the same day, Scott took it as a sign. It was time to say goodbye and forget Marshall Donavan forever.
Submitting Just Be You to the movie executives was supposed to be Scott’s way of letting go—of forgetting, of saying goodbye. But his plan backfired when the movie became a box office success overnight and his song was nominated for a Grammy. There was
no way he’d ever be able to forget. The song would follow him for the rest of his life and so would his unhealthy obsession with Marshall Donavan.
It only made matters worse when he found himself face to face with the man who had consumed his thoughts for years. No, it didn’t help at all when he saw the still very sexy and very straight Marshall Donavan for the first time in eight years. It didn’t matter what would happen between them. As soon as he saw Marshall again, he knew that giving up his obsession wasn’t an option.
Just Be You is a standalone, full-length (approximately 83,000 words), “brother’s best friend” romance novel. It has “gay for you” and “first-time gay” themes, is stocked full of steam, heartache, and laughter, and has a guaranteed happily-ever-after ending.
Would you like to learn about New Releases and Givaways?
Email M.E. [email protected] or visit www.maryestherparker.com
M/M/F
Roommates
One Little Game of Truth or Dare Changes Everything
One failed blow job…
One steamy encounter between a professor and student …
One bad break up …
Two seriously hot, womanizing rugby players…
More than a few shots of whiskey…
One dirty game of truth or dare…
Put them all together and you a get a recipe for a night that will change everything for Janie and her college roommates, Jake and Ethan.
Truth? The truth is, it gets hot. Very hot. Very fast.
Dare? I dare you to keep reading to find out just how hot.
WARNING: This book is for readers over the age of eighteen. It depicts m/m, m/f, and m/m/f sexual situations and contains graphic language.
Roommates is an erotic m/m/f contemporary romance that follows three college roommates—Ethan, Janie, and Jake—on their journey from friendship to love. This unconventional love story between the three graduate students deals with the struggles they will have to face living in a small southern college town as they try to figure out how to overcome all the barriers of their relationship.