Toby coasted his bicycle down the slight ramp and rolled to a stop next to his garage. He hit the remote and waited, wiping his face off on his shoulder because he was dripping wet. He walked the bike next to his Corvette, and used a rag to dry it off. Once he leaned the bike against the wall, he placed his helmet on a shelf and ran his hand through his wet hair. As he spun around with the intention of leaving the garage, he noticed someone standing at the open door. Gavin was there, holding a towel. Toby melted at the sight. "You didn't have to do that." "It was partially my fault. I delayed your ride." Gavin handed him the towel. Toby took it, wiping his face and hair. "Thanks." "Mind if I look at your car?" "No. Be my guest." Toby turned on the garage light since thick cloud-cover came with the rain, making it feel like night. The sound of the downspouts running with water echoed in the cement parking area. He kept dabbing the towel on his neck and arms, his riding gear was soaked. As he continued to dry off, he admired Gavin in his denim blue and tight worn t-shirt. "I'm not bi." Gavin turned to face him after checking out the Corvette's interior. "Trina and I are just friends." "She doesn't know that." "I never led her on." "You didn't tell her you were gay either." "She never asked, and it didn't come up in conversation." Gavin stared at the car, but Toby didn't know if he was looking at it or looking through it as he thought things out. "I put a new engine in it." Toby approached Gavin, connecting to his gaze. The blue color contrasting Gavin's dark brown hair was Toby's favorite combination in a man. The slight pout of Gavin's lips made Toby want to kiss him. He broke his stare on Gavin and brushed past him to the hood, opening it, and propping it up. "Three-fifty, V-eight, four hundred and fifty HPs. It's Tunnel Ram engine." "Son of a bitch. You can eat off her." When Gavin leaned over to have a look, Toby admired Gavin's ass in the tight pants. He draped the towel around the back of his neck and stood closer to Gavin, feeling Gavin's heat as he became cold from being wet. The rain pouring down against the patch of ivy, which grew above a retaining wall between the large support pillars, was so hard it sounded like hail. Gavin took one step back and bumped into Toby. A large blast of thunder followed a flash of white light. "You got back just in time." "I'm sorry Trina got the wrong idea, Gavin." Toby stared at Gavin's lips. He wanted to kiss them. "She did. I feel like I'm in a very bad spot at the moment." "Why?" Toby felt his body begin to respond to the attraction he was feeling for Gavin. Another clap of thunder shook the foundations. "You must be getting cold. It's freezing in here now." Gavin connected to Toby's gaze. "I never kissed her, Gavin. Just on the cheek." "I know." Toby thought about it. "How close are you two?" "Very. We either talk or go out almost every night." "Then you know I've been a gentleman." "I do. But she still thinks there's potential." "I'll set the record straight." "Good. I mean...I told her I met you and we're neighbors, but that's all." Gavin looked down at Toby's chest. "Aren't you cold?" "Yes. I am cooling off now." "Why don't you get out of those wet things?" Toby smiled at his sexual thoughts. "That sounds like a proposition." He touched Gavin to back him away from the car so he could shut the hood. "I didn't mean it as one." "Why not?" Toby looked over his shoulder as it seemed Gavin's attention was drawn there. Another resident was driving under into the parking area, their windshield wipers still on from the torrent. "Come inside with me." Toby gestured for them to leave the garage. Gavin headed out and Toby closed the garage door behind them, removing his keys from his shirt pouch pocket. "Do you have a minute to come up to my place?" Gavin opened the lobby door and stepped inside. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Under the circumstances?" Toby was confused. "What are the circumstances?" They stopped by the elevator door. "You're dating Trina." "Dating?" Toby narrowed his eyes at Gavin. "We met for a couple nights to get a drink and once at Greenlake. Gavin, I'm not dating Trina." "Are you sure she doesn't think that?" "How am I supposed to control what Trina thinks?" Toby began to turn off. He couldn't understand why two men would worry about what a woman friend thought. "Why don't you just admit you're not interested?" Gavin rubbed his face as if he were tired or conflicted. Toby handed him the towel. "Here. Thanks." "Toby...hang on. You have a habit of storming off before we can finish talking." Gavin took the towel. "Storming off?" Toby began to get insulted. "Look, I don't need this kind of complication right now. You sound like you have too much stacked against this friendship already." He pushed the elevator call button and looked down at his key ring. "I want to be friends with you." "Fine. We're friends." Toby shot him a fake smile. The elevator opened. "Bye friend." He stepped inside and hit number three on the panel. As the elevator closed Toby met Gavin's eyes. He wanted to put out his arm and stop the doors. He wanted Gavin to do it. To make the doors open, enter the elevator, take him into his arms and kiss him passionately. But it didn't happen. The elevator took him to the third floor. Toby was upset as he walked down the hall. He opened his door and began stripping off the wet spandex as he walked to the bathroom and a hot shower. He turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up. While it did, he left the bathroom and hunted down his mobile phone. He found a text from Trina asking him if he knew Gavin. Toby grew angry. He liked Trina but he didn't think he had given her the idea he was interested in her in any other way than platonically. The impulse to say something snide was strong. But he knew it wasn't Trina's fault he didn't like her as something more than a friend. Toby put the phone on the bathroom vanity and climbed into the shower. As he washed off, he thought about what to say to her to not hurt her feelings, and give him and Gavin a chance to get to know each other...intimately. He moaned, and it echoed off the wet stall. "Gavin...this is insane. How can you not even give us one date to see if we like each other?" The problem was, Toby knew he liked Gavin. A lot.
