Twice the Hands to Hold

Chapter 3: Friday-2

Matt

Matt stopped in front of Lexie’s house and held the door open from the driver’s side as she skipped down the drive. Her exuberance was contagious and she was already rubbing off on him and lifting his mood, and she wasn’t even in the car yet. Brian had been hovering at the top of the stairs as he left his room, his former shirt lying crumpled on the bed. He stared down at the plain navy button down that stretched over his midsection. A sigh escaped his lips. He hadn’t been in the mood to make his brother feel any better for being a s**t to him, so he’d just left him there.

By the time they’d picked up Martin and made it to the ticket counter, they still had about thirty minutes to burn before the movie would start. Martin seemed quieter than normal, but asking him straight up about it would only clam his friend up more. Something he’d have to file away for the near future. His friend kept trailing them as they walked down the busy WeHo sidewalk, taking in the scenes with a constant backdrop of Lexie’s chattering.

Matt breathed deeply, taking in the sights and sounds that was distinctly Norma Triangle. Somehow, although they hadn’t been walking too far they’d ended up in Boys’ Town. He enjoyed the sight of the rainbow crosswalk that had been approved just in time by the WeHo City Council for the month of pride. He gleefully stepped on red then orange then yellow stripes. He turned to look at his friends and was again overcome with affection for them as his Lexie seemed completely at ease with the gays spilling around them, and Martin looking lost in whatever it was that had him scowling so fiercely that he didn’t even notice all the guys cruising the only straight guy in a five-mile radius.

Soaking up some Boys’ Town was always a highlight for Matt. As he surveyed the culture and vibrancy of the WeHo nightlife assaulting their senses, he was again thankful for his upbringing in liberal America.

They’d just turned to make their way back through the throng of Friday night revelers to reach the cinema in time when his awareness was again penetrated by a very strong, very blond presence. Standing on the corner of La Cienega and North Roberson Boulevards was the blond swimmer that had invaded most of Matt’s waking moments and all of his dreams in the last two days.

He hardly dared to contemplate what James was doing in Boys’ Town, in WeHo, alone…on a Friday night.

Lexie noticed James at the exact same moment, shooting a quick glance at Matt before straightening her posture. The girl was ever the optimist.

“Why hello, Mr. Olympian,” Matt said and hoped he didn’t sound as lame as he did to himself. James’ surprise at seeing them was obvious, and Lexie had been flicking her dreads from two miles away at the guy. Her obvious advances stirred something inside of Matt that he didn’t like to identify. He needed to get his friend saddled with an overprotective straight guy as soon as possible, so that her misguided crushes would stop complicating his life. Preferably settled with Marty, if the deepening scowl shadowing his friend’s face was anything to go by at her obvious interest in James.

However, it didn’t seem like James was even giving her an inch. He kept shooting his glance round and not quite meeting either of their stares.

“Are you here by yourself?”

“It seems so.” James hesitated before meeting Matt’s stare. “Supposed to meet up with some friends, but they bailed. We’re supposed to see the art flick everyone’s going on about starring Meryl Streep.”

Lexie was vibrating with excitement that burned through her like electric currents. Before Matt could even scrounge up the courage to invite James to join them, his friend had taken care of it for him.

“Just so happens we’re seeing the same movie,” Lexie said softly. “You’re welcome to join us.”

James didn’t seem so sure. He stared anywhere than at them, and his awkward discomfort made him even more attractive to Matt. “Don’t want to impose or anything,” James said.

Marty grumbled something unintelligible, but Matt was on it before his friend’s remark could land. “It won’t be any fun seeing it on your own. You may as well join us.”

James smiled, but even his and James’ combined grins couldn’t match Lexie’s smile as they made their way back to the cinema. He was more than slightly annoyed at his friend’s insistence that James be seated next to her. Luckily James ended up flanked in the middle of them, seeming quite at ease while he listened to Julia Roberts’ character tell Meryl Streep to “eat the f*****g fish, b***h!”