Chapter Two

Perry

"Are you Tyson Langley's long-lost brother?" a girl I don't recognize asks as she leans over the counter at Shenanigans, the bar where I work, which is close to the Franklin University campus. Her ample cleavage is on display. I can't lie and pretend I don't notice, but my gaze doesn't linger. Not because I don't like breasts, because I do. A lot. They're actually one of my favorite things, but at the same time, I try to respect women. Being raised by a single mom who dealt with a lot of asshole men drove that lesson home for me at a very young age. It's a wonder I'm attracted to men too, because I've seen a lot of dickheads, but I'm as equally down to bone men as I am women.

"Nice, huh?" she asks, before I can answer her other question, so maybe she wants me to look? I still don't because I'm not sure, and also, I'm still a little annoyed at her first query. "You are, right? Tyson's brother?"

If I got a dollar every time someone asked me that…well, let's just say I wouldn't be struggling to make ends meet. Southern California is crazy expensive, and a college beach town like San Luco? Think expensive and then double it, and you'll be close. "I am," I reply, trying not to let my frustration show.

I moved here last February, and people are still questioning me about Ty. My half brother has made quite the name for himself with the FU population, and we all know how people love a juicy story. Discovering that tech giant Montgomery Langley has an illegitimate son he sent money to provide for but didn't claim for the first twenty years of his life made quite a splash. Not that he claims me now—or I guess, he tries to, but I want nothing to do with him.

"He's hot," the girl says.

What the fuck. All this, and it has nothing to do with me? She just wants me to know she's attracted to him?

"I'm hotter," I reply because it's true and that's just how I roll. Ty and I are way too similar for brothers who didn't grow up together. If someone had said the same thing to him, he would have answered exactly how I did. "Also, he has a boyfriend."

"Ugh. He's still with that grumpy guy who graduated in June?"

I can't say she's wrong about Brax, but the need to defend my future brother-in-law pulls at me. Brax is a good guy who treats Ty well. They're crazy about each other. I might not have any relationship experience—because me and trust aren't real tight—but I know two people who are meant to be when I see them, and that's Ty and Brax. "If you're waiting for them to break up, it's never gonna happen. They might mix like oil and water, but somehow that shit works."

The look in her green eyes changes to smoldering. "What about you?"

The back of my neck prickles with annoyance. "Yeah, call me crazy, but not really feelin' being second choice to my brother. Did you want something to drink?" In some ways, it's the story of my life. I'm not mad at Ty about it. His dad's choices aren't Ty's fault. I've loved getting to know Ty. It's why I moved to San Luco, and we have a better relationship than I could have hoped for, but I'm also not fond of being anyone's second choice. Our dad chose to be in Ty's life and not mine, so there are complicated feelings there. But Ty also grew up with a bunch of expectations on him. The reason he didn't graduate on time is because he was originally going to college for computer science just like his dad. I've never had someone pushing their wants on me, but the one thing I do want, which actually is computer science, I won't take because I won't allow myself to be like Ty's dad.

"Bummer," she replies. "I'm good on the drink, though. Have a nice night." She tosses a wave over her shoulder.

Gwen, the head bartender, steps up from behind me. "That was shitty," she says, making my cheeks heat. I hate that someone else overheard it.

She pushes her pink hair behind her ears and gives me this concern-filled mom look that says she knows that bothered me. While she's only a few years older than most of the people who work here, she definitely has that caretaker vibe mixed with don't fuck with me.

"It's not a thing," I reply.

"Ty gets it too."

The thing is, I know she's right. People ask him shit about me too, but that's not the point. "Neither of us should get it." People need to learn to mind their own business. I'm not an idiot, though. I know the chances of that happening aren't high.

"The world doesn't really work that way."

No, it doesn't, and I also don't want to talk about this, don't want to act like it matters more than it does, so I try to find a joking way to ease out of the conversation. "You agree with me, though, right? I'm hotter."

"Totally." Gwen winks, and I laugh, before we both get to work, knowing that Shenanigans is going to be getting a whole lot busier soon.

Brax and Ty both put in a good word to help me get this job. Brax used to be a bartender here before getting a tech job after graduation. Ty works here now as a busboy part-time while he's in school. He doesn't have to because our dad—his dad—helps him with money, but I refuse to take any from him, so a job is on my must-have list.

Luckily, I'm not working a closing shift tonight, so I get off at nine before things get too crazy.

The bar starts picking up, filled with more FU students. It's Saturday night, and school starts on Monday. I don't go to college, but considering I'm unwilling to do what I actually love, there's no point. Still, I've been trying to save money just in case. It helps that Brax's brother moved out and I'm able to rent a room in the house he shares with Ty. They give me the family discount on rent.

"Hey, there's a party tonight at Jack Thompson's," I hear a guy tell a group of people as I'm getting off work.

"Who's Jack Thompson?" I ask because I'm always down for a good time. It's one of the things I love about living in a college town. "And can I go?"

"For sure. The more the merrier," he says, and gives me the address.

I freshen up in the employee bathroom, then type the address into my phone. It's within walking distance, so I decide to leave my car at the bar. Who knows what will happen once I'm at the party.

I smell the ocean behind the bar the second I step outside, sucking the air into my lungs. I love it here, can see why Ty wanted to stay here instead of going back home to Massachusetts. Not like we don't have the ocean there, but Southern California has perfect weather year-round.

A ton of college-aged people are out and about, walking to the shops and restaurants close by. The FU campus is across the street—with the huge Spanish-style white buildings with orange-tiled roofs.

There's a crowd going the same way as me, and while they're not the group I saw in the bar, I'm pretty sure they're heading to this Jack kid's house too. I'm the kind of guy who has no trouble showing up alone somewhere I don't know anyone, but still, I shoot off a text to Ty just in case he can drag Brax's antisocial ass out of the house.

Me: I'm heading to a party at Jack Thompson's.

Ty: Who is Jack Thompson?

Me: No idea. You and Daddy want to go?

I tease them by calling Brax daddy. In the beginning, his head nearly exploded, but now he just rolls his eyes.

Ty: Brax says fuck off.

I laugh.

Me: Tell Daddy I love him too. Don't wait up. I'm hoping to get laid.

Ty: Funny. That's what I'll be doing too.

"Lucky bastard." I exit out of the texts and continue to this Jack guy's house. I can hear the music from down the street and figure that all the houses close by belong to people who go to FU, so no one gives a shit how loud it is.

Like most of the places out here, it's a stucco house with a tiled roof, which is so different from what I'm used to back East. It's a two-story, in a neighborhood with trees other than palms, and from the looks of it, the backyard is fenced.

I stuff my phone into my pocket and head up the porch stairs with the crowd of people. As soon as I step inside, I smell booze and weed. I'm not really a drinker—it makes me lose my head—but I like to smoke sometimes. I haven't been to the dispensary in a while, but the good thing about pot being legal is that people tend to share it at parties the same way they do alcohol.

The house is packed. It's hard to maneuver through the sea of bodies. There's a rap song playing, and once I hit the living room, my gaze snags on a guy dancing on the coffee table. He's hot, there's no denying that, with a scruffy jaw, short, honey-brown curls, and a smile that looks like it wants to take over his face. He's just a little shorter than me, but broader, and he has one of those little dimples in his chin.

Please be queer, please be queer, please be queer.

My feet automatically take me in his direction. I mean, there's nothing wrong with saying hi, making a new friend and all that. As if fate is finally on my side, as soon as I get close, Hot Dancing Guy's foot slips off the corner of the table and he starts to go down. I catch him, which isn't super easy, and okay, it might not be a perfect catch, but at least he doesn't go down on his ass. He's hanging from my arms, a contagious laugh falling from his lips.

"Good thing I was here. I just saved your life." I grin, the flirty one I know is full of mischief.

"My hero," Hot Dancing Guy says, and I get a few small pings from my queer-o-meter. I think this guy might swing my way, but I'm not willing to bet money on it yet.

He pushes to his feet, and I instantly miss holding him. "How are you going to repay me?" I tease.

"Beer?" he asks, before trying to take a drink from his Solo cup. "Oops. Empty."

"It was empty before you fell, I think."

"I didn't fall because my knight in shining armor caught me." He laughs. I'm not sure what's funny, but I chuckle too because it's impossible not to when he laughs.

"You should call me that from now on."

"Since I don't know your name, it's hard to call you anything else. Come on, Knight. Let's get a drink."

He wraps his hand around my wrist and begins tugging me through the crowd. It's clear Hot Dancing Guy is feeling a pretty good buzz right now. He high-fives nearly every person who makes eye contact with him as we make our way to the kitchen.

"Beep, beep. Coming through. I have a beer-mergency." He cuts everyone in line on his way to the keg. "Sorry, bro. I'm drunk, and he saved my life, so…yeah, we gotta go first."

He plucks the tap out of the dude's hand. Luckily, he just laughs. "You're an idiot, Theo."

"Shh. Don't tell my new friend." He turns to look at me.

"Perry. But I thought you were calling me your knight in shining armor?"

"Yes, but I should know your name too." He looks back at the beer guy. "This is my new friend Perry! He caught me when I fell off the table. I'm getting him beer." The guy tries to grab the tap, but Hot Dancing Guy says, "Hey, wait your turn."

I can't help but laugh, considering we did, in fact, not wait our turn.

He fills the cup, grabs my wrist, and starts to pull me toward the living room again. I don't know why I'm letting myself be dragged around, but he makes me smile, and I like things that make me feel good.

He tries to get onto the table again, but I don't let him. "How about we stay down here?"

"But it's more fun up there."

I'd like to have some fun with him, but it's increasingly obvious that Hot Dancing Guy is drunker than I thought…which means no sex. But if he's interested, maybe we can take a rain check.

"Yes, but it's safer down here, and I like you too much to risk you getting hurt." I wink, maybe laying it on a little thick with the flirting, but he doesn't seem to care. The smile takes over his face again.

"Aw, you're the best, Perry."

"Your knight in shining armor, remember? And I know. I'm awesome at most things."

"Can you dance?"

"Is that really a question?"

"I bet I'm better," he says.

"Challenge accepted."

If I can't share orgasms with him tonight, at least we have this.