PRESTON HELD NATHAN’S hand the entire walk back to their hotel. He couldn’t find it in himself to let go. Not even when they entered the elevator. Not even when Nathan had to get off at his floor.
“Pres,” Nathan said with a knowing grin, his lips still kiss swollen. “You need to let go of my hand.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Well…” Nathan pushed up to his toes and planted a kiss on Preston’s lips.
Almost immediately, Preston moved to respond, letting go of Nathan’s hand so he could cup the back of his neck. Apparently, this was what the other boy had been waiting for. Nathan danced out of reach, leaving Preston cold and wanting.
“I need to get dressed,” Nathan said in a playful tone. “And you know how long that takes.”
Rolling his eyes, Preston shook his head. There was truth in those words. Yet all he wanted to do was grab Nathan and finish what he had started. He cursed the hotel for being full, forcing them to book separate rooms on different floors.
“This isn’t over,” he said instead.
Nathan winked. “I’m counting on it.”
“Pick you up at seven.”
“That’s not enough time!”
“You better hurry then.”
With panic on his face, Nathan sprinted the rest of the way to his room.
Preston waited until Nathan disappeared through his door. Once it was closed, he turned on his heel and walked back to the bank of elevators. Each step didn’t seem to land. It was as if he floated.
He couldn’t have planned things better than this.
Speaking of plans, he pressed the button for Up and fished out his phone. Might as well make reservations. The elevator doors opened and Preston stepped in as he looked at the screen. The e-mail icon appeared at the top left corner.
Distracted by thoughts of that night’s dinner, Preston opened his e-mail app absentmindedly. His stomach flipped when he read the subject line of the message at the top of the list.
He immediately tapped the screen with his thumb and the letter popped open. His eyes did a quick scan of the words, but the big, bold Congratulations might as well have been a neon sign.
As the elevator doors opened at his floor, Preston let out a huge whoop, startling the couple about to enter.
“I got in!” he told them. “I. Got. In!”
The man and woman smiled at him. One of them might have even congratulated him. But Preston’s mind was already focused on what he had to do. A mental list quickly materialized as he hurried to his room.
He had to pack, then book a ticket to Colorado.
No!
Book ticket first, then pack.
Then tell Nathan.
* * *
Nathan got out of the shower feeling invigorated, like he could face anything that would come his way. He shrugged on the hotel-provided robe and savored the rich cotton against his warm skin. Then he touched his mouth and smiled. He could still feel the softness of Preston’s lips. The hot kisses. The cool rain soaking their clothes. The scent of him.
The memory of that kiss was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in his mind. He would never forget it. Even when old age took away the rest, the kiss would remain. He was sure of it as he stepped into the Gothic-style room with its dark furnishings, low chandelier, massive four-poster bed, and gilt mirrors on velvet-covered walls. It could easily have been the gaudiest space he had ever been in, yet it seemed to suit his surroundings. The entire city mirrored the same design, even if the color schemes might vary. He felt like an extra in a historical horror movie.
Moving to the closet, he pulled aside the louvered doors in search of something to wear. They were going on their first date. It seemed funny to Nathan now how afraid he had been of losing Preston’s friendship. He should have trusted more in their years together.
He pulled out a blue sweater and a pair of light-gray dress slacks. The combination would go perfectly with the new belt he’d bought at the Rialto and the blue suede loafers with the tassels he’d brought along for the trip. At the back of his mind, he wished for his closet back in DoCo. There were so many more options there. So much more first-date-appropriate attire he could choose from. But, alas, he had no time to go out and buy something new. Preston was due to pick him up in half an hour, and he still had a lot of prep to do.
At first he’d hated that the hotel they were staying at didn’t have suites with two adjoining rooms like they were used to. With tourist season at its peak, they had to make do with separate rooms on different floors. In hindsight, the separation added an extra thrill to their situation. Hence Preston picking him up.
A quiver began in Nathan’s stomach as he got dressed. Not that he expected anything to happen that night. This was a whole different playing field for both of them. Friends moving on to something more. Maybe Preston would want to take things slow, and he was fine with that. But definitely more kissing.
A knock at the door pulled him away from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock. Preston was early.
Running his fingers through his damp hair in an effort to get the strands to behave, he rushed to the door and opened it.
“I’m not ready yet,” he said. The smile beginning on his face froze when he took in Preston’s appearance. “You’re not wearing that to our date, are you?”
The swimmer was in jeans and a T-shirt with a jacket over it. Too casual for what Nathan had in mind, but he quickly realized it didn’t matter. Let Preston wear whatever he wanted. They were having dinner. That meant blue skies and bunny rabbits in his world.
“Well, come in.” He stepped aside. “Give me a minute to put some product in my hair, and then we can—”
Preston charged inside the room and picked Nathan up and swung him around in one of those twirling hugs straight out of a romantic comedy.
“Pres!” Nathan gasped. “What’s going on? You’re freaking me out.”
Preston put him down. A smile still on his face, he said, “I got in.”
The words didn’t make sense in Nathan’s head. “Got in where?”
Preston pulled out his phone and showed Nathan the e-mail. The sender’s name alone was more than enough: Coach Bobby Bennett. Nathan’s eyes skimmed the letter after he’d seen the word Congratulations at the top. Preston had done it. Despite all his doubts, he had gotten into the Bennett Club. This was it, the most important step toward his dreams of becoming an Olympian.
Happiness filled Nathan. He knew Preston would get in. He’d always known it.
“Congratulations!” he screamed, jumping in place.
“This is it!” Preston slapped his hands on top of Nathan’s shoulders. “This is fucking it! And you always knew, too. You always believed.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Bennett would have been insane not to accept you into the club.” That was when Nathan noticed the duffel. His heart sank just as fast as the elation had come. “You’re leaving?”
He hadn’t meant it as a question, since it was so obvious, but it came out that way anyway. It was all happening so fast. He didn’t have time to process.
Preston slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah. I have to cut our trip short. You understand, right?”
“Of—of course,” Nathan stammered.
“When I got the e-mail, I dropped everything and started packing. My flight leaves in a couple of hours. I need to leave now if I want to make it to the airport in time.”
“You’re flying commercial? What about the jet?”
“I thought you’d want to take it back to Dodge Cove. I mean, you still have my mother’s party to plan, right?”
“Oh…” Nathan’s smile wobbled. An ache began in his chest. “You should go then. Don’t want the plane to leave without you.”
As if he hadn’t heard Nathan speak—because how could he when he was so hyped up—Preston said, “Fuck. I’m literally shaking. Coach wants me in Colorado ASAP. Training starts in a couple of days. I won’t even have time to shake off the jet lag.”
“Take an Ambien and sleep on the plane.” The advice sounded hollow to Nathan’s ears, but the words came out before he could stop himself. No matter what, he was still Preston’s friend. And friends took care of each other. But why did speaking hurt so bad?
“A car is actually waiting for me outside.” Preston gave him a quick hug. “I just stopped by to let you know.”
The contact stifled Nathan. He almost flinched from how warm Preston’s body felt against his. It conjured up memories of rain and kisses. The forever memory. The one that would now haunt him for the rest of his life.
“I’ll call you,” Preston said as he walked out of the room.
The closing of the door seemed so loud as Nathan whispered, “Don’t go.”