Page 90 of Seal the Deal
“Ordering you water?” Andrew replies.
No, Nicholas thinks, paying attention to what he needs. He doesn’t say that because he’s not entirely sure what Andrew’s motivation is. Is he doing it because he cares whether Nicholas is dehydrated? Would he do it for anyone because that’s the kind of person he is? Or is it something he feels compelled to do because of their deal?
The possibilities are too varied, the implication of each one equally so. Needing a drink, he grabs his beer and gulps half down, surprised at how good it actually is.
“Easy,” Andrew whispers, skimming his nails over the back of Nicholas’s scalp.
He shivers at the touch, pressing his head back into Andrew’s hand.
“I’ve never touched a buzz cut before,” Andrew muses, repeating the action. “Feels nice.”
Nice hardly covers how it feels for Nicholas, the feeling of Andrew’s dexterous fingers rubbing the back of his head where the bottom half of his undercut is freshly shorn makes little sparks of pleasure shoot off in his brain.
Surprisingly, Andrew doesn’t stop when Tony gives them a knowing look, not even when his wine comes, which he uses his left hand to drink, or when he ends up in a discussion with Tony and Sergei about player stats for their next game against New York.
The buzz of alcohol and the rhythmic, repetitive motion of Andrew’s fingers lulls Nicholas into a state of calm, making the evening pass in a blur. By the time the team is clearing up the bill and readying to leave, the buzz from his single beer has worn off but the residual pleasure from being touched by Andrew all night has not.
It took a solid half hour before Nicholas realized that whatever Andrew was doing to his buzzed hair was soothing Andrew as much as it did Nicholas, the contact mutually beneficial for them both.
There’s an interesting hum of energy around Andrew as they say their goodbyes, his smile wide but his posture tight. It’s not until leaving the brewery and finally alone, that Andrew’s body sags, his earlier exhaustion reappearing. It’s fascinating to see the subtle yet unmistakable difference as the lines in his face deepen and the smile he wore all night, not fake exactly but often forced, disappears.
“Are you ready to go home?” Nicholas asks, resting his hand at the back of Andrew’s neck to guide him towards Nicholas’s Bentley where he parked it in the corner of the lot.
Andrew nods, his chattiness gone and replaced by something quieter. Before they reach the car, Nicholas tugs off the sweatshirt he put on after the game, passing it to Andrew, who doesn’t hesitate to pull it on over his head. When they get in the car, he tugs the hood up, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the window, dozing while Nicholas drives them back home.
The roads are empty this late, the street lights glittering in the rearview while the palm tree lined streets glow in the moonlight.
With no one else around, Nicholas is able to admit, at least to himself, that this fake boyfriend thing is starting to feel anything but fake.
14ANDREW
Andrew settlesinto a new routine surprisingly fast. Not because it’s easy but because Andrew stoutly refuses to exist in life without the structure of a routine.
By the third day of living in Nicki’s home, he’s managed to acquire Nicki’s entire training and game schedule out of him and added it to his phone to ensure he knows when he will be home. This allows Andrew to coordinate their free time, his time with Charlie and schedule in time he can be alone to read.
According to Nicki, he’s not going to any more team bonding events and won’t need Andrew at the drop of a hat again, but Andrew doesn’t believe him. Both because the unplanned happens all the time and because Nicki had been surprisingly relaxed by the end of the evening, and he strongly suspects if they’re invited again Nicki might want to go. Not that Nicki would admit it. For a man who can have just about anything he wants in life, he seems shockingly reticent to admit his own desires.
Luckily for Nicki, Andrew managed to get Tony’s phone number last night, so if there is another team event he will know and help facilitate Nicki’s presence accordingly. Determined ashe is to see it, Nicki deserves to have his team at his back and when Andrew is gone, well—he wants him to have more support.
Thinking about being gone leaves a bitter taste in Andrew’s mouth even after only a few days. Not just because of the view—but honestly, Andrew would give his first child to wake up to the sun rising over the Pacific every day. Not that he wants kids. That task is definitely better left to his brothers. Andrew will be the dutifultíowho gets to spoil them and then give them back.
Wandering Nicki’s house before work, a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, he pauses in the living room to overlook the yard with its beautiful views and staircase to the sea. This would be a nice home for a family. He can’t help but wonder if Nicki wants one. Probably not yet since he’s so busy with hockey and his ad campaigns but one day. Does he want a partner? A family? It’s not Andrew’s place to ask, but he can wonder all the same, sipping his coffee as the first rays of warm light rise on the horizon.
When his phone buzzes, he nearly spills his coffee down the front of his shirt.
Charlie
are you still alive?
Andrew
Nope.
Charlie
smartass
gotta make sure you haven’t been taken by a body snatcher or killed by that giant oaf you’re living with. You must be miserable.
