Page 21 of From A to Us

“How come?”

“Because I have shit to do, pretty much all the time. And as a gorilla, I’d have opposable thumbs with which to do some of that shit.”

“I’d be a hamster,” Eli said, and Nolan wasn’t sure why the answer didn’t surprise him. “I think it’d be cool to see life from a different perspective every once in a while. Toddle around and make friends with the squirrels and chipmunks. Bet they’d be fun to hang out with.”

“You could get eaten by a bird. Or an outdoor cat, more likely.”

Eli scowled. “What? No. I’m a magical hamster. Everyone loves me.”

“Do I get magic?”

“Uh, no. You’re a four-hundred-pound gorilla. What do you need magic for?” Eli flipped onto his side, facing Nolan, then flopped onto his stomach, testing the couch from every position. “Do you think anyone’s ever had sex on this thing?”

“Oh my god, Eli,” Nolan said, laughing.

“Like a couple of coworkers after hours, one of them getting a deep dicking on this extra-deep couch?”

“I’d really rather not think about that.”

Eli grinned and propped his chin on his crossed arms as though settling in to relax for a long while.

Nolan still couldn’t get over how big he was. He’d always been leanly muscled, built like a runner, but he’d bloomed into someone who very much looked like a jock, but also like a grad student. Varsity Blues in the flesh, except make it hockey and make it university-set.

And make it gay—Eli had been out since before Nolan had known him.

“Okay.” Eli pushed onto his knees. “I’m getting this off-white color. Mostly ’cause I like how it looks with these accent pillows.” He grabbed one and checked the price tag. “Eighty dollars?” He checked the price on the second pillow. “Each? Fucking hell.”

“I’ll get them for you.” Nolan rose and grabbed both pillows off the couch. “Consider them a birthday gift.”

“Yeah? Cool. Thanks, Nolan.”

Nolan cocked his head and waited for the inevitable You don’t have to take care of me, or I couldn’t possibly let you spend so much money, or I can pay my own way.

But Eli just smiled at him and hopped off the couch.

“You’re not going to fight me on it?” Nolan asked.

“Why would I? I really want those pillows, I just wasn’t willing to spend a hundred and sixty bucks on them. I’ll happily let you spend the money though.” Eli’s grin was delightfully endearing.

God, he was a breath of fresh air. Nolan was used to I-can-pay-for-myself financial independence from literally everyone in his life, from his family and friends to the men and women he’d dated—and even himself. He didn’t want to take care of Eli—given how far he’d gotten in his career, Eli was clearly capable of taking care of himself—but neither did he want to argue over a hundred and sixty dollars.

“This reminds me of that time you took Michelle and me out for milkshakes.”

“When was that?” Nolan asked, following Eli to the customer service counter.

Eli waved a hand. “Back in Saskatoon. It was after a game.”

Nolan didn’t remember that, but he’d never really noticed Eli back then. Not in the way he was certainly noticing him now.

“Ooh. Can we add this to my birthday gift too?” Eli picked up a mug off a display. It was shaped like a hamster.

“Sure,” Nolan said.

Eli skipped the rest of the way to the counter.

chapter

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