Joel Gets a Push from Athena, Again
It was slow at work and Joel had tucked himself into one of the chairs in the back of the shop. He could see the door if he stood up, but it had been pretty dead in the store all day, so he could get comfortable and listen to music. He listened to Calvin Harris on the record player. After Gabriel had dropped him off, Joel had wanted to listen to something that matched his mood.
Gabriel had insisted on driving him again, saying that being out of the house encouraged him to go to the office himself, and Joel didn’t mind obliging him. Thinking of the dark-haired man who’d swept into his life so unexpectedly, Joel reached down and rubbed his fingers over the worn leather of his new Rolex.
He barked out a laugh that echoed through the empty store.
He had a fucking Rolex.
There were few customers, and with his cell phone currently not working and in the bottom of his duffel bag at Gabriel's condo, he was running out of ways to entertain himself. He’d never had that problem before, but ever since he’d met Gabriel, Joel was experiencing an overwhelming urge to just be with him. Time spent away from Gabriel seemed to pass with infinite slowness. It was as if his work day would never end.
With an hour to go before the end of his shift, the bells above the door chimed and were followed by the click-clack of high heels as someone entered the shop.
“I’m back here!” Joel shouted toward the door. “Let me know if I can help you.” He stood up anyway, intending to make his way over to properly greet the customer.
“You better be able to help me,” a familiar voice echoed back to him.
“Theenie!” Joel wrapped his arms around his best friend’s waist as they rounded the corner and ran into each other. She laughed and hugged him back.
“I missed you, too, Baby J.” She swept through the store with Joel plastered to her front, and maneuvered them both to the chairs in the back of the store. She pushed Joel down onto one, then sank onto another.
“How was your trip? I’m so glad you’re home, Theenie.”
“My trip was amazing. The photo shoots were out of this world, and the photographer ended up being kinkier than me! Jesus, Baby J, you wouldn’t believe the ways he tied me up and stuffed me.” Athena laughed, crossing and uncrossing her legs while offering Joel a suggestive eyebrow waggle. “But none of that’s important. Please, tell me you fucked the handsome stranger.” She leaned toward him, elbows on her knees. Joel's face turned as red as his hair.
“His name is Gabriel,” he murmured softly. “And, no. We haven’t fucked...” he trailed off.
“You haven’t fucked, but?”
“We haven’t fucked, but we have, well, done other things.” Joel fought the smile trying to form on his lips as it was at war with his embarrassment over telling this to Athena. Sure, she was his best friend, but he hadn’t been with anyone the whole time he’d known her, so this was new territory for both of them.
Athena shrieked and started to bounce up and down in her seat.
“Tell. Me. Everything!” She enunciated every word.
“Well, you know, we talked a couple of days ago, and I figured that maybe he did think I was cute, so I made him dinner.”
“What did you make?” Athena cut him off.
“Chicken parmigiana,” Joel answered, rolling his eyes at her before continuing. “Anyway, so I made him dinner and he was being really flirty with me, and I don't even know what came over me, Theenie, I fucking threw myself at him.”
Athena was out of her chair and she flung herself on top of Joel.
“Oh my God! No you didn't? You didn't! You did? Baby J, holy shit!” Athena bounced her weight on top of Joel and he pulled his arms out from under her so she didn’t smoosh him completely.
“I did. I don’t even know how to explain it. I’m still trying to figure it out. So we made out for a while and then we messed around and he made me come a couple of times. And he came too, obviously, and we talked a lot and then fell asleep. And two days ago he took me to The Getty for lunch, and then yesterday, Jesus, Theenie, yesterday.” Joel dropped his face down, letting his hair obscure his eyes, but held out his wrist for her to see.
“Are you trying to tell me your handsome stranger bought you a fucking Rolex? You cad!” Athena screeched, wrenching Joel's arm to take a closer look at the vintage watch adorning his wrist.
“Athena, it’s not like…” For the first time in their relationship, Joel struggled to find the words to explain his heart to his best friend. “It’s not like I expected. I wasn’t expecting him, or this, at all. He makes me feel like I’m better than I am. Like I want to be better than I am, for him.”
Athena leaned her head down onto Joel's shoulder with a sigh.
“That’s love, Baby J.”
Joel scoffed, pushing her off him.
Love? It was an insane thought. He had known Gabriel for a handful of days. It didn’t matter that Gabriel seemed to stir feelings like this inside him. Anyone could, Joel was certain. He simply hadn’t given anyone the opportunity to get that close before. Nothing if not practical, Joel was not about to make something out of a few sex-filled days and a four-thousand-dollar watch.
“That’s insane, Athena. I’ve known him for, like, three or four days. And now you’re home, I’m gonna go back to his place tonight to get my stuff and come stay with you. I’m sure he’s being nice to me and nothing more.”
Athena raised an eyebrow at him as the bell above the door went off again. Joel's eyes shot up to the clock on the wall. Fuck. This was not a conversation he wanted to have tonight.
“Are you back there, Little Red?” Gabriel’s voice rang out, crisp and clear from the front of the store. His eyes shot up to Athena, who mouthed, Little Red? at him before splitting her mouth into a gleefully evil smile.
“He is,” she called out over Joel's head. He listened to the soft taps of Gabriel's shoes against the floor as he followed her voice.
Joel looked over his shoulder to see Gabriel's approach through the stacks of books. He looked as handsome as he had in the sunlight at The Getty, as handsome as he had with Joel's cock in his hand, as handsome as ever. Fuck.
As Gabriel turned the corner, Athena launched herself at him, wrapping him in one of her trademark hugs. Gabriel stumbled backward, surprised, before he encircled her with his arms and returned the gesture. Once Athena released him, Gabriel smoothed his shirt down and extended a hand toward Joel, which he accepted instinctively.
“You must be Athena.” Gabriel chuckled, giving Joel's hand a squeeze. She smiled, casting a glance at Joel.
“And you must be Gabriel, Baby J’s handsome stranger.” Athena pulled her lips between her teeth in an attempt to stop them from breaking into what Joel was certain would be the largest smile he had ever seen.
“Handsome, am I?” Gabriel laughed, straightening his shoulders and puffing out his chest. Joel felt his cheeks redden. He worried Athena wasn’t anywhere close to being done.
“Handsome enough to make me regret I don’t have a prostate myself, that’s for sure. But maybe you can peg Joel's and he can tell me all about it.”
“Athena! Jesus Christ, come on.” Joel was certain his face matched his hair by this point, and he tried to tug Gabriel to the front of the store, away from his best friend.
Gabriel laughed at Athena before leaning in toward her in a conspiratorial manner and mock whispering, “If he ever lets me get in there, I’ll be sure it’s so good it’ll be all he'll want to talk about for a week.”
She smirked at Gabriel and wrinkled her nose. “Just a week? I think you should aim for the stars, handsome stranger. Try for an entire month. Hell, a whole year!” They laughed together and Joel wanted to dig himself a hole and hide in it forever. Or at least until his best friend and his...whatever Gabriel was to him...stopped plotting his sex life while he was sitting right there listening to it.
“You must have told her about the necklace, Joel. She’s being far too kind to me,” Gabriel whispered down to Joel, but Athena perked up anyway.
“Necklace?”
“Stop it, both of you. It’ll be a Christmas present if you’re lucky.” Joel widened his eyes at Athena, imploring her not to push the subject. Thankfully, she seemed to get his meaning.
“Well,” Athena said as she hoisted her purse onto her shoulder, “we can talk about that later, and it’s been real, but I just got back from New York and I’m beat, so I’ll be heading home. See you two love fiends another time.” She patted Joel on the head and started toward the door.
“So, I’ll see you in a bit, right? I’ll have Gabriel drop me at my car and then I’ll come over,” Joel reminded her.
“Ohhhh.” The look that passed over Athena’s face in that moment was more clever and calculating than Joel had ever seen, and he was about to open his mouth when she said, “I took one of the cats from Donny, so you’re gonna have to stay with Gabriel until your apartment is done.”
“You what?”
“Yeah, they were uh, so cute, I had to.” Athena backed her way toward the door.
“You just landed, Theenie. When did you get a cat from Donny?” Joel advanced on her.
“Uhm, I’m gonna go get it right now.”
“Well, don't go get it from him until my apartment is ready for me to move back.”
“Did I say, go get it right now? I meant that he dropped it off right now. Donny dropped it off right now.” She held her phone up. “He texted.”
The bells over the door chimed as she pushed it open with her butt.
“Athena Marie,” Joel groaned.
“Sorry, Baby J, but I can’t have you having an asthma attack on my watch. I’m sure handsome stranger here won’t mind keeping an eye on you in the meantime, will you, handsome stranger?”
Athena already had one foot outside the door.
“I’ll take extra special care of him,” Gabriel chuckled, pulling Joel back against his chest and pressing his fingers into Joel's waist.
“I know you will.” She mock-saluted Gabriel and tilted her head apologetically at Joel.
“He is just too perfect to turn down, Joel,” she said before letting the door close. Joel wasn’t sure whether she was talking about the kitten or Gabriel.