Groom Wars

8. Totally Not A Date (2)

Leandro and Adriel entered the abandoned pool room. The surface of the water captured reflections of the overhead fluorescent lights. A lifeguard chair sat empty-Leandro had reserved the room for two hours of private use. Except for the two young men and the ripples spreading across the water, everything was still. Leandro and Adriel stretched at the back of the room. As he glanced to his left, Leandro noticed faint crescent-shaped scars under Adriel's nipples. He questioned their origin; perhaps they were the result of mastectomy for breast cancer. It didn't seem like an accidental injury as the scars were almost symmetrical. It was either surgery to remove cancer or surgery to reduce enlarged breasts, which some men suffered from. Perhaps that was the cause of the rumors.

Leandro's gaze travelled the length of Adriel's toned body. The boy was slender and had a thin waist. There was something feminine and innately beautiful about his form. Adriel's torso narrowed as it neared his waist. His legs had little definition and were hairless. Leandro wondered what it would feel like to drag his fingers across the smooth skin and froze. Had he lost his mind? Chiding himself internally, Leandro pushed lustful thoughts from his mind and focused on his side lunges.

When they finished their stretches, the young men stood at the edge of the pool and studied the empty lanes before them. Leandro, without thinking, placed a hand on Adriel's back. His hand filled the space perfectly. His fingers brushed the boy's side; warmth radiated from where their skin met. Adriel glanced at him, puzzlement crossing his features. "Leandro....?"

"Ever thought about building more muscle?" Leandro's cheeks warmed, but he told himself this wasn't anything to blush about, and his embarrassment faded. He said, "It would help people see you as a guy."

Adriel said, "I like eating, but I'm not a fan of exercising, so no, I don't think that lifestyle is for me.... Do you want more muscle?"

"I think I'm good as is."

"You could look like Thor if you bulked up. They would call you the god of thunder. Ladies would swoon. And I reckon you might last longer in bed."

Leandro chuckled. "Ladies swoon for me as I am, and I last pretty long already."

"You ever heard the saying, 'people love a humble man'- you're not him," Adriel paused, then added, "To be honest, I don't like taking my shirt off in front of people because I know they'll stare and make assumptions. No one really asks me my side of it."

"And what's your side?"

"I won't tell you today. Maybe some other time." He glanced at the lanes that divided the pool. "First person to do a hundred laps wins?"

"Are you strong enough for that?" Leandro stretched his arms across his chest.

"My mother says good things come in small packages."

"I guess you're small in more ways than one then," Leandro said jokingly.

A furious blush reddened Adriel's face, ears, and some of his neck.

Recovering from the blow, Adriel smirked and said, "I didn't expect the son of an earl to have such a dirty mind. I guess I'm rubbing off on you. But I'll warn you from now; every one that underestimates me ends up crying."

"We'll see. Loser owes the winner a favour." Leandro took a staggered stance, placing his left foot behind and his right toes near the edge. His body dangled over the water as he nearly folded in half. He could see the distorted navy-blue lines near the bottom of the pool. Adriel adopted a similar position.

Adriel said, "Ready.... Set... octopus."

Neither moved, but Leandro smiled.

Adriel fixed his goggles on his face. "Ready... set...." He glanced at Leandro on his left. "Go."