The house was silent as I woke and made my way to the kitchen for my morning cup of coffee and breakfast. I looked into Gabe and Autumn’s bare room as I passed. It was weird being without roommates after so long. Gabe and I had started rooming together when we moved to Vegas from Malibu. Autumn moved in not long after, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Her husband, who was our Major from the Army, hadn’t taken it too well when he’d learned that Autumn was leaving him, but Gabe and I hadn’t taken it too well when we’d learned that he was putting his hands on her. Major Dick got what was coming to him when he was poisoned by a business associate.
Even in the Army I’d had someone to harass in the morning. Okay not harass, but I liked making breakfast for more than just me even if it were for grouchy ass Gabe. But now Gabe and Autumn were engaged and had their own house, and I had a house all to myself.
I didn’t like it.
I needed a dog or something.
Turning from the empty room, I walked to the kitchen and made my coffee. I ate breakfast quickly, then dressed and headed for Club 24 where the three of us worked out. We also taught self-defense classes there until we could save enough money to open our own location. Gabe and I naturally wanted to protect people since our time in the Army, and after everything that had happened in Autumn’s past with her husband, it was only fitting to get certified to teach self-defense classes and to teach people how to shoot. Our company taught both types of classes. One was at Club 24 and the other was out on the range.
Before heading out the door, I grabbed a bottle of champagne and a few plastic cups. We had celebrating to do. Two of my favorite people were getting married—as long as Gabe didn’t fuck up the proposal.
Club 24 had everything you needed to meet your fitness goals. Aside from your standard treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes and weightlifting equipment you’d find at any gym, they offered yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, Kenpo, self-defense classes (with yours truly), cycling, aerobics, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, racquetball … Basically, people spent all day there.
“Should we pop this now or after class?” I held the bottle of champagne up with my left hand and walked through the steel door where our class was being held in a half an hour. Autumn unwrapped her arms from around Gabe’s neck and turned toward me.
“You want to drink before class?”
“It’s only champagne. Like a mimosa without the OJ, Auttie.” I winked. “I see you said yes, by the way.” I motioned with my head at her left hand and greeted Gabe with a head nod.
Gabe shook his head and walked over to the sound system. “No one’s drinking before class.”
“Cap—” He was my captain for so long that it still slipped, especially when he ordered me around. “Fine. After class, but then we’re drinking more than this cheap ass champagne I found at home.” Gabe liked his whiskey. I liked tequila, especially a shot of it after I’d licked salt off the skin of a chick, followed by a slurp of lime juice from her navel.
They both shared an odd look without saying anything. “What?” I asked. They shared another look. “Jesus. What?” I asked again.
Autumn turned to me. “I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but …” She paused and they shared another silent look. “I’m pregnant,” she finally blurted.
I blinked. Then tore my gaze from Autumn to Gabe to check for his reaction. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy for him. I knew he was in love with Autumn, but I also knew this was a new relationship and I knew how much he’d loved Cochran. What I saw when I looked into Gabe’s eyes made me smile.
It wasn’t what I saw when we were in Afghanistan and he’d snuck around with Cochran.
It wasn’t what I saw when we’d first moved to Vegas and he wanted to find out who Autumn was.
It wasn’t what I saw when we were at Autumn’s house and had to fight off her husband to protect her.
It wasn’t what I saw when he thought she left him when she learned what he did for a living and it wasn’t what I saw when he was nervous because he thought she might say no when he was going to propose.
What I saw was a man’s life finally going the way it was meant to go. The look on his face was pure adoration and he was smiling with a twinkle in his eye.
“Holy fucking shit, dude!” I reached for both of them and engulfed them the best I could in a group hug. “All that fucking I heard you guys doing—no wonder you got knocked up.”
Autumn tried to push off of me, but I kept her from budging. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that,” she mumbled into my side.
Gabe broke free from my grasp. “What did I tell you about letting her know you could hear?”
“You knew?” she asked.
I laughed and set my gym bag and the champagne down in the cabinet while they spoke. Gabe whispered mumbled, but I could still hear him. “Do you really think he couldn’t hear you when you came, angel?”
She whispered back, stepping closer. I pretended to get items to set up for class, but really I was enjoying the show. I was going to miss living with them. “Every time?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Every time, but especially when you’d squirt.”
The throwing dummy I was carrying in my hands slipped from my grasp and they both turned and looked at me. I smiled and Autumn groaned, shoving Gabe a little before turning toward the door to leave. “I … I’ll be back,” she muttered, throwing her hands in the air before she left.
“Really, dude?” Gabe asked.
“You’re mad at me?”
“You’re buying all my drinks.”
“Whatever.” I laughed. “You know you’re not mad. You used to fuck for a living.”
“Yeah, but remember that Autumn’s still sensitive about the situation even if it is my fucking skills.”
“All right, enough about your fucking skills. Let’s go get a drink. I’ll buy since you insist.” I slugged him on the arm and then turned and grabbed the rest of the dummies for class.
Autumn couldn’t look me in the eye the entire class.
It wasn’t as though I had walked in on her butt ass naked. And really, she knew what I did for a living aside from our business. If a chick wasn’t screaming, we weren’t doin’ it right.
“Blue Martini or what?” I asked as we cleaned up the mats.
“I’m gonna go to Brandi’s,” Autumn stated. She kissed Gabe.
“Have fun, angel.”
I watched as she left, still not looking at me. “Bye, Auttie!” I shouted and laughed. “Nice of her to help us put this shit away.”
“Bro code, dude. Bro code.”
“Fuck. I got it. Let’s drop it. This isn’t my fault.”
“Let’s go get that drink then.”
I groaned. “Actually, let’s go back to the house and have some beers. Help me move my shit into your old room. I have a feeling Mark’s gonna find me a new roommate soon and that fucker’s not getting the master.”
“You’re lucky you’re my best friend.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s do this shit. I have work tonight.”
I worked as a male escort for a company called Saddles & Racks, but I didn’t get paid for sex. I got paid for my time and companionship. I get paid to make ladies feel wanted; to feel as though they were the only woman in the room.
My date for the evening was the typical drinks followed by whatever we wanted to do for the two hours she was paying for. I’d been on quite a few dates in the past five years, so it was almost second nature. I didn’t hook up with a chick on every date; some didn’t want that. Some wanted a date for an event. Some wanted to make someone jealous. Some wanted a date for an entire weekend. Hell, some wanted a date for an entire month. I hadn’t found that client yet, but my buddy Nick had. And, of course, there were those dates who wanted a good fucking. I needed to be attracted to them, though. I had to be able to get it up if you know what I mean.