Swim Crush

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

“ S up?” Danny had found me outside the athletic center, leaning against the wall.

“What took you so long?”

“Jackass. Should I have sprinted here? I didn’t think I needed a workout before the workout. We swimming, lifting, or both?”

I shrugged. “Maybe both. Start with weights? Also, by the way, Logan and I found a second note.” I fished it out of my pocket and let him read it. “Thoughts?”

“Well, he likes Greek mythology-”

“Also, Professor Fraser asked me for workout tips today.” I held the door open for him.

“You think a professor would hit on you?”

“Shhh!” There were a few other people in the foyer.

“Or leave a note in your gym locker?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like this has happened before.”

“We can keep trying to figure it out, but I reckon he’s just building up the courage to tell you in person.”

“What makes you say that?” I didn’t see anyone changing or in the showers as we walked to our lockers.

“The comment about working out. The whole tips thing. You have no way of talking to him.”

“True.”

I pulled my tank and shorts out of the bag and a note fell out. Danny grabbed it before I could even say something. He read it out loud.

I’m probably coming on too strong, but I’ve known you long enough that I’m sure we’d get along. My favorite color is green as well. You swim faster every time you wear your green speedo, by the way.

?? Hermes

“A heart this time, and another Greek name. Messenger of the gods because…”

“It’s another message,” I finished for him, stating the obvious.

“Cheeky.”

“And it seems he’s watched me swim…a lot.”

“I’d be flattered, Mikey, and if I were gay, I’d be all over you. Everyone on the team has a great body, but you’ve also got a handsome face and great hair.”

“So you’re Hermes?” I deadpanned, stripping off my clothes.

“Look at you. You have no shame either. You just flop it around everywhere.”

“It’s right here.” I pointed to my dick. “It can hear you.”

“Well, your jock’s right here.” He tossed it at me. “Put it on! Logan and I are a bad influence on you.”

“I hope my admirer, or any future boyfriends, like porn as much as I do because I see enough real life peen that it almost doesn’t affect me anymore.”

“I’m so sad this doesn’t do it for you.”

I glanced his way, and of course Danny was the naked one now. It wasn’t that he wasn’t hot. I just learned a few years back it was pointless to lust after straight guys. The ones that were super chill around me naked felt different anyway. It wasn’t erotic; it was just a body.

Now if Logan or Danny were more touchy-feely, then that would be different, and I’d have to tell them to stop if they didn’t want me to maul them. I was a closet cuddler, but I theorized cuddling was just a gateway to sex. I’d only ever find out once I tried it, but that felt like what would happen.

“Ready?” Danny asked.

“Let’s go.”

“What about Ethan?” Danny asked, trailing behind me.

“No.”

“Andy?”

“No.”

“Will?”

“For the last time, Danny, I don’t think anyone else on the team is gay.” We entered the locker room together after an hour-long ass-kicking weightlifting session. We both worked so hard, it was impossible to play love detective, but now that we could breathe again, Danny was back on the case.

“Well, if y’all are ten percent of the population, and there are twenty guys on the team, statistically, there has to be another gay dude.”

“Think about the notes again. He saw me in my pride week shirts. He knows I’m muscular.”

“Anyone with eyes knows that.”

I continued, “He’s been to our swim meets and knows I like the color green.”

“ Are you faster when you wear your green Speedo?”

“I have no idea, Danny. I’ve never noticed a connection before.”

“Well, what color do you have today?”

I grabbed my bag and opened it. I couldn’t remember. “Pink.”

“Oh well.”

“What do you mean? We’re doing a cool down swim. Even if I had the green Speedo today, cool down doesn’t mean swim as fast as I can.”

“Whatever.” Danny was naked again. “Wear the green one at the next meet. Hermes obviously believes it’s true. Maybe it is?”

I changed into my Speedo and we headed to the pool. “How many laps?” I needed to clear my head. These notes had me all over the place.

“I dunno. Twenty?”

“Sounds good.”

Danny had a student government thing, so I found myself alone for dinner, preparing myself for tonight’s session with the chemistry TA. I was better with concepts than concrete principles, so I was getting all the help I could since it was basically science-math. Ecology was doable; organic chemistry was hell.

I liked to get there early, so I scarfed down the rest of my tacos as fast as I could and scurried over to the science building. It was one of the oldest buildings on campus, so there were lots of little nooks and crannies for studying. Sam, the chemistry TA, always had us meet on the third floor at the back since it was only a few hundred feet from his lab. I didn’t pretend to be smart enough to know what he was working on.

It’s not that I liked chemistry that much, but I had noticed that the closer you sat to Sam, the more help you received. It was a theory, but one I was unwilling to test. I needed the help, so I always sat close.

I don’t think he was doing it intentionally. It just happened that way.

I took the stairs two at a time, using the old wooden banister to keep my balance. It was one of the few buildings with carpet, so it helped keep it quieter than anywhere else. Plus, with the smaller spaces, there just wasn’t a lot of room for things to echo.

“Hey, Cap, good to see you.”

Sam, of course, was already there.

“Cap?” I took the seat to his right.

Sam kind of grimaced. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, until he said, “Sorry, you kind of remind me of Chris Evans. You have this whole all-American corn-fed white-boy vibe – not that I should’ve said that – but he played Captain America.”

“I got there once you said Chris Evans…and thanks? I think.”

“Trust me. It’s a compliment.”

Well, well, well. Sam had just moved into the lead as the anonymous admirer. It was hard to ignore a come-on that strong.

I knew it was a compliment. If I ever met Chris Evans, I’d have a hard time forming a coherent sentence let alone resisting the urge to strip, bend over, and wink at him.

Not that I felt like a bottom, but for him, I’d do just about anything.

I felt the tension between us build, the heat radiating off his leg, which had brushed mine when I sat down. He licked his lips, then glanced at me, meeting my stare. I hadn’t stopped looking at him since he said it was a compliment. He had a flawless jawline, accompanied with a little bit of scruff. It certainly wouldn’t be a detriment to be with an older guy for my first time. I’m sure Sam had more experience than me.

“What?” he asked.

I took my chance, grabbing the back of his neck and pressed my lips against his. I started to probe with my tongue – that’s what you’re supposed to do, right?

“Whoa!” Sam pulled back, out of my grip, and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “Is it like a TikTok trend to kiss a straight guy and see his reaction?”

Straight guy?

“Fuck, I’m so sorry.” I felt the heat rush to my face. “You’re straight?”

“It was the nickname, wasn’t it? I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I thought you’d just be flattered. I have a nickname for everyone. They’re not all nice ones.” He chuckled, but all I could think about was how fast I could run away. Right now. “And yeah, I have a girlfriend.”

He must’ve seen the six thousand emotions on my face.

“But kudos to you for having the balls to do that, man!”

I couldn’t sit here. I was mortified.

“Don’t go!” He grabbed my arm as I stood up, which gave me pause. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s not that it was a bad kiss. It was just a misread, right?”

Truth be told, I needed help with the course. I couldn’t academically afford to leave, so I explained. “I’m glad to hear it. I-I don’t have much experience. It’s just…I’ve had these anonymous notes…from a secret admirer.”

“You’re kidding me.”

I pulled the latest one out and showed him. It made him smile.

“Makes a little more sense now. I’m assuming you thought I might be a candidate?”

I nodded. “It’s someone that knows me well and takes note of what I wear. I dunno. You dress well, and then the Chris Evans thing. I was probably imagining half of it.”

“More like all of it?”

I practically died when he said that, but once I saw his expression, it was clear he was joking.

But I must’ve still been giving off mortified vibes.

“I’ll be honest, Mike. If I was into guys, you’d be at the top of my list. Does that make you feel better?”

At this point, other people had shown up and I just wanted to crawl under a rock and forget this happened. I didn’t need the entire study group to know that I had launched myself lips-first at Sam.

Logan and Danny were going to laugh their asses off when they found out about this.

That is, if they found out about this. I certainly wasn’t going to tell them.

Okay, maybe I’d tell them. After all, I was all out of ideas as to who the mystery Greek aficionado could be.