Page 23 of Love at First Rep

“Welcome to Tobias’ torture chamber, I mean gym,” Cole said, drawing a chuckle from Rafe.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Rafe,” Carson said loudly. Like, awkwardly loudly. In fact, that was the loudest Garrett had ever heard Carson speak. He usually kept quiet and to himself.

Rafe appeared to take it in stride and shook Carson’s hand.

“Nice to meet you too. Carson, was it?”

“Yes, I am Carson,” he said, somehow even more awkwardly.

Garrett, Hunter and Cole peered at Carson quizzically, wondering what about Rafe threw him off.

Garrett wondered if Carson was attracted to Rafe. That would explain him acting so out of character.

Hunter wore a frown; he must have thought the same thing. Hunter had had a crush on Carson since they met, but Carson had always brushed him off.

“Anyway,” Cole drawled, “you new to town, Rafe?”

“Not really,” Rafe said. “I grew up around here, but I left for the service and traveled for years, and now I’m back.”

“The service? Like the military?” Hunter asked. “Oh, is that how you know Garrett?”

“Yup, we were Navy SEALs together,” Rafe said boastfully, like that was the coolest thing about him. To be fair, it probably was.

“SEALs are hot,” Cole said. “You guys should wear your uniforms sometime.”

Garrett rolled his eyes, and Rafe chuckled.

“In your dreams, Cole,” Garrett said.

“Some nights, yeah,” Cole said, and Rafe barked out a laugh. The sound triggered a pang in Garrett’s heart. It had been so long since he’d heard his best friend’s laughter. It was music to his ears.

“Cole is our resident pain in the ass, so don’t mind him,” Garrett said.

Cole was bisexual and head over heels for his girlfriend, Elena, but that didn’t stop him from flirting.

“Oh, I think we’ll get along just fine,” Rafe said, throwing Garrett a wink.

Rafe and Cole together was asking for trouble. As long as they didn’t drive Tobias crazy with their shenanigans, they’d be okay.

“Morning, everyone,” Josh shouted as he entered the gym, Riley behind him. “Oooh, a new guy.”

Josh practically bounced over to Rafe and extended his hand.

“Hi, I’m Josh,” he said, and motioned toward Riley, who stood next to him. “And this is my boyfriend, Riley.”

When Garrett first met the two of them, he thought of them as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, since Josh was a bit of a himbo, and Riley kept him by his side. The more Garrett got to know Josh, though, the more he didn’t like to think of Josh as dumb. The guy had brains when it came to art, and his emotional intelligence soared beyond anyone else he knew. Plus, he was an absolute sweetheart.

“I’m Rafe. I’m a friend of Garrett’s.”

“Garrett has friends?” Riley asked sarcastically before turning to Garrett. “I’m so happy for you!”

Riley tried to pull Garrett in for a hug, but Garrett grabbed Riley’s arm and spun him—the moves second nature at this point—and had Riley’s arm pinned behind his back. Garrett didn’t twist it enough to hurt Riley, just enough to surprise him.

“Okay, okay, I’m just kidding!” Riley cried, and Garrett let him go. “Geez, if that’s how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few.”

Riley jumped away, giggling, to hide behind Josh before Garrett could grab him again.

Rafe cracked up, so at least he was entertained.