Trouble in Paradise

Chapter XV - Luke

"That's the look! That's perfect."

I look at myself in the mirror and don't recognize what Wells did to me. For most of my life, I've been Peter's shadow and I've dressed similarly to him. Yes, he has his bad boy look, but I can't pull it off so I've always dressed like Peter dresses when we're going out. Dress shoes, silky button-ups, dress slacks, more gel in my hair than Ross from Friends. Now I look at myself wearing one of the only two pairs of jeans I own, wearing a simple t-shirt with a motorbike jacket Wells lent me and casual shoes that look like they've seen better days but are like that on purpose.

"You look like a brand new person, Luke. Wow!"

"Don't go falling in love with me, now," I smirk.

"Okay, I see how it is. Now that he's a pretty boy he's all confident."

I smile at Wells and almost grin at the image I see in front of me. I had to wait for my friend to stop at his place on the way here but I didn't know it was for him to pick up 'supplies'. Not only am I wearing his jacket and his shoes, but now he's using his blow dryer and some pomade to style my hair. You never finish getting to know someone.

"Since when do you own a blow dryer?"

"Since I wanted to shove one up my ass."

I fucking burst out laughing. "What the fuck, Wells?"

"Ay, whatever! I bought it a while ago. Remember back when I was dating the hairstylist?"

Ah, yeah, the hairstylist. The only time Wells almost fell in love. Though he'll never admit it.

The sound of a notification calls my attention to my phone where I see Noah's text.

TARZAN: "I think I'm here. White house with black trim, right?"

I sent a quick text telling him I'll be downstairs soon. My room is a mess so I try to organize it a bit in case I get here too late. I have classes tomorrow and don't want to come back to fix a mess.

As we walk downstairs Wells interrogates me. Where is Noah taking you? Then what? Why are you going there? Mini Golf is for children, go have sex instead. It all falls on deaf ears as my nerves grow the closer I get to the front door.

I'm almost there when I hear a cough followed by, "Luke? Wow! You look... I mean... Wow!" I only look back once to thank Peter for the compliment.

As promised, when I open the door Noah is there looking hot as sin and holding the door open for me. I'm too nervous to know how to behave so I don't even say goodbye to Wells. I leave him behind while my feet take me down the driveway in auto motion.

"Tarzan... Noah, hi!" I lean forward and give him the most awkward side hug.

"Hello, Luke. You look very handsome."

"Ah, thanks. You too."

I get into Noah's monster truck feeling self-conscious, almost needing a ladder to get up in his F350—or whatever it is he drives. I'm more of a book geek than a car guy myself. 

In my defense, I'm not short. Noah is just a ginormous mountain of muscles that could bench-press me with one hand while eating ice cream with the other.

Our date today consists of eating greasy food with our hands which is such a fresh change in comparison to the seventeen forks you have to use at the places Peter takes me to. From there we stopped at a small market I'd never seen before and ate some no-bake desserts that are prepared right in front of you. They have a massive refrigerator and an even bigger counter with countless ingredients that fit any lifestyle and you can choose to your heart's desire.

"I can't believe I didn't know of this place. Noah this is amazing!"

"Yeah? You like it?" I nod, "My trainer showed me this place. He says I can cheat during the off-season but still have to watch the ingredients of what I eat. He controls anything I put inside my body."

I choke on my cheesecake and Noah chuckles looking at me with an eyebrow raised. He leans closer and says, "He controls what food goes inside me. He has no say on what I put myself inside."

A rare shiver runs up and down my body and I welcome the foreign feeling. My cheeks heat up and Noah gets his finger inside his dessert to swipe off the plate, then brings that finger up into his mouth releasing it with a pop. 

I send a silent prayer that I don't get hard here in public. I'm embarrassing myself and don't know how to do damage control. "Gosh, I feel like a child. I'm sorry, I'm embarrassing myself."

"Bullshit. You look quite adorable to me. Tell me more about yourself."

I word vomit on poor Noah, bless his heart. He listens and asks questions proving I'm not just talking to myself. I like talking to him. He makes it easy for a pathetic adult with a lack of social skills like me, and although I don't consider myself gullible or stupid, the more I talk to him the more I realize I've been sheltered in a bubble that I decided long ago I was not getting out of.

We finish our desserts and head to Noah's truck so we can go to our final destination. I'm the one who suggested Mini Golf so I expect Noah to be bored to death but I'm pleasantly surprised when he gets in a competitive mode and we battle it out.

We're on our last course when all of a sudden I see Marco, Peter's friend, walking my way. He's with his brother and the closer he gets the more I realize he is coming my way.

Did something happen to Peter? To Peter's mom? How does he know I'm here? 

"Marco? What are you—?"

"Really Luke?" Marco says shifting from the layback man that was walking toward me, to a salty whiny drama queen. I would laugh if I had a clue of what was going on.

"You said you were sick and that's why you didn't want to go out with me?" Marco gets more and more dramatic while he goes on and on saying that I took advantage of him; that I'm cheating on him."

"Noah I swear to God, I don't know what's going on. He's my ex's best friend. He's lying."

"I'm lying?" Marco cries, putting a new twist to his performance, "You bastard! I'm lying? You're the liar! You said you could see a future with me. You met my parents!"

I'm speechless.

I've known Marco half of my life and not once had I seen him cry, let alone make a fool of himself as he is now.

One thing is for sure, though. I don't know what the fuck is going on.