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Alex Phillips was a man who got what he wanted. And what he wanted, more than anything, was to lay claim to one Sebastian Smythe. Sebastian was, by all standards, a catch and the only man around even remotely in Alex’s league. He couldn’t think of a better match.
Born with an 18 Karat, Swarvosky-encrusted spoon in his mouth and raised to conquer the world, Alex was expected to do great things with his life. That included his choice of life partner (after he told his parents in no uncertain terms would he be settling down with a girl). And his parents were getting less and less amused by his aggressively single lifestyle by the day. If he didn’t appease their delicate monogamous sensibilities soon, they might do something drastic like cut up his platinum card or set him up with one of the gay Rothschild cousins (shudder).
“So, where are we going again?” Sebastian asked with a curious tilt of his head. The neon lights outside the cab windows flashed and flickered across his face, garish streaks of green and hot pink splayed over his chiseled cheekbones. Alex sat back against the seat and watched the other man’s confusion with amusement.
“I told you. It’s a surprise.” Alex reached over and placed his hand over Sebastian’s thigh, rubbing small circles over the denim of his dark wash jeans.
“What if I don’t like surprises?”
“Since when do you not like surprises, Seb?”
Sebastian leaned back in his seat with a huff. “Fine. Be mysterious.”
Alex let out a small snicker and enjoyed watching the lights and scenery flash by outside. It had been a few weeks since they’d last hung out. Senior year of college came crashing in… hard. Both boys had been buried in research and exam prep as winter break approached. Alex was looking forward to a night out - an opportunity to relieve some pent-up tension and stress. And spend some quality time with Sebastian.
Alex met Sebastian during his sophomore year at Columbia. He’d been late to Professor Langan’s Introduction to Behavioral Sciences seminar, stumbling down the steps of the lecture hall, searching for any available seat and reeking of stale bar funk and poor life choices.
Suddenly, to his left, Sebastian appeared like a vision, sliding his messenger bag onto the floor by his feet and offering up the now vacant seat to his left. He wore a polo and jeans tailored to perfection - the kind of casual cool that the disgustingly wealthy wear like a coat of arms. His hair, a rich caramel toffee color, swept over his forehead and hung loose over strikingly deep emerald eyes. Alex couldn’t help but stare.
“Sit down before Langan notices,” the boy hissed under his breath.
Alex stumbled over knees and crushed several annoyed toes on his way, plopping into the offered spot with an unceremonious thunk. “Thanks,” he breathed out, trying not to stare too long. Up close, the boy was even more handsome.
“Don’t mention it,” the boy said, returning his focus to the blackboard and opening up a fresh note page on his laptop. “You don’t want to get on the professor’s bad side, trust me.”
Alex blinked in response. Between the lingering haze of last night’s alcohol and the steady hammering in his chest, he couldn’t form a single coherent thought.
The other boy seemed nonplussed. “Last year,” he continued. “Adaptive Negotiation Strategies seminar. Fell asleep in class one time and he rode my ass for the rest of the term.”
Alex couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled up. “Literally or figuratively?” The pictures running through his mind… “’Cuz I volunteer to be next.”
The boy was about to say something else when Alex’s crude comments registered. His jaw clenched and then a slow smirk spread across his handsome face. “Wouldn’t you like to know…” He said and extended his hand, eyes raking over Alex. “Sebastian Smythe.”
“Alex Phillips.” He gripped firm and held on a beat too long.
And that was that. Since then, he and Sebastian became inseparable, forming a fast friendship based on mutual interests - sarcasm, alcohol, men. And not necessarily in that order.
“We’re here,” Alex said. The cab pulled to a stop in front of their destination - a smaller club, near the NYU campus, popular with students and locals alike. He watched the confusion on Sebastian’s face fall away, replaced with a small smile that stretched even wider when he saw a familiar duo waiting near the entrance.
“Wait - what are Nick and Jeff doing here?” Sebastian mused.
“I thought you might like a night out with friends after all the stress you’ve been under the last few weeks. I heard Nick talking about this student showcase and it sounded like a good time. There’s live music that will either be fantastic or an absolute train wreck. And I know your love of music and your snark will appreciate either outcome. Plus drinks. And friends.”
“Sounds amazing,” Sebastian agreed, exiting the cab and waving towards his old Warbler compatriots.
Alex leaned closer and dropped his voice an octave. “And, maybe later, you and I can celebrate the end of finals in a slightly less appropriate way.” He drew a finger up the spine of his friend (and occasional lover), and felt the shiver ripple under his fingertips with a satisfied smirk. If he had his way, soon Sebastian would realize that Alex was serious about them - as more than friends.
“Hey Seb!” Nick called out as they approached. A few warblers now lived in New York, but Sebastian maintained a closer friendship with Nick and Jeff, in particular.
“Hi guys! Made it through finals?”
“Barely,” Jeff snickered, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Good to see you too, Alex,” Nick said. “Thanks for dragging Seb out of his cave for the night.”
“Yeah, seems like he actually listens to you…” Jeff said with a chuckle.
Alex liked Nick and Jeff. Of all Sebastian’s other friends he’d met over the years, these two seemed the most normal. And by normal, he meant not complete assholes. Plus, they’d been in a committed relationship for years - ever since high school. He figured the more time spent with other couples, the easier it would be to persuade Sebastian to join that sort of lifestyle.
The group wound their way toward the small line at the entrance, where a bouncer was checking ID’s and controlling capacity inside the club. Alex was glad there was a decent turnout. The last thing he wanted was to drag Sebastian out to some dud of a club. He needed to make an impression. Graduation was fast approaching and his time was limited. Soon, Sebastian would be off to law school - meeting new friends and new boys - and Alex intended to solidify their status as boyfriends before anyone else could come along and catch Sebastian’s eye.
“Well, Alex has more sense than the two of you combined,” Sebastian said as he elbowed Alex jovially between his third and fourth rib.
Alex beamed back. So far, so good. “What can I say? I’m amazing.”
Nick turned to Jeff and shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day someone would actually tame our Sebastian.”
“Seems like you’ve met your match, Seb,” Jeff chided.
“Tame?” Sebastian asked, confusion evident on his handsome features. “I don’t know what you guys mean. Me and Alex, we’re not… We’re just friends.”
Alex dropped his hand from Sebastian’s waist like it was on fire. Guess he had more work to do tonight than he thought…
“Wait. But last time, at the bar, you two were awfully close. We just thought…” Jeff looked over to Nick for help.
Sebastian smirked. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the term friends with benefits. Sure, Alex is hot. I’m hot. It would be a crime not to explore those possibilities. Right?” He tossed a cheeky wink toward Alex and shuffled a few steps forward.
“Uh, right.” They were almost to the entrance and Alex prayed they got inside the dark club interior soon, before the fire on his cheeks was visible to all. Friends with benefits? Is that all Sebastian thought they were…
“I’m just sayin’.” Nick narrowed his eyes at Sebastian. “You’ve never really kept your conquests around longer than it took for the sheets to cool. Alex is clearly different.” God bless you, Nick, Alex thought.
“Of course he’s different,” Sebastian said, distractedly, handing the bouncer his ID. “He’s my friend.”
“It’s just nice to see you maturing a little, is all,” Jeff said. “You’ve never shown even the tiniest bit of interest in anything remotely resembling monogamy.”
“Not since Blaine, anyway...”
Alex jerked his head around to stare at Nick. “Who?” He didn’t miss the glare that Sebastian leveled at Nick before he turned and stalked past the bouncer into the dark club, leaving Alex on the sidewalk, confused.
***
Alex was pleasantly surprised when he finally stepped inside. The club was clean and sophisticated, nothing of the college dive bar he’d pictured in his head. The drinks were strong and the music even stronger - NYU students who were all quite good. It was an Open Mic format, but highly professional in nature. You could tell that these musicians were all insanely talented and ready for stardom. He would definitely add the club to his regular rotation.
“This place is really cool,” Jeff said.
Sebastian nodded his head and watched, entranced, by the latest act on stage - a girl trio, rocking out to a fantastic cover of Purple Rain. “The music is amazing. How’d you find this place?”
Alex nodded toward Nick. “Nick told me about it.”
“A couple of my friends from NYU have been bugging me to check this place out. I’m just glad we could finally make the time. Thanks to Alex for getting this all arranged…”
Alex shrugged his shoulders in his best attempt at humility. He was just about to respond, when he saw Jeff’s eyes light up as he elbowed Nick in the side repeatedly.
“Ow, Jeff. What the hell?”
“Look,” Jeff pointed behind Alex and Sebastian. “Isn’t that…”
Nick’s eyes widened in recognition. “Holy shit. I don’t believe it.”
Sebastian started craning his neck around wildly. “What? Who is it?”
Jeff stood and started waving his arms like a maniac, grinning from ear to ear. “Blaine! Hey, Blaine! Over here!”
Blaine? Wasn’t that the name Nick mentioned earlier outside the club? The one that Sebastian had some sort of history with?
Alex watched Sebastian’s whole expression change in the blink of an eye. His eyes danced with excitement and his smile went from bemused to blinding as he nearly toppled his chair over in his haste to stand and greet the boy walking towards them, seemingly as excited to see the others as they were to see him.
The boy - Blaine - began chuckling as he approached. “Oh my god, hi! I can’t believe it! It’s been ages… How are you guys?” He was handsome, Alex could admit that much, with dark hair and a brilliant smile. He directed his attention first to Nick and Jeff, as they exchanged exuberant hugs, before he turned to Sebastian. “Sebastian - hi!”
“Hey, killer.” Sebastian scratched a hand through his hair, effectively ruining his carefully constructed hairstyle, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and standing in front of Blaine with a nervous expression on his face.
But Blaine just rushed forward, enveloping Sebastian in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you,” he said.
Sebastian didn’t hesitate to hug back, wrapping his long, lean body around the shorter boy and inhaling deeply as he closed his eyes. “S’good to see you, too,” he mumbled into Blaine’s hair.
Blaine pulled back with a dazzling smile, though his hands lingered on Sebastian’s waist. Alex felt his stomach clench. He cleared his throat.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Blaine turned his blinding smile toward Alex and extended his hand. “How rude of me. I’m Blaine!”
“Blaine’s an old Warbler friend of ours,” Jeff supplied helpfully. “From Dalton.”
Alex plastered a fake smile on his face and took a step forward, until he was towering over Blaine, before he extended his hand. “Alex Phillips. Pleasure,” he drawled, crushing Blaine’s hand between his own.
Blaine shook back with a firm grip, nonplussed. He even smiled wider, if that was at all possible. “Nice to meet you, Alex. What are you doing hanging out with these troublemakers?” He laughed again, and the other three joined him.
Time to set the record straight, he thought with a smirk. He placed an arm over Sebastian’s shoulder, hugging him to his side. “I’m Sebastian’s--”
“Friend!” Sebastian practically shouted. “Alex is my… friend. From Columbia. We’re out celebrating finishing finals.” He shifted out from under Alex’s arm. “What are you doing here?”
Blaine gestured towards the group he’d been sitting with a few tables over. “Same. Just finished up finals, too. I’m here with some of my friends from NYU. And my best friend is performing tonight, so I wanted to be here to support her.”
“NYU?” Nick asked. “What happened to NYADA?”
“Oh, um… I dropped out after Kurt and I broke up.” Blaine stared down at his feet a moment before he shrugged his shoulders and continued. “Took some time off and re-applied to NYU. I love it there. It was definitely the right choice for me. It’s been amazing, really.”
“I’m happy for you,” Nick said. “NYADA always seemed like such a gossipy school… and not very academically challenging.”
“You and Kurt broke up?” Sebastian asked.
Blaine blushed and ducked his head, peering at Sebastian from under his ridiculously long eyelashes. “Turns out we were not very compatible after all. Guess I should have listened to you way back when, huh?”
Alex waited for Sebastian’s trademark ‘told you so’ smirk, but it never came. Instead, Sebastian’s face was open, genuine even. “I’m really sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah. It was for the best,” Blaine said. “And anyway, all of that happened years ago. I’m fine now - more than fine. But tell me, what’s new with you guys?”
“Finishing up senior year at Columbia,” Jeff said as he gestured to their small cohort. “I’m majoring in Architecture and Nick is completing his undergrad in Psychology.”
“Still planning to become Dr. Duval?” Blaine asked, his eyes warm and bright.
Nick nodded and smiled. “Yep, starting the graduate program this spring! Just got my acceptance letter this week.”
“Oh Nick, that’s great. And Jeff, you too.” Blaine seemed genuinely happy for his friend’s successes. “And are you two still…”
“Together? Four years last month.” Nick beamed and wrapped a protective arm around Jeff’s waist, who placed a tender kiss to Nick’s temple in response.
Blaine cooed over the couple’s sweet display of affection. “Oh, that’s so great to hear. I’m so happy for the two of you. It’s wonderful when two people so right for each other find a way to stay together, against all odds. You two lovebirds give hope to the rest of us.” Blaine’s eyes clouded over for a moment, but he blinked a few times and then the smile was back on his face.
Alex turned to Sebastian, seeking out the green eyes of his best friend and occasional lover. But Sebastian was still staring at Blaine, his expression unreadable.
Nick dragged a chair from a nearby table and offered it to Blaine, sandwiching him between Jeff and Sebastian. “Have a seat, Blaine. Join us for a bit. We haven’t seen you in so long and we’ve missed you.” Alex took the opportunity to pull Sebastian’s chair closer to him, but Sebastian seemed to have other ideas, resting his elbows on the table and leaning ever closer to the newcomer. He nearly toppled to the floor and turned to glare at Alex before scooting his chair back to its original spot, and much too close to Blaine for Alex’s tastes.
“And how about you, Sebastian? Early acceptance to law school?” Blaine asked with a chuckle.
“Of course,” Sebastian said with an answering smirk.
“Top of your class?
“You still know me so well.”
Alex placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. “Seb’s about to graduate Summa Cum Laude. I’m so proud of him.”
Blaine’s eyes darted briefly to Alex’s hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, before he turned his attention to him. “And Alex, tell me a little about yourself. I already know you’re smart or you wouldn’t be at Columbia.”
Alex couldn’t help the slight blush that decorated his cheeks. Dammit, this guy was an easy charmer. If the circumstances were different, the attention of such a handsome man might even flatter him. But when Sebastian turned to him, awaiting his response, he remembered the evening’s mission and straightened up in his seat. “Well, not as smart as Seb here, that’s for sure.” He pulled Sebastian in for a tight half squeeze, mimicking Nick’s earlier show of affection. “Double majoring in Economics and Political Science. My family kind of expects me to follow a certain path.”
Blaine turned to Sebastian with a confused expression on his face. “Seb?” he mouthed.
Sebastian gave a slight shake of his head and pulled away from Alex’s embrace. “Alex comes from old school Massachusetts money. Something something Kennedy something in his bloodline…”
Blaine’s eyes went wide. “Really? That’s so cool. You must have some great family stories to share.”
Alex was about to answer, but Sebastian cut him off. “Oh yeah, but he needs to be a lot drunker to share them. Speaking of which,” he rattled his empty glass, before turning to Alex. “Would you mind getting the next round?”
“Uh, sure. Anyone else want anything while I’m up?” Alex was happy to treat Sebastian, happy to have the chance to play up the doting boyfriend role for the evening. Maybe by the end of the night, it would even be true.
“I’ll join you.” Jeff jumped out of his seat after getting Nick’s order. He turned to Blaine. “Blaine, you want anything? My treat.”
“Um, sure. Whiskey Sour?”
“Coming right up!” Jeff danced ahead of Alex toward the bar, a newfound spring in his step. “I can’t believe Blaine’s here. Man, I missed that guy.”
He glanced back at the table, relieved to see Nick heavily involved in the conversation with Blaine and Sebastian. The last thing he wanted to do was leave those two alone together. He wasn’t blind. He could see the pull between them. Well, too bad, Alex thought. Sebastian’s mine now.
“So, Blaine’s an old friend from high school?” Alex figured this was a good opportunity to scope out the competition.
“Oh yeah,” Jeff said as he pushed his way to an open spot at the bar. “Blaine was, like, the poster boy for Dalton - Lead singer of The Warblers, fencing champion, head of the debate team. I’m pretty sure his face is still on Dalton’s website and all their promotional material.”
“Stuck up and full of himself, huh?”
“Who, Blaine? Not even close. He’s like the nicest guy I’ve ever met. He’s just… Blaine. I don’t know. Everyone loves him. That’s why it was so hard when he left. Broke our hearts. The Warblers were a complete mess without him until Sebastian stepped in.”
“He left Dalton? Why?”
“Followed his boyfriend to public school,” Jeff said with a grimace.
“He left one of the most prestigious private schools in the country to attend public school for his boyfriend?”
“Yeah, not the smartest idea. But it seemed incredibly romantic at the time. At least, 16-year-old me thought so.”
Alex scoffed. What kind of idiot ruined their future over a high school relationship? The same kind of idiot that seemed to have Sebastian and Nick hanging on his every word, he thought with another glare at the table as a tight knot formed low in his belly.
***
Alex maneuvered his way back from the bar, juggling the drinks and not spilling a single drop. He felt quite smug, until he approached the table to the sight of Sebastian and Blaine, heads bowed together, deep in hushed conversation, Nick nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Nick?” Alex dropped the drinks down on the table surface, alcohol sloshing over the rims.
Blaine giggled and slapped at Sebastian’s shoulder, peering up at the intrusion. “Oh, he had to use the restroom. Thanks for the drinks, guys!”
Jeff slid Blaine’s whiskey sour to him with a “No problem, buddy.”
Sebastian didn’t even look up. Alex pushed Sebastian’s drink in front of his face. “Here you go, babe.”
That got his attention. “Uh, what?” Sebastian turned to him with ice in his stare. “Did you just call me babe?”
Alex could see Blaine’s eyebrows rise in interest, watching the scene play out with utter fascination. “Sorry, slipped out. Forgot where we were for a minute…” He let the innuendo settle over the table, his meaning obvious. From the look on Blaine’s face, he got the message loud and clear, turning to Jeff with a nervous smile as he engaged him in more inane small talk.
Sebastian’s green eyes narrowed, and he leaned close to Alex for the first time since Blaine arrived. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He hissed in his ear.
Alex took a deliciously slow sip of his drink, reveling in the warm breath, before turning to Sebastian with a smile. “Seb, calm down. It was just a joke.” He winked and elbowed his friend in the side, throwing an easy smile in his direction. “Sorry,” he added for good measure. It would do him no good to have Sebastian pissed at him all night.
Sebastian eyed him warily before turning his attention back to the others.
Alex let the alcohol simmer on his tongue and bit back his next comment, feeling the music wash over him as he sank back in his chair. He kept quiet while the others chatted happily away. So far, the evening was not going like he planned at all. But Alex Phillips was a man who got what he wanted. He crushed an ice cube with his teeth as he considered his next move.
The perfect opportunity presented itself when Blaine excused himself to the restroom a few minutes later. Sebastian relaxed back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face.
“Having a good time?” He asked, mostly to interrupt Sebastian’s ogling of Blaine’s retreating figure.
“I still can’t believe it. After all these years…” Sebastian trailed off, his eyes glazing over as if lost in some fond memory. This would not do, Alex decided. Blaine was the past. He was the future.
“I mean, it’s not surprising to run into all kinds of colorful creatures at a public university hangout. It’s not exactly la crème de la crème in here, is it? Still, it’s admirable that he could pull himself together after flunking out of NYADA and make something of that fleeting Dalton education after all…” Alex leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with a smirk.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. Jeff and Nick shared a look before Nick let out a nervous laugh. “Uh, are you talking about Blaine? You realize he’s at Tisch, right?”
“Yeah,” Jeff added. “It’s one of the most prestigious music programs in the entire world?”
“Blaine was always destined for greatness,” Nick added with a soft smile.
Alex took a sip of his drink. Right, he was smack dab in the middle of the Blaine Anderson fan club. “Right, right. I’m sure he’s very talented. I just meant that it’s great to hear of a good success story. You know I love when someone pulls themselves up by the bootstraps and rises above their circumstances and all that. It’s very admirable,” he said in his best country club drawl.
Nick, Jeff and Sebastian all openly gaped at him now. What? He’d given the guy a compliment, for crying out loud…
Alex kept his mouth shut and let the others carry the conversation for a bit. The evening was definitely not going the way he wanted. Sebastian was supposed to be his, not some nobody school flunkout, wannabe artist. He choked down more of his drink and let the dark thoughts swirl in time with the strobing lights on stage.
He watched Sebastian watch Blaine make his way back from the restroom and get stopped by a larger group closer to the stage. Sebastian’s back stiffened in his seat and his eyes locked onto the silhouette of another young guy, blond, wrap his arms around Blaine’s shoulders, pull him close and whisper something in his ear, which made Blaine giggle and blush. Interesting, Alex thought with a satisfied smirk.
“Who’s that?” Sebastian asked, a dark edge to his voice that Alex knew all too well.
Nick and Jeff shared a knowing look and shrugged in response.
“Boyfriend?” Alex offered, a bit too quickly (if Sebastian’s answering glare was any indication).
Blaine said something else to the blond guy, before he was patting him on the back and making his way back over to the table.
“Sorry about that,” Blaine breathed out as he settled back at the table. “Didn’t want my friends thinking I’d disappeared…”
“So, those are your friends from NYU?” Nick asked.
“Some of them, yeah. I’ve got a pretty great group of friends here in New York. They’ve really been my rock the last few years. I wish I’d known you were all in the city earlier. We could have hung out together. You would love them… they’re awesome.” Blaine took a sip of his drink. “Actually, you might recognize a few of them from McKinley. You remember my best friend, Sam?” Blaine gestured over to the blonde guy and Nick and Jeff both nodded in recognition.
“Oh, they probably don’t want to hang out with us then,” Sebastian said.
“Nonsense. High school was a long time ago, Sebastian. We’ve all grown up.” Blaine’s eyes landed on Sebastian’s and the two seemed to have some sort of silent conversation with their glances that Alex didn’t understand.
He definitely understood the comforting hand that Blaine placed over Sebastian’s, though.
Sebastian seemed satisfied with that response. “We have certainly grown up.” He capitulated the statement with a suggestive eye raise towards Blaine that had the other boy blushing and ducking his head.
“I bet your brother hasn’t,” Nick said with a hearty laugh.
Blaine laughed. “Coop? No, not really. Although, he has been way less obnoxious since he landed that TV series. He’s actually pretty fun to be around now.”
“TV series?” Alex asked, wondering what they were all joking about now.
“Yeah, that crime drama we watch sometimes…” Sebastian said, finally regarding Alex with something other than annoyance. “The lead actor you think is super hot…” He gestured towards Blaine as if Alex was missing something crucial. And what would Blaine have to do with his not-so-secret crush on Cooper Anderson? Wait, Anderson? And hadn’t Blaine called his brother Coop?
“Cooper Anderson? Your brother is Cooper Anderson?” Alex managed to squeak out.
Everyone else started laughing. Sebastian just nudged him in the side. “Didn’t you notice the resemblance?”
He hadn’t, but now that he was looking closer… Yes, the Anderson brothers were definitely blessed with the same chiseled jaw lines and gorgeous smiles. And now that he thought about it, Sebastian had mentioned something about knowing that guy’s brother. Oh, so that’s why Sebastian always acted so weird when Alex went on and on about how gorgeous Cooper was…
Alex squirmed in his seat, trying to think of something to say to deflect all the unwanted attention. Thankfully, Blaine himself provided the needed distraction.
“Oh, she’s on!” Blaine twisted in his chair to face the stage, where a girl with long black hair was finishing the final tuneups on her guitar and approaching the microphone. “You guys are in for a treat,” he said with a proud smile.
The next set started with a flourish and the girl was every bit as talented as Blaine promised. The group all quieted their conversation to give her their undivided attention.
After the first two songs (and riotous applause), the girl approached the microphone to introduce her band mates. “And for the next song, I’m going to need a little help. Where’d you go?” She peered into the audience, poring over the crowd until her eyes landed on their table. She pointed a finger and smirked. “Ah, there you are… Blaine, get your gorgeous ass up here.”
Blaine immediately shook his head and blushed.
The girl on stage was not taking no for an answer. “Guys, a little help, please?” She encouraged the crowd to applaud, beckoning Blaine toward the stage.
“Come on, Blaine. Get up there,” Jeff encouraged with a clap on the shoulder.
“Yeah, I haven’t heard you sing in so long. Please?” Nick added.
Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear as he nudged Blaine out of his seat. “She’s not going to let you out of it, killer. Might as well give the crowd what they want.”
Blaine ducked his head again, his cheeks red and flushed, before he chuckled and rose to his feet. The crowd erupted in cheers as he made his way onto stage and the band kicked into their next number.
Alex bit back a frustrated sigh. Now it seemed the entire club was eating out of this guy’s hands. What did Blaine Anderson have that he didn’t? He was smart, rich and smoking hot. A catch, really. And yet, Sebastian had barely spoken ten words to him since Blaine showed up. He slammed back the rest of his drink and considered heading to the bar for another when he saw Blaine step up to the microphone.
That’s when his stomach dropped right through the damn floor.
He watched it all as if in slow motion… the moment Blaine’s sweet voice rang through the club; the moment the audience fell hopelessly under his spell; the moment Sebastian’s eyes glistened with unabashed adoration.
And when Blaine locked eyes with Sebastian and threw him a flirtatious wink, Alex knew it was all over. He’d lost.
Collecting himself took herculean effort, but somehow he managed to excuse himself from the table and stumble towards the bathrooms. He made it halfway to the stall before the anger settled over his shoulders like a well-worn jacket.
“Fuck!” He screamed, kicking the trash can over and sending dirty paper towels skittering across the sticky floor. Alex Phillips didn’t lose. He was a winner. How could he come in second place to a short and sappy college dropout? What the hell was he supposed to do now? He dreaded his upcoming vacation in The Hamptons and his mother’s disappointing look when he arrived alone, again.
Alex splashed some cold water on his face and fixed his hair, taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing thoughts. He simply could not admit defeat. Blaine might have won Sebastian’s attention for the night, but that’s all it was, right? Sebastian just wanted some fun, an easy lay with an old flame, no strings attached.
Convincing himself that the battle was not yet lost, he gave his mirror image a self assured smirk and tossed his dirty paper towel over his shoulder and onto the floor, leaving his mess behind for some minimum wage worker to clean up.
He wound his way back over to the table, noting that Blaine and his friend were no longer on stage.
Good, he thought. Maybe Blaine left already.
When he approached the table, though, he realized how very wrong he was. Sebastian and Blaine were sitting closer than ever, lost in a hushed and private conversation. Alex stood frozen in place as Sebastian reached out and push some stray curls off Blaine’s forehead, his smile soft and genuine. Blaine leaned closer, whispering into Sebastian’s ear, and Alex had to turn away before the last of his liquor came right back up.
He stalked off toward the exit, pulling out his phone to call for a cab. He’d text later with a believable excuse, but he couldn’t spend one more minute in the club, watching Sebastian choose someone else.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t help but glance back one more time on his way out the door - just in time to see Blaine and Sebastian exchanging phone numbers.