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"I need a date," Matteo sighed.
It was the evening before a day off at the Visma-Lease a bike training camp. The guys were discussing what they would do next with their partners when Matteo suddenly wanted a date. He had been single for too many months to count on his fingers (probably his toes as well) and the loneliness was starting to get too much for his shoulders. Getting to know each other, discovering common ground, going to new places or doing fun activities, and then, of course, flirting. Matteo desperately needed a date.
"You could post a photo on Strava, like, who wants a date with a hot guy in Tenerife- real ginger guy guaranteed!" Cian's suggestion made everyone laugh.
"Look on Grindr," Victor suggested. Matteo hadn't really come out, but his non-heterosexuality was just a part of himself he talked about randomly. In this team, there was no discrimination- it was one of the reasons Matteo felt comfortable there.
"I think he meant a real date," Wout smiled.
"Yeah, just... flirting and spending quality time with someone. The night is a bonus," Matteo wisely said.
"I'm sure you can find someone here for a date," Steven said.
"Here like in this room or somewhere around here?" Matteo was confused. His teammates weren't always clear in English.
"Well, I don't know. Maybe a guy here would like a date," Steven concluded.
"Oh, is anyone interested?" Matteo looked around, paying attention to his teammates' reactions. Most of the guys were straight and in relationships - only Cian and Victor were apparently single but Matteo didn't know them well enough to be aware of their preferences. The Belgians didn't show up, nor did Jonas, who still offered Matteo a small smile when Matteo glanced at him.
Then Olav arrived. He was coming back from his massage, hands in the pockets of his Visma sweatshirt. Still sitting in the chair, Matteo straightened his back as soon as he saw Olav. Oh. The guy ticked all the boxes and Matteo felt confident enough to ask him out.
"Olav," Matteo said after the Dutchman sat down in the other chair, "do you fancy a date?" He couldn't tell if Olav simply looked surprised or embarrassed - Olav was staring at him with wide eyes.
"Give this poor single man some company," Victor encouraged, patting Olav's thigh.
"He desperately needs it," Attila agreed.
Matteo felt his skin prickle under the collar of his shirt. His blush was rising, as much from embarrassment as in reaction to Olav's cute expression.
"Okay," Olav finally said. "Let's go on a date."
Matteo had a good night. He initially had some difficulty falling asleep (not helped by Sepp's snoring), then slept until his alarm went off. His date with Olav would officially start in an hour and a half in front of the team bus - that gave him time to eat a good breakfast and get ready. With a full stomach, Matteo went back upstairs to the bedroom, whistling cheerfully. He combed his hair, brushed his teeth, chose some stylish but casual clothes and sprayed a hint of perfume on his neck. Matteo smiled in the mirror, pleased with his appearance and eager to date Olav.
"How do I look?" Matteo asked Sepp before leaving.
"Nice," Sepp said. Matteo had chosen black pants, a white T-shirt like his sneakers. He was casually holding a light denim jacket over his shoulder. "Have a good time, guys!"
"Thank you!" Matteo slipped his key fob into his pants pocket and left.
Olav was already in front of the bus when Matteo arrived. He was wearing a pink T-shirt, light-colored jeans and white sneakers. His hair was perfect, probably washed and styled just before arriving. This was not the first time Matteo had seen Olav in everyday clothes but today Olav looked really good wearing them.
"You look good," Matteo said with a smile.
"You too," Olav's cute dimples deepened as he smiled.
"What do you want to do?"
"Is it a bike date?"
"Oh, if it's for a walk or to go somewhere. But let's try not to ruin our cool clothes."
"I meant that, yeah." Olav laughed, "How about a bike ride and a picnic on the cliffside overlooking the sea?"
"Sounds great! You know that little restaurant we had coffee two days ago? They do takeaway, I'm sure we can find some good things for lunch."
"Let's go."
Matteo volunteered to carry the backpack intended for their lunch. They grabbed their bikes, helmets and bidons, let the team know they were leaving for the day. The restaurant was about an hour's bike ride from the hotel, more like an hour and a half at leisurely pace. It was a beautiful day - the sky was blue all the way to the horizon, the wind was just a pleasant breeze. Matteo and Olav chatted about random things, pedaling leisurely while admiring the magnificent view of Tenerife's coastline.
Around 13h, Olav and Matteo stopped for lunch. They had found the perfect spot, a green corner on the cliffside with a breathtaking view of the sea. Far from the tourist sites, the location was ideally quiet. The meal was good and balanced enough that they didn't need to lie to the nutritionist about the number of calories they were ingesting. For dessert, they had chosen an assortment of homemade biscuits, perfect for discovering regional specialties and sharing their opinions on the different varieties. Olav particularly liked the lemon ones, Matteo preferred the truchas (a kind of sweet turnover filled with almonds and sweet potato), but they both agreed on the Canarian almendrados.
"The almonds taste incredible," Olav said, taking a second almendrados.
"They do," Matteo took a second one as well. "The raw material is high quality, I've rarely tasted almonds this good."
"Should we talk to the nutritionist about these almendrados?" Olav gave Matteo a knowing look.
"It'll be our little secret," Matteo winked suggestively. It was perfectly possible to flirt while talking about almendrados.
After lunch, Matteo took out his notebook and pencil case while Olav rested his eyes. Tenerife was a great place if you liked keeping a travel journal - there were all sorts of amazing landscapes, wonderful colors and unreal sunsets. Matteo sketched what was in front of him. The cliff face, the vegetation, the sea and the blue sky. With his black pen, he wrote down his thoughts and the good times of the last two days, ending his page with the view is as incredible as the person I share it with.
"Are you writing or drawing?" Olav asked, sitting up after his fifteen-minute rest.
"Both," Matteo put the cap back on his pen and then put it back in his pencil case with his colored pencils.
"Can I see? Just the illustrations, I won't read."
"If you want but it's not great art," Matteo laughed, handing his notebook to Olav.
"I'm sure it's not that bad."
Olav took the diary and leafed through it. Matteo always felt strange when he showed his diary to someone - he wrote intimate things in it but was paradoxically inclined to share it because he had no secrets or shame about anything.
"That's really cool," Olav said. "It means you're a creative person and attentive to your environment. The drawings are interesting. I also like your handwriting."
"Thanks," Matteo blushed. Getting compliments on his little drawings was pleasant.
"Have you been doing this for a long time?"
"I started in elementary school. My best friend kept a journal. She drew fairies and put stickers in it. I thought it was cool so I started one."
"Did you draw fairies?"
"Yeah, fairies are cool. They're the guardians of nature. Actually... I'm sure there are some here."
"Do you think they're watching us?" Olav smiled, looking toward the vegetation. Matteo followed his gaze.
"Probably not, they have better things to do than spy on two tall, skinny cyclists!"
Matteo recounted some childhood memories, including all those wonderful times with his best friend. Walks in the forest, building the fairy tree house, sleepovers, birthday parties - Matteo's childhood had been happy. He was grateful to his parents and siblings for all the kindness, love, and freedom he had been raised with. Olav listened to Matteo attentively, laughed at some of the anecdotes. Matteo saw that Olav never judged him, no matter what he said. Matteo felt safe and understood.
When Matteo had finished talking about his childhood, Olav also spoke about his past. A normal childhood, in a normal family. For a long time, he was torn between cycling and speed skating, until he reached an age where a choice became necessary if he wanted to pursue one of these sports as a career. Cycling offered more opportunities, especially with his intrinsic qualities and his results in physical tests. Olav had quickly been categorized as a sprinter and trained as such by the development team. He had fond memories of those years, especially thanks to the presence of Tim and Mick. He missed the van Dijke twins, now riders for Bora-Hansgrohe. Olav even admitted he wasn't sure he would stay at Visma after this season, the last of his contract.
"Did they make you an offer?" Matteo asked quietly, referring to the Bora-Hansgrohe team. Whatever they might say on that cliff in Tenerife would stay on that cliff in Tenerife.
"Not really. I'd like a good salary, but- you know- money isn't the only thing. The people you work with are important too. Having Tim and Mick around is a plus for Bora."
Matteo nodded. He could understand why this was a topic on Olav's mind. Matteo himself prioritized human relationships if that were possible. When he arrived in Europe, he had been on a French team and had loved life there so much that he had settled there. His three seasons at Movistar had allowed him to perfect his skills and learn alongside great riders, but the atmosphere wasn't the same as in France or at Visma. Matteo felt at home with Visma guys.
Time passed, and they were still there, chatting. Matteo recounted his latest trip, Olav talked about a good series he'd recently seen. They debated which guys were the best riders on hilly finishes, which ingredients paired best with avocado, and how they envisioned the upcoming season. For Matteo, Paris-Nice was clearly his main goal. It was his home race and the team trusted him to win it. Olav was aiming for several races. He hoped to win one-day races as much as stages in Giro. His Italian victory last year, his first in a Grand Tour, remained a fond memory.
"I'm having trouble finding jeans," Olav said a little later, after they had shared their thoughts on their new kit. "I don't like baggy pants, but it's hard to find ones that aren't tight around the thighs."
"I see," Matteo sympathized. "For me, it's the length- longer sizes aren't always available. It must be even worse for guys who are closer to two meters tall though."
"What's your height? 190cm?"
"Yeah, more or less. It's funny how your height varies depending on who's measuring you."
"True. My ID says 182cm but I'm actually 184cm."
"Really? I thought you were taller."
"Maybe you're shorter?"
"Maybe we're both taller. Like, Wout is supposed to be the same height but I'm taller than him."
"His hair makes the difference," Olav smiled.
"Yeah," Matteo laughed. "Anyway, I don't think there's a six-centimeter difference between us. If I'm actually 190cm, you're like 186cm."
"I just gained four centimeters. It's a good day."
"Yeah, it's a good day."
"If this was a real date," Olav smirked, "I'd suck your dick."
"What?" Matteo blushed.
"Well, this place is perfect for outdoor sex.."
"Yeah, but- I mean- it's a real date."
"I thought it was a joke-"
"No- the guys were joking about it but- I was serious!" Matteo buried his face in his hands. "Fuck."
"Fuck," Olav laughed nervously. "Okay. Fine... Now I'm so embarrassed. Forget what I said."
"Okay?" Matteo did not know what else to say. He was not a prude but talking about sex so directly was not part of his routine, nor was hoping to have sex on a first date.
"I mean- uh- if you want-"
"No- spending time together and talking is enough."
"Okay."
They remained silent for a moment, embarrassed by the misunderstanding. Thinking back to last evening, Matteo concluded that his request had indeed seemed confusing. The guys had joked about the seriousness of this date, had they not? Matteo should have been clearer about the sincerity of his proposal. Matteo wanted a date, but Olav wasn't a default choice. Olav was an interesting, smart person, and also a handsome guy. Matteo really wanted to go on this date with him.
"I guess flirting would be... weird now," Olav made a small gesture with his hand, referring to his previous offer.
"Probably," Matteo conceded. "But it would be a shame if our date was ruined because of it. Let's pretend you didn't offer me a blowjob and continue our date."
"Sounds good to me," Olav agreed. His face relaxed. "What if we find a way down to the beach? I'd love to dip my toes in the water."
"Great idea."
As they walked towards the beach along a small, safe path, the atmosphere became lighter again. The sea, an almost greenish blue, was as calm as the beach was deserted. Matteo took off his shoes and let his toes sink into the fine sand. Olav did the same, conscientiously tucking his black socks into his sneakers. They had left their bikes at the end of the path, leaning against a tree they could see from the beach (there was no one around to steal them anyway). Barefoot, they crossed the beach to the sea, rolled up their pants, and let the water reach their feet.
"Quite warm," Olav said, taking a few steps forward. "Enough for a swim."
"We should have brought towels," Matteo regretted.
The waves caressed their calves. Matteo closed his eyes, savoring the soothing warmth of the sun on his face. The date was going very well, after all. Matteo could not remember a date this good. Was it because the last one was a long time ago or because the person was Olav? Matteo opened his eyes again and looked at Olav. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze, his face bathed in light, looking peaceful. In profile, eyes closed, Olav was handsome. A straight nose, totally kissable lips, and then the marks of that pretty dimple when Olav smiled.
"I didn't want a random date," Matteo said.
"What?" Olav opened his eyes and turned his head toward Matteo.
"I wanted a date with you. Like.. I really wanted a date with you."
Slowly, Olav smiled, revealing his teeth and dimples. Matteo leaned in slightly, waiting for some verbal or non-verbal agreement to complete his move. So Olav closed his eyes, and then Matteo closed the distance to kiss him. Sometimes jokes led to good things.