Ethan's POV
Jealousy.
An emotion I never had to deal with. But of course, I've never had to experience anything in the past that'd caused me to feel jealous.
I've only been with women, and I've never bothered them about flirting with other men. I didn't care. It never bothered me if they decided to date other men. If anything, my nonchalant attitude bothered them a great deal.
"Don't you care about me? Why won't you get jealous if I sleep with another man?" one of my exes had asked me.
"Of course, it will bother me if you cheat on me. Why wouldn't it?" I was irritated.
"It's just that...you never seemed to get jealous if I talked to other men," she said.
"I don't see what the problem is. I am secure about myself, and I trust you. It's a good thing, right?" I asked. I still had no idea what was the point of this discussion was.
"It's not just that," she hesitated. "You also don't seem to be interested in sleeping with me as much."
"Are you unsatisfied with my performance?" I raised my eyebrows.
"What? No, that's not what I am talking about. Sexually you are great. I just feel like you are emotionally disconnected. Like you aren't interested in me," she said. Her eyes were full of sadness.
I thought about it. She wasn't wrong. I had sex with her to satisfy my physical needs, but I never felt attached to her. Maybe that's why I could care less if she talked to other men.
We broke up that day as I couldn't tell her something she wanted to hear. It was the same way with my other girlfriends.
What can I say? Jealousy wasn't my thing.
Or so I thought until I saw that blonde asshole flirting with Corey. Seeing him flirt with Corey irritated me for some reason. And first, I didn't think much of it, but then, jealousy and rage bubbled inside me as I heard Corey setting up their little date. I saw the way he was looking at Corey. He wanted him.
Not on my watch.
Luckily, I saw his gym tag hanging from his pocket and instantly knew which gym he belonged to. This means I can crash their date tonight.
I didn't know why I felt this way. What did I want from Corey? I've never been with a guy before. Growing up, my father drilled it into my brain that being gay is not okay. If he found out I had lingering feelings for a guy, he'd be ashamed.
But I wasn't a child, and I didn't live under his roof anymore, so I was free to like whomever I wanted. It wasn't like he could beat me up right now. I kept my feelings well hidden all these years, but I don't have to do it anymore. I put on my workout attire and headed to the gym. I couldn't wait to see the shocked expression on Corey's face. I bet his ears will turn red again.
The way he looked at me when I walked in was the exact reaction I hoped for. His eyes turned wide, and his face turned red like a tomato.
"What are you doing here?" Corey asked after recovering from his initial shock.
"Like I said. I needed to work out too, so I figured I give this place a try," I grinned.
"Out of all places..." Corey murmured.
"Well, okay. The more, the merrier, I guess," the blonde remarked.
He took us to a small weight room and started to show us some routines to follow. I went to the bench and started to lift some weights. I saw Corey staring at me in my peripheral vision and smirked. I wondered if he liked what he saw. I knew he liked my body in high school, and I managed to stay in good shape all these years. He looked away each time our eyes met.
After we were done, I felt hot and sweaty, so I took my shirt off to wipe myself down.
"Whoa, dude. You didn't need my help at all. You're rock solid!" Jacob exclaimed and punched my chest playfully. "And nice arms by the way!"
"Pfft...I've seen better," Corey scoffed and trailed his eyes on my body. Liar...I could tell he was impressed.
I chuckled. "I do alright, I guess," I said.
"I'm gonna go hit the shower so we can get out of here. Thanks for joining us, boss, but Jacob and I have a date at the club later," he said and headed to the shower.
"Why don't you join us, Ethan?" Jacob said.
"Jacob! I'm sure Ethan has better things to do than tagging along. Besides, being at a club full of gay guys might make him uncomfortable," Corey said. His tone was bitter.
"Actually, I don't mind. I am coming along," I said.
"No, you are not," Corey protested firmly and glared at me.
"Corey, don't be rude. You are more than welcome, Ethan," Jacob said and smiled at me. Is he trying to flirt with me? I thought he liked Corey.
"Fuck it, do whatever you want," Corey sneered and stomped toward the shower. I smiled in victory. Maybe I like Jacob after all.
After a few minutes have passed, the three of us ended up at the club. It was one of the biggest gay bars/dance clubs in the city though I've never been inside. It was bright and flashy inside with a sea of men, but somehow I didn't feel like I was out of place. I got a few looks from guys as I passed them and became instantly proud of myself. Thank god I kept up with my workout and stayed in good shape. Most of these men were attractive, but none of them were as adorable as Corey as he occasionally gave me his famous death glares.
"I'll go to the bar. Drinks are on me," I announced.
"Woo! I love your boss Corey!" Jacob cheered. Corey said nothing and made a sour face, earning an amused chuckle from me.
I ordered some shots and leaned against the bar. A young guy who looked about 18 to 19 stood next to me. He had a flirty smile painted on his face.
"Hey handsome, are you alone?" he asked.
"Actually, I am with my friends, and I'm not interested," I said dismissively.
"Oh, don't be like that. I'm Roman," he said and extended his hand.
I looked at him closely. He had a lean and almost feminine looking body. He had nicely tanned skin with dark brown eyes and light brown hair. He looked quite cute when he smiled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm Ethan," I said.
"Are you with that black-haired guy over there? I noticed he keeps looking at you," Roman pointed at Corey. I looked and saw Corey staring right at Roman and me with an unreadable expression on his face. He was almost squinting his eyes at me.
I smiled. So little Corey couldn't keep his eyes off me, huh? Was he jealous that I was talking to another guy? I looked at Roman. "Actually, we are not together, so I'm free."
"Oh, that's great news because I've been watching you for a while, and you are fucking hot. Why don't we have some fun after this?" Roman touched my arm flirtatiously.
I had no intention of doing that but why not use this opportunity to get on Corey's nerves?
"Sure, but first, let's introduce you to my friends," I said. I put my arm around Roman and hugged him close, never breaking my eye contact with Corey. His face was twisted into a frown.