This story is a sequel to My First Year in College and My First Year in Prison.
Tyler is finally ready to commit to a serious relationship when he moves in with his former College crush, Austin. After years of entertaining the idea, it is time for those two to figure it out: is their relationship meant to last?
This story is entirely fictional and all characters featured are above 18.
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MY FIRST YEAR WITH AUSTIN
Chapter 11: The Reunion
The "early thirties" stage of a man's life is widely underrated. Look-wise, I mean.
Martin was far from being the only one looking better than ever!
The 32 years old version of Henry, who joined us at the bar of the hotel's lobby shortly after our arrival, looked gorgeous in his fancy Hugo Boss suit.
Imagine seeing all your favourite college boys turned into hunky daddies! A taste of Heaven.
Young enough to have kept their fit jock body intact, only with more hair, more charisma, and more experience to offer.
Henry came with a girl, Natasha. A Slovenian expat, living in the U.S. since her teenage years. She was wearing a purple dress, very classy (and quite boring).
Her blond hair and pale skin were clashing with Henry's dark chocolate's skin but the two were stunning together. Like movie stars' level of hotness.
Henry was already looking more mature than any of us during my freshman year, but ten years later, with some dapper clothes tightly fit around his muscular frame, he was definitely a full-on grown up.
Henry was the CEO of a tech brand. He explained the product he was selling during our first drink but I did not catch much of it. I think I was too distracted by the top button of his white shirt, ready to pop at any given moment.
Martin was not helping. He was still acting very much like an immature college freshman, - despite his new life as a "Christian man" -, and he kept on poking Henry's visible nipples to mess up with him.
The two had been bros for years. That night, it felt like they were 20 all over again. Natasha did not seem to mind; She was staring at Martin's chest hair like she wanted a bite.
I get it. Martin's salty skin did seem like a delicious dish.
After Henry and Martin, we met with Ashley and her husband of two years, Dimitri. I did check Austin's reaction, making sure he was not too jealous of Ashley holding hands (and then French-kissing) another (cute) guy.
He did not seem to care. Good! Austin even chatted with Dimitri for a while.
They talked about their respective jobs, apparently, they knew some people in common.
On our side, Janice and I were very happy to see Ashley and to-catch up with her.
Ashley had not changed one bit.
She was still the same upfront, dynamic and positive woman. Ashley had never been shy about showing some cleavage, talking loudly or sharing intimate details of her life with anyone who cared to listen and, here again, she was true to herself.
"Tyyyyyyy, our gangsta!!" She yelled from the other side of the room when she first saw me.
Great to be introduced this way, I thought.
As many of my friends, Ashley was quite interested by my experience in prison, - I could not really blame her -, but the subject of our conversation quickly moved on to Austin.
Despite the fact that I was currently dating her ex, she had been quite supportive of me trying my chance with Austin, even way back in college. You see, Ashley was all about freedom and thinking outside of the box.
"In the end, you can really thank me." She told me seriously.
"Why?"
"If I had stayed with Austin during our first year, you two would have never gotten together..."
"Yeah... I successfully got him eleven years later. Very efficient technique!"
She smiled at me.
"Nah! Don't pull that shit with me. You know damn well you planted those seeds during that freshman year! Now, you're only harvesting."
I smiled back.
"I guess that I did."
"That's crazy when you think about it. I know for a fact Austin loves to eat a good pussy so I've always imagined him going from one girl to another. Don't get me wrong though, I think you are looking so freaking cute together. Like relationship goal!"
"Ashley, for God's sake!" Janice rolled her eyes.
"Just stating the truth."
"No doubt about that." I replied calmly. "But weirdly, Austin does tend to love eating my ass over any other pussy."
Ashley and I both chuckled while Janice put her head in her hands, getting desperate by how inappropriate we were being.
I could take Ashley's banter anytime. I had accepted that Austin was straight, or whatever, but I was his "exception". And at this point in time, I was fine with it. I did not need to put him, or anyone for that matter, in a box.
In a way, the fact that Austin was comfortable with holding my hand or showing signs of affection, while his frat bros were around, was the most beautiful gesture that he could have offered me.
My 18 years-old self would have given anything to have this, and finally, here we were.
Overall, the evening went great... Although, things degenerated somewhat throughout the night.
We did some throwback dancing to the hits we were listening to back in college, retold some crazy anecdotes, and the group of frat boys were getting along just like they had never left each other. They sure looked older but they were acting as outrageously and lewdly as they did in college.
Only Tobias (that real asshole of the bunch!) had not been invited back. Good riddance!
Luis made an apparition at 9 PM and Janice shared an awkward moment with him. They had dated for about a year before separating.
Luis did not seem to have a girlfriend whereas Janice was very happy to tell him (and tell everybody else) that she was getting married in three weeks. She was even showing off pictures of Richard to every guest she was engaging with.
On the other side of the room, Martin was already starting to blabber incoherently and was taking way too many vodka shots. Obviously, he had thrown his top away a long time ago. Frat guys are not really known to hold on to their shirts.
I assumed that the newly-found Christian man needed to loosen-up while he was away from his wife...
I went to the bathroom feeling a little buzz.
Pissing in a urinal is often a great way to know if you should keep drinking or take a break and right there, I could tell it was time for me to hold off on the booze. I was aiming poorly and my head was spinning.
Not the best circumstances to meet with an ex...
"Tyler! I was not sure you would be here."
I was still peeing but I turned my head, not sure if I was hallucinating or not.
Steve was there. Looking handsome as ever in a tank-top showcasing his large biceps. He was now sporting a trimmed beard but his bright smile, which had made me fall for him, was the same as I remembered.
He also had a tattoo on his forearm, a small pride flag... and of course, I had to notice, he was wearing a wedding ring on his finger.
"I... Steve... Nice to..."
"Dude, you're pissing everywhere!" He laughed.
Fuck. I was! But that was his fault, he had cut me off in the middle of the action!
"Damn. Sorry, I'm a little drunk."
"We've just got here; we seem to be late to the party. We do not live far away but Gary had to work late."
Oh... Gary. Of course.
