Playing Along Read online

  Playing Along

  The Travel Boys Book 2

  Louisa Keller

  My sincerest thanks go out to my dear partner, who answered a million questions about queer vlogging culture. Sorry about all the times I woke you up in the middle of the night to ask you to look over a passage!

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Dom

  2. Smith

  3. Dom

  4. Smith

  5. Dom

  6. Smith

  7. Dom

  8. Smith

  9. Dom

  10. Smith

  11. Dom

  12. Smith

  13. Dom

  14. Smith

  15. Dom

  16. Smith

  Epilogue

  Fragile Ground

  Blank Slate

  The Limelight (The Travel Boys Book 1)

  Passing Stranger

  Want More?

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 by Louisa Keller

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Ruthie Luhnow & Kay Simone.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  [email protected]

  www.louisakeller.com

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  Prologue

  Smith

  I barely glanced around as I got off the Metro right in front of Notre Dame.

  It wasn’t that I was immune to Paris’s beauty—even after spending summer after summer in France, I still wasn’t over how fucking gorgeous everything was. No, the problem was that I was late.

  More than late.

  I was a hot goddamn mess.

  Some guy with the YourTube handle dbaker was waiting for me at a café nearby, ready to make a video together about queer culture. He was probably expecting the version of myself that showed up in my videos—quick-witted, snarky, eloquent, confident. I hoped he wouldn’t be too disappointed when he met the real me…exhausted, sloppy, and covered in hickies.

  The night before had been like the best kind of fever dream. Not only had I met an amazing guy, but I had spent the night fucking him into the mattress. Dom was like a fucking forest fire, burning its way through my mind. All of my cool, aloof, bad-boy sensibility was slipping away, leaving behind a version of myself I didn’t realize.

  A guy who started falling hard after less than twenty-four hours.

  A guy who was late to a professional meeting.

  A guy who showed up to said meeting looking like he had just been fucked within an inch of his life.

  Jesus Christ.

  I nearly sprinted over the bridge that took me to La Fontaine Saint Michel, running my hands through my disheveled hair as I went. I skidded to a stop outside the little café and glanced around.

  I assumed that dbaker would be sitting by himself, maybe typing something on his laptop or fiddling with his recording equipment. When my eyes landed on him, however, my chest clenched.

  He was on his phone, smiling at he read a text message, and he was just as beautiful as he had been the night before.

  Dom was sitting at a little table, completely oblivious to my presence. My pulse began racing and my breathing hitched. God, I wanted him. But also…holy shit. Dom was dbaker. There was no other explanation for him being there, at the very time that I was supposed to be meeting my collaborator. I hadn’t bothered looking the guy up, and now…well, now I had to deal with the consequences.

  “Dom?” I asked, my voice cracking.

  His head whipped up and his eyes latched onto mine. Holy motherfucking shit, he was breathtaking. I wanted to run my tongue along the line of his throat, to clench my fists in his neatly ironed floral shirt, to yank on his hair. I wanted him, right then and there.

  “Smith,” he gasped. “What are you doing here?”

  My eyebrows shot up. “I should be asking you that.”

  Get your head in the game, Smith, I thought.

  “I’m here for a collaboration,” Dom breathed out, sounding rather faint. My brows knit together. It still seemed impossible that he could be the very guy I was supposed to be working with. But then he added, “You’re smorgenstern?”

  “Holy shit,” I muttered, my mind spinning. “You’re dbaker.”

  He nodded, and I was overcome by the sudden urge to wrap my arms around him. He was right there, within arm’s reach. But there was business to attend to.

  “I had no idea,” Dom was saying. “I didn’t get around to watching any of your videos after I responded to that email. God, this is so surreal.”

  He kicked out the chair next to him and I sank onto it, reaching absently for the croissant that was sitting on the table. I broke off a piece and chewed it slowly, giving myself time to think.

  This is your chance to work with Dom.

  The man who’s making you questions all your values is right here.

  God, he looks good.

  I want him, I want him, I want him.

  Breathe, Smith.

  You’re a professional, act like it.

  “I can’t believe you’re the guy I’m supposed to be collaborating with this morning,” I finally managed to get out.

  “Yeah, this is insane,” Dom agreed. “Of all the people at the conference…”

  “Well shit,” I said with a smile. “Looks like we don’t need to bother getting to know each other over coffee before we dive in.”

  Dom broke into a laugh, his entire body relaxing. “I can order us another round if you need to caffeinate. I don’t mind having the opportunity to get to know you better.”

  “You know,” I said, “I think we’ll learn plenty about each other while we shoot this video. My viewers have been responding to a poll and the results just came in this morning. You’ll never guess what we’re talking about in the video.”

  Even as I said it, my stomach began tying itself in knots.

  Dom quirked an eyebrow and asked in a shaky voice, “What’s the topic?”

  I looked at Dom, the sweet, level-headed, sexy man who had rocked my world the night before. God, I hoped he was on board with this video. I already knew that fans were going to love it, that they would pick up on the chemistry between us. Hell, even without the hickies, we were practically a walking pheromones ad.

  Swallowing my nerves, I forced a grin onto my face and told him.

  “Is it a one-night stand or something more?”

  1

  Dom

  “Are you gonna bring me back a present?” Finley asked from his position on the floor. He had somehow managed to twist himself into an incomprehensible pretzel of a human being, and I gazed down at him bemusedly.

  “That depends,” I said, tossing a sock at him. It landed on top of his head and he shot me a glare, shaking his head to dislodge the sock. “Are you going to be unbearable the entire time I’m gone? Because Carson will keep me updated on everything that goes on while I’m in Paris. I can’t reward bad behavior.”

  Finley squinted up at me as he folded one of his long legs behind his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he sniffed. “I have never once been unbearable in my life.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Weren’t you the one who put all of Leo’s boxers in the freezer day before yesterday?”

  “That wasn’t unbearable, that was hilarious,” said Finley.

  “He had a date,” I said, trying not to laugh. “He had to go commando, Finley.”

  “He should be thanking me,” said Finley. “It prob
ably shaved like ten seconds off the undressing process. I basically helped him get laid faster.”

  “Uh huh,” I said, grabbing one of my short-sleeved floral button-downs and folding it neatly before tucking it into my suitcase. “I’m sure he saw it that way.”

  Finley began painstakingly untangling himself, grunting with the effort. “God, I love yoga. Did you see how high I got my leg?”

  “I was trying not to look,” I said with a laugh. “I can’t believe you’re getting certified as a yoga instructor.”

  “Eh, I wanted to supplement Zumba,” he said. “And flexibility is a serious plus when you’re dating Sven. Last night he—”

  “Aaaaaaand I’m tapping out of this conversation,” I said loudly, cutting him off. “Can you pass me those pants?”

  Finley grabbed my black skinny jeans and tossed them up onto the bed, completely ignoring the fact that they had been neatly ironed earlier in the day. I smoothed out the wrinkles he had invoked and tucked the jeans in next to the shirt.

  “What time are you leaving?” Finley asked, standing up and rolling out his neck.

  I glanced at my watch. “In a few minutes. I need to be to the airport by five-thirty. I have a Lyft reserved.”

  “Aw man, you’re gonna miss Top Model. I can’t believe you’re leaving us behind, dude. The least you could do is bring us with you,” whined Finley.

  “To a YourTuber conference?” I asked, quirking one eyebrow. “You’d be bored out of your skull, bro.”

  Finley shrugged. “I would occupy myself with French men and escargot. Which I hope is what you plan to do. You’re not seriously going to waste a week in Paris going to a conference, are you?”

  “Believe it or not,” I told him, “I actually enjoy conferences. Besides, I’m going to meet all of these awesome YourTubers and fans.”

  “Kill me now,” groaned Finley. “That sounds like literal hell. I’ll tell you what—for every panel you attend, you have to eat at least one crêpe.”

  I wrinkled my nose at him affectionately. “Okay, you’ve got a deal. Hey, maybe I’ll even smuggle one back on the plane for you.”

  “A day-old crêpe? Pass,” said Finley seriously. “Just enjoy them for me while you’re there. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I said, zipping up my suitcase and glancing around to check that I hadn’t forgotten to pack anything. I clapped Finley on the shoulder and added, “Go easy on Sven, alright?”

  “Not a chance,” he said with a smile.

  I hefted my suitcase off the bed and rolled it out into the living room. My other roommates, Carson and Leo, were lounging on the sage green sectional couch. Leo was smoking a joint, which he offered me as I sat down between the two of them. I took a long drag, enjoying the tangy flavor of the smoke.

  “Is this the new indica you got the other day?” I asked.

  “Yep,” said Leo. “Delicious, yeah?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, handing the joint to Carson who punched me lightly on the shoulder.

  “Are you all ready to go?” Carson asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I told him. “I’m totally convinced I’ve left something behind…but it’s only a week, right?”

  Carson nodded, his face serious. “It’ll be great, Dom.”

  I lowered my voice, leaning toward him confidentially. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, his right hand reaching up to caress his left collarbone absentmindedly.

  “I’ve never missed the anniversary,” I said, pressing my own hand against his and pulling it away from his shoulder.

  “Shit,” he murmured, “I didn’t even realize I was…”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “But really, are you going to be fine without me? I don’t want you to be alone.”

  “He won’t be alone, dude,” piped up Leo. “We’ve got him.”

  “I mean, I don’t need anyone to have me, but Leo’s right,” said Carson. “We’ll all get really stoned and binge watch a cooking show or something. I don’t need you to be here for it every single year.”

  I let my gaze flick across his face, examining every minute detail, looking for a hint of a lie. But he was calm, as composed as ever. My lovely, fierce best friend.

  “Well, at least call me that day, okay?” I said.

  “Okay Mom,” Carson teased, a small smile breaking across his features. “Can we talk about something else? Please?”

  I nodded, shooting him a fond smile. “Of course. Any particular topic you have in mind?”

  “I mean,” said Leo, “I’m wondering if you’re going to fall in love with a Parisian man while you’re there.”

  “Yeah, you gonna score a boyfriend and forget to come home?” Carson asked playfully.

  “In my fucking dreams,” I sighed. “I’m in the middle of such a profound dry spell I can’t even remember what sex feels like.”

  “How is that even possible?” Leo asked, taking another hit. “You’re a total catch. You know, if you’re into nerdy, well-dressed, and pragmatic. Which I am not.”

  I snorted a laugh. “How would you describe your type then?”

  Leo grinned at me. “Air-headed, kinky, and game for a threesome.”

  “Sorry Dom,” said Carson seriously, “you’re oh-for-three. Looks like Leo’s not your one true love.”

  “Ugh,” I said, “what a bummer. Here I was pining after him.”

  “Shut up,” said Leo, “you would be lucky to get with me.”

  “Yeah, if I wanted a twelve-hour connection and then to be ghosted,” I muttered, earning myself a playful swat from Leo.

  “What are you looking for in a guy, Dom?” asked Carson.

  It was strange, because I assumed my friends could just read my mind. Wasn’t it completely obvious? I wanted someone who was in it for the long run, someone who was thoughtful and challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, someone who wouldn’t string me along the way Harris had. Someone who probably didn’t even exist.

  But that sounded pathetic, so I cast around for something to say that wouldn’t get me mocked.

  “Oh, you know,” I said, playing at being casual. From the look on Carson’s face, I could see that I was failing miserably. “Just someone kind, I suppose.”

  “Kind?” said Leo incredulously. “That’s your only criteria?”

  “Well, someone who cares about the queer community,” I added. “I definitely wouldn’t want to be with someone who didn’t get my work, you know?”

  “Hey,” said Carson with a sly smile, “maybe you’ll meet someone at the conference.”

  “What, another YourTuber?” I asked. To be honest, the thought had never occurred to me. Could I get together with someone who worked in my field? I pushed the notion away at once. The chances of meeting someone who would meet my criteria and want me back was a longshot. And even if I met someone in Paris, it wasn’t like we would have a solid foundation for a relationship. Long distance sounded like a nightmare.

  “Our boy just doesn’t have it in him to hook up with a stranger at a conference,” Leo said smugly.

  I flipped him off half-heartedly.

  “I don’t know,” mused Carson. “He had plenty of little trysts in college. Y’know, before he shackled himself to that douchebag for two years. Maybe he just needs to get back in the game.”

  “I’m sitting right here,” I griped.

  “Sorry bro,” said Carson.

  “I can’t believe I still hang out with you assholes,” I said, shaking my head.

  “You love us,” said Leo dismissively.

  “We’re your family, dude,” said Carson.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I sighed.

  “You’re going to have a blast,” he assured me. “Just…try to let loose.”

  “Maybe you’ll be like Porter,” Leo added. “He found love when he went on an adventure. Why can’t you?”

  “Porter was very, very lucky,” I pointed out. “Plus, in case your forgot, he was ho
rrifically depressed while he was traveling. That is definitely not on the agenda for this trip.”

  “He was depressed while he was on the road,” Leo conceded, “but he’s, like, stupidly happy now. You know he mentioned the M-word the other day.”

  “Monogamy?” asked Carson.

  “Nah, they’ve been monogamous from the beginning,” said Leo.

  “Marriage?” I demanded.

  “That’s the one,” said Leo. “Can you believe it?”

  “Holy shit,” I said. “He’s planning to propose?”

  “No idea,” said Leo, “but he said when Levi and I are married. Like it was a forgone conclusion or whatever.”

  My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out.

  “My Lyft is here,” I said, reaching out to squeeze Carson’s shoulder. “See you in a week. We’ll talk more about this when I get back.”

  “Sure thing,” said Carson.

  “Bye Dom,” called Finley from down the hall.

  Leo raised his hand in a lazy wave, and Carson clapped me on the back. I grabbed my bag, took a deep breath, and left the house.

  I started making YourTube videos right after college. I was working a shitty job at a grungy mall, and I needed something in my life that felt meaningful. So, I started making sex ed videos for gay guys and posted them online, expecting a few hundred hits tops. To my surprise—and delight—I gained a hefty following right off the bat. Most of my fans left comments saying that my frank, non-judgmental attitude toward sex helped them to feel comfortable seeking out additional resources about gay sex.

  That was all the inspiration that I needed to keep going. I covered every topic I could think of—nothing was out of bounds. People started sending requests for education about certain sex acts, and I discovered that I had been having relatively vanilla sex. That was when I began collaborating with other gay men and queer YourTubers. When I didn’t know much about a requested topic, I called in someone who could speak knowledgeably about it.