Passing to Payton Read Free

been on Jamie the entire time.
    Go pro? Ha! He couldn’t even enjoy the best damn game of his university career without someone making a fool out of him.
    Not just someone . Payton was a friend. At least, that’s what Jamie had let himself believe.
    And Tucker? No. No way would Tucker have done it on purpose.
    It must have seemed like the perfect setup to Peterson – Jamie having a huge infatuation with Payton. Maybe that’s why it seemed like Payton had been avoiding him for the past week. Must’ve freaked him out, learning that a gay guy had a crush on him. Jamie had to wonder how much Peterson had bet him. If it was anything like Vickers, it was all for one damn bottle of Crown Royal.
    That’s all Jamie’s dignity was worth, apparently.
    After a rushed job of getting dressed, his shirt now on inside out, he stomped his way to the Headington Hall athletic dorms and straight into the apartment-style room he shared with LeBron, Tucker and Payton- Ah, shit!
    Why did he ever think living in the dorms was a good idea? Because, LeBron and Tucker had begged him last season so they wouldn’t get stuck with some party-freak like Peterson. Then Payton moved in after that soccer player, Falcone, left to play pro in Brazil. Or Spain. Or... Someplace Jamie now wished he was. Fuck!
    Jamie cussed his way past Tucker’s closed door and into the bathroom they shared. The shower he took was hot and searing as he tried to burn away the ache in his chest. He’d never been so humiliated. Putting up with Peterson was nothing compared to how he’d let himself get his hopes, and dick, up about Payton.
    Payton being gay... Jamie’s wet dream come true.
    Yeah, right. That should’ve been Jamie’s first red flag that it was a trap. Bastards probably had a camera hidden someplace, and his pale ass and hard dick were now on their way to the campus rumor mill.
    ‘ Sooners’ Queer Quarterback Gets It Up for the Tight End!’ Jamie could see the headlines now.
    “Hey, Jamie? That you?”
    Jamie flinched at the sound of Tucker’s voice. “Fuck off, Tuck.”
    “Aw, c’mon man!” Tucker’s voice was coming from right outside the shower. “I wanna know how it went. Did you talk to Payton?”
    Jamie twisted the tap off and reached past the edge of the shower curtain to yank down a towel. “So, you did know about the joke...”
    “Joke? Uh, what joke?”
    Jamie wound the towel around his waist and opened the door between the shower-toilet area and the rest of the bathroom. Tucker had the most confused look on his face that Jamie had ever seen, and Tucker got confused a lot . “You know, the joke you helped Peterson set up?”
    “Peterson?” Tucker’s bushy unibrow raised as his huge arms crossed over a barrel chest. “When the fuck have I ever helped that prick?”
    Jamie huffed, leaning back against the counter that supported a double sink layout. It wasn’t Tucker’s fault the poor guy was an idiot sometimes. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to, but apparently Peterson tried to pull another Vickers on me with Payton.”
    “What?” He scratched his head. “Nah, man, that can’t be right. Payton came out to me a week ago, so I told him he should take you out on a date.”
    “You... What ?”
    Tucker got a proud grin on his face. “Yeah! Remember, you said you were like, in love with him or whatever? Huge crush, right? I thought, man, Tucker, that’s like, fate! Payton coming out to me, I mean, not even a month after you told me you liked him.”
    “You...” Jamie’s gut flipped sideways. “So, Payton told you he’s gay, and you believe him?”
    “Yeah. He said he liked you, was tired of ignoring it, and that he was gonna come out to Coach, ask you on a date and make it the best damn birthday he’s ever had!”
    “Oh. Shit.”
    “But,” Tucker scratched his head again. “What are you doing back here? Payton had this whole shower thing planned. LeBron said he was being a total girl about it, and that he should just