Chris handed him a bottle of water. Shen was lying on the counter by the espresso machine, insisting that the stone counters were the coolest place in the building. They hadn’t bothered turning on the air conditioning, since it was a weekend and the city had been experiencing the usual temperate, comfortable weather.
But a heat wave had rolled in overnight, and they’d spent the morning moving the recording equipment and instruments from Minh’s apartment to the studio. Daria and Minh were on their way via bus, since between the stuff and the three guys, Chris’s car had been packed to the gills.
Chris stripped off his shirt and flopped onto one of the desks.
Vinnie lifted his head long enough to say, “Hey, man, I’m gonna have to work there. Don’t get your nasty sweat all over it.”
Chris managed a weak laugh. “Fuck you. Shen’s on the counter, for fuck’s sake. It’s where we put our food. But I don’t hear you complaining.”
“Whatever.” Vinnie stood up on a groan. “I’m gonna go home and shower and then pass out for a while. That shit was heavier than it looked.”
“That’s cool. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Chris held out his hand, and Vinnie high-fived him as he passed by.
“Later, Shen,” Vinnie called, heading toward the door.
“Yeah, later.” Shen sounded like he was already half asleep.
Chris hauled himself over to Shen and poked him in the side. “Move over. I need to use the sink to wash some of this stink off.”
Shen laughed. “Go to the bathroom. You’ll need more than dish soap and paper towels for that.”
“The sink in the bathroom is tiny. And you don’t exactly smell like roses, either.”
Shen sat up and sniffed under his arms, then wrinkled his nose. “Aw, shit.”
Chris laughed. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Fuck you.” Shen reached over and flipped on the water, then grabbed the sponge from the sink and drenched it before throwing it at Chris. Water sprayed everywhere when Chris caught it.
“Aw, that’s disgusting!” Chris laughed and lobbed it back, hitting Shen in the middle of his chest with a splat. It left a big rectangular wet mark on his T-shirt.
“Damn, man.” Shen took his shirt off then too, draping it on top of the espresso machine to dry. “Not cool.”
“At least maybe your shirt will smell like coffee now instead of nasty.”
Shen pelted Chris back with the sponge, and pretty soon the two of them were throwing it back and forth, trying to smack one another with it. Shen had just landed a particularly annoying blow to Chris’s forehead and was dancing around shouting, “Eat sponge, loser!” when the sound of applause made the two guys freeze and turn toward the door.
Minh and Daria stood there, clapping, and Chris tried not to groan in humiliation.
Daria was obviously trying not to laugh. “We leave you guys alone for half an hour and find you half naked, giving each other some kind of violent sponge bath?”
“Can’t a man smack another man with a wet sponge without being given the third degree?” Shen asked, then grabbed his shirt. For a second Chris felt a surge of jealousy. Shen was in great shape, but unlike Chris he had no tattoos. Minh had seemed to like them well enough the other night, but what if she realized that tattoo-less, clean-cut Shen was the kind of guy she preferred?
Fuck, he hated this uncertainty. It made him feel weak.
Daria pretended to think for a second, then shook her head. “Nope. I can think of precisely zero circumstances under which sponge fighting would not raise at least a few questions.” She headed toward Shen, who was still standing over in the kitchen area, and the two fell into quiet conversation. Chris took the opportunity to go to Minh, who was staring at his still-bare chest with a hungry look.
Good. He felt so full of both relief and masculine pride he was surprised he wasn’t beating his chest and flexing his muscles.
She looked amazing again today. No more of that conservative, symphony-playing stuff. Today she had on a little white tank top and red shorts, and all he could think about were her sweet, firm breasts and tight ass and—
“Hey, you guys.” Daria’s voice was close behind him. He should have been grateful for the interruption that kept him from reaching out and touching Minh in a way that was too familiar in front of other people, but he still wanted to lean over and lick a trail from her chin to her navel, over that light sheen of sweat that highlighted her collarbones, teasing him.
“Are you going to be too upset if I bail on the Farmer’s market? It’s just too hot.”
He shook his head. “I don’t mind. But why did you come all the way out here? You could have just stayed at the apartment.”
Daria glanced over at Shen. “Shen was thinking we could go to a movie. You know, since the theater is cool. You guys wanna come?”
Chris shook his head. “I’ve been kind of off movies lately with all the energy we’re pouring into the one we’re making.” He turned to Minh. “Do you want to go?”