Riding Into the Unseen

My name is Chester Jones.

There was something a little different about my body. Because of that, I was almost thirty and had never been in a real, intimate relationship. It was the kind of frustration that could not easily be explained, the kind that settled deep in the chest and refused to go away.

Then there was Gavin Cobb.

His life could not have been more different.

There were always new women showing up in his social circle. They came and went, one after another, like some endless party that never really stopped. All of them were attractive in their own way. Somehow, they all ended up around him, letting him handle them however he pleased.

I would have been lying if I said I was not jealous. At times, a reckless thought would flicker through my mind, quick and dangerous, only to be pushed down just as fast. Those were his people, after all, and no matter how strong the feeling grew, I knew I could not cross that line.

In the end, I did the only thing I could think of. I spent two thousand dollars and brought a woman home.

The moment she saw me, her expression changed, as if she had just seen something that frightened her. She did not even take the money. She simply turned and hurried away.

When Gavin found out, he did not laugh at me like I expected. Instead, he invited me into a group chat for a cycling club.

"The women in here are all just looking to relax and have fun," he said. "Someone like you, with your… special condition, you might actually stand out more."

Something about what he said struck a nerve. Or maybe it stirred a flicker of hope.

Either way, I agreed almost immediately.

There were ten people in the group, and only two of them were men: Gavin and me.

"From now on, we set up rides in this chat," Gavin told me. "We are our own little circle."

I scrolled through the profile pictures, recognizing three of the women right away. Gavin had been with them before, so he had not been exaggerating after all.

The realization stirred something inside me, a sudden surge of desire that made me almost want to set something up right then and there.

Not long after I joined, the chat lit up.

[Oh? A new handsome guy?]

[Come on, post a pic!]

More messages followed, louder, bolder.

[Let us see what you have.]

[Is he built or not?]

Those women really were there to have fun.

Still, I had just joined. Posting a picture right away felt a little too much.

Before I could decide, Gavin stepped in. He sent a photo of me at the gym.

[This is my boy Chester. Take a look.]

The replies came instantly.

[Wow! He is hot.]

[Gavin, why did you not bring him in earlier? If I knew, I would not have bothered with anyone else.]

A moment later, my Messenger started lighting up. Five new friend requests. I accepted them one by one and checked their profiles.

Every single one of them looked stunning. Crop tops, tight yoga pants, confident poses. Most of them looked like they were in their early twenties. Some were even still in college. They were all messaging me at once.

I could barely keep up.

In the end, I picked one.

She had a great figure, but there was also something soft and pure about her vibe. I decided to focus on her and really try to make that chance count.

Her name was Julia Shaw.

A junior in college. New to the cycling club.

I turned to Gavin. "Have you met this Julia before?"

He glanced at her profile and smiled. "She is new. Has not gone out one on one with anyone yet. You are lucky. A girl like that reaching out to you first? That does not happen often."

I felt a quiet sense of pride. Someone with no experience like her might be easier to approach.

Still, there was one thing bothering me. What if my condition scared her off too?

Gavin just laughed it off.

"Wait until it gets dark. Take her somewhere quiet, like the woods. Once no one can see clearly, you set the pace."