you look great.” Good enough to consider skipping out on Tyson’s gig even.
The suggestion was right there on his tongue, except Jared stepped to the curb and immediately hailed a cab. He looked back at Rick with such honest expectation, there was no way not to follow him into the back seat. He’d given the driver the club’s address before remembering the possibility of going elsewhere again.
He listened to Jared chatter all the way there. This was one of the things he’d discovered he liked so much during their first date. Jared had an opinion on everything, and he wasn’t afraid to share it, even if it wasn’t a particularly popular opinion. He had an energy that was the single most contagious thing Rick had ever been around. It was impossible not to react when he was in Jared’s presence.
They arrived at the club sooner than he expected. He barely saw the dingy windows, or the lack of a line outside.
Jared’s fingertips grazed across his for a split second before vanishing again once they entered. Here, they had to be a little more discreet, and Jared’s willingness to do so said more about the man than anything he’d uttered in the cab. He flashed Rick a smile before leading the way to a table near the tiny stage. A smile that said, Follow me if you dare.
60
WHAT WE MAY BE
He dared. He’d dare a lot more, if Jared gave him the chance.
They ordered beers from the top-heavy waitress who kept bending over to give him a good look at her breasts. Rick hid his smile at her obvious attempts to get his attention by focusing on the set-up on the stage. Closest to them was a worn piano, with a stool at center stage, drums practically glued to the back wall, and amps on the other side. If there were speakers, they were well hidden. He hoped they didn’t get their ears blasted off from sitting so close.
“You can come back now,” Jared said beside him. Rick glanced back to see his sly smile. “The horny waitress is all gone.”
Rick grimaced. “Was I that obvious?”
“Only to me. She’s probably going to try round two in the Get the Gorgeous Guy in the Corner to Notice Me match when she brings back our drinks.”
“And I don’t fit under these tiny tables. Great.”
Jared laughed. “You don’t fit under any table.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and the band will start before she comes back.”
“How do you usually handle it?”
“Handle what?”
“Getting hit on.”
There was just enough seriousness in Jared’s tone to know the question was genuine. “Believe it or not, that doesn’t happen that much anymore. I work a lot of hours, and when I don’t, I usually hang out with people or at places where they 61
WHAT WE MAY BE
know I’m gay.” He glanced over at the bar and the backside of the waitress as she leaned over the counter to say something to the bartender. “Coming out was the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn’t have to worry anymore about hurting girls’ feelings when I turned them down.”
“You’re probably one of the few guys I’ve ever met who has positive feelings about coming out. You never had any problems?”
Rick shrugged. “Sure, I had problems. There’s assholes all over the place, including some of the people in my family. But that’s their problem, not mine. They don’t like it? Fuck ’em.”
A brilliant smile slowly spread over Jared’s face. “Now that is one coming out party I would’ve loved to see.”
When he looked like that, with so much surprised delight in his face, Rick just wanted to get down on his knees and show Jared how much he appreciated it. He’d had the same look when Rick had announced he preferred to bottom, like a kid who’d been told to get in the car to go shopping only to find himself at the toy store instead. Nothing got Rick harder or gave him more satisfaction. It was half the reason he’d gone into a service industry.
The waitress reappeared with their drinks, but Jared pre-empted her new assault by
The suggestion was right there on his tongue, except Jared stepped to the curb and immediately hailed a cab. He looked back at Rick with such honest expectation, there was no way not to follow him into the back seat. He’d given the driver the club’s address before remembering the possibility of going elsewhere again.
He listened to Jared chatter all the way there. This was one of the things he’d discovered he liked so much during their first date. Jared had an opinion on everything, and he wasn’t afraid to share it, even if it wasn’t a particularly popular opinion. He had an energy that was the single most contagious thing Rick had ever been around. It was impossible not to react when he was in Jared’s presence.
They arrived at the club sooner than he expected. He barely saw the dingy windows, or the lack of a line outside.
Jared’s fingertips grazed across his for a split second before vanishing again once they entered. Here, they had to be a little more discreet, and Jared’s willingness to do so said more about the man than anything he’d uttered in the cab. He flashed Rick a smile before leading the way to a table near the tiny stage. A smile that said, Follow me if you dare.
60
WHAT WE MAY BE
He dared. He’d dare a lot more, if Jared gave him the chance.
They ordered beers from the top-heavy waitress who kept bending over to give him a good look at her breasts. Rick hid his smile at her obvious attempts to get his attention by focusing on the set-up on the stage. Closest to them was a worn piano, with a stool at center stage, drums practically glued to the back wall, and amps on the other side. If there were speakers, they were well hidden. He hoped they didn’t get their ears blasted off from sitting so close.
“You can come back now,” Jared said beside him. Rick glanced back to see his sly smile. “The horny waitress is all gone.”
Rick grimaced. “Was I that obvious?”
“Only to me. She’s probably going to try round two in the Get the Gorgeous Guy in the Corner to Notice Me match when she brings back our drinks.”
“And I don’t fit under these tiny tables. Great.”
Jared laughed. “You don’t fit under any table.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and the band will start before she comes back.”
“How do you usually handle it?”
“Handle what?”
“Getting hit on.”
There was just enough seriousness in Jared’s tone to know the question was genuine. “Believe it or not, that doesn’t happen that much anymore. I work a lot of hours, and when I don’t, I usually hang out with people or at places where they 61
WHAT WE MAY BE
know I’m gay.” He glanced over at the bar and the backside of the waitress as she leaned over the counter to say something to the bartender. “Coming out was the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn’t have to worry anymore about hurting girls’ feelings when I turned them down.”
“You’re probably one of the few guys I’ve ever met who has positive feelings about coming out. You never had any problems?”
Rick shrugged. “Sure, I had problems. There’s assholes all over the place, including some of the people in my family. But that’s their problem, not mine. They don’t like it? Fuck ’em.”
A brilliant smile slowly spread over Jared’s face. “Now that is one coming out party I would’ve loved to see.”
When he looked like that, with so much surprised delight in his face, Rick just wanted to get down on his knees and show Jared how much he appreciated it. He’d had the same look when Rick had announced he preferred to bottom, like a kid who’d been told to get in the car to go shopping only to find himself at the toy store instead. Nothing got Rick harder or gave him more satisfaction. It was half the reason he’d gone into a service industry.
The waitress reappeared with their drinks, but Jared pre-empted her new assault by
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