Page 21 of Forfeits

While Aiden was gone, I surveyed the table and the wall and the window ledge for other spiders or bugs of any kind. I didn’t see any. By the time Aiden returned, I had gingerly lowered myself back into my seat.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, as Aiden sat down across from me.

“Don’t apologize. I was worried you were perfect. I’m glad you have some quirks.”

I blinked, heat rising in my cheeks. That was such a nice thing for him to say.

I picked up my wine and took a drink. “Thanks. But I’m still worried about you,” I said, with a smile.

He laughed. “Oh, I have plenty of quirks. Don’t worry.”

I wondered if he was talking about his kinky side. It was the right moment to bring up the club.

“You know we’ve been in the same room before we met at Lucy’s school, right?”

He stared at me, and there was so much in that look. But he didn’t say anything right away. He picked up his glass, holding my gaze, and took a very long sip as my cock got hard and my pulse quickened.

“So, that was you.”

I nodded. I didn’t know what else to say. I hadn’t thought this through. I’d been focused entirely on how he’d looked to me. I hadn’t even considered how I might have looked.

“Did the glitterboy take good care of you, then?” he said, in extraordinarily quiet tones.

Now I regretted bringing it up.

“I…” I gazed at the table. “I was still in a bit of a state at the time. That was…about three months after Daniel died.”

“Oh, God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything. I genuinely hoped that he made you very happy for a moment. That’s all.”

I nodded. “Thanks. He was great. He was very kind to me.”

“That’s good,” Aiden said, his expression filled with concern.

“So…why were you there?” I asked the question that I’d had on my mind since we’d run into each other at Lucy’s school.

He was the one blushing now and smiling a conspiratorial smile.

“Well, I…I was out with my partner at the time.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “You seemed…very much in control of the situation.”

I hoped it was enough of a hint that I was searching for his position in that dynamic. I desperately needed to know if my instincts had been correct.

Aiden sat back and contemplated me. He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I wasn’t prepared to have this conversation.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s none of my business.”

“Well, it might be…your business. Depends how things turn out.”

We gazed at each other, a force of energy charging the air between us.

I nodded. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

“That club,” he said, “was a place where a certain subset of gay men felt welcome.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Huh. Can I ask you something?”

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