Page 70 of Tempting Him

I shake my head, a grin on my lips. “Where are you? Did you make it home?”

“No. I’m still out.”

Multiple voices in the background blare through the phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Who are you talking to?”

“Leave me alone,” Jay tells them. “I was trying to have privacy.”

“In a bathroom? Are you having phone sex?”

“Everyone is starting to leave. Do you want me to call you an Uber? Or is your boyfriend gonna come get you?”

I hear Jayden laugh. “Boyfriend,” he says drunkenly, addressing me. “Do you want to come get me from the bar orrrrr should I get a ride from someone else? Not that I want to ride anyone but you.”

“Hey, hey,” a voice in the background says. “TMI, but excuse me? Are you committed?”

“What the fuck is this? Trev, do you know this boyfriend of Jay’s?”

“I’ll get you,” I tell him. “Where are you?”

“Um. Lily Pad.”

“Okay. Keep your phone on you. I’ll call when I’m there.”

“Kay. Thanks. You’re the best.”

Loud conversations start up and I end the call, throwing on some clothes and grabbing my keys. After putting the name of the bar in my GPS, it takes me fifteen minutes to get there.

When I pull up alongside the curb, I spot the logo on the sign on the building—a rainbow colored frog sitting on a lily pad. Based on some of the patrons exiting the building, a few of which are coupled up, it would be safe to assume it’s a gay bar.

I call Jay’s phone and wait for him to answer, but he doesn’t pick up. I try another time but it goes to voicemail. Before I’m about to step out, my phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey, this is one of Jay’s friends. Are you his ride?”

“Yeah. I’m outside.

“Okay. He’s pretty drunk and back at the bar. We’ll get him out there in a minute.”

“Okay.”

The call ends abruptly and a couple minutes later, Jay emerges with his usual wide smile. Another guy who matches Jay’s size has an arm around him as he walks him out.

I roll the window down slightly and Jay’s voice floats in. “Yeah, that’s the car.” He runs up to the window and peeks in. His eyes are low and red, but he’s cheerful. “Hey, you made it.”

The muscular guy with bronze skin and dark hair approaches Jay. “You good?”

“Yep. Thanks. I had fun.”

The guy snorts and opens the door for Jay. A blonde man walks over to join them. “This the boyfriend?”

“No,” Jay replies. “A friend.”

He gives each of them a fist bump, but the blonde says, “You said boyfriend on the phone.”

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