Page 35 of Nate

Max laughed and took a sip of his spiked cider.

“Don’t worry about it. Got my own relationship troubles going on today.”

Nate frowned as he noticed his normally calm friend looked a little flustered. “Anything you want to talk about?” He might be having problems, but he’d help Max out if he needed it.

Max hesitated before shaking his head. “Nah. I’ll figure it out myself.” He nodded towards the back of the house. “Gonna head back out to the bonfire. It’s cool if you need to get out of here to take care of business.”

“Thanks man. I might do that.”

“Yeah, we can’t have Gage the only one of the three of us in a happy relationship.”

Nate laughed. “Where is the happy couple?”

Max rolled his eyes. “Currently screwing in my study.”

Nate choked on his cider. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. I noticed them sneak away. Gage is not as slick as he thinks he is.” He put his hand out and they went in for the forearm bump version of a hug. “Go get your boy.”

After everyone sangHappy Birthdayand Max cut the cake, Nate did go to ‘get his boy.’ Or at least he tried to. He stood outside Kevin’s apartment building, pressing the buzzer for 252. But Kevin was true to his word from earlier that week. He refused to come down, buzz him up, or even answer. Holding back a frustrated yell, Nate went back to his truck and got in to drive home.

∞∞∞

“Jesus! What are you wearing?” It was Friday night. Kevin had just opened his apartment door for his friend.

Alex looked down at his clothes. “What? I’m going to a gay bar. Figured I should look the part.”

Kevin stepped out into the hall, closing and locking the door behind him. “Look the part? Because all gay men wear skinny jeans and tight T-shirts?”

Alex looked him up and down. “Well, you certainly don’t.”

Kevin rolled his eyes and led the way downstairs. His jeans weren’t baggy, but they weren’t skinny by any means. And he’d ditched his usual comic T-shirt for a nice pullover. They were headed out to a club. He was determined to put his self-doubt to rest and he had a plan to get started doing so.

When they reached the club Kevin had found on Yelp, they had to wait a few minutes before going in. Since it was Friday night there was a line. Once they were inside, Kevin saw that the place was nice.

There was a water wall backed by fiber optic lights that made it seem as if flames burned just behind the waterfall. Go-go boys danced in front of it, splashing the club goers who dared to get too close. A small stage in the center of the bar had more dancers bumping and grinding to the raunchy pop song currently playing. They looked like they were having fun and their bodies were amazing. But go-go dancers weren’t why he was there.

He and Alex cut through the crowd to the bar. He got a beer, rolling his eyes at Alex again when he ordered a Sex on the Beach.

“All right Special K, how do you want to carry out this mission?”

Kevin took a deep breath. His first instinct was to stand off to the side and watch everyone dancing and mingling, having a good time on a Friday night. But that wouldn’t help him with his plan. “I just need to look available and see if anyone is interested. That’s all.”

“Hell, that’s easy. Just make eye contact and smile at a guy. That’s all it takes for me to consider approaching a girl. Pretty sure the same technique would work here.”

Kevin nodded and looked around the club. He saw a nice looking guy, tall with dark hair. When their eyes met he gave a small smile. The guy smiled back, then beckoned him over.

“That didn’t take long. Guess that cute smile of yours packs a pretty big punch.”

Kevin slid off his barstool. He was nervous, but he was going through with this. “Wish me luck,” he muttered to his friend. He’d taken a few steps when he heard over the music, “You go, boy!” Kevin turned back to glare at his idiot friend. Alex saluted him with his drink and shooed him off.

Walking up to the guy, he couldn’t think what to say. He figured,Come here often?would work. If it were 1982. Turns out, he didn’t have to say anything. The guy smiled at him again once he was close. He leaned down to speak into his ear so he could hear over the loud music.

“I’ve never seen you here before.”

“Nope, it’s my first time out.”

“Really? We should celebrate then.”

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