Page 2 of Hold my Reins

But only one. He had work tomorrow.

two

Rox ran his fingers through his hair, then pulled some of it back into a messy ponytail so it was out of his face. It was a look that worked best with some smudgy eyeliner. He hesitated, then erred on the side of fuck it. He might as well find out on the first night what the town was like.

He grabbed his jacket and pulled it on, which ruined the effect of the mesh undershirt and T-shirt, but he wasn’t freezing his ass off to look good. Six years ago, he totally would’ve. He gave the room a quick once over to make sure there was nothing obvious to steal sitting out, then grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and headed out.

The bar promised to cater to all and had live music on Friday and Saturday nights. He wasn’t sure a town of this size had a dedicated gay bar, and he wasn’t sure if this was the more touristy one or the one the locals used.

The only other bar he’d found in walking distance had been a sports bar that boasted about its TVs, which was not his scene. He wanted a meal and a drink and to suss out the vibe of the town. That was all.

Maybe see if he got any hits on an app…

Although he wasn’t sure he could be bothered after a six-hour drive. Collapsing into bed, spread out like a starfish until his alarm woke him, had an undeniable appeal.

The sidewalk was busier than he’d expected, with people moving between venues and talking with their friends. He drew in a breath at the sight of several obvious not-humans.Monsters. They really were everywhere in the portal towns. He glanced away before he was accused of staring, even though he wanted to stare.

Actual, real life, reach out and touch them, monsters.

What a fucking rush.

While he’d done a bit of reading about the monster towns, he didn’t know much about monsters. There were the usual doom-sayers, claiming that monsters would take jobs, eat children, and steal women, but most people who lived around them didn’t seem to have a problem.

He pushed open the bar door and stepped inside. The air was warm and smelled of chips and beer, and too many perfumes and colognes. There were people at the bar and sitting in booths eating. The hum of chatter blended with the music.

He glanced around until he saw an empty table that must have been recently vacated from the pile of plates and sat. For a couple of seconds, that was all he did.

“Let me clean that up.” The waitress gathered up the plates. “I’ll be back in a moment to wipe the table and take your order. There’s a menu there.” She nodded to the end of the table, where a pot of cutlery and napkins sat.

“Thanks.” He scooted along and grabbed the menu, scanning the prices and wondering how long until he got his first paycheck. Sure, there was a little left in his bank account, but not enough to splash out. He’d bugged out of town one too many times.

This time, he needed to stick it out, if only to rebuild his cushion.

Besides, he was qualified to do the job, and it paid better than cleaning and waiting or serving beers. And the town had monsters.

Those two things should be enough to keep him in one place for a bit. If only so he had some stories to tell.

Some that didn’t involve scars.

“Are you waiting for anyone?” The waitress ran her cloth over the table.

“No, just me. I can move if you need this table–”

“You’re fine. What can I get you?”

“Chicken burger.” It came with fries and salad, so it was a decent meal.

“And to drink?” She gave him a list of beers on tap, and he chose the local one. Because why not?

Then he was left on his own to people-watch. Monster watch. There was a big, hairy guy behind the bar. He must be seven feet tall. Most people in the bar weren’t giving the monster much attention. They must be used to seeing him. Which meant he felt as though he was staring simply by looking around.

He felt as though he was the only person sitting alone.

Even if that were true, it didn’t matter. He was used to being on his own.

The waitress returned and placed his drink on a coaster.

“Thanks.”

---