Page 100 of The Barkeep and the Bro

“Damn, you are quite the player. And I say that with no judgment.” I held my hands up. “You are...what’s the gay equivalent of ladies’ man?”

“Cockhungry slut,” he deadpanned.

“You do you. Just make sure to use protection.”

“Speaking of, zucchinis are in season again. Maybe you and Mitch can go to the farmers market and have a three-way.”

“I’m three seconds from cutting you off.”

Amos ran his finger around the rim of his glass. He wasn’t leaving to return to lumberjack guy, and a contemplative look took over his sunny disposition.

“What’s going on?” I asked. I had developed a bartender’s intuition where I could tell when somebody wanted to spill their guts.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.” Other customers waited with thinning patience and raised their arms to get my attention, but I wanted to make sure Amos was all right.

“I’m not the whore you think I am.”

“I never called you that.”

“You’ve really helped me with my game. These guys that I go home with...we might fool around a little. Hands, mouth. But I don’t have sex with them. They want to, and I want to, but something stops me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with waiting. Are you...” The virgin was implied and not something he’d want to have shouted in a bar.

“I’ve only been with one guy. And fuck, it’s like he’s ruined me for good.”

“Hutch Hawkins?” I guessed.

He bowed his hand. A pain crushed my friend that I couldn’t get rid of, no matter how many free drinks or flirting lessons I gave him.

“Pathetic, right? Closeted high school kid sleeps with the closeted popular jock and can’t get over it ten years later.” He downed the rest of his Cell Block Tang and slammed the glass on the bar. “But it wasn’t just sex. It was more than that. We were in love.” He nodded as if he were finally admitting something to himself. “And that’s hard to get over.”

I knew the feeling now that I was with Mitch and truly understood the power of love.

“It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.” Amos pointed at his glass for a refill.

“You will move on. All it takes is the right guy.” I made him meet my eyes. “Look at me, never thought I’d be into bros until I found the right one.”

“You’re right,” he said half-heartedly. I would probably feel the same way if I slept with Mitch once, and then he wanted nothing to do with me. “Back to the apps.”

Amos turned on a smile when Chase, Everett, and Julian joined us at the bar for another round. Conversation slipped into favorite musicals, and Everett regaled us with awkward school play moments among his students. We discussed plans for going to Remix next Friday, too. I loved hanging with these guys. So much better than my frat brothers. I had known those guys for years, but we were like strangers. They had changed, or maybe I had. They posted about wild adventures in New York and cool skiing trips they took. The evil beast of jealousy didn’t flame up in me, though. That was their life, and while they probably looked at my life with pity, I loved every moment. Loved the bar, loved the town, loved my new friends.

Loved Mitch?

“We’ll take a round of You Can’t Stop the Beam. It has the highest amount of alcohol content and can conclusively get us drunk the fastest,” Chase said. “You, too, Charlie.”

“Yeah, you’re an honorary teacher,” Everett said.

“Actually, he’s a real teacher.” Julian pointed to the sign taped to the wall advertising my new bartending school. It was another revenue stream I thought of for Stone’s Throw. I knew enough about bartending after doing it for months to teach beginners. It was a fantastic side hustle.

“Maybe I should sign up,” Amos said.

“We’re all full. Try the summer session.” I smiled to myself and poured the line of colorful drinks.

Amos nodded, impressed. “Damn, you’ll be running this place in no time.”

Huh.

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