Page 81 of The Barkeep and the Bro

Instead of questioning it, I let my heart lead the way. I stepped from behind the bar and walked with Mitch onto the dance floor. We occupied a corner.

I was dancing with a guy. This wasn’t a secret hookup or primal urges begging to get out. Mitch clasped my hand, settled his other comfortably on my hip, and I melted into his touch. The dance floor and the gawking eyes encircling us drifted away. We could’ve been in the clouds, together in our own universe. The sparkle in his eye was my North Star.

He was warm and protective, and everything about this moment felt right. There was nobody else I was meant to dance with.

I put my head on his shoulder and listened to the melodic rhythm of his heart beating. His beard brushed against the tip of my ear.

“Charlie,” he whispered like a refrain.

The lead singer’s lilting voice wafted across the room, setting the mood. I didn’t want this moment to end.

I wanted more than sex.

I wanted Mitch. All of him.

And I wanted to give him my heart.

28

MITCH

All good things had to come to an end. Including this slow song. I held Charlie close to me, inhaling his cologne and natural clean scent. This was perfection.

The world had melted away, leaving us in a special pocket of the universe unmoored from time and reality. I kept my eyes closed as I held him tight, soaking in this moment, this moment when my body craved him.

When the song ended, the band made a harsh transition into “Uptown Funk.” The first thing I noticed was the stares. From Ellie. From Hannah. From my friends. From random guests who I didn’t know and who didn’t know me but probably found it utterly strange that the father of the bride was dancing with the bartender.

But most of all was the look Charlie gave me. He seemed perplexed, almost scared.

What the hell was going on? He probably wondered. Why was my secret fuckbuddy dragging me out to the middle of the dance floor for everyone to see?

Oh shit, did I accidentally out him?

“Thank you,” I said to Charlie and pulled away, giving him the space he keenly desired.

Charlie stammered and let go. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

“Hey, there.” Cal and Russ approached, still holding hands from their dance. They wore matching ties and matching awkward smiles. “You two looked good out there.”

Before I could answer, Charlie interjected.

“I was just doing Mitch a solid so he didn’t feel left out,” he said with a jocular laugh that needled my heart. “It was weird not being the one leading, but anything to help the boss out.” He clapped me on the shoulder.

“You get used to it,” Cal said. “I grew up dancing with girls.”

“Did you have rhythm then?” Russ asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You really think I’m the one with two left feet here?” Cal crossed his arms at his boyfriend, and to the outside world, this probably looked like a fight. But I knew it was all foreplay for later.

“I gotta get back to the bar. People are thirsty.” Charlie gave me another hetero, downright clinical pat on the back. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Boss.”

Boss didn’t have the same ring. It sounded empty.

But for the rest of the night, I did try and enjoy myself. Ellie and Tim fed each other wedding cake as tradition. The red velvet artisan cake they picked up was delicious and had it been bigger, I would’ve gotten a second slice.

I hung out with my friends, none of whom asked me about the dance with Charlie. They likely saw the confusion and tension on my face and just wanted me to have a good time. I talked with Cal and Russ about how the move was going. I mused with Leo about his fights with the city council and laying the groundwork for his gubernatorial campaign in a few years. Dusty shared with me his progress on expanding his construction business in town.

Ellie and her friends had a blast on the dance floor. They kept going and going, no matter the song. They had so much energy. I didn’t have that kind of stamina at their age, but I was also in a much different place.

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