Page 31 of One Chance to Stay
As I approached, he put an arm against the doorframe, blocking my way to the bar. His tiara had slid to one side of his head, clinging to his thinning, white hair. Nearly a foot shorter than me, Walter still had a commanding presence.
“Don’t give up on him.”
I could feel the depth of his words, a weight that he offloaded onto my shoulders. I imagined Walter had been there when the smile faded from Seamus’s face. As much as I wanted to ask,I suspected he would say something similar to Tyler. It had started as a gag, a non-stop joke to get under his skin. I hadn’t thought he’d get under mine.
“I won’t.”
Walter fixed the tiara atop his head before thrusting the glass toward my chest. “Good man,” he whispered. When I took the glass, he wandered down the hall, shouting loudly. “Which one of you geezers is going to dance for me?”
Weirdest bachelor party ever.
LOVE WITHOUT LABELS
“Walter. I hate you.”
I eased my eyes open, flinching at the bright light pouring in through the window. Last night, Seamus vanished without another word. I thought our man-of-the-night would spill his secrets, giving me an in with Seamus. No matter how much alcohol I poured into his glass, he maintained his common sense. I, on the other hand, did not.
“Did he put me to bed?”
Peaking under the blankets, I still wore my clothes from the night before. Good to see that not every man in Firefly had seen me naked. At this rate, Jon would be asking me to partake in his annual sexy men of Firefly calendar. When I turned my head, the tightness in my muscles made me groan.
This is why I never drank while on the job. I’d be paying the price for the rest of the day. Rolling over, I let my legs slide off the side of the bed. I stayed still for several minutes, ensuring the room didn’t spin. This morning required electrolytes and food. Bacon. Pushing onto my elbows…
“Heh.” Last time I had been in this position, I looked down my torso to see Seamus. The memory made my body ache in a different way. Never had somebody treated me, a big guy tomost, as if I might be fragile. Even as I thought about the tips of his fingers on my thighs, the front of my jeans tented. I needed to admit my sexuality had grown somewhat cloudy since arriving in Firefly.
“My ex’s will have a field day with this.”
Walter had been enough of a gentleman to take off my boots. As I slid my feet inside, I forced myself upright. I went about my morning routine, brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and applying a little wax to give my beard some shape. By the time I finished, I looked like a respectable member of society.
Thinking about the pool game, I wanted to see if Seamus had a shift today. We needed to discuss the terms of our bet. With the end of my stay approaching, I wanted…
“What do I want?”
I plopped down on the bed, rubbing my temples to ease the dull ache behind my eyes. Asking it out loud made it real. Would it be foolish to skip dissecting my sexuality and focus on Seamus? Okay, I had sex with a man and I liked it. Did I want to do it again? With him? Yes. With anybody else? Maybe. Did that make me bi? Pan? I’d given advice to a thousand people at Spectrum, but somehow, I couldn’t answer the simplest question: What the hell does this mean? I needed an expert.
Patrick: Have a question. Not allowed to make a big deal.
Patrick: Hooked up with somebody.
Patrick: A man.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Of course, she’d call.
“Girl, I’ll turn on my notifications for this. Dish. Make sure you include all thejuicybits.”
Mabel Syrup. She might not be on the payroll, but she made Spectrum her unofficial job. I liked to think we were oppositesides of the same coin. While I listened to my patrons and helped them sort through their miseries, she wielded her wisdom like a blunt weapon. If there was anybody who’d give me unfiltered advice, it’d be her.
“Stays between us.” I needed the confirmation. Drag queens were like Firefly. Secrets were treated like currency.
“For you, honey. It’ll be the second-best thing I’ve tucked away today.”
Crass. “Long story short, I met a guy. We had a moment. Then we had amoment.”
“I said juicy, right?”
“He’s older.”
“My baby bear is into daddies. How’d I know?”
