Page 45 of Fractured Souls
It’s Jamie’s turn, and he draws a piece of paper. “Go get the phone number of a stranger.” Noah stands. Jamie grabs him by the pants, pulling him back down. “You’re losing this one.”
“What?! I can’t lose. This is my game. You don’t think I can get someone’s number?”
“Oh, I know you can, and you would, but you’re not.”
Mark and Hunter both get up. “You’re so mean to me! This is a competition, Jamie. I am a born competitor!”
“How about instead we make out while our friends go get phone numbers?”
“Ugh, smart and sexy. I love you.” Noah grabs Jamie by the shirt, pulling his lips to his. I get up. I can’t watch this. I noticeBo hasn’t moved. He hasn’t said much at all and I don’t know why. He knows these people better than I do.
“Hey. Are you coming?” Bowen looks down at his lap. “What is it?”
“I don’t think I can get someone’s number.”
Well, that’s bullshit. “Of course you can. Come with me. Didn’t you say you wanted to get blow-jobbed?”
“Blow jobs?” Noah peels himself from Jamie’s lips. “Who said blow jobs?”
“Hey, focus!” Jamie draws Noah’s lips back to his.
Bo gets up slowly, looking back at me. “Go ahead.” He looks down before a small smile spreads on his lips, and he walks off toward a guy who’s animatedly talking with a couple of friends. Look at me, not jealous and shit. I’ve really come a long way from the parking lot.
Now just to ignore the swooping feeling in my stomach at watching Bo approach him. Instead, I search the bar. I’m not sure who’s queer and who isn’t, but I shoot my shot with a blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a real eager hand when I asked for her number. “Cam.”
“Hi, Cam.” She smiles, tucking a strand of her curtain bangs behind her ear.
“Thank you.”
“Call me.” She smiles, but my own falls when I turn my back on her and see Jamie across the bar finally coming up for air. Bowen is already back at the table. Damn, that was fast. My eyes slide over to the man he was talking to. He shakes his head, looking in Bo’s direction. It feels off. The people he’s with laugh.
I sit down, looking at Bo who’s focused intently on his drink and Mark and Hunter join us right after. “Here.” They slide a piece of paper across.
“You both have to get one.”
“We said we were looking for a third. It counts.”
“Someone settling for Mark to get to you. Fine, I get that,” Noah says to Hunter, and Mark finishes his drink while giving Noah the finger. “What about you, Bowen?”
“Oh, uh, I didn’t get one."
I look back at that guy he was talking to. “Why?”
“He wasn’t interested.” I twist my body to glare at that douche.
“What did he say?”
“He’s just not interested, Cam. Drop it,” Bowen snaps.
“What about you, Cam?” Noah’s voice catches my attention, but I turn back around and now see that guy looking at us, and he rolls his eyes. When he looks back toward us, he sees me staring and frowns. I give him the finger behind Bowen’s back. With a glare he turns back to his friends. “Cam?”
“What? Oh yeah, I got a number. That woman over there.”
“Nice.” Jamie smiles.
“Oh, stop it. Your breast days are behind you.”
“You’re bisexual?” Jamie nods, taking a sip of water. Maybe Jamie would understand, then, what I’m going through. Maybe he can help me. “How did you know?” Maybe Noah was his queer awakening.
