Unexpected Liaisons - 7. Keep Me Falling

Zupan arrived early. Issac’s theory had been right, and after trimming up his beard and running the all-over rotary shaver round his head he figured that he looked pretty good in his white American baseball t shirt with his new low riding jeans and the checked shirt open over the top, under the leather jacket he’d nicked from Zoltan. He cast about for Zander.

A light touch on his shoulder, a hand covering his eyes and a wicked voice in his ear, lips like warm feathers against his neck.

“Hey there beautiful.” Zander moved around to his side, grinning like a very sexy cat-that-got-what-it-wanted, “So where are we going?”

The alleyway that lead into The Warped Lime was painted a bright acid green, and Zupan managed to hold the door open and get into the restaurant without bumping into Zander or looking like too much of a prat as he did so.

“I’ve never been here before,” Zander stuck his thumbs into the decoration-only pockets of his skin tight black jeans and looked around, “Smells good.”

“Good evenings guys,” the girl at the cocktail bar was super curvy with wild red hair, just his usual type. Zupan grinned, then caught himself quickly and settled for simply being polite, “Do you have a reservation?”

“Zupan Standahl, table for two?”

“Of course, follow me.” The girl didn’t bat an eyelid as she walked them to their table, efficiently removed the spare chair which she lifted over her head and handed to passing waiter. “Here is your menu, and this is the cocktail menu,” That was the bigger of the two, “You guys want anything to start you off?”

“Tiger beer?”

“Sure thing hun. And you?”

Zupan reached across the table and smiled at the boy who was his date.

“Get him a pink lemonade shooter please.” The waitress smiled and departed for the bar.

“Ordering for me already?” Zander arched a perfectly shaped brow, “Presumptuous much?” he glanced up at Zupan from his menu, blue eyes sparkling. Zupan felt his heart lurch. He smiled back.

After the drinks arrived, things got easier in terms of conversation, and Zander ordered the ribs just like Zupan did, and Zander started to kid him about what he’d have done if Zander had been a vegetarian. Discussing the cocktail menu was fun, because Zander read out the descriptions of cocktails like he was talking about sex, and every time he sipped his drink and smiled Zupan had to force himself not to just abandon the idea of dinner and go straight ahead with everything else his crotch had in mind. Zander’s lips were the same pink as his drink and Zupan realised that he was being teased when the boy began to lick the hot pink sugar from the rim of the glass without breaking eye contact.

“Zander?”

“Yes?” Zander’s smile was crotch-tighteningly innocent, made better and worse by the knowledge that there was no way the boy was twenty two, that pretty and anything like innocent at all, “I like your shirt. New?”

“Yeah. I went shopping with Issac.” Zupan had no idea what he had actually been about to say before the little twink had started looking at him like he was dinner.

“The big bad rugby man can’t go shopping by himself?” On anyone else, that comment would have got them floored, “Do people like me scare you?”

“Yes,” it was the quietest mutter, and half a second after the word left his lips, Zupan couldn’t believe that he had said it. But it was true. Zander scared him senseless, “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Hey,” Zander was smiling at him, his blue eyes hot like banked summer skies, “You’re doing fine.” And there was a smile, a promise of later.

Food arrived, more drinks, and both of them started playing with the cocktail menu. Zupan had a honey berry sour, and was thankful that it came with a straw, and Zander decided to stick with a theme and began to order every cocktail that was either sweet or pink or both. But until Zander started sucking the meat off his ribs by hollowing out his cheeks, Zupan hadn’t realised that seeing someone eat could be such a turn on. Zander ate his ribs by the application fellatio skills, and then reached over the table to touch the side of Zupan’s own mouth. He drew his hand back and licked barbeque sauce off his fingers in a way that should have been illegal before a certain time of day.

“So h-how was work?” Zupan managed, hating himself for his slip over the words.

“Pretty good. They released the new collections for us to have a little look at so we can start designing the summer displays. We have to keep to the theme obviously, and the store manager has to approve our sketches, but its good fun.” Zander sipped at his latest drink, something with whipped cream on top, and his pursed lips had Zupan thinking of things that involved being alone in a half-lit room with a bed in it. “So what is it you do Zu?”

“I play murderball, I’m a spokesperson for the sport generally,” He shrugged, “Training, coaching, visiting kids in the rehab clinics, inspiring and fundraising. All that good stuff.”

“What was it you were going to do… before…” Zander didn’t seem sure about trying to finish his sentence.

“I was going to grow up to be my brother. Zoltan is the bouncer at The South Alaska, you remember him, the tall one? I dunno. I was twenty one, I wasn’t really thinking much about my future career.” Zupan noticed that they had both finally finished eating, “You want dessert?”

“From here? Nah…” Zander was looking wicked again. He threw back the rest of his pink drink and grinned. Zupan could feel himself falling; for this boy, this beautiful man who smiled at him and leaned in close when he spoke in an octave lower than his normal voice, “I think I want to come home with you.”

“OK.”

Zander went off to the bathrooms and Zupan could feel his hands shaking when he got out his wallet to pay. The boy stroked the back of his neck as he passed, and snuck his way out the door and down the little green alleyway. The big guy could not get out of there fast enough.

Zander was standing under the neon lights over the entrance looking sexy and perfect, like someone from a magazine. The green and yellow threw mad highlights into his hair, but his eyes glowed blue when he smiled. The light made him more angular, made the shadows between his lips darker, more tempting. Zupan reached up a hand and found the skinny young man leaning his jaw into his own rough calloused palm. They both brought their lips together for the kiss. He tasted like candy floss and pink lemonade and sugar. His hair was like silk under Zupan’s palm and he wished that they could be home already. His heart pounded and his cock hated that he’d decided to wear jeans. Zander’s tongue was in his mouth, playing with own, his slim hands digging into his sides as they moulded together under the neon lights.

“If you kiss me like that again…” Zander was panting, his cheeks flushed, and Zupan didn’t think he’d even seen anything more beautiful, even in his imagination, “I’d better be somewhere that I can be naked.”