Shattering - 3. Chapter 3 - Party

“Oh my god, you’re here!”

 

Mike and I were glomped into a messy hug, a very tipsy Victoria pulling us out of the doorway and into her foyer. Her Emma Frost costume was… revealing, to say the least. And that cape! Holy shit. But I won’t say anything to her, not right now. I’ll say it when we’re sober and I can enjoy making her squirm, ‘cause chances are I’m going to need some dirt to counter whatever embarrassing moment I have that she’s going to notice tonight.

 

We weren’t horribly late, exactly. Mike was just late getting home from work, and I’m starting to see that a lot of his crazy hours had been less of his own choice than I’d thought for all those weeks. Months, really. Since dinner with Mitch and Em, Mike hadn’t been late home from work once, though he’d had to bring work home with him every night. I didn’t care, though. He was there with me. We were sharing meals. I could go into his office for a quick kiss and to bring him a snack. He was smiling again, we were having a lot more sex, and everything just felt… right. Well, with the exception of the shouting phone-call on our landline I had to sit through last night. Apparently Mike’s boss thought Mike didn’t have the right to not answer his cell phone while he was driving in traffic. He was supposed to be available. Things couldn’t wait. I politely interrupted the rant and reminded the man that he was suggesting my husband do something illegal, and pressuring an employee to do something against the law was also illegal and could get him into a lot of trouble. I could hear the asshole grinding his teeth as I hung up on him. I let it be last night because I figured Mike would hear something about it from the bossman anyway. Tonight was not the night to have a conversation about that phone call, either, but it’s going to have to happen this weekend. Hell, there’s a part of me that thinks the reason Mike was late tonight was his boss retaliating for my reaction to him on the phone. I’m starting to think I’ve been so wrapped up in my head that I’ve been missing things, big things with Mike.

 

Anyway, by the time we had tonight’s dinner sorted and our costumes put on sans masks, we were a fashionable hour and a half late arriving at Vicky’s. I convinced Mike that it wouldn’t make us look horribly rude, just that we were a busy couple, and he was very hard-working. Chances are that most wouldn’t even ask about it anyway, if they even notice our tardiness.

 

I handed Vicky the carrying case with my bitters collection and rimming salts, and a bag with the heavy cream, puff pastry sheets, vanilla paste, jam, crackers and a wheel of brie. “Can you take the bag into the kitchen and place it near the oven? Some of it needs to go in the fridge and freezer, though. The other stuff can go to the bar. Give us a few minutes to get our masks on so we can to do the greeting rounds, and then I’ll get started on the snack and then I can whip up some shots and cocktails. Oh, and if you could set the oven to preheat to 190°C that would be great!”

 

“Sounds great, David. Oh Mikey, thanks so much for coming too! OMG, wait, you guys are dressed up as Batman and Robin!?” Vicky was positively vibrating, jumping up and down a little. “Very sexy, boys. You’re gonna be a hit! God, especially you, Mikey!” she exclaimed, running her hands over my partner’s beautiful pecs and biceps. He really was looking hot tonight. Fuck, I’m starting to chub up. Even with all the work craziness, one thing Mike hadn’t been neglecting was maintaining his body at the gym in the morning before work and with my (usually) healthy meals.

 

“Thanks Vicky, I think?” Mike said, phrasing it more like a question. He was blushing a bit. I laughed. I have to admit it was beyond cute seeing him a bit flustered.

 

Vicky was suddenly hugging us again and gave us each a wet, smacking kiss on the cheek before turning to glide back towards the kitchen. “Put those masks on and come get your party on!”

 

I turned to look at Mike, who shrugged and smiled softly. We pulled on our masks and headed back towards where Vicky had set up her bar area. Mike grabbed us both an interesting beer - a russian imperial stout from a little microbrewery in Lincoln, Nebraska for him, and for me an IPA from a brewery we visited in Vancouver the last time we were there visiting my best friend Brady and his girlfriend Divya. We started to make rounds, catching up briefly with old co-workers and their partners, and some of Vicky’s friends that we’d met before at other parties she’d thrown. The costumes were varied and interesting. Somehow we managed to be the only Batman and Robin, which pleased Mike greatly since the costume choices had been his idea. After about a half hour, Mike pulled on my sleeve and turned me around.

 

“David, who’s that?” he asked, subtly directing my attention across the room. There stood a tall man with dark hair wearing a classic Green Lantern costume standing next to a boisterous and beautiful woman of Middle-Eastern stock dressed as Wonder Woman.

 

I shook my head. “I have no idea.” If one or both were people who worked at Globestar, they were definitely hired after I was let go. They could easily be some of Vicky’s non-work friends, though. Girl was a social butterfly like you wouldn’t believe.

 

“Well, let’s go find out.”

 

We crossed the room, and I could feel my stomach fluttering a bit. I definitely have social anxiety around new people, whereas Mike was pretty confident and outgoing. We both liked meeting new people, but he was definitely the one who did the introductions most of the time. We were greeted with a warm smile from the woman as we approached but a more guarded expression from the man.

 

“Hi, I don’t think we’ve had the chance to meet yet. I’m Michael Andriessen and this is my partner David Templeton.”

 

“So you’re the Mike and David that Victoria was going on and on about at work the other day!” the woman responded, smiling widely.

 

“All good, I hope,” I sort of mumbled.

 

She laughed, it ringing with a clear almost musical quality that seemed to put you right at ease. “Definitely good, boys. Good, and understated! She didn’t mention that you both were such studs!”

 

I felt my cheeks burning as I stared down at my shoes for a moment, but both Mike and the woman were laughing. The guy wasn’t though. I drew my eyes up and my breath stopped in my throat as my eyes locked with the hazel eyes behind the mask. A soft smile arose, so subtle it was barely breaking upon his lips.

 

“Oh, where are my manners!” the woman chastised herself, “I’m Laleh Ghorbani, and this is my boyfriend Rain Mägi.”

 

“Kas olete Eestist?”¹ I asked, almost without realizing it.

 

Behind his loose mask, Rain’s eyes widened for a moment and then that soft smile lit up into something absolutely stunning. “Jah, ma olen! Sa eesti keelt? Ma ei usu, et ma vastata teisele isikule, mis räägib eesti siin!”²

 

He raised his hand to briefly touch my shoulder. When he made contact I felt a jolt pass through me. I was enraptured, my soul feeling so open and exposed before those sparking, laughing eyes.

 

“Uh, David?” Michael interrupted my reverie. I could tell between his voice and the awkward line of his mouth that he was frowning under the mask.

 

“Oh, um, sorry Mike! Rain is Estonian, right?”

 

“Yes, I am. I just said that I was surprised to find someone who speaks Estonian just randomly at a party like this. Perhaps I shouldn’t be completely surprised given the diversity of this group, and in Toronto in general. It’s just that the estimate is that there are only about 24,000 Estonians living abroad in Canada. Though, a good number of them would be in Toronto. Diasporas tend to cluster in the big cities, after all.”

 

“Oh, okay. Your mom’s Estonian, right David?”

 

“My grandmother was, Mike. My mother is fluent, but I’m… well, I was better when I was younger. Vanaemake³ Lüüdia was living with us for about five years before she died, and I picked up a lot because vanaemake insisted that she and my mom speak to me in Estonian around the house. But to be honest, Rain, I’m very out of practice.”

 

“Would you like to practice with me some time? I don’t have much opportunity to use it face-to-face with anyone these days,” he asked me. That smile had receded back to it’s former subtlety, but it was still getting to me. My heart was beating faster, and I really wasn’t sure why I was having such a strong reaction to this guy. This straight guy with a girlfriend gorgeous enough that I’d be lucky to land her if I was even marginally into women. Sigh. Mike’s hand slid into mine, giving it a bit of a squeeze.

 

I scratched my head nervously. “Uh, yeah… that… I mean, it would be nice.”

 

“Maybe I should come with you if you’re going to do that,” Michael interjected. “I’d probably only get to the basics I guess, but it’s always good to make new friends. We’ve been talking about taking a vacation in Estonia to visit David’s family and then move on to see Finland while we’re in the area, so it would probably be a big help if I don’t have to rely on David completely while we are over there.”

 

“Ah, I’m sure you will love it!” Rain exclaimed as he turned the focus of his understated charm onto Mike. I saw Mike’s cheeks flush, his mouth opening for a second but then closed again without saying a word. Mike is almost never speechless. Interesting. Rain turned back to me. “Do you know where you are going? You’ll visit Talinn, of course, but where does your family live, David?”

 

“In Maardu and Tartu.”

 

“Ah, just the big cities, then.”

 

Mike smirked, seemingly recovered. “If you can call any cities in Estonia big.”

 

“Isn’t that the truth!” Laleh agreed, giving Mike’s arm a cute little swat.

 

Rain rolled his eyes. “I’m surprised either of you even know that much about Estonian geography. Our cities may not be large like Toronto or Tehran in your case, Laleh, but they each have much character and heart.”

 

“Don’t throw me in with this lot, Rain,” I effused, “I’m from Dryden, a city in the middle of nowhere in Northwestern Ontario. Well, they call it a city but that’s a gross exaggeration. There’s only about seven or eight thousand people in the community, and small town attitudes and small town values abound. My mother still lives up there, so I don’t get to see her as often as I’d like but we Skype often enough that it isn’t so bad. What about you, where do you call home?”

 

Rain smiled. “Well, Toronto now, but I grew up in Parnu on the southwestern coast. It’s a bit of a resort town with beaches and tourists and festivals in summer, but it quiets a lot in the fall and winter when the tourists go home and the population level settles back down to normal. My family is actually mostly in the Kuressaare area on Saaremaa island, but my mother moved to the mainland after university to be with my father and get away from the small-town mentality that I’m sure was somewhat similar to your hometown’s. I don’t think my mother has ever regretted it, either.”

 

“I can totally relate. As much as I love my mother, I have absolutely no reason to ever live in Dryden again. It’s just too-”

 

“Didn’t you need to start making that brie thing, David?” Mike interrupted me. I had this feeling was frowning at me again from underneath the mask. “Besides, I thought you were going to work the bar for Vicky making everyone some of those fancy cocktails you like.”

 

“Oh, yeah... I guess I should get started on that,” I said, feeling myself flush a bit once again.

 

“Well, it was nice to meet you both,” Mike said, his frown briefly turning into a flushed half-smile when his eyes locked with Rain’s. “We’ll chat more in a bit.” He grabbed my elbow and led us away to the kitchen.

 

I studied him for a moment before turning away to see that the oven was finished preheating. I opened the fridge door. God, I almost needed to shield my eyes from the mess Vicky had in there. She eats so much take-out, but doesn’t finish her leftovers. I mean, it didn’t stink but it wasn’t pretty either. No wonder she can’t keep a boyfriend.

 

“So, any particular reason we couldn’t finish that conversation with Rain and Laleh? It’s not like there was a lack of things for people to eat at the food table, Mike.”

 

Mike crossed his arms. “Sorry for trying to remind you to do something you promised Victoria, David. Next time I’ll wait until the party is almost over.”

 

“Hey!” I protested. Was he joking or being a dick?

 

He turned to walk out of the room before I could guess his expression under the mask. “I’m gonna go see what Mark, Brian and Bobby are doing.”

 

I sighed and pulled the brie wheel and, annoyingly, the crescent roll freezer dough out of the fridge. The boys were probably going to spend half the night blabbing on and on about sports now. Make that pretty much all night. I can shoot the shit about hockey like a pro but I couldn’t care less about baseball, basketball and football. Soccer I am somewhat obligated to keep up with because it’s been Mike’s passion since the moment he could get on the field and play, so I didn’t mind chatting about that as much. As I unrolled the dough, it was a bit sticky. I rolled my eyes. Of course it was sticky. Vicky hadn’t realized the dough was supposed to be in the freezer. If cooking was like a foreign language for her, baking was something from another planet altogether. I put the brie down on the pastry, mixed the vanilla paste into the champagne-poached pear jam and slathered it over the wheel, then scattered some freshly cracked black pepper over top. I wrapped the pastry over to completely cover the cheese with no gaps and then put it in the oven. I set a timer on my phone and then walked into the next room where the bar was set up.

 

Thankfully Vicky had the foresight to leave some space cleared for me to work my magic at her little roll-away bar. I placed my empty beer bottle into one of the cardboard containers to go back for recycling, and then got the bitters and rimming salts out of my carrying case. I wasn’t really in the mood for something subtle right now so I rimmed a glass with celery salt and made myself an extra spicy Bloody Caesar with celery bitters added in for the extra kick. I don’t know why, but I was feeling a bit anxious. I really shouldn’t be feeling anxious right now. I took a large gulp of the Caesar, taking a moment to luxuriate in the clamato’s texture contrasting with the fire of the alcohol and Tabasco sauce. The aromas from the bitters that were wafting from the surface of the drink and my tongue added that extra layer of complexity to take the drink to a whole other level.

 

I am admittedly a foodie, and that extends into my appreciation of alcoholic beverages as well. A few years back, an old colleague of Mike’s introduced me to the use of bitters in mixed drinks. We had a long discussion after dinner one evening about the medicinal history of bitters and how they came to be used directly as digestifs, like Campari and Jaegermeister, and as additions to other drinks to add complexities. He had Mike and I try a few different cocktails made with and without some different bitters. I was hooked, and have amassed a fair collection of them beyond the typical Angostura and Peychaud’s: orange bitters, celery bitters, hopped grapefruit bitters, citrus-chamomille bitters, eucalyptus bitters, rhubarb bitters, black walnut bitters, and just recently I got my hands on a bottle of an orgasmically aromatic spiced chocolate bitters. I swear it’s not reached obsession level yet. I’m just… well, very particular about what I use in my drinks when I’m in the right mood.

 

I’ve tried out a lot of different drink recipes since I started my collection and embraced the lost art of the cocktail (laugh all you want, bitches, I can hear you from down the hall!). There have been a number of failures amid the successes, but I have amassed a decent selection of crowd-pleasers and some more subtle creations. Based on the selection Vicky’s got set out tonight, I think tonight I’m going to feature the Clementine Negroni, the Pegu Club cocktail, and the Sazerac as the feature creations. Oh, and an Armagnac Alexander with black walnut and spiced chocolate bitters.

 

Yes, I will be having at least one of each of those tonight. Yes, I have no shame. It's no small wonder Vicky and I are good friends.

 

My first victims came by, Caleb and Danielle, some high school friends of Vicky’s that I’d met a few times before. I managed to convince Caleb to try the Sazerac, but the Danielle just wanted a Smirnoff Ice. Bleh. And so my bartending began, chatting everyone up while making cocktail creations, recommending craft beers to try from the selection, and generally making an ass of myself in good fun. I was in my element, really. There was a part of me that missed bartending, as much for the social aspect of the job as the creativity and skill needed to be a master. After I brought the brie out of the oven, people started to dig into it and I got the usual compliments and people asking what the secret to the pastry was. I always blush when I admit that it’s just a tube of Pillsbury dough, but I’m not going to lie about it. After about a half hour Vicky stumbled over. She was definitely in hot mess mode tonight. With a dramatic sigh she bent over and unlaced the straps on her while stilettos. She kicked them into the corner, then rubbed her feet a bit while giving the offending footwear a nasty look. I raised my eyebrows and gave her a bit of side eye and she responded by flipping me the bird.

 

“What can I get for you, Vicks?” I asked, chuckling.

 

“Vicks? Seriously, David? God, by the end of the night you’re going to be calling me VapoRub, aren’t you?” she responded, put off.

 

I smirked. “Well, I do have some eucalyptus bitters and crème de menth if you-”

 

“Ugh, just make me a dirty Martini, you dirty bastard,” Victoria growled, flipping her hair back.

 

“Well, we both know you always like it dirty,” I laughed, earning me a half-hearted glare.

 

I got to work on the drink while she stood there leaning in front of me on the bartop with her elbows. I was seeing way too much of her cleavage, but hey, it’s not like I haven’t seen that before. We've had more nights of drunken shenanigans than I should admit. We'd more than annoyed Mike a few times when he'd been involved, too. We had a tendency to get a bit over the top if we really needed to unwind. Mike usually ended up being the designated driver if were were out on the town and not taking the subway. Vicky was absently wagging her ass out behind her. Whether it was consciously or unconsciously, I wasn’t sure. She’d ditched the cape at some point, so there wasn’t much left to the imagination down there. I may be gay, but I’ll admit that Victoria has a nice ass and if I had any inkling of straight in me it would probably give me pause. Considering the costume she chose to wear tonight, I looked past her into the next room to see if there was anyone in particular she was trying to impress.

 

“So, I saw you and Mike chatting it up with Rain and Laleh,” she intoned as I started my search.

 

“Uh huh,” I replied, starting to shake the cocktail with practiced ease. I could see Mike chatting with Mark, Bryan and Bobby, but it looked like Rain had joined in their conversation too. Mike seemed more animated than usual, while Rain was rather subdued. He still had that subtle smile on his face, though, watching Mike.

 

“So what did you think?”

 

“Huh? About Rain and Laleh?”

 

“Yes, David. But mostly Rain. I see Laleh at work every day.”

 

I stopped shaking and strained the martini into a glass for her, adding an olive garnish to go along with the olive juice taint in the cocktail. “Laleh seems like a great girl to have around, especially if she parties like you do. Definitely a larger than life personality.”

 

“And Rain?” she asked, pushing me along to what she really wanted to hear.

 

“He seems nice enough,” I said somewhat quietly.

 

“Nice enough?” she responded disbelievingly, one eyebrow raised, “Well sure he is, but damn is he ever hot.”

 

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him without the mask.”

 

Vicky rolled her eyes and took a sip of her martini. “Bullshit. Anyone can tell he’s hot underneath it and he just drips of sex. You can practically feel it from a kilometre away. And that body - that costume does nothing to hide that he takes a lot of pride in keeping fit. And I know for a fact you noticed it. I saw you blushing like a teenage girl backstage at a boyband concert while you were talking to him,” she said then took another sip. “This is really good by the way.”

 

“Thanks. And I wasn’t blushing.”

 

“David, David, David, how many more drinks do you need tonight before I can get you to just gush about everything with no inhibitions?”

 

“I’m gonna say six.”

 

“Well hop to it!” she demanded, slapping a hand down on the bar hard enough for some of the glasses to rattle. I sighed and put together a Pegu Club for myself. We chatted for a bit before she wandered off.

 

I couldn’t tell whether she’s aiming to snag someone tonight or if she actually has an endgame is for this party other than some sloppy fun outside of work. She has been known to hold get-together in the past with the intention of hooking up herself or someone else with another victim. Anyway, Vicky was trying to get me to give my opinions on a bunch of guys here but most of them were taken, Rain included. There are a few, though, who make the candidate list. Of them, I’ve always thought she and Mark are going to end up together, but neither of them ever seems to make a move. I’m not the type to try and set people up, though, so I’ve held my tongue about it for almost four years now. Jeez, has it really been that long? Vicky’s never out and out said it, but I know she thinks Mark is attractive, physically and mentally. It’s unlike her to be coy about what she thinks of a guy, so that was a big clue-off for me that he’s more than just another guy in her mind. I’ve also seen Mark watching her appreciatively. I think the big problem is that Victoria likes being chased, and to be honest I think Mark doesn’t want to waste time trying to pin down a woman who seems to flit guy to guy all too quickly. Maybe Vicky does need to get a bit of a push to make the first move.

 

After a few more ‘satisfied customers’ were served up some cocktails, a blonde, clean cut guy in a Dick Tracy-esque costume approached. I didn’t recognize him, but Vicky accumulates aquaintances like you wouldn’t believe so it wasn’t that surprising.

 

“Hi, what can I get for you? Vicky asked me to tend bar tonight, since it was one of my night jobs back in college. I’m fully at your service. Beyond the great selection of beer, wine and coolers at the end of the bar there, I’m pouring few feature cocktails, or I can mix up pretty much whatever you want.”

 

“Maybe a gimlet?” he replied, his green eyes unsure. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties - at least a few years older than Mike, anyway.

 

“How about I jazz that up a bit and make you a Sawyer. It’s essentially a gimlet, but the bitters take a more forward note - angostura, peychaud’s and orange bitters too in this case.”

 

The man shrugged. “Sounds good. I’ll give it a try.”

 

I started to work on it in a companionable silence, but I could feel his eyes on me. I tossed a bunch of ice into the shaker and got to work showing off my best technique and gave him a smile. He seemed to be struggling with coming up with something to say, or at the very least work up the nerve to actually introduce himself. I decided that I’d take the lead for once. “So, I don’t think we’ve met before.”

 

“Ah, no we haven’t. Alec Montmigny,” he said, extending his hand to shake until he realized I had my hands full. I chuckled and smiled.

 

“David Templeton. Nice to make your acquaintance.”

 

“Likewise,” he replied, nodding. His eyes widened for a moment in recognition. “Oh, wait, I think I met your partner a few minutes ago, Mike Andriessen?”

 

“Yep, that’s my other half.”

 

He smiled, though there was hint of disappointment that seemed to be marring its veracity. I strained his drink into the cocktail glass and handed it to him. He took a sip and then looked at me appreciatively. “This is good. Better than a gimlet, actually.”

 

“Thanks!” I nodded graciously and then started cleaning the shaker.

 

He nodded and took another sip. “So Vicky was telling me about you the other day.”

 

“Oh God,” I groaned. “Are you another new work colleague? Laleh told me that apparently she won’t stop talking about me lately.”

 

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m only new in the sense that you no longer worked for us when I came aboard, but it’s been about 6 months now.”

 

“Oh? I’m surprised, considering how quick your hire followed the big cuts but-” I cut myself off. “Wait, are you the one taking Helen Chan’s maternity leave?” That pregnancy was something that took everyone at work by surprise, considering that she is forty-two. I guess it took Helen and her husband by surprise too.

 

Alec nodded. “Yeah, but she’s extended it into a long term Ieave of absence now. That decision was made before my time at Globestar began, though. Word is her amniocentesis tested positive for Down’s syndrome and she’s going to be a stay-at-home mom to make sure the kid gets the best care, poor girl. It might end up being a permanent position for me if I’m lucky and the boys at the top like me. From what I hear she’s well liked enough that they’ll find herself something good in another department if she decides to come back.”

 

“Jeez, that’s tough. I can’t even imagine what she and Peter are going through.”

 

Suddenly Alec grimaced and he facepalmed. “Shit, I haven’t even had too many drinks yet and I’m already breaking privacy rules for this job.”

 

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s not like I have any reason to tattle on you to your bosses, or is there something you aren’t telling me?” I kidded.

 

He chuckled, “I guess not, but it’s still not very professional for an upper level manager.”

 

My breath caught in my throat for a second. Shit. I’d forgotten. Helen was head of HR at Globestar. I was talking to the guy who had the authority to give me my job back if he wanted me there. Oh God, what the hell was I thinking! And why the hell didn’t Victoria tell me that he was going to be at this party? Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! What do I say now?

 

“Uh... well... I mean…” I stuttered as my heart started racing, my blood pounding in my ears.

 

“David! Kas kipub baar täna?”⁴

 

Rain.

 

Alec turned for a moment and then turned back to me quickly, leaning in. “I can see why you’re stuttering, David. That specimen is beyond hot. Laleh’s one lucky girl,” he whispered, “And so is Mike, for that matter.”

 

I could feel my cheeks flush. Alec smirked and turned back to the approaching Estonian. “Having fun, Rain?”

 

Rain nodded, that subtle smile still barely alighting his features.

 

“Well, cheers then,” Alec said, clinking his cocktail glass with Rain’s almost empty beer bottle. “David, I’ll leave you to it.”

 

Alec wandered off towards the back patio, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Gross. I tried not to let out a sigh of relief, but failed at that.

 

“Alec bothering you?”

 

Apparently my near meltdown hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Nah, I just didn’t realize he was with HR at Globestar until right when you came over. I feel like an ass right now,” I muttered, shaking my head as I looked down at my half-finished Seelbach.

 

“I’m sure you were just fine,” he soothed. I looked up at him and those hazel eyes caught me again. For whatever reason, I found myself believing him. Relaxing a bit. Relaxing, that is, until I realized he was still staring at me now with a hint of curiosity in his expression.

 

I flushed and slugged back the remains of my cocktail. “Can I, uh, get you something?”

 

“Hmm, anything you would recommend?”

 

“Umm, well I’m making a few feature cocktails tonight if you don’t want another beer.”

 

Rain nodded. “How about you pour us each a shot of vodka and then I’ll let you surprise me with something.”

 

“Sure…” I tore my eyes off of him and looked at my vodka options. “Uh, do you have a preference? Vicky’s got Grey Goose, Absolut and Yamskaya here.”

 

“Hmm, the Yamskaya I guess. It’s too bad there’s no Viru Valge but Estonian vodka is damn hard to find in Canada, even in Toronto so I wouldn’t expect it. Still, it would be nice to have that reminder of home. I’d love to have some of the Saremaa vodka even more, but that’s even less of a possibility. I guess I really should put a special order in at the LCBO⁵, but then I’d have to buy a whole case and I’m not that big a drinker.”

 

“Maybe you should find a few people to get in on it with you. I’d be okay with buying a bottle if it’s unique, and I’m sure Vicky would go for a bottle or two.”

 

"Hmm, that is definitely something to consider.”

 

I poured our shots out and handed him his glass. Our fingers brushed for a moment, and goosebumps scattered up my arm.

 

“Terviseks!”⁶ He cheered loudly, locking his gaze with mine. I could feel a flush creeping up my cheeks again despite all efforts to keep it under control.

 

“Terviseks!” I echoed, clinking our glasses together. We downed the shots and brought the glasses back down to the bar with flourish. God that burned in just the right way. Rain was grinning, that subtle smile just a memory. I reached over for the bottle of water I’d been nursing between conversations and cocktails.

 

“Have you decided what cocktail you are making me?”

 

“I thought you wanted it to be a surprise,” I half-whined, “and what makes you think I was going to make you a cocktail, anyway?”

 

Rain shrugged, smiling. “They seem to be the theme tonight. Vicky tells me you worked as a bartender for a while back in college and make some great cocktails. Especially the ones with a dose of cream.”

 

I choked on the water, turning my face into my elbow as I coughed and sputtered. My face was beet red, as much from the water burning in my lungs as the double meaning those words might have. Looking back at him, Rain was shaking with quiet laughter.

 

“I see you have a dirty mind, David.”

 

“Shut up, you! Do you want a cocktail or not?!”

 

Rain smiled slyly. “I’ll have one of your cocktails any day.”

 

My jaw dropped open for a second, and then growled and I chucked the now-empty water bottle at him. “Quit while you’re ahead or I’m going to spit in it.”

 

“As long as you aren’t too much of a dirty boy, I wouldn’t mind.”

 

I covered my face with my right hand. He did not just say that. I could hear him chuckling. I shook my head and got to work. An armagnac alexander with spiced chocolate bitters and black walnut bitters. Made with heavy cream, just for him.

 

I slid the drink over to him trying my best to look put off by that subtle smirk. He was back to being coy, apparently. “So, why the Green Lantern?” I asked, referencing his costume.

 

“Hmm? Oh, the Green Lantern books were always my favourite comics growing up. I thought the classic look would go better with Laleh’s costume, though this is the 'Earth 2' version of Alan Scott.”

 

I raised an eyebrow. Rain was a comics guy? And DC at that? Mike is going to totally man-crush this guy if we end up being friends. Wait. 'Earth 2' Alan Scott? The gay Green Lantern? “Does Laleh know that her Wonder Woman doesn’t stand a chance with that version of Alan Scott?”

 

Rain laughed. “Sometimes there is more to a man than what the costume might suggest, David. Infinite worlds, infinite possibilities and-”

 

“Hey guys,” Mike greeted, approaching with a handful of empty beers. He was looking back and forth between the two of us. Rain took a sip of his drink, and then used his tongue to lap up the bit of cream that stuck to the corners of his mouth from the wide rim of the martini glass. He turned that charming subtle smile to Mike.

 

“More beers, Mike?” I asked, taking the empties.

 

“In a minute. What were you guys chatting about?” he asked. I couldn’t tell with the mask whether he was baring an expression of interest or suspicion.

 

“Rain is apparently a DC fan, Mike.”

 

Mike’s eyes widened, along with his smile. “That’s awesome, Rain! Do you still read, or have you ‘outgrown’ it?”

 

“He means to ask, are you still a big man-child, Rain?” I poked.

 

Rain laughed, knowing I was taking revenge for how he played with me earlier. Damn liberal straight boys comfortable with their sexuality. So not fair. “Yes, I still read. And no, I’m definitely not a grown up even at thirty-six. Life’s too short to get stodgy and serious outside of work.”

 

“That’s for sure!” Mike echoed.

 

I rolled my eyes, handing Mike a beer I knew he’d like before he even asked. Mike had been so serious, stodgy, boring and just all around miserable outside of work for the past few months that it’s hard to believe he’d agree. Then again, he wasn’t always like this, and this past week had been… Well, it had been wonderful.

 

The boys were talking comics now, and while I tried to interject a bit here and there I was way out of my depth. Don’t get me wrong, I like comics. I just don’t have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every issue back to the stone ages and the histories of each character across multiple timelines. Hell, I like the X-men the best, and every time I turn around someone new has joined up and someone else is dead or missing or some who-the-fuck-knows Phoenix bullshit for a few issues that I have trouble even keeping up with their books. I’m just glad that we have subscriptions to eComics and we can read them on our tablets because there is no way in hell I am letting Mike’s collection get any bigger if I have any say. It’s already taking up almost a whole closet.

 

“David?”

 

I snapped out of my reverie. Rain was looking at me expectantly, while Mike was frowning. Shit, I tend to look slightly downwards when I get lost in thought and I’d been accidently staring at Rain’s ass the whole time! I started blushing again. “Uh, yeah?”

 

“The armagnac alexander was wonderful. Can you give me a few beers? I’m going to head back into the living room and give a few people their refills and see what Laleh is up to. That girl is very good at getting into trouble,” Rain said, smiling slyly.

 

“S...sure,” I stuttered and then handed him four random craft beer from the supply.

 

Rain winked at me then walked away. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding

 

“Let’s head out.”

 

“Wait, what?” I asked, my head snapping around to look at Mike.

 

“I said, let’s go home, David. I’ve had my fill, and we have a date.”

 

I frowned. “Mike, we’ve only been here for an hour and a half. It’s not even midnight!”

 

“Sure, because there isn’t another party waiting for us at home,” he said, trying but failing at sounding suggestive. If anything he sounded a bit upset.

 

“Oh come on Mike. You know that I want to peel you out of that costume when we get home as much as you do.”

 

He folded his arms. “Didn’t look like it from where I was standing just now.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe I should ask Rain.”

 

“What does he have to do with this?”

 

“He has to do with my partner eye-fucking him all night like some sex-starved little bitch in heat!” Mike hissed.

 

I shook my head, his words cutting deep. Deeper than I want to admit, but he was right. “He’s straight Mike, and going home with a gorgeous Persian girl who probably puts out more than any straight guy can handle.”

 

“As if that matters. As if I care about him and his breeder sex life. It’s you I’m talking about right now. I’m tired and I want to go home and finish tonight the way we promised. Now let’s go,” he insisted.

 

“No.”

 

“David, I said I want-”

 

“No!”

 

There was a tense moment of silence between us.

 

“We aren’t leaving yet,” I said firmly.

 

A heartbeat.

 

Mike shook his head. He was incredibly upset with me, I know he was. But he promised we’d come to this party. He promised that he’d have a good time, that I could have a good time with friends that I hardly ever see anymore. Can't he give this to me? Just this?

 

“Fine,” he muttered. He glared at me for a moment and then shook his head again and started walking away. “Fine. Have it your way.”

 

I stared at his receding back. What the hell brought all this on? I mean, okay, Rain is hot. Practically everyone here, attached or not, has admitted that. And he’s also a big flirt, apparently. But… was it really so bad to look? Ugh, whatever. Mike was probably just crabby because he’s tired from all the bullshit at work. But he was fine at dinner. To be honest, he was acting more excited for the party than I was!

 

I poured myself a shot of bourbon and slammed it back as the next cluster of people seeking drink refills made there way over to chat while I worked my magic. After more and more people passed, I’d worked my way through a couple Seelbachs and was pouring myself a Sawyer when Vicky walked up and leaned forward on the bar until she was practically in my personal space. More cleavage that I did not need to see.

 

“Hey David,” she said in a sing-song voice, her eyes a bit glassy. “How’s it going?”

 

I shrugged. “Can I get you anything, Vapo?”

 

She wrinkled her nose. “Keep that up and you’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’, David,” she threatened, slapping her hands down on the bar surface. I laughed.

 

“How about the armagnac alexander, Vicky?”

 

“Oh, Rain just said the one you made him was really good. Dunno if my stomach will be able to take a creamy drink like that now. Not if I want to last the rest of the night.”

 

“True. How about a Tom Collins?”

 

“Perfect.”

 

I set about making the drink. She was studying me again. “You okay?”

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

 

“It’s too bad Mike had to go. Was he not feeling well?”

 

I dropped the shot glass I was using. “What?”

 

Vicky frowned. “He didn’t tell you he was leaving?”

 

“No, he didn’t,” I replied quietly. My chest was tightening.

 

“Oh. That’s weird.”

 

“Yeah… I mean, he was really tired when he got home from work, so he probably thought it would be best to get home now. I mean, it’s been so long that I’m sure he just… he just wanted me to be able to enjoy myself with everyone, right?” I said, trying to convince myself that I believed it.

 

I was starting to feel a bit short of breath. I picked the shot glass back up and poured out two shots of tequila.

 

“Oh no, no, no David. You know I don’t do tequila shots anymore. Especially this many drinks in. Those are yours, buster.”

 

“I didn’t pour them for you in the first place,” I muttered and then slammed the two shots back and chased them with a gulp of the Sawyer. I finished pouring Vicky her drink and poured myself another Sawyer so I was double-fisting. “I’m done tending bar. People can ask if they want something but I’m not standing here anymore. Let’s get this fucking party started!”

 

“Yeah, that’s more like it!” Vicky exclaimed. I threw an arm around her shoulder and we went out into the living room. “Dance party time!” she shouted, running for the media centre and turning up the music. Laleh, Danielle, Alec and Chris cheered loudly and they all started bustin’ moves and grinding to the music while Mark, Bobby and Brian laughed appreciatively. I tossed back the rest of my one Sawyer and joined them, throwing away all my cares. Other people were joining us. I was sweating up a storm, but I didn’t give a damn. We hooted and carried on like a bunch of college kids out to get a one night stand (or one hour stand, even).

 

My second drink ran out and I was starting to feel pretty hot, so I popped open my collar and kept dancing. I wish Mike was here, grinding against me in that tight batsuit. My chest started tightening again, and my breath shortened. Fuck, I need another drink. I weave-stumbled my way back to the bar. I stood there for a minute breathing in and out and then grabbed the vodka - the Yamskaya - and poured myself another two shots that I slammed back in rapid succession. My chest was tightening further, and my breath still shortening. I needed air. Needed to get out of here.

 

I stumbled my way out onto Vicky’s back patio. It was a tad chilly, but I didn’t care. I half fell, hall sat down on the steps down to the grass from the wooden deck. The mask I was wearing, which hadn’t bothered me all night, was suddenly tight and itchy and stiffling. I ripped it off and threw it to the ground in front of me.

 

What the fuck was wrong with me?

 

My eyes teared up a little, but I wiped them away. I leaned back, looking up at the grey, light-polluted Toronto sky and started to count the stars I could make out. I couldn’t keep track of them, though. There weren’t that many, but I just couldn’t keep track of them. They were in too many directions and I couldn’t see them all at once. Some of them were obvious, some of them you had to seek out, and others, the hardest once, you’d have to stare in the right place for seconds before they’d pop into your vision. How many stars should I be able to see? How many am I missing?

 

The patio door behind me slides open and someone comes out.

 

“Kas sa näed palju tähti täna?”⁷

 

Rain. Rain again. Do I really want to talk to him right now? He sat down beside me before I had a chance to answer and handed me a beer.

 

“No, not many stars. Though, I’m having trouble keeping track of them. And counting. I’ve probably had too much to drink. Or maybe not enough.”

 

Rain nodded. He held his beer up and we clinked the bottles.

 

“Terviseks,” we said quietly before taking a drink.

 

We sat there in silence, both of us staring up at the muddy sky now, lost in thought. It was companionable, comfortable. Comforting. I heard him breathe in and slip his own mask off. I turned to look at him, to see his face unmasked for the first time. I swallowed as he turned to meet my gaze head on. Those eyes, those goddamned eyes and that subtle smile. He was even more beautiful than I’d imagined, somehow. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it just was the truth.

 

Rain turned away and looked back up at the stars. I sighed quietly and did the same. The tightness in my chest was receding and my breathing had returned to normal. Thank God. I did not want to have a panic attack. Not here, not right now. I wanted to enjoy this party. I wanted to enjoy this moment. We stayed quiet like that for I don’t even know how long. All of a sudden Rain turned to me and puts a hand on my shoulder, looking at me with this serious face. His mouth opens to say something but right at that moment Vicky stumbled out of the house and unceremoniously glomped onto the two of us, quickly followed by Laleh who’s extra weight caused us all to fall over in a heap.

 

“Here you two are!” Laleh exclaimed as she extricated herself from the pile. She seemed to be almost as drunk as Vicky was now. “It’s chilly out. Come back inside. We’re gonna play Twister and I’m going to kick everyone’s asses!”

 

“Girl, you are so wrong,” Vicky sassed back as she stood up. “David’s the ultimate Twister champion. He’s going to put us all to shame.”

 

“We’ll see about that!” Laleh challenged. “You two get your hot asses back inside and get ready to get down and dirty!”

 

The girls cackled and stumbled back into the house. I took a deep breath as Rain moved himself off of me, shaking his head at the girls. I’d caught a wiff of his scent. Vanilla, cinnamon and… fresh spring rain. He stood, offered me a hand and pulled me up to standing. He smiled at me that subtle, quiet smile and gestured for me to head back in front of him. I was okay. I’d be okay.

 

I needed another drink.