Buy Me a Drink - 5. Chapter 5

“Didn’t you say Robbie used to date him?”

It’s about 2:30AM and I’m sitting in Frank’s having cheese fries with Mick, just as I would any other Friday night. Damn it!

“Who’s Robbie?” I ask him.

“Amanda’s friend. The one who opened a can of Pygmalion on your ass,” Mick clarifies, as I glare at his insulting ‘literary world meets WWF’ reference.

“Ronnie,” I correct rolling my eyes.

“Ronnie then. Anyway, didn’t you say he used to date Giorgio?”

”Yeah so?”

“Sooo, call him and tell him to call the prick off. It’s either that or he and I can find out just who is the baddest man at Bender’s,” Mick says, and I don’t doubt for a moment that he’s willing to carry out the threat.

“Cool it, Leroy Brown. This is my problem not yours and I want you to stay out of it,” I insist catching his eyes with mine. He briefly challenges me with them, then sighs and relaxes a little.

“Fine, but at least call him. Maybe he can talk the jerk down.”

“Well, I guess it’s worth a shot, but I want to see if Ben calls me first. Besides, I’m sure Ben – and probably Cosmo once he’s sober – will give him an ear full for his behavior.”

Though I do believe that, the more I think about the situation the more depressed I become. I mean his friends hate me, and to make matters worse I can barely even open my mouth around him unless it’s to slide my foot in. It’s like the whole thing is just ill-fated.

“Daisy’s a problem too,” I sigh remembering that ‘friends’ is plural. “They both hate me and want to keep me away from Ben.”

Mick starts to say something but before he can I cut him off, “And before you say it, just lay off ok. You can’t touch this guy; he’s like half your size.”

Mick looks frustrated but closes his mouth. Honestly, when did the guy get such a chip on his shoulder? If I’d started trying to date sooner, I bet by now Houston would have the highest per capita incidence of gay bashings in the country!

“Maybe it’s not even worth it,” I continue despondently, my thoughts once again settling on the problems.

“I mean I still don’t know what the guy even thinks about me, his friends hate me, and he’s not like the best guy to be with in the first place. I know what he’s like, and we both know what kinda stuff he does, an-”

“Aaron, just shut up!” Mick interrupts with a frustrated tone, shocking me out of my self-pitying rant.

“For the last two years all I’ve heard you do is talk about how no one is interested in you, or how there aren’t any decent, unattached gay guys out there. And now that someone IS interested in you, someone you genuinely like back, you’re going to let this crap stop you? I don’t think so! Unless you really do want to be my ‘boyfriend’ forever you’re going to have to stop this shit and get your act together.”

He finishes his tirade and looks at me with a pissed off, pouty frown. I should probably tell him to mind his own damn business…but I can’t. It’s obvious that he really cares about this, about me. Suddenly the idea of him being my boyfriend forever is looking better and better…even without the sex or kissing.

“Yeah, well maybe I will just be your ‘boyfriend’. That is if you’ll still have me,” I respond deflated.

He gently kicks my foot under the table and catches my eye, “It’s a standing offer, dude, and believe me you’re not going anywhere anytime soon, but I really think you need to look into this romance stuff. I mean I don’t understand it, but it looks kinda popular, ya know?”

God I wish he were homosexual, or even just ‘sexual’.

“Thanks, man” I say with a genuine smile as I dip one my fries in the ketchup.

________________

“Oh god, what do I say?” I blurt out to no one in particular as I look hopelessly at my ringing cell phone.

“Try ‘hello’.” This remark brought to you by a random, dykish looking girl standing near me in the CD section of the Half Price Books in Montrose. While I’m glaring at her as though she’d just spit on my cat, I suddenly realize that her suggestion isn’t completely without merit.

“Hello?” I say as I frantically flip my cell phone open.

“Hey sexy. How’s my favorite partner?” Ben lilts suggestively, then giggles. “Dance partner that is.”

“Um fine,” I say trying to sound casual.

The trouble with trying to sound casual is that one is inclined to simultaneously try to look casual. Big mistake! Unfortunately, I realize this about a second too late as I lean too heavily on the CDs in front of me and knock over a large row. As several of them crash to the floor, my lesbian music companion rolls her eyes at me and looks thoroughly amused.

Damn it! It’s this hair product Ronnie has me using. I swear it’s making me stupid. I never used to act like this.

“So is that a yes?” Ben asks. Umm, I think I may have missed part of this conversation..

“Ohh, uhh, eughh” And the caveman is back ladies and gentleman.

“What was the question again?” I ask blushing.

At this point my buxomly inclined friend actually laughs out loud at me so I decide to stare angrily at her until she leaves. After a few moments she rolls her eyes and walks away. FINALLY, now that she’s gone maybe I’ll actually be able to pay attention.

Ben’s laughing. “I asked if you were going to be at Bender’s tonight. You’re there every Saturday right?”

“Oh. Um yeah, I’ll be there. Sorry about that. I, uhh, think I have some fluid in my ear or something.” Fluid in my ear? What the hell?!

Ben hesitates, probably trying to decide whether I have a gross ear infection or am simply full of shit. Fortunately he must have concluded it was the latter as he teasingly chides, “You straight guys. I’ll never understand you.”

“Sorry man,” I laugh. “But yeah, I’ll definitely be there. Hey, by the way, I’m sorry if I caused any problems for you last night,” I add remembering how angry Giorgio looked.

“Ohh,” Ben seems to be taken off guard at this, “It’s cool Aaron, and you didn’t. Jose’s just a jerk sometimes and crazy protective. It’s all good though. I’m really sorry he acted like that.”

What? Is HE apologizing to ME? Wow!

“Yeah, well I guess it’s all good then.” Can’t go wrong if I just repeat his phrases right? “Um, so I’ll see you tonight.”

“See ya then.” He says, and then he pauses briefly. “I think you owe me a drink anyway,” he jokes hanging up the phone before I can say anything else – thank god!

_________________________

“How’s your ear?” Someone whispers into it as an arm goes around my neck.

“Ben! You’re–” Kissing me, and yes there’s plenty of room in my mouth for your tongue.

He breaks the kiss all too soon, then grinning at me he turns around and slides between me and the bar. Leaning back heavily he allows his hand to lightly touch my right hip.

“What’s this?” He asks a few moments later as he moves the pen and picks up my notes.

My stomach drops. I may not be the brightest bulb in the strobe lights, but I’m pretty sure explaining to him that I’m conducting an informal field study of gay club culture for my future dissertation won’t exactly leave him charmed, especially if he happens to read the notes about himself and his friends.

“Inventory,” Jake says casually with a smile as he gently tugs the notes out of Ben’s hand and replaces them behind the bar where all my most recent notes are kept for convenience. “I call out what we need, and Aar writes it down for me. Saves me alota time.”

Ben looks less than completely convinced, but he also looks like he doesn’t particularly care.

“Cool,” he says with a shrug as he grabs my hand and pulls it against his stomach.

“Why don’t we go outside and smoke and talk for awhile, before the crowd gets here,” he suggests as he tilts his head back and looks up at me.

“I don’t smoke, but sure,” I agree. I’d hate to miss out on all those delicious second-hand carcinogens.

Speaking of ‘the crowd’ not yet being here, one of the reason I was so surprised to see him right now was precisely because the crowd isn’t here yet. It’s only 10:15 and he and ‘the gang’ never show up before 11:00.

As we walk outside to the enclosed smoking area, I look around to see if I can spot any of his friends.

“They’re not here yet,” Ben says seemingly reading my mind. “Matt dropped me off on his way to Jose and Dave’s. They’ll be here in about an hour or so. I just thought it’d be cool for us to hang a little first.”

Whoa! Ben making special arrangements to meet me early, I certainly have no idea how to react to that. I guess I could try being flattered, but I think I’ll start with a healthy order of incredulity and work my way up to flattered. I guess this means I’ll have to be charming. I mean it’s the least I can do if he’s going to all this trouble, right?

“Cosmo err I mean Dave and…Jose live together?” I ask for the sake of small talk as he pulls out his cigarettes. Admittedly I know of very few scintillating conversations which have begun in this way – and in all likelihood even fewer have begun with one of the conversationalists referring to the other’s close friend as an alcoholic beverage – but give me a break, it’s a start right?

“Dave told me you called him that,” Ben says with a laugh, then his eyes practically dance with glee as a thought crosses his mind and he continues, “what was it you call Matt? Dave, I mean ‘Cosmo’,” he corrects himself with a laugh, getting into the game, “said it was something really funny. Some kind of flower or something.”

I swallow nervously and blush.

“Daisy,” I say quietly.

“Daisy!” he repeats with a loud laugh. “Yes, that was it!”

He’s laughing harder now and clutching his side. I think if he weren’t concerned about getting his designer jeans dirty he’d be rolling on the floor at this point.

“Oh that’s just too much!” He says as he continues to convulse with laughter.

Finally, he starts to settle down and then seems to remember something else.

“By the way, to answer your question, yeah, ‘Cosmo’ and Jose live together.” He tries, and fails, to suppress a giggle as he says this. I guess I should give him points for at least trying.

It’s not that I mind his laughter though. Actually his laughter and giggles are really wonderful. Like you know how some people sound really stupid when they laugh, and a lot of gay guys sound really irritating or super-femme – “not that there’s anything wrong with that” – when they giggle. Well Ben doesn’t have those problems when he laughs. His laughter is hearty yet somehow refined. It’s also all around joyful and downright infectious I realize as I find myself cracking up too. As for his giggles, well they sound almost childlike and innocent. All in all, I realize that I can’t help but to be completely charmed by him.

“Dave,” I think he must have given up calling him ‘Cosmo’ since he attempts to be trying to convey actual information to me at this point and probably wants to limit the hysterics. “and Jose were a couple for a long time. They had already moved in together when they broke up.”

Ronnie hadn’t told me they lived together, but I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising. Wait a minute though, why do they STILL live together? Wouldn’t that be really awkward and weird? I mean especially since Giorgio always takes guys home? I know I wouldn’t want my ex-boyfriend in the other room if I had someone over…oh wait I don’t have an ex-boyfriend and I’ve never had anyone over. I still don’t think I’d like it though.

“Why do they still live together if they broke up? Isn’t it kinda weird for them?”

Ben looks hesitant, like he’s trying to decide just how much is appropriate to tell me.

“It’s not weird for them. I mean it probably hurt Dave at first to be around Jose like that, and not with him, but I don’t think he could have really made it without him…” Ben trails off.

“Ohh, because…I mean he told me he was…”

“Yeah,” Ben says quietly and a moment of melancholy passes over his face. “That’s not exactly what I meant though. More…more like emotionally I guess. Anyway after…well Jose just insisted.”

Right now Ben doesn’t really seem particularly happy and I’m trying desperately to figure out something to say. You know, something that ISN’T about pus in my ear, or how maybe I should ditch him to go eat cheese fries with Mick. I’m still trying to think of a way to cheer him up when he comes up with something on his own.

“Hey, what’s Jose’s name?” he asks with the beginning of a smile on his lips.

It takes me a second, but then I realize what he means. “Giorgio”

“Nice!” Ben responds, obviously amused and pleased with the moniker.

“So Dave is ‘Cosmo’ for obvious reasons, and I get why Jose is ‘Giorgio’, but… ‘Daisy’?” he asks confused.

I briefly consider whether he might be upset that I refer to one of his best friends in this way, but he doesn’t seem to be, and every indication thus far has shown that he finds the whole thing really amusing. So why not?

“Have you ever noticed his credit card?” I ask.

“His credit card? Wha...” Ben trails off as realization dawns on him, “Oh fuck! That’s hilarious!”

And with that we have another round of side-splitting hysterics. Jeez, this is fun! Who knew standing around with smokers could be such a blast? Okay, maybe it’s just this particular smoker.

It takes him a few more moments to get his laughter under control, but eventually he continues.

“So how do you know what his credit card looks like anyway?” Ben asks.

“He uses it every night to start a tab and…,” I pause considering whether this could get Jake in any kind of trouble. I don’t think it can, but better safe than sorry.

“And I’m always by the bar when he does,” I finish.

“And also by the bar when Dave gets his drinks or Jose walks by with his sexy scent?” Ben half remarks, half asks with those dancing eyes of his.

“Exactly,” I say with a big grin.

At this point I really should have anticipated his next question. I should have been thinking up some brilliant answer. Or at least some decent excuse. But, as I said before, Ronnie’s hair cut is making me stupid.

“So what’s my nickname?”