Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs - 17. Dangerous Waters

Chapter Seventeen – Dangerous Waters

Adrian didn’t make a move to pick up the object inside the case. “What’s this?”

“I am certain you know well what it is,” Edward replied. He kept his hands in the pockets of his pants, and he looked just as cool and collected as before. Right now, there was a half-mocking smile on his face, an expression Adrian couldn’t quite make sense of.

“And you know that’s not what I meant. What do you want me to do with it?”

Edward cocked his head. “It’s proof of trust, Adrian.”

“It’s not proof of trust. It’s a fucking buttplug.” Adrian had a mind to throw the case back at Edward.

A small arrogant tsk was the immediate answer to his righteous annoyance. “And? Don’t tell me you’ve never touched one.”

“No need to play the smartass with me. Just tell me. What do you want me to do with it?”

Edward walked closer. Adrian knew it wasn’t a good idea to feel intimidated, but there was something about Edward that made his skin go all goosebumps with anticipated pleasure, even when he did the most mundane things. Right now, there wasn’t anything mundane about how Edward grabbed one of his buttocks, squeezing, and kissed his neck. “I obviously want you to put it inside.”

“Are you trying to play me? This type of thing is like a gateway drug to anal, right?”

Edward’s laugh was clinking crystal. It sent eddies of arousal down his back. Adrian shifted, trying to make Edward move his hand from his ass. No chance of that, it seemed. “I thought you were in control, Adrian. It’s just a little thing I’m asking. I want you to feel pleasure in all possible ways when you’re with me. And, since you don’t allow me to fuck you, this is the best next thing. Just to make it clear, I want you to wear it while you’re inside me. What do you say?”

Adrian exhaled, trying to control the new wave of arousal threatening to take over his rational mind. “You just want to move things along,” he argued.

“What things?” Edward kept his lips close to his skin on purpose. Each breath, each word, was temporarily imprinted on Adrian’s neck, like a small promise of future pleasures.

“I didn’t forget about our arrangement. You top me, it’s over,” Adrian said, trying hard not to sound like a little kid who was promised a bike on Christmas, but only if he was good and brought home good grades.

“Why should we think about the end?” There was no denial whatsoever.

Edward’s fingers caressed his ass. With his soaring horniness, Adrian’s heart sank a little. It was fitting that they were out at sea while having this conversation. The salty air tickled his nose, and Adrian pretended it was because of that that his eyes got moist for a second. “I don’t,” he protested, albeit meekly. “You do.”

Edward pushed himself away. He took the case from Adrian’s hand and walked back into the cabin. When he walked out again, it looked like he was in sailing mode. Adrian watched him for a while, as the land in the distance began to grow in size and clarity.

“Are we going back?”

“There’s nothing more to do here. You refuse to play,” Edward said airily.

Adrian wanted to know what really was happening under that tall, aristocratic forehead. Ignoring that he was still as naked as before, he walked behind Edward and embraced him. “Does that mean that much to you? Me putting inside your little gift?”

“Of course, it means a lot.”

“Then let’s just do it,” Adrian said simply. “It’s not like you’re going to jump my ass, right?”

Finally, Edward moved his head and looked at him. “I don’t see how that would be possible. While I do think I can hold my own reasonably well, you are superior in size and strength.”

Adrian laughed. “You know, it would serve if you weren’t so damned analytical all the time. And, seriously, what is it all about? Let’s get round to it again.”

Edward switched the yacht back to automatic and turned to face Adrian. “It’s about trust. If you trust me, I see no reason why you would feel threatened by such a thing. Anal pleasure, Adrian, is --”

“All right, don’t give me another lecture,” Adrian moaned. “Let’s get inside and try this. But if I lose my erection because something is stabbing my behind, it’s all on you.”

“Then I will do my best to make sure that you don’t lose your erection.” Edward grabbed his cock and guided him inside the cabin.

Yeah, he was led by the dick, all right. Even in his mind, Adrian had no witty comeback to that.

***

Adrian moaned and grabbed the sheets as Edward worked him with his mouth while he was stuffing his ass with that thing. Yeah, it wasn’t unpleasant, and if all was about pleasure and pleasure only, he got the kink. He couldn’t still shake off entirely the sensation that he was a step behind, and that Edward was running in front, leaving him in the dust.

It was only a little thing, he tried to convince himself. His kinky lover was just that, kinky. And he wanted Adrian to get into that, too.

Edward caressed the skin around his hole now filled up properly. “How does it feel? Is it too much?”

“It’s like something in my ass. Nothing much,” Adrian said, trying to downplay it casually.

“Then you must be ready for me,” Edward said with a low, sexy chuckle.

Adrian had seen Edward naked plenty, but he didn’t mind the small striptease show, as his lover threw away his clothes. Well, that was what he got for playing out of his league. People would laugh if they heard him talk of himself like that. No one was ever out of his league. That was a wise rule to live by.

But Edward Hastings was, and to himself, Adrian could admit that. Right now, he was biting more than he could chew. He was throwing himself, head first, into something he had no control over. Someone with more romantic inclinations than him could tell him that was the beauty of it all. But Adrian couldn’t repress the sensation that he was diving in dangerous waters, and if he got unscathed to the other side didn’t depend on him at all.

Edward straddled him. There was a new light in his eyes as he descended on Adrian’s cock slowly, only after lubing himself for a little while. He was tight, and that had to hurt, at least a little, but Adrian felt that he was in no position to argue. He was in no position, but on his back, period. As Edward shifted and impaled himself, Adrian’s ass pressed against the bed, and the buttplug pushed against his prostate. If heightened arousal was what Edward was aiming at, mission accomplished. But Adrian still felt a tiny bit anxious about what it meant. He would be happy to leave it as an experiment about how it would feel to fuck and be fucked at the same time. If that was all, he wanted nothing else. He wouldn’t even write to Santa this year.

A small bite on his chest made him jolt. “Are you with me?” Edward asked breathily.

“I am in you, by the looks of things,” Adrian teased back. “You should feel it.”

Another breathless laugh was the answer. “I do feel it. The question is: do you?”

Adrian grabbed Edward’s hips firmly. “I wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t.”

“I’m talking about a certain thing inside your beautiful ass,” Edward said.

“Beautiful ass? I think those are the words to describe yours.”

“Oh, no, you surely have a wonderful behind.” Edward began moving slowly on top of him, while his fingers ran through the hair on Adrian’s chest. Just as Edward had instructed, Adrian had let it grow. It looked like it hadn’t been just a whim. Edward really liked to play with his chest hair.

“I would fuck it,” Edward added.

Adrian gasped as Edward’s fingers turned into claws; although blunt, the nails raked over his chest quite sharply. He could feel them. So Edward wanted a bit of rough, or so it seemed. He was also trying to provoke him, and Adrian had no intention to leave that glove down on the ground. His right hand moved to grab Edward’s by the hair at the back and pull him toward him. The other grabbed his ass and began dictating the rhythm.

Again, it appeared to be the right choice. Edward began thrashing in his arms, but not to free himself. Being held like that clearly stimulated him more than anything. Maybe Adrian was the guy with something stuffed in his ass, but he was still doing the fucking. Edward was getting off on being pushed around. Adrian thought a bit of roughness was a good addition to the dish; it was the right spice to make Edward fall.

He was back in the game. He moved his hips to hammer Edward from that position. His pleasure was growing faster because the buttplug was doing its thing as his ass muscles were squeezing it, but he could still control it. If Edward wanted to put his stamina to the test, that was a great way to do it. Adrian was pretty sure he could rise to the challenge and more.

“Adrian, Adrian,” Edward chanted and panted at the same time.

It was time for the victory lap. Adrian intensified his hold, and then slapped Edward’s ass once, hard. That caused an instant reaction that led to a chain. In less than one minute, Edward was a quivering mess in his arms, and Adrian hadn’t yet come.

He helped Edward climbed out of his lap, but he didn’t allow him too much of a breather. Adrian took his lover in his arms, kissed him sweetly on his moist and limp lips, and then placed him on all fours.

“Adrian?” Edward seemed surprised and slightly alarmed.

“The thing in my ass must make me last longer,” Adrian explained shortly.

He parted Edward’s ass and decided that there was still enough lube for him to get going again. As he entered, he made sure Edward felt him. There was a bit of a struggle in the handsome body lying there, ripe for the taking. Adrian knew he was pushing some limits, but he hadn’t been the one to initiate the challenge.

The sensations in his ass were multiplying. As he pushed himself inside, he could feel his behind reacting. He was sure that even the hair on his head must be standing from the stimulation he felt. Edward moaned loudly as Adrian began riding him like that.

Maybe it was good payback. Maybe Edward truly needed to find out how it felt to have his nerves stretched, and his manhood challenged.

“If you can’t take it, just say the word, and I’ll behave,” Adrian said, offering his lover an easy way out.

“I can take it,” the muffled reply came.

That was the confirmation he needed. He had one redoubtable adversary in front of him. Edward even dared to push his ass into Adrian’s crotch, to have him understand that was more than ready for another round.

It was showtime. Adrian used the right angle, the right pressure, and the right words as he began his rodeo stint. By how Edward writhed under him, cursing, shouting, moaning, and gasping, he was about to make a name for himself.

Whatever book of lovers Edward must have kept hidden in a safe, somewhere, Adrian wanted to be on the cover. No, he wanted Edward to throw that book away, to get rid of all the memories of anyone else who had ever been inside him. Adrian couldn’t recall ever being a possessive lover. With his first love, he had done nothing but reacted, and later, his casual flings amounted to nothing.

Edward made him feel new things. And he did it in such a way that Adrian felt challenged; at the end of their confrontation, he planned to be the victor. He would be a generous one; he would take Edward in his care and stop him from chasing elusive sensations in a long string of lovers. That was the promise he was making to himself right now.

Now, he planned to strip Edward bare of any pretension that he was in charge. Yeah, he had made Adrian wear his little toy. That was nothing. Adrian held Edward’s pleasure in his hand, and he was giving it in waves, drowning his lover in it.

It had to be after Edward had come a third time that his moans and gasps turned into a begging litany. Adrian knew there was no way he could go further than that. He knew, and still, for a couple of minutes, he insisted on going and going. Edward deserved a small lesson, just as he had served one to Adrian, earlier. If it was trust he wanted, he needed to prove himself he could offer the same.

“Adrian, please,” Edward whispered breathily. “Even I cannot --”

“Hush, love, it’s coming now.” The word was dropped casually, but Adrian knew better. Edward needed to know this wasn’t one of his usual encounters with lovers he took and discarded like boring toys.

Adrian almost blacked out when he came. He kept Edward there, using him as a vessel for everything he had felt since they met. It wasn’t only about how aroused Edward made him with just a glance or a feather-like touch, or about the teasing and denial, or the games they played. It was about how Adrian wanted Edward to feel that this was all he needed.

***

“Thanks,” Adrian murmured as he felt Edward retrieving the buttplug gently from his ass. “It wasn’t all bad.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have asked you to wear it otherwise.”

Edward’s voice was subdued. What had happened earlier must have gotten to him, at least a bit. Adrian was waiting for him to do something about it. But Edward was silent, and, for a moment, Adrian wondered if he hadn’t played his cards wrong. With a guy like Edward, one could never know.

“That was quite the display of showmanship today,” Edward said softly. “I’m afraid my entire body will hurt tomorrow.”

Adrian smiled. He was acknowledged; he had played his cards right. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, lying on one side, his back to Edward.

There was a playful slap on his butt that made him smile.

“Don’t say you’re sorry if you don’t mean it. And I know you don’t mean it. But I probably deserved it. You wanted to serve me back my own medicine.”

“Yeah, among other things,” Adrian replied, his smile never leaving his lips.

“Other things? What other things?” Despite sounding like a guy who had just come several times from being fucked in the ass by a guy with something to prove, Edward perked up.

It was all going according to plan. “That’s for you to find out,” Adrian offered the only explanation he wanted to him.

“Hmm. You’re intriguing me, Adrian. And I thought you played with all the cards on the table.”

Funny how both seemed to think in the same terms about the evolution of their relationship.

“I’m adjusting my game depending on the adversary.”

“Ah, I see. And what kind of adversary am I?”

“The kind that cannot be beaten --”

A satisfied laugh followed.

“-- easily,” Adrian carried on.

“You’re saying that I can be beaten?” Edward wasn’t fast enough to hide his surprise.

“By the right guy.”

“And let me guess, you are that guy.”

“Yeah. As simple as that.”

Edward sighed and dropped on the bed. “Adrian, you really are something. No, I must rectify that. You’re like no one I’ve ever met. When I raise the bar, you just go higher. I’m wondering how far you’re willing to go.”

“As far as needed.”

“Needed for what? What’s the prize?” There was puzzlement in Edward’s voice now.

“What’s the prize? Do you really have to ask?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“You already have me.”

“Not the way I want to have you.” Adrian hadn’t wanted to take his confessions this far, but their small verbal sparring that provoked him to let that one go free. Whatever, he didn’t worry. Edward could know his goals; it was the method Adrian used that was supposed to remain hidden from his knowledge. If Adrian had surprised Edward so far, and repeatedly, he only needed to do it enough times for it to make the citadel surrender. He had time, and Edward was an amazing lover in and out of bed, so all was well.

“And what way would that be?” Edward asked, his voice playful and in control again.

Adrian smirked and still didn’t turn. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“I don’t do love and relationships, and walks in the moonlight.”

“Duly noted.”

“Really? If it’s not a romantic relationship you want, then what is it?” Genuine curiosity was back in Edward’s voice.

“If you can’t figure out until the time is up, I’m going to tell you, I promise.”

“Is there a deadline, then?”

“I know you said something about six months when we got our little agreement drawn, but not really. I’m taking my time with you. You’re fun,” Adrian said flippantly, just to get a rise out of Edward.

There was no audible reaction, but silence was an answer, too. Most probably, right now, the gears inside Edward’s head were starting to turn.

Keep him interested. Keep him aroused. And keep him satisfied. There was no way Adrian would lose that kind of game. Edward was older, more sophisticated, and held a cynical view of the world for reasons Adrian had yet to find out, but he was still a human being. Adrian wanted nothing but to find the key for that lock, and find it he would.

***

Jared threw one last look in the mirror before letting Shane in. He would not make the same mistakes and try to be the one to impress. Plus, there was no one to impress. He and Shane were nothing but pals now, and when he met Mike and Adrian to go dancing and having fun, he didn’t exactly care what he was wearing. Still, he checked if the new jeans were hugging his ass well. It was only natural to do that since he would, maybe, hook up tonight just for the fun of it.

He opened the door to his apartment with a genuine smile on his face, nonetheless. To his surprise, Shane was wearing a dark shirt, opened a couple of buttons, and dark pants, and even the cowboy boots were gone.

“Ah,” Jared said, without hiding his disappointment. “Where’s the hat? The flannel? The boots?”

Shane laughed and ran one hand through his hair. It looked like he had just gotten a haircut, too. “I thought that I shouldn’t embarrass you and Mike tonight. I don’t want people to think you, two, cool kids, are hanging out with a country boy.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “I told you. That cowboy look is a killer. Guaranteed. Okay, so most guys hanging around these places are too young to have watched Brokeback Mountain when it came out and might not care as much about it as I did, but you could have made the entire room sigh.”

“Is it really that bad?” Shane gestured at his clothes. “Too much? Too little? What’s wrong about my clothes?”

Jared took him by the hand and dragged him inside. “Nothing’s wrong. You are a handsome guy, no matter what you wear. And you definitely look great like this.” To make sure that Shane didn’t have real doubts, once they were inside, he moved around him, examining him from all angles, and touching gently an imaginary crease on the shoulder.

“You look positively deflated,” Shane teased him.

Jared waved. “I knew you as a cowboy, and it’s my idea of you. But, of course, you can be whoever you want and how you want. Don’t mind me. And you look great. Sexy, even. Nothing’s changed. You will still have a ton of guys throwing themselves at your feet.” As conscious as he was that he was babbling like an idiot, he couldn’t stop.

“You look great, too. New jeans?”

Jared made a small pirouette. “They’re pretty nice, right?”

“Yeah,” Shane admitted. “Just turn a little.”

“Like this?” Jared turned his back at Shane.

A hand rested on the small of his back. “They’re definitely nice.”

For a moment, Jared considered what to do. He had a pretty good idea about what Shane must have been eyeing with maximum interest right at that moment. But, for the sake of them being friends, he would just pretend that he had no idea. Once Shane would swim in the attention of all the cute guys at the club, he would forget about Jared. He would be nothing more than a blip on the radar, soon to be forgotten. Nothing more. Blip, blip.

He turned with his face to Shane, wearing the same smile. Many times, Mike and Adrian had told him that he was at his most charming when he smiled, and even that his smile could diffuse a bomb or something. And that was precisely what he had on his hands right now. A sex bomb. Quite an accurate description for Shane at the moment. As he looked at Shane, Jared noticed the small scar gracing his chin. Without thinking, he reached for it and traced it with his fingers. “What happened here?”

“A small accident.”

“On the farm? Did some horse show you some loving?” Jared teased.

“More like my brother.”

“The photographer.”

“Yeah, him.”

“So, he takes pictures for a living, just like me?”

“Nah,” Shane said. “So, are we going to take Mike now?”

“Yes. Since we’re ready, I don’t see any point to dally.”

Jared had a feeling Shane wanted and didn’t want to talk about his brother at the same time. There was no point in pushing it, although he was quite curious. What could make Shane’s brother give up on photography? A sad thought crossed his mind. “Hey, Shane,” he asked quietly, “I’m sorry that I’m asking, but could it be that your brother is no longer with us?”

Shane laughed. “You mean, like dead? No, he’s alive and kicking, the ass.”

“Ah, okay,” Jared said. “I just had a feeling for a moment, earlier, that I was touching a delicate topic. Making you feel sad or uncomfortable is the last thing on my mind.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty head about that,” Shane said and laughed again.

Still, he didn’t offer any other details about his brother, and Jared didn’t press it further. As they would become full-fledged friends, it was a given that Shane would talk about his family. All at the right time.

“I’ll be driving tonight, so I should warn you not to try to convince me to do tequila shots with you,” Jared warned as they walked out of his apartment.

“I wouldn’t dream of doing that,” Shane replied. “I’ll make you drink from the bottle.”

Jared snorted. “Why haven’t I thought that you would say that?”

“Maybe because you don’t know me that well yet,” Shane said back.

Yes. And that would change, Jared pondered as he took the stairs with Shane in tow.

***

“What did I tell you? We’re here at the perfect moment,” Jared said as he took his place between Shane and Mike at a table. “People are just getting used to the dancefloor.”

“Would you like to dance?” Shane asked politely.

“Sure,” Jared said, “but let’s allow Mike to gather the courage to join us first. I hate leaving him to guard the table, like a doggy.” He ruffled Mike’s hair, only to be met with a small ‘woof’ from his friend.

“No way. That could take like, a hundred years. You two go hit the floor,” Mike said. “And I’m fine, here, I really am.”

“Are you sure? We didn’t go out tonight so that you can mope around and feel depressed. I’m warning you. It’s this one dance, and then we’ll come back and drag you to the dancefloor,” Jared warned.

Mike offered him a big smile. “Just go. And you’ll see. By the time you two get back, I’ll be swimming in guys. They will all be on me like fleas on a dog. On a dog, get it?”

Shane laughed wholeheartedly. “Good pun, Mike.” He pumped his fist against Mike’s, and Jared felt a warmth growing in the middle of his chest. Yeah, they would all be friends and have tons of fun together.

Shane pulled him to his chest as soon as they were in the middle of the room, surrounded by dancers. He held Jared’s hand, pressing it against his heart, while he used his other arm to keep him by the waist. That was hardly the way two guys who were only friends were supposed to dance together. Shane moved his hips and guided Jared to the rhythm.

“You’re a great dancer,” Jared praised him, as a few envious looks landed on them.

“I’ve always loved dancing. My mom taught me a lot about that. I even know how to waltz.”

“Really? That’s impressive,” Jared said. “Don’t tell me your mom is a professional dancer, or she used to be.”

“Nah, she’s always been a homemaker. The best,” Shane replied. “I miss her a lot, most of the entire bunch.”

“Maybe she can come to visit and see your pub,” Jared suggested.

“I don’t know. She doesn’t travel a lot.”

“Then you can go see her, once you have your business up and running, and you don’t have to be present here all the time.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Shane said and fell silent.

So, family was a delicate topic, after all. Jared decided to change tack. “So, how do you find the club?”

“Swanky,” Shane replied. “Good thing I decided to get some new clothes.”

“Ugh, I told you, Shane, you look great in the clothes you love wearing. And you look great in these, as well. Now, can you tell me, do you see someone you like?”

Shane paused for a moment, and Jared watched him as he looked around. “Yeah, I do.”

“That’s great,” Jared said, with the kind of enthusiasm he knew well it was fake but hoped that Shane wouldn’t notice.

Well, it definitely didn’t take him long to move on. Jared told himself he should feel happy about it. That was why he had taken Shane with them tonight, for him to meet new people and even hook up. Hell, he could even find himself a boyfriend if he was bent on that.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Caught up in his mental verbalization, Jared had failed to notice that there had been silence between them for a while. The music was cheerful, the people around them were having the time of their lives, and Jared had just felt, for a moment, far away from it all. He shook off the sensation.

“No, and I’m sorry. I just remembered that I hadn’t sent some files to one of my clients,” Jared lied. “I just made a mental note to do that when I get home.”

“Is it important? If it is, we can just go to your place, and then come back later.”

“No, no, I will not ruin anyone’s evening just because my head is in the clouds.”

“Any reason why that is?”

“What?”

“For your head in the clouds. Any reason?”

Because they were dancing, they couldn’t stare each other in the eyes, but Jared could make an attempt at reading Shane’s body language. He seemed a bit concerned.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s just have fun.”

Shane tightened his embrace without making him feel uncomfortable. Jared had a mind to tell Shane that it was a bit too tight, but it would have been a lie. It wasn’t too tight at all.

***

Mike could tell there was a bit of tension between Shane and Jared, or maybe the tension was just coming from Jared, who had gotten into his head that he was supposed to be nothing but friends with his latest conquest.

It had to be only a matter of time until Jared would realize that he really liked Shane. However, Mike didn’t have a clue how to tell Jared that without making him upset. If Adrian had been present, he would have known exactly what to say to make Jared open his eyes.

Speaking of which, he needed to open his eyes and look around, too. Of course, he would not be as courageous as to talk to someone while Jared and Shane were dancing, but the least he could do was to look. There were many good looking men around tonight, and Mike watched them passing by.

One guy in his twenties winked at him and made a gesture with his chin. Mike froze for a second, and then he looked to his right and his left, just to make sure that the guy wasn’t staring at someone else.

He was alone at the table. Just how silly could he be? Mike offered a small smile in return, but then he looked away. When he finally looked again, the guy was courting someone else.

And that was the story of his life, in a nutshell. Usually, his profoundly ingrained shyness was in the way, but tonight, that wasn’t the case. Mike couldn’t go and dance with the guy from earlier for a straightforward reason. That guy wasn’t Ryan, and not even close. And Mike was, suddenly, very selective in how he chose his dancing partners. Not that he ever chose anyone, and, usually, other people chose him, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was that he couldn’t get Ryan out of his head, plain and simple. Any guy he looked at had to come short of something. Maybe he was too tall, or too short, maybe he didn’t have the right type of haircut, or he didn’t have a smile that could charm an entire room. Or maybe his name didn’t start with an R, and his family name didn’t start with an A.

Clearly, Mike’s criteria for the ideal partner were extremely narrow. It was like finding a unique fingerprint in a database with criminals. Ugh, had he just thought right now of Ryan as a criminal? But he was, in a way, because he was a thief, and he had stolen Mike’s sanity lately. How was someone supposed to function without his sanity? It was definitely useful for a number of things.

He could let his mind wander like a crazy person, as much as he wanted. The truth was there, and it was one and only. Mike wanted no other. He could tell Jared all he wanted to get back in the saddle, but he couldn’t apply the same advice to himself. No way he could that. Ryan had no equal. Maybe if he had a twin –

Mike ran both hands over his face. His mind just kept on going places. What could be a good remedy for pining over someone? Dancing and hooking up with a stranger was supposed to act like that, but Mike didn’t have the mental and physical energy to get himself to do that. There was a reason for his reluctance, too; he was one hundred percent sure that the treatment would fail. The ill person was a terminal emotional mess, aka him in love head over heels with his boss.

A group of men dressed up to snuff took their places at a table to Mike’s right. Just for the sake of watching good looking men – it was, after all, the only palliative he allowed – Mike turned slightly to look at them. They were in their thirties, and a waiter hurried to their table, undoubtedly aware that it would be a big tip in there.

He studied the men, and soon, his breath caught in his throat. There was no way! There was absolutely no way! How the hell –

Mike chortled all of a sudden, taking even himself by surprise. One of the men at the table turned to look at him, and Mike quickly put one hand to his ear, as if he was on hands-free and laughing with a friend on the phone.

Great job, Mike. And now you drew attention to yourself.

He could make himself scarce. Maybe the only person at that table who mattered hadn’t noticed him. Mike stood up, still keeping the hand at his ear, as an improvised noise-canceling device. The toilet had to be in the opposite direction from the table to his right. It just had to be.

Without throwing one look back, he began walking fast. Well, apparently, not fast enough, because he felt his right elbow grabbed from behind. With dread, he turned.

“Oh, hi, Mr. Armstrong,” he said gleefully. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Fancy meeting you here? Who talked like that?

***

“Hmm, that’s strange,” Jared commented as they began walking back to their table. “Where could Mike be?”

“Maybe he found a cute boy and ran away with him,” Shane suggested playfully.

“Nonsense. I bet he is hiding from us because he doesn’t want to dance,” Jared said.

“He can’t hide forever, right? How about we dance a little more? We can always check if he got back from his hiding place,” Shane suggested.

“I guess,” Jared said with a sigh. “Mike is a bit shy if you couldn’t tell by now.”

“I noticed. But I guess he’s so quiet because he’s very smart.”

“Actually, that’s true.” Jared launched himself in a presentation of his friend, who was definitely off the scale when it came to intelligence.

At the same time, he could pretend that he didn’t feel how close Shane was keeping him. No matter how fast the music, it appeared that Shane knew exactly how to make it ideal for a dance for two. And the envious looks around them just multiplied.

***

“Hmm, that should be my line,” Ryan said with a playful smirk.

“Right, because normal people totally talk like that,” Mike replied with a self-deprecating snort. He pushed his hands into his pockets and looked at Ryan, trying to act casual. Maybe that wasn’t the right attitude when talking to his boss. He took his hands out of his pockets, and let them hang on the sides, a bit far from his body. Great, now he probably made the excellent impersonation of a tree. Maybe a willow.

“Have you finished your conversation?” Ryan asked.

“What conversation?” Mike asked. It was uncomfortable to stand like that. He shifted his weight from one foot to another.

“I was under the impression that you were talking on the phone. But it must have been my imagination,” Ryan added quickly. “Are you here with someone?”

“Yeah, friends. Jared, and someone new. He’s called Shane, and he’s a real cowboy. He even knows how to herd cattle.”

“An important skill that highly recommends him as a cowboy,” Ryan said.

Mike wasn’t sure if their conversation was normal, or Ryan was just pulling his leg. “What about you?”

“I’m with a bigger group than yours. But no cowboys, I’m afraid,” Ryan said playfully.

Yeah, he was totally taken for a fool, which he was, but that didn’t mean that he was supposed to be happy with that. What was he thinking? He was happy Ryan was there, talking to him. It didn’t matter what topic was on the table.

However, it was weird to talk to his boss in a gay club. People could just get the wrong idea.

“Well, it was nice seeing you, Mr. Armstrong.” Mike took a military stance.

“Yeah, you too, Mike. Do you come here often?”

Oh, he wasn’t off the hook. And he was just about to take steps toward the bathroom, which, apparently, was not at all in that direction. “No. It’s the first time.”

“For me, too. I was hoping you could show me around.”

“I’m afraid I don’t even know where the toilet is,” Mike said without thinking.

“Maybe we can find together.”

“The toilet?”

Ryan laughed. “Around. That was what I meant.”

“Yes. I mean, I think you must be busy with your friends,” Mike said quickly. “They must be wondering where you are right now.”

“I don’t think so. They have already ordered drinks. With that bunch, I know for sure they won’t notice my absence once they get some booze into their systems.”

“Old friends?” Mike attempted a question.

Ryan nodded.

Mike had no idea what to say anymore. It was like a Mexican standoff, only that there were no guns involved. That, however, didn’t make the situation any less dangerous for him, in particular. Ryan could choose to leave anytime he wanted. Mike couldn’t.

“Have fun, Mike,” Ryan said.

Mike exhaled. It was only this much a human being could hold their breath. Didn’t Ryan know that? “You too,” he said brightly.

He turned on his heels only after Ryan began walking. Great, just great. What was he supposed to do now? All evening, he would have to look at Ryan. No, he wouldn’t.

***

“You know, if you’re only going to dance with me, that might not help you in your pursuit of the person you like,” Jared pointed out.

“I think it helps,” Shane replied promptly. “I know, for a fact, that showing off my talents as a dancer works like a charm. I should be more thankful toward my mom for teaching me.”

Jared laughed. “Tell me more about her.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Well, you said she’s a homemaker, and a marvelous one. You could start from there.”

“She makes an awesome potato salad. Simply dish, but I’m telling you, no one’s can compare to hers.”

“I like making potato salad,” Jared replied. “Maybe you could ask her for some tips and tricks.”

“What about your mom?”

“She’s a teacher. My dad, too. High school, not university. I am their only child, so it must be because of that that I don’t have any badass looking scars.” Jared had little idea why he ended mentioning Shane’s brother again, but he wanted to know more about the man holding him in his arms, while they continued to glide on the dancefloor like it belonged to them.

“So, did they torture you to study all the time?”

“Mom, mostly. Dad, he is too kind to force anything on anyone. But I love them both the same.”

Shane didn’t follow with any more details about his family.

“How do you like the city so far?” Jared changed the topic.

“Crowded, but exciting. Everyone wears a smile, but you can’t tell if they mean it. I have friends, some with ties back home, and I love my pub. I sometimes miss the open sky, the fields, all that. But not always.”

“You were born and raised there, right?”

Shane confirmed.

“Then, I should commend you on your ability to adapt.”

“Thanks,” Shane replied and pulled Jared a bit closer.

Jared had no idea how his dancing partner managed to do that. They looked intimate, for sure, to anyone watching. The song stopped. “Should we go and have a drink to cool off a little? In my case, at least. You feel free to heat up. I’m the only one who’s not supposed to drink.” He had a feeling he was like a broken record, but it was enough for Shane to look at him like that, and he felt lost. His mind was getting incoherent and incapable of forming new thoughts.

“Are you afraid someone might steal your car if you leave it here until tomorrow?”

“Steal it? I doubt it’s anything worth stealing, but no. It’s not that kind of neighborhood. It’s only that I will have to pay extra for parking, and I promised you guys I would be the one behind the wheel tonight.”

“You didn’t ask me,” Shane pointed out.

“Correct. I just got used to this role, I guess.”

“I’ll cover your parking. Just drink something with me tonight. It’s not proper hanging out without drinking, right?”

Jared had a mind to protest, but his throat was parched, and he wanted something more than a soda. Maybe one drink. Shane had a point.

They sat at the table and ordered. Jared wasn’t at all surprised when Shane asked for a bottle of tequila. Mike still wasn’t back, but that boy needed a tiny bit of liquid courage, too.

Shane rested his arm behind Jared’s back, just like that time, at the bar. It was a subtle sign of possession, but Jared didn’t care to tell Shane anything. He felt in no mood to hook up with a stranger, so that served to make potential suitors stay away.

“Guys,” Mike whispered, materializing next to them out of thin air.

“Mike, what the heck? Why are you whispering?”

“Ryan is here,” Mike whispered, and the three of them leaned together, their heads almost touching.

“Who’s Ryan?” Shane asked, whispering as well.

“Mike’s boss, and also love interest,” Jared explained in a short sentence.

“He’s not my -- ugh,” Mike protested.

“He is, and it’s complicated,” Jared continued to explain to Shane, who was out of the loop.

“He talked to me when I was looking for the toilet. I stood in front of him like a tree,” Mike moaned.

“Like a tree?” Shane asked, visibly surprised.

“Mike is a quirky guy. You’ll get used to him,” Jared said quickly. “Where is he now?”

“Just at the table at our right. Don’t look,” Mike hissed.

Jared and Shane stopped just in time.

“All right, no harm done, right. Who is he with?”

“A group of friends. Expensive casual suits, his age, all that.”

“But no potential rival, right?” Jared asked.

“I don’t know,” Mike whispered. “Would it be weird if we left?”

“Definitely.” That was Shane.

Jared thought the same. “Mike, you can’t run away every time you see Ryan. Imagine how he would feel if you did that. He would think you left because of him.”

“And that would be exactly the truth.” Mike pursed his lips. “It’s like magic, I swear. I’m thinking of him, and then, he’s here.”

“Does Ryan know Mike has a crush on him?” Shane asked.

“We hooked up once,” Mike explained. “Before we knew about the whole boss and employee situation. It’s a miracle I’m not out of my job.”

“Now, Mike, that’s not true,” Jared protested. “Ryan even gave him a raise. And no, it wasn’t because they hooked up, but because Mike is a hard worker.”

“Have you two hooked up since that time?” Shane asked.

“No, of course not,” Mike said right away.

“Why?” Shane sounded so candid Jared wanted to kiss him a little.

“Because it could be seen as sexual harassment or something,” Mike explained.

“By who?”

“People.”

“And why do you care?”

“It’s so clear you’re not from around here.” Jared kissed Shane’s cheek once. “When working for a big company, like the one employing Mike, such things are complicated. Bosses dating their employees, it’s not seen as a good thing. And Ryan suffered through such a thing before.”

“Yeah, he got accused by his lover, and he had to settle, and even move to the company he is with now,” Mike added.

Shane scratched his head. “And why do all these things matter? If you like him, and he likes you.”

Mike sighed. “He could get in trouble with his family. They count on him. The smallest scandal would be bad for him.”

“His family should support him,” Shane said, a bit louder than before.

Jared stared at him, surprised. Something had changed in Shane’s eyes; he was now frowning, and his dark eyes looked darker.

“Rich families like that, it looks like it’s always complicated,” Jared said in an appeasing voice.

“I think you should go for what you want,” Shane said, addressing Mike directly. “If it’s your boss you want, and he has the hots for you, too, I’d say screw everything.”

Mike snickered. “Screw,” he said.

Shane laughed, too.

Jared rolled his eyes. The waiter interrupted their little conversation, and soon, they were facing a bottle of tequila and three shot glasses.

“Well, I think we should all get a little courage flow in our veins,” Shane said and grabbed the bottle.

Jared couldn’t agree more. By how hurriedly Mike grabbed his glass, as soon as it was full, he wasn’t the only one.

TBC