The Other Side - 6. Chapter 6

Monday evening Seth called Toby then conferenced in Sam. “So how was your weekend?” he asked when he finally had both friends on the line.

“Mine was wonderful,” Samantha volunteered. “I met the most wonderful guy Friday night.”

“Yeah? Where’d you meet him?” Seth asked.

“On the elevator in my office building. He works for the law firm on the floor above mine.”

“Oh wow,” Toby jumped in. “I met a guy that works for a law firm too.”

“Well, if he’s as gorgeous as Jason then good for you,” Sam said.

“So did he ask you out?” Seth interrupted.

“He took me to dinner Friday night at a little deli near the office, then he took me on a picnic in the park on Sunday. Today he stopped by my office and took me out to lunch.”

“And the sex? Does he have a big dick?” Seth asked.

“Seth! He’s not like that,” Samantha exclaimed.

“So he doesn’t have a big dick?”

“I wouldn’t know, I haven’t slept with him yet,” Samantha defended.

“You spent the weekend with him and you didn’t have sex?” Toby asked. “Damn Seth, it must be serious.”

“I didn’t spend the weekend with him; and yes, I think it might be something serious.”

“Well, I did spend the weekend with my law friend and the sex was fabulous,” Toby bragged.

“And where did you meet your lawyer?” Sam asked.

“Oh no, he’s just a clerk in a law firm and I met him at a club called Mary’s. But you guys, he is sweet and gorgeous and funny and did I mention the sex was great.”

Seth laughed, “Toby, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were high.”

“So what about you, Seth? What did you do this weekend?” Sam asked.

“Well, let’s see. Friday night I went out, had a couple of drinks then let some guy blow me. Then Saturday night I went out and had a couple of drinks, then let some other guy blow me.”

“So no one special?” Toby asked.

The Adonis popped into Seth’s mind. He had spent Saturday night watching the blond out on the dance floor, wishing he were the one out there rubbing against his body. “No. No one caught my eye,” he lied. “But it sounds like you two will be settling down all cozy soon enough.”

******

Toby and Chase had spent the weekend high on crystal, fucking each other senseless. When Toby got home Sunday night he was exhausted.

He dragged himself out of bed Monday morning and into work where he took plenty of ribbing from his coworkers.

Chase stopped by his apartment when he got home that evening and they shared a line and sex before Chase asked him to go out to the clubs.

“I can’t, Chase. I have to work tomorrow.”

“So do I.”

“It’s dog eat dog, where I work. If I’m not at my best I’ll end up on a bus back to Wisconsin.”

“Suit yourself,” Chase said, shrugging.

“Can I see you tomorrow then?”

“Sure, stop by, maybe I’ll be home.”

Tuesday evening Toby walked the eleven blocks to Chase’s apartment. The building’s security left a little to be desired and Toby had no trouble catching the entrance door as someone was leaving. He took the stairs to the third floor to Chase’s apartment.

After knocking for what seemed like forever, he was about to give up and go back home, when Chase finally opened the door. He stood, obviously having been awakened from a heavy sleep, in shorts and a skintight tee, his hair sticking up every which way.

“What?” Chase barked.

“Shit, Chase. Are you ill?”

“No, I was asleep. What do you want?”

“You said to stop by,” Toby was puzzled by Chase’s attitude.

“Whatever,” Chase said then turned and walked back into his apartment leaving the door open with Toby standing in the hall.

Toby hesitated then followed him in. “Are you okay?”

Chase walked back over to the bed and lay down. “Yeah, I just needed to crash. You can hang here if you want, I don’t care.”

Toby watched in disbelief as Chase pulled a blanket up over himself and fell back to sleep; snoring loudly in moments.

******

Jason treated Samantha to lunch everyday that week. He confessed to being a bit of a work-a-holic, seldom leaving the office before nine. “But I try to kick back and relax on the weekends,” he explained over lunch on Wednesday. “Well, most weekends anyway.”

Samantha smiled at him.

“Speaking of weekends, do you have any plans for this one?” Jason asked.

“No, not yet anyway.”

“Will you have dinner with me Saturday night? And not sandwiches at a deli either. I want to take you to a respectable restaurant.”

Samantha laughed, “I’d love to.”

******

“So, Seth, should I sleep with him?” she asked that night over the phone.

“You’re asking me? Hell, if it were me I’d have slept with him already, like the first night. I mean, what the hell?”

“This one’s different, Seth. I don’t want to blow it.”

“Insert your favorite oral sex joke here,” Seth said laughing.

“Please, I’m serious. What do I do at the end of the night? Do I invite him up or not?”

“Shit, Samantha, how would I know? I’ve never dated a straight guy, hell, I’ve never dated anyone.”

“But if I don’t invite him up he may think I’m not interested,” Samantha continued.

“Now see, this is why I don’t date. Who needs all the head games? If you like him, then take him home and see how he is in the sack.”

“And then he thinks I’m a slut.”

“Well, if the shoe fits,” he laughed.

“A lot of help you are.”

“Okay, you want my advice? My advice is to invite him up and then play it by ear. Let him set the pace. Do what feels right. Then, fuck his brains out.”

Sam sighed. “You’re no help.”

“And are we surprised?”

******

Seth hung up the phone and decided to go back to The Forum for a drink. Maybe his Adonis would be there and alone tonight. Seth wasn’t sure why he was so fixated on the blond, but he was all the same. Maybe it was simply because he had rejected Seth. Whatever the reason, Seth was determined to get a second chance with him.

Seth spotted the blond right away when he walked in the club, which was busier than he expected for a weeknight.

He walked over to the bar and ordered a shot of Chivas. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and downed the shot then turned and walked over to where the Adonis stood.

“Um, I don’t think we got off to a very good start last weekend,” Seth said quickly before the blond could shut him down. “Would you care to dance?”

The blond gave Seth a slow grin. “Sure, why not.”

“I’m Seth,” Seth said as they made their way to the dance floor.

“Cole,” the blond said. “You still new in town?” he asked with a smile.

Seth felt himself blush. “Yeah.” Then they were on the dance floor and the talking stopped as they moved their bodies to the beat.

Cole could definitely move, but Seth had noticed that the weekend before watching him dance with others. One song blended to the next and then the next. Cole danced close; letting his hands roam over Seth’s back and shoulders. “You ready for a drink?” he leaned in and asked.

“Sure,” Seth said trying to not feel disappointed. He had thought Cole was going to ask him to go in the backroom, or maybe even home. Instead Cole led him back to the bar and ordered two beers. “Let’s sit over here,” he said motioning to a table in the back.

“So where did you used to live?” Cole asked once they were seated.

“Wisconsin. Green Bay, actually.”

“Wow,” Cole said. “What brought you to Austin?”

“A job. How about you? You from here?”

“Born and bred.”

“It seems like an okay place. Two of my closest friends landed jobs in my dream cities. One went to San Francisco and the other to New York. I was so jealous at first. But Austin is growing on me.”

Cole smiled. “Never been to New York and only been to San Francisco once, but I don’t think either has nuttin’ on this place.”

“Nah, don’t ‘spect they do,” he tried on the Texas drawl everyone else here already had.

They continued small talk over another beer, then Cole surprised him by saying, “Seth, it’s been great talking with you but I think I’m gonna head home.”

Seth tried to keep his face neutral but must have failed because Cole looked at him and shook his head. “It’s nothing personal, really. Last weekend I had an old friend in from out of town. I couldn’t very well pick up someone and leave him to fend for himself, now could I? Tonight I have a beast of a headache and this beer has done nothing to help. Seriously, maybe we’ll hook up this weekend.” He squeezed Seth’s shoulder as he walked by, leaving Seth wondering if he had just been fed a line, or if the guy was legit. And why did he care?