Chapter 2

THEY CONTINUED to talk late into the evening at Mata Hari, and Zachary took a moment to send grateful thoughts to Fred, still in Ogden, who had dared him to try a real bar. There he was, as green as could be but talking to an outrageously lovable ex-monk, his sweet and funny husband, and a man whose good looks, style, obvious smarts, and accomplishments had Zachary crushing on him.

No doubt Thomas could take home anyone he wanted—could and probably had. As a new boy in town with less experience in gay life than a rutabaga, Zachary probably held as much attraction for Thomas as a McDonald’s Happy Meal. He refused to let that thought ruin his evening, though. He was having the time of his life.

The sense of transgressing against his parents bothered him then, but he refused to let Jerry and Martha Hall ruin the beginning to his new life any more than he would let his own self-doubt hold him back.

They don’t know where I am or what I’m doing. And they don’t need to know.

Randy served them another round eventually and then stayed to chat a bit with Thomas and Zachary while Joe and Terry talked with some other friends who had come into the bar. “So welcome to DC,” Randy said to Zachary. “How’d you find my place?”

That was another pleasant surprise. “You own Mata Hari, Randy? It’s great.” The bartender gave a slight grin—not a full-on smile—but it helped Zachary’s confidence, so he answered, “I went looking around on Yelp, and you’re getting great reviews.”

“Good to know. I used to be around some crazy press madness, but I’m crap at the online media-presence bullshit, myself. I’ve been thinking about getting a publicist or something.” The bartender looked around the bar and said, “Off to a good start, though.”

“You did great, Randy,” Thomas said. “I’m really proud of you.”

That earned a lopsided grin from Randy. “Well, it was time for a change, and I always wanted to own a bar. Thank God some investor was dumb enough to trust me with his money.”

Thomas shook his head almost imperceptibly at Randy, but Zachary caught it. All he said, though, was, “Good crowd, good reviews, great setting. I don’t know anything about running a bar, but I’d bet you’re going to be a hit.”

Randy rapped his knuckles on the bar twice. “Knock on wood,” he said, and then he excused himself to serve some new arrivals. That left Zachary alone with Thomas, and suddenly his heart pounded again. He was terrified he would blurt out something idiotic.

“Thank you for talking to me,” he indeed blurted out. Then he dropped his head to his chest. “Shit. I just swore to myself that I wouldn’t say anything stupid.”

Thomas smiled at him but didn’t laugh. “Hey, I get it. A strange city, a new bar. It can be intimidating, so I’m glad you took a chance on us. You’re fun to hang out with.”

Zachary looked up and was surprised to find Thomas staring right back at him. There was interest in that gaze and some heat. That couldn’t be right. What could Thomas see in Zachary? It had to be his imagination. He swallowed and said, “I wish I had Joe’s guts to just walk up to a stranger in a bar and start a conversation.”

“Hmm. I’m going to guess you don’t go to a lot of bars?”

“Honestly? This is the first gay bar I’ve ever been to.”

Thomas was clearly surprised. “Are you a…,” he began, but Zachary blushed.

“I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you were going to ask.” Just in case he hadn’t imagined the interest in Thomas’s eyes, he didn’t want to scare the man off. “I had gay friends in college, and we’d fool around. A couple of us stayed ‘friends with benefits’ afterward, but with the economy and the job market, we all ended up moving back in with our parents, so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to, umm, benefit. Plus there’re really only a few small dive bars in Ogden, and frankly, umm… I didn’t….”

“You didn’t want to be seen going in there?” Thomas guessed.

Zachary was ashamed for a moment, but Thomas’s voice was kind, so he nodded. “Right. My parents are really narrow-minded and controlling. They didn’t like my hobbies, my friends…. Telling them I’m gay would have topped the list of my failings. Every time there was a news story about a Pride rally or gay marriage, they’d rant to each other like it meant the end of civilization. I’m not proud of this, but I was afraid to be open to them. I knew I wouldn’t be able to let them spew that shit at me, so it was easier to live in the closet until I got away.”

He flicked a glance at Thomas, sure he’d find pity or scorn in his face, and was surprised to find sympathy instead. “I guess that’s weak sauce, huh?”

“I understand, Zachary. My parents weren’t there for me when I really needed them a few years ago, and they said some awful things. Luckily I was in a position to move away, but I can guess what it must have been like. Afraid that you’d lose your home.”

Zachary nodded. Maybe Thomas wouldn’t despise him for his lack of spine. “Exactly. I told you about the soup kitchen where I volunteered. I was so afraid I’d end up there if I came out.”

“I have a feeling you’re stronger and more capable than you give yourself credit for, Zachary. Look at you. You’ve just started a new job in a new city and made new friends already.” Thomas bumped his glass against Zachary’s in a toast. “At least I hope we’ll all be friends.”

Zachary stood up straight and squared his shoulders, unreasonably happy at Thomas’s words. “I hope so too. All of you are so kind, taking in a stray like me tonight.” He turned so he and Thomas stood shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the bar, and looked out across the room. Joe and Terry were talking with the piano player.

Zachary and Thomas were comfortably silent for a moment, and then Zachary said, “It turns out I should have just left Ogden earlier, rather than worry about making the kind of life I want there.” He took the last swallow of his drink and set it on the bar. “Anyway, I might be starting late, but at least I’m starting. Is that lame?”

Thomas shook his head. “Not at all. Hell, you get the chance to be a kid in the candy store. DC is a great city when you’re young. There are lots of fun bars and clubs and things to do and people to meet. A good-looking man like you will do great here.”

Good-looking? Me?

Aloud Zachary said, “I’m really going to try to put myself out there. Of course it helps that I’ve had three drinks, which is way more than I normally drink at parties, so with that courage in my veins, can I ask you something that really is undeniably lame?”

“Of course.”

“Can I take a picture with you?”

Thomas guffawed but nicely.

“I know it’s immature, but my friend Fred back home didn’t believe I’d actually go out to a bar alone. The fact that I’m not only in a bar but talking to the most handsome man in the bar is something he needs to see. And oh my God, I’m so embarrassed I just said all that out loud.”

“Give me your phone,” Thomas said and crooked his fingers. When Zachary complied, Thomas waved Randy over. “Randy, would you do us a favor and take our picture?”

Randy gave Thomas the side-eye but shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

Thomas turned Zachary to face the bar and put his arm around Zachary’s waist to pull them together. Randy snapped the photo and handed the phone back to Zachary, who immediately swiped open the picture. There they were—his boring sandy hair and brown eyes leaning toward Thomas’s model-gorgeous head as his beautiful smile stretched his full lips in the picture. A few bar patrons and the piano were visible behind them. Zachary immediately messaged it to Fred and typed:

If they could see me now! You owe me ten bucks.

Thomas looked over Zachary’s shoulder as he typed, and he chuckled at the message. Zachary was surprised Thomas didn’t remove the hand on his waist and even more surprised when Thomas slightly leaned in to him. His body felt strong and warm against Zachary’s side and his cologne smelled of spice and citrus. Zachary was uncomfortably aware of his dick thickening up in his underwear as it remembered how long it had been since he’d had sex.

Zachary happened to glance at the watch on Thomas’s other hand—the one not making him nervous and excited as it rested on his waist—and exclaimed, “Is that a Breitling?”

“You’re into watches?” Thomas asked. He raised his wrist to let Zachary have a better look at the heavy device.

“Mainly by osmosis. My father has a watch fetish, so he talks about them constantly. His pride and joy is a Citizen Skyhawk he found on eBay and bought himself for his fiftieth birthday.” Zachary forced himself to shut up before he said something stupid about his father not being able to afford the kinds of watches he really lusted for—watches like the gorgeous and expensive timepiece on Thomas’s wrist. He focused on the thick wrist under the watch with its dusting of dark hair.

Not helping with the half chub.

Thomas lowered his arm back to the bar. “Can I get you another drink?” he asked, but Zachary shook his head.

“I’m already saying things I’m going to regret. I can’t imagine what I’d do with another seven and seven in me.”

“Hmm… then is there anything else you’d like?” Thomas asked, a slight smile curving his beautiful mouth as he curled the hand on Zachary’s waist farther around his tight abs.

Zachary’s eyes went wide. No WAY. Then immediately, Oh God, yes. He swallowed hard and tried to say calmly, as though handsome men picked him up all the time, “I can think of something I want very much.”

Thomas touched his lips to Zachary’s ear and murmured, “Then how about we say good night to Joe and Terry and get out of here?”

Zachary inhaled sharply. He was letting himself get picked up in a bar by a man he’d just met and agreeing to go off with him.

Does this seem like me? Or the me I want to become?

He imagined what his parents would say if they knew, but he decided that was a matter for some other time. For some reason he trusted Thomas completely. There was something in his manner that made Zachary feel desirable and brave. He decided to let his nerves go and see where the attraction would lead.

Even with that permission to himself, though, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Really, Thomas? You’re so far out of my league that we should be in different sports altogether. Or something. Analogies aren’t really my forte.”

Thomas ran his fingers up and down Zachary’s side. “Don’t sell yourself short, pretty boy. I can think of a lot of games I’d like to play with you on my team.”

Zachary bit his lip, afraid to speak further for fear of sounding so dumb that Thomas might change his mind. Thomas got Joe’s attention, and Joe rushed over, arms outstretched, to grab Zachary in a bone-crushing hug.

Joe was obviously feeling the effects of several cocktails as he exclaimed, “Dear heart, I’m delighted we’ve met and that you are our sort of person.” Joe pressed a card into Zachary’s hand as he stepped back. “Now this is my phone number. I insist that you join Terry and me for brunch soon, all right? Please call during the week, and we’ll set a place and time.” Zachary grinned and nodded. Then he leaned over and kissed Joe on the cheek. Terry shook his hand and hugged Thomas as well.

“Have a good night. Be careful when you leave, though,” Terry warned. “You heard about the poor kid that got killed last week just a few blocks away, right?”

Thomas said, “I only heard someone was killed, but none of the details. Was it a gay bashing?”

Randy had come up behind them at the bar. He said, “The police aren’t sure. I’ve been following the story on some of the local blogs, but there aren’t a lot of details, not even a name. It sounded brutal, though.”

Zachary shivered, and Thomas put an arm around his waist again. “There are two of us. We’ll be fine,” he said.

They caught a cab on P Street, and Thomas held the door open for Zachary. As they settled into the backseat, Thomas asked, “Is my place okay with you?”

Zachary nodded, and Thomas gave the driver an address on H Street. Then he settled back and took Zachary’s hand in his. With his other hand, he traced a fingertip over Zachary’s wrist and then ran it down the side of his thumb. Zachary inhaled sharply at the gentle, intimate touch and went hard again in an instant. Thomas smiled at him, and his blue eyes smoldered as he leaned in to kiss Zachary for the first time.

The press of his lips was like warm velvet, and Zachary yielded instantly as Thomas slipped his tongue inside to caress his. The kiss didn’t last long, but as he leaned back, inches from Zachary, Thomas murmured, “I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you looking at me in the bar.”

Zachary put his head on Thomas’s shoulder. “I hope I’m not dreaming this in some alcohol-induced stupor.”

Thomas chucked quietly. “You’re awake, and if I get my way, you’ll be awake for a lot longer.”

“How far away is your place?” Zachary asked breathlessly.

“Not far. Tell me if you want to slow this down,” Thomas said. Then he whispered in Zachary’s ear, “But I hope you don’t want to go slow.”

Zachary reached out, ran his hand up the leg of Thomas’s jeans, and trembled slightly as he found a thick bulge and felt Thomas’s cock stir beneath black denim. The hard flesh under his hand gave Zachary the guts to whisper back, “Not the first time, at least. Maybe we’ll slow down for the second round.” Thomas chuckled and kissed him again, more deeply, until the cab pulled to a stop.

He adjusted himself discreetly as he climbed out of the cab. They had alighted in front of a modern building. Lots of glass and chrome shone in the reflected streetlight. The lowest level of the building seemed to be filled with high-end stores—Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, as well as other names Zachary didn’t recognize. Thomas held open the door to the building, and they stepped into a large, elegant lobby lined in white marble. Thomas nodded to the concierge and led Zachary to an elevator, which took them to a top-floor apartment.

Once inside Thomas pressed a switch. Low lighting filled the space, but Zachary didn’t even have time to take in the details before Thomas helped him out of his coat, threw his own on a chair, and led Zachary down a hallway.