After quickly growing bored cleaning up my house, I walked downtown, figuring the trip would be safe enough in the daytime. Without anything better to do, I decided to see if Owen had started working yet. If the place was open, I’d mess around with my stage lights again.

I didn’t really need them for a place as small as The Firehouse, but it was fun to pretend to be setting up for a bigger venue.

With most of the day to kill before our date, I figured working on the lights would keep me busy and productive. More importantly, it would get me out of the house. Staying cooped up there was somehow more frightening than being out in the city. Hiding at home meant that the problems downtown could reach me in my own living room. I didn’t like thinking about that.

Owen was there but the place wasn’t officially open that early so it was empty and quiet. He was busy prepping the bar for the weekend rush, and mostly ignored me.

I was on a ladder, fidgeting with the light that was causing the most problems, when I heard a crash of metal out in the alley. I just barely managed to keep my balance and stay on the ladder.

Feeling vulnerable up on the ladder in clear sight of the back door, I hopped down and sought refuge underneath my DJ booth. It didn’t take long to realize that I would have been better out in the open of the dance floor. At least I could have run. Trapped in the DJ booth meant that if someone found me, there was nowhere to go.

I wish James was here. He’d know what to do.

I crawled out from under the table and was making my way to the front door when the back door banged open.

“This place makes a lot of goddamn trash,” Owen called out to me as he walked back into the bar.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t an intruder. Owen had just been taking out the trash. Feeling stupid and embarrassed, but not wanting Owen to know that he had startled me, I stood and stretched before making my way back to my perch on the ladder.

Owen had seen me though. After a quick laugh, he said, “Sorry. I should’ve knocked.” The twinkle in his eye told me that he was not sorry at all.

“Whatever,” I said, trying to shrug it off.

“Don’t feel bad. I’ve been a little jumpy when I’m here alone, too. Especially recently with all the things going on. What are you doing up there anyway? Shouldn’t you be with James?”

I shrugged. “Mostly just fucking around. I have a few hours to kill and you’ve been complaining about the lights, so I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.”

Owen nodded as he walked across the dance floor to inspect my work. “The light used to point about here, so these people will be fine now.” He took a few steps to the left. “But now these people will get blinded. You need to switch to those laser lights and just shoot them over everyone’s heads. Now that would be something to see.”

I angled the light down a few inches before realizing that it didn’t matter. Anywhere the light would be visible, it would cause problems for someone. Leaving it where it was, I climbed down and started putting the ladder back in the storage room. “I’d love to be able to afford laser lights, but I just don’t have the budget. I got these old things for free from the college when they upgraded after the end of the last semester.” I said.

“Maybe if you stopped smoking —”

I groaned. “Not you, too? I have to have one vice, okay?”

While walking back to the bar, Owen said, “Maybe you should get into puzzles or origami or something that won’t destroy your lungs and kill you while you’re still young enough for it to make a difference.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I sat down across from him at the bar. “Thanks, Dad. I think you need to worry less about my vices and more about getting yourself laid. I bet you won’t need to micromanage my life once you find some dick.”

Owen pretended not to hear me and continued washing glasses.

“Seriously, Owen. You should just ask out Sean. You guys are already best friends. Why not take it to the next level?”

While stacking the clean glasses, Owen said, “Sean’s great, but he’s not my type. I’m not his either. That’s why we’re just friends.”

“But why not get some benefits if neither of you are seeing anyone else?” I asked.

“It would just be weird. Once one of us did find someone, how would we stay friends after that? I don’t want to ruin the friendship. Besides I’ve got my eye on someone. Someone more wild and raw or, fuck it. I don’t wanna talk about this.” Owen dipped his fingers in the water and flicked the drops at me. “But he drives me wild,” he added.

I thought he was lying about not wanting to talk about it, so while thinking of James and tracing heart shapes on the bar, I asked, “So when are you going to nut up and ask him out?”

“Soon. I think. I’m just waiting for some kind of sign.” Owen set his elbows on the bar and rested his head on his chin. “But enough about me. Besides,” he continued. “It’s hard to think about dating another guy with these beatings and killings going on. Not all of us have police protection.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at me, fishing for information. When he saw I wasn’t about to start blabbing, he asked, “They catch anybody yet?”

I shook my head. “Not that I’ve heard of, but I’m just the boyfriend, you know? Who knows what the cops might know or be doing that I haven’t heard about. I’m sure they’ll catch them soon. It’s what they do. James got called in on his day off earlier. Maybe they found out something.”

Owen stretched and playfully snapped his towel at me. “I sure hope so. Speaking of James, how are you two doing?”

I rolled my eyes, but it would be futile to not give him some information. He’d keep pestering until he was satisfied.

“Great,” I said. “Better than I could’ve imagined. There’s only one problem…” I dramatically let myself trail off until Owen looked ready to burst. Then, I added, “We have too much sex. It’s like the Nature Channel over our houses. Constant fucking.”

“Damn,” he said. “You lucky son of a bitch. If he has a friend, you better let me know.”

“Like I said, there’s only one little problem,” I said. “I’m not gonna discount how great the sex is. I mean it really is amazing. Like I can barely walk the next day, but…” I trailed off.

He flipped his middle finger at me. “Enough bragging, man. What’s the problem?”

With a sigh, I continued. “Well, with all the sex—did I mention that it was great—we haven’t even gone out for a real date yet. But don’t worry. We’ve got plans tonight to go out for my birthday. So we’ll see how that goes.” I couldn’t help teasing him a little more. “But the sex is so great, we’ll find a way to make it work out.”

“You’re killing me, man. Congrats to both of you. The times I’ve seen you two together, you look happy. It’s a good look on you.”

Owen grabbed another bag of garbage and hauled it out through the back door.

I went back to messing with the lights for a while. Owen’s words about how happy I looked echoed through my mind.

I really do have it great with James.

When Owen returned a couple minutes later, we ignored each other for a couple of hours, both busy with our own work. In the end, I said, “They’re not right, but they’ll have to do.”

Owen shrugged. “Get out of here and get ready for your hot date. And happy birthday.”

The sun felt great on my face as I walked back toward my house. I stopped at a coffee shop along the way for some caffeine, but didn’t linger because I wanted to make sure I was home when James returned. Giddy and excited for the upcoming date, I whistled and wondered what I’d wear.