I spent several minutes looking at the various containers of oil on the shelf, wondering what the difference between 5W and 10W was. There was no way that I was going to ask Will or Hector. It would turn into an hour-long lecture with them arguing over details that I wouldn’t understand anyway. And during the entire process, they’d forget they were supposed to be looking at my car. Neither one of them could multitask worth a shit. They’d both volunteered to stick around after their garage had closed for the night, so I certainly wasn’t about to complain that they were taking too long. But that didn’t mean that I was going to encourage them to work any more slowly.

From what I understood of their chatter while they were leaned over the opened hood of my car, things didn’t look like they were going to go well for my finances, despite their free labor. The two were currently looking at some part they’d pulled out of my car and arguing over it.

When a song on the radio ended and the commercial blasted much louder than the music, I walked across the room to change the channel.

“Whoa!” Hector shouted when he noticed that I’d moved too close to the radio. “This isn’t your club, man. You’re not the DJ here.”

“Yeah,” Will agreed. “Touch that dial and I’ll send you on your way without even putting this back in.” He shook the part at me as if I had any idea about what it was.

Raising my hands high above my head and stepping back slowly and dramatically, I said, “Fine. You win. How much is this repair going to hurt me?”

“Not too bad. A few hundred for the part and a six-pack for me and Hector. We can order it and have it delivered tomorrow.”

I shook my head. “Don’t bother. I can’t afford that right now.”

“Shit. Sorry, Evan,” Will said. “If you can go down to the junkyard, you can try pulling a couple and we can try tossing them in and see if they work. I’d recommend not doing much more driving than it takes to get it home, though, until we swap it out. I’m not sure how much longer this one will last, and if it breaks, it could hurt other things and set you back even more.”

“Junkyard? Sounds like a fun way to spend the day.” Will and Hector both smiled at the sarcasm, but neither volunteered to come with me.

“Hey, you working tonight?” Will asked, mercifully changing the subject. When I nodded, he asked, “There any new guys down there worth me coming to meet?”

With his bulging biceps and pretty face, he had no trouble picking up men despite not always being the best at conversations that didn’t involve parts of cars or professional sports teams. For all I knew, that was part of his charm. Will rarely overcomplicated anything when it came to dating, unlike me and my stupid no-relationships stance.

I shrugged. “Not really.” I didn’t bother mentioning James because he wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. “But you should come in anyway. I’ve switched up some songs.”

“No shit? About time. Playing anything good yet?” Will joked.

“Nope. But I play it loud and fast,” I replied back automatically.

I knew Will’s response before he said the words. We’d had this conversation pretty much every time we’d talked about my job. I still couldn’t help but smile when he said, “Just like I like to fuck.”

If we’d been around a group of guys at the club, that cheesy line would have turned heads. Someone would have noticed Will’s chest and arms covered in muscles. Will would have smiled at the attention, and they’d have left the club together shortly after.

Easy as that.

The world wasn’t fair most of the time.

Hector tapped me on the shoulder. “Will and I were working out some new beats that you can use, right, Will?”

“Oh yeah. Totally. Check this out.”

I was already rolling my eyes when they each grabbed two wrenches and started pounding on the big metal drums full of random fluids. They sounded like drunk woodpeckers attacking a tin roof. When they ignored my pleas to stop, I covered my ears and ran outside to wait for them to stop fooling around and finish up with my car.

The sun had already set, and I needed to get to the club soon, so I decided that if they weren’t done in a few minutes I’d just walk to work and pick up the car in the morning. Based on the cost of the part, I figured I might as well get used to walking a little more. At least I lived close enough to The Strip that getting to work wouldn’t be a problem if I had to wait a while until the car was repaired.

On the plus side, I wouldn’t be able to get within one hundred miles of my parents’ house without my car. It would provide the perfect excuse to skip going home for my upcoming birthday. I was already down to just birthdays and Christmas, and that still felt like entirely too many visits.

Things definitely hadn’t improved in the years since I’d moved out. I guessed that they’d initially hoped that me being gay was just a phase I’d eventually outgrow, but they were starting to realize the truth. Since I was a stain on their otherwise spotless heterosexual record, they never hesitated to let me know that I had options. Just the other day, they’d reminded me that now that the Republicans had won the election, the vice president might be able to get gay conversion therapy added to health care plans.

What the fuck, Mom?

I shivered at the thought.

Our country would never be cruel enough, right? It’s bad enough how popular anti-gay policies are in states like Georgia, but the rest of the country wouldn’t let us down.

I couldn’t help but feel like a storm was approaching, though, after so many years of tolerance and acceptance spreading across the country.

My phone beeped, dragging me back from the dark thoughts.

It was from Sean.

I hadn’t. When James was home, I wanted to wait until he was gone. When he was gone, I wanted to wait until he came back home. Either way, I’d become the creepy stalker who knew too much about James’ comings and goings.

Comings.

I stifled a giggle, but still blushed remembering the sight of him standing between my legs. My own feet resting against his chest. His dick stretching me to the fullest.

“Looking at some good porn?” Will asked, sneaking up behind me.

Hector shouted from the garage, “Let me see!”

Quickly shoving the phone into my pocket, I shouted back, “You’re not even gay, Hector.”

He shrugged, “It’s still hot.”

Will whispered, “He’s so gay, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

I whispered back, “I’m sure you’re going to teach him really well some night.”

Will laughed, but didn’t lose track of his original question. “Was it some new guy?”

“No. Just a text from Sean.”

Will would have let it go, but I wanted to tell someone about James. So I told him about the quick, explosive night I’d had with James, and how I’d basically pushed him away because of my own rules about dating. “But it’s for the best,” I finished. “It was his first time with a guy. You know how that goes?”

“Sure do,” Will said. “Hot, sexy, kinky, and dirty. That’s the best kind. You get to teach them all the best stuff. So when are you asking him out again?”

I definitely needed to walk to work, and soon, before Will talked me into breaking my rule. “Hey, thanks for looking at the car. I’ll stop by in the morning to pick it up. I’ll figure out the rest eventually.”

“Fine. Hide behind that little protective shell of yours. Anyway, about the car, don’t sweat it, man. I’ll tow it to your house and leave it in the driveway on my way home.”

“You’re the best, Will.” I turned away when I realized how emotional I was getting over his kind act that I’d never be able to repay.

“I won’t even tell you that you’ll have to ask him out in exchange. But you should totally ask him out. Your rule is stupid and you deserve to treat yourself better.” Will said, already heading back to the garage.

It was hard to believe him when my family hated me so much and I couldn’t even afford to keep my car running properly. The only thing that was working for me at all was my job at The Firehouse.

A relationship would just complicate my life.

“Ask him out, pussy!” Hector shouted, pulling down the garage door so he’d have the last word.

As I walked to work, I had plenty of time to try and convince myself to talk to James. By the time I arrived, got yelled at by the owner for being three minutes late, despite there only being five customers in the club, and made my way to the DJ booth, I’d decided that I’d at least see what James thought about seeing where things could go.

When I found my lighter on top of one of my turntables, I let myself believe that it was a sign from above that things were going to get better.