Chapter 1 #2
He sat next to Jay, both of them gravitating toward the middle.
Their thighs nearly touched, Jay’s heat radiating across the narrow space between them.
Jay seemed unfazed, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind Aaron.
There was no reason to read into the gesture, yet Aaron’s heart pounded like a drum, and he took a slow breath, fighting the urge to lean in.
They were in a much better lurking spot than the bar, which, he now realized, was at the center of everything. No wonder he’d drawn so much attention. If it hadn’t been for Jay coming along, Aaron would have spent the entire night fending off curious Doms.
“There’s a lot more people here than I expected,” Aaron said before the silence got awkward.
It was small talk, barely a step above discussing the weather, but the surprise was real.
He’d chosen a Wednesday night assuming the club would be quiet, making it easier to find his footing.
Instead, the main space buzzed with bodies and movement, alive in ways Aaron hadn’t prepared for.
He wanted to explore. Why hadn’t anyone offered him a map? A guide? An audio tour? A few people had already disappeared down the stairs near the entrance, and Aaron wondered, based on the muffled sounds of house music drifting in the air, if there was a dance floor.
“Yeah, it’s usually like this. More packed on the weekends, but it’s never even close to empty.”
“And yet you could tell I was new.” Aaron glared at Jay in mock accusation. “Was that a line, or are you keeping a Rolodex of everyone you’ve ever met?”
Jay laughed. “Really? Rolodex? You look great for eighty, Grandpa.”
“Hey, I’m not claiming to have one.” Aaron tried to keep from smiling.
There was a sudden lightness spreading through his chest, a giddy feeling that usually accompanied casual flirtation.
He’d forgotten how good it felt. “What should I say instead, an Excel spreadsheet? What do you young whippersnappers use to keep track of people these days?”
“I’ll have you know I’m almost thirty, hardly a whippersnapper.”
“If I’m a Grandpa, then you’re a whippersnapper,” Aaron teased.
“It’s just your references that are Grandpa-esque. The mind of an eighty-year-old in the body of a thirty-year-old. Better?” Jay’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Barely,” Aaron huffed. His age was becoming a sore spot as he neared forty, and while his boyish looks hadn’t faded yet, he knew better than to compare himself to younger men.
Still, he appreciated the compliment.
“To answer your question, I’ve been coming here a lot recently, and I have an excellent memory for faces.
I don’t know everyone by name, but I could probably…
” Jay trailed off and swiveled his head around before leaning in to whisper, “The couple on the platform are Mistress Onyx and Shane. She likes to tie up the big ones. The guy in front of the stage with all the chains hanging off his belt is Peter, although when he’s in the mood, he prefers Pyotr.
He thinks it sounds more intimidating. The woman talking to him, the one that came up to you earlier, that’s Autumn.
She leans toward women, but something about you must have caught her eye.
” Jay chuckled, his warm breath grazing Aaron’s neck, sending a shiver through him.
Jay seemed to misinterpret it as distaste. “I guess you’re not into that? Well, you know the guys you met earlier, Matthew and Alex? They usually go for bratty twinks, but you must have been too alluring to pass up.”
Jay’s voice was low and hypnotizing as it poured into Aaron’s ear.
They were dangerously close. If Aaron turned his head to respond, their lips would touch, and he forced himself to stay still.
He could already sense his control weakening.
Another few minutes, and he would break.
Jay was too tempting, and Aaron too weak to resist.
Abruptly, Jay flinched, his smile morphing into a frown. They’d only just met, but already Aaron could tell the expression didn’t belong on his face.
“Shit, I gotta go.” Jay stood up quickly and rushed away, his long strides carrying him farther and farther from Aaron until he disappeared through the exit.
Aaron didn’t move, wondering what the hell had just happened. A moment ago, Jay was winking and flirting, and now he was gone, the indent in the cushion and the fading smell of cinnamon in the air the only proof he’d ever existed.
Had Jay grown bored with his company? Aaron hadn’t been in the dating scene for almost two decades—for all he knew, this was the in-person version of ghosting someone. But no, Jay seemed far too nice and mature for such behavior.
Maybe Jay had remembered he had somewhere to be. Picking his parents up at the airport. Meeting a friend for happy hour. Volunteering at a puppy shelter.
Aaron sighed in resignation. It was ten o’clock at night.
The explanation couldn’t be so innocent—and besides, even if he was running late, surely Jay could have spared a few seconds to address his sudden departure.
It was far more likely that he had to get home to his wife before she discovered his secret life.
It didn’t really matter.
Aaron rearranged himself, tucking his body against the arm of the couch, no longer buoyed by Jay’s contagious enthusiasm. At least the night hadn’t been a complete waste, and he had a new spot for the next time he visited.
Whatever fleeting feelings bounced around his head during their easy banter had not been a part of the plan. And Aaron was more determined than ever to follow the plan.