Chapter 9
Whatever Mikey might have said, Luke didn’t think he’d actually go through with his threat to pull out of the concert.
He might act like he was above things like that, now, but the truth was Mikey would always be a ham for the spotlight.
Furthermore, he’d always do what would make him look good.
And, since he’d already been very public about his decision to go through with this–including saying as much on Morning Fun with Gina LaBun–it was very unlikely he’d damage his brand by pulling out now.
Even so, Luke did feel a bit guilty about how harsh he’d been. He hadn’t said anything he didn’t mean, but he was starting to wonder whether he might have gone overboard in focusing on the things about Mikey he didn’t like.
Figures, he thought.
Luke finished up at Bob’s Lunch and prepared to go back to his cabin. Just as he stepped outside, however, his phone buzzed–he wasn’t really sure why he even bothered having a cell phone, since he didn’t get service out on Fish Creek–but when he looked he saw it was Katrina.
Along with Bryce, Katrina was his best friend.
The three of them had met when, during one of his concerts in West Virginia, she’d basically bullied her way into his dressing room to get an autograph for her mother, Bryce in tow.
They’d pretty much been inseparable since then and, when he came back to Moundsville, they’d been two of the first people he connected with.
They’d taken his coming out as gay without batting an eye, and to this day he didn’t know what he’d be without them.
Katrina, like Bryce, had a bad habit of trying to micro-manage his social life. Which, he was sure, was why she was calling now.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Lukey!” she said. “What are you doing tonight?”
Luke didn’t particularly like it when she used her favorite nickname for him, but he wasn’t in the mood to argue with her.
“I was plannin’ on going home and spending the rest of the night not talking to anyone,” he said bluntly. “Why?”
She sighed.
“Your encounter with Mikey was that bad, huh?”
“You might say,” he said. “I swear. I don’t know why I agreed to the stupid concert. It’s all going to be a waste of time. The two of us can’t agree on anything, and I just know we’re going to drive each other crazy, and neither of us is going to enjoy anything about this. I wish…”
His voice tapered off and Katrina, of course, dove right into the silence.
“We both know what it is you really want. But, since you’re clearly in such a mood, why don’t you come out with Bryce and me tonight. We’re going to meet at the Purple Unicorn for drinks. I think you deserve a night out, don’t you?”
In fact, Luke did think that, but he wasn’t usually the type of guy who liked to go to bars.
It wasn’t for any sort of stupid reason–he wasn’t one of those “straight acting gays” who didn’t like to do anything even remotely resembling gay activities–but he’d never really been comfortable in clubs.
If he did go for a night out, it was to a tavern, somewhere where the music wasn’t so loud he couldn’t hear himself, somewhere where he could just enjoy himself.
The Purple Unicorn was the exact opposite of a tavern.
“Come on,” Katrina said, putting just the faintest bit of whine into her voice.
“I don’t know if you heard, but they renovated the upstairs of the club so it’s a much quieter space.
I think you’ll like it. Come on. Bryce and I will pay for all your drinks, you can pour your heart out about Mikey, and we can strategize how we can get you out of this whole situation. ”
The more she kept talking, the more appealing going to the Unicorn became. Luke wasn’t naive enough to think his friends would actually be able to get him out of the mess he’d found himself in, but it would definitely feel good to talk to two people who just got it.
“Okay, fine,” he said. “What time are you meeting there?”
“We’ll be there at 9. Don’t be late!”
And before he could respond that she was the one who was almost always late, she’d hung up.
“Typical,” he thought.
Since he had several hours to kill, he decided to drive around town, just to enjoy things a bit.
He put the truck windows down and let the fresh spring breeze wash over him, relishing the sound of the wind, the faint hum of afternoon traffic…
all the sounds of a small city in West Virginia.
It was amazing what just a little indulgence could do.
It was a little surreal to be out in the real world again.
Maybe Bryce is right, he thought. Maybe I do need to stop being such a recluse all the time.
He spent the rest of the afternoon in his truck, eventually leaving town and going down back roads.
He knew he shouldn’t waste the gas on such a frivolous activity, but he couldn’t think of anything better to do.
The whole encounter with Mikey had left him feeling really out of sorts.
He couldn’t settle his mind to one thing in particular, and driving helped him get his thoughts together.
Or, at least, it usually did.
However, no matter how long he drove–and the hours sped by faster than he thought they would–he was never quite able to settle down anywhere or find anything to occupy his attention for very long.
Every so often he’d see someone he’d know, they’d wave and try to get his attention, and he’d just keep on driving.
He wasn’t really in the mood to talk to anyone right at the moment, since he knew he was going to have more than his fair share of talking once he met up with Bryce and Katrina.
The two of them would almost certainly talk his ear off, and they’d also pump him for every bit of information they could about Mikey, about their relationship, and about what, if anything, Luke was going to do.
It’d be nice if I knew what I was going to do, he thought. Because I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused.
It was one thing to know about Mikey in a distant, abstract way, and quite another to have to come face-to-face with him again. It was much easier to dislike him when he was just a concept rather than a person.
Finally, though, he couldn’t keep putting this off any longer. It was time to meet his friends.
By now he was far enough out in the country it would take at least an hour to get to Wheeling, and he took his time just enjoying the night and the drive.
Finally, though, he came within city limits and made his way toward the Purple Unicorn, steeling himself for Bryce and Katrina’s questions, which were sure to be invasive.
At least they come from a place of love, he thought. And at least they care.
For a long time Wheeling hadn’t had a gay bar.
A few had come in over the years, but none had really managed to have any staying power.
The Purple Unicorn, though, was an exception.
It had first opened in the dark and dreary days after the worst of the pandemic, and in the years since it had really flourished.
It was the kind of place that hit just the right balance between classy and fun, and it was a favorite for gays of almost every age.
It was the kind of place where you could get a pricey mixed drink or a simple can of Bud Light.
Luke had only been in it a few times, and each time it had been a fiasco. He might not be a household name anymore, but there were always a few people who were willing to grab a photo of him, usually to post on social media with some snarky comment attached. Finally, he’d decided enough was enough.
I really just want to go home, he thought, thinking about how long it was going to take him to get home from here. I’m probably going to have to ask to crash with Bryce, even if I don’t get drunk.
Sighing and shaking his head at his own foolishness, he opened the door and stepped inside.
He was immediately hit with a wall of sound, the bass threatening to shake his teeth loose.
I knew this was a mistake, he thought. I knew I should’ve just gone straight home.
He paused, but then he saw Katrina waving desperately to him, and he knew he wasn’t going to so easily escape her.
Luke slowly made his way to where Katrina had found a booth with Bryce, the two of them already on their second drink.
Katrina was a buxom woman in her mid-thirties with rich, deep red hair and a pretty face radiating warmth.
Her blouse showed off her generous cleavage, while Bryce, as usual when he was in a club, was wearing something shimmering and tight.
Luke couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. They were two of the constants in his life.
“I’m so glad you actually came!” Katrina shouted over the pounding bass and a remix version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” She gestured with her glass to the set of stairs off to one side of the room. “Do you want to go ahead and go up?”
Luke nodded vehemently.
Bryce got up and gave him a hug, and then they headed upstairs.
As they did so, the sound of the thumping bass grew less, and Luke found he could finally think clearly again.
He had to admit The Purple Unicorn had really done a good job making sure the upper story was suitable for a different kind of clientele, and he was reluctantly impressed.
He even began to think he might enjoy the evening.
They came to a space that looked like it belonged more in a bigger city bar than a location in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia.
There were upholstered seats against the walls, as well as nice tables with actual wood.
A fancy bar ran along the back of the room, and the whole place had a much calmer atmosphere.
Even the loud bass from downstairs was little more than a faint hum.
Now that they were in a quieter space, Luke decided he might as well get a drink and start to relax.
I deserve it after the day I’ve had, he thought.
So he ordered a beer–can, not draft–and the three of them sat in a booth.