Chapter 10
Nantes
An hour and a half later, we pull into the parking lot of the club where my friend is DJing. The lot is already packed, but as people exit their cars and flow towards the entrance, I notice the age diversity. At least it’s not just full of UW students.
Vanian grins at me as he slides out of the passenger seat.
He changed into a tight-fitting deep blue t-shirt and ripped jeans with black ankle boots.
He looks incredible. I chose a simple black tee, jeans, and fashion sneakers.
It’s been so long since I’ve been out to a club, I have no idea what the appropriate dress code is these days, so hopefully this works.
At the door, the bouncer lets us through, and then we stop at the front desk to pay the cover charge. After that, we walk through the curtain into an environment I haven’t participated in for years.
Vanian grabs my arm, leaning close to me. “I feel like a fish out of water.”
Chuckling, I nod. “Me too. Let’s go say hi to my friend and maybe grab a drink. That should help.”
“Let’s do it.”
We navigate the dark room with pulsing strobe lights and loud music until we get to the DJ booth. I wave at Lex, who grins and waves back at me, using his index finger to let me know he’ll chat in a second.
We wait outside the booth until the current song finishes and the next one starts up, then Lex turns to me and pulls me into one of his signature bear hugs.
“Oof.” I groan as he squeezes the air out of me.
“Thanks for coming, man,” Lex says as he releases me. “You look good. Happy.”
“Thanks, Lex. So do you. Been spending time at the gym, I see.”
He pats his flat belly. “Gotta stay competitive. It’s a savage world out there, and since I’m now considered a bear, I have hungry twinks all over me. Gotta keep up.”
I laugh, turning to Vanian. “Let me introduce you guys. Lex, this is Van, he’s a longtime friend. Van, Lex, the maniac.”
Unsurprisingly, Lex manhandles Van into a bear hug too. I chuckle as Van’s eyes go wide, but he relaxes and smiles a few seconds later.
“Just a friend?” Lex asks, eyeing Van appreciatively. “Or are you down with thirds?”
Van’s brow creases with confusion as he shifts his gaze to me.
“We’re just friends and Van is straight.” I pat Lex’s shoulder. “Sorry, friend.”
Lex gasps loudly. “How dare you bring a straight boy around looking like that. You’re just asking for trouble.”
Van actually blushes as he drags his hand through his hair.
“I’m a glutton for punishment,” I reply, winking at Van. “We’re gonna go dance, so make sure you play something I can recognize.”
“I got you. I have some great remixes on deck. Have fun and come say goodbye before you leave.”
“We will. Good to see you, Lex.”
“You too, Nan.” He bats his eyelashes at Vanian. “Very nice to meet you, handsome.”
“Uh, yeah, you too.”
I grab Vanian’s wrist and lead him to the bar. Once we’re there, his shoulders drop and he laughs. “Lex is subtle.”
“Right? He’s always been that way. His motto is ‘if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.’”
“Good motto.”
“It is.”
“How’d you meet?”
“At a club years ago. He was just as forward with me, so we hooked up.”
Vanian looks startled for a second. “You had sex with him?”
I nod, trying to get the bartender’s attention. “A few times. Just blow jobs and frotting mostly. He was always up for it, which was a good stress reliever for me.”
“But you didn’t date?”
“Nah. I wasn’t ready for anything like that, and honestly, we had very different lifestyles. He’s a few years older than me and is still in the club most nights of the week, either working or partying. But he was fun.”
Vanian nods, his gaze shifting in Lex’s direction briefly. The bartender finally gets to us, and I order the drink special. Vanian leans in close to me.
“Did he mean it when he suggested a threesome?”
“Yep.”
“Have you done that before?”
“A few times. I dabbled with polyamory a bit when I was younger, but decided it was too much for me to juggle on top of my career. What about you?”
“College felt like one big orgy.”
I laugh at that. “Not for me.”
The bartender returns and I hand him my credit card to start a tab. He’s a gorgeous man with dark skin, a bald head, a stunning smile, and a body I could worship, especially in his leather pants and harness. I seriously need to get laid.
I hand Vanian his drink and we wander off towards the dance floor, lingering near the back and watching people.
“There was one time I hooked up with a couple,” Vanian confesses out of nowhere.
“A couple?”
“A guy and a girl. The girl approached me and said they were looking for a third and asked if I’d be down. I told them I wasn’t into guys and they said they weren’t looking for that. They wanted two guys to worship her. It was a new experience, so I was like ‘why not?’”
“How did it go?”
“Pretty fucking awesome.” He sips his drink. “But also weird for me. There were times when me and the dude touched or bumped against each other. Then, um, we DP’d her, so his dick was smashed up against mine.”
I shift slightly as that image rolls around my mind, the idea of it shooting heat straight to my cock. “Did you freak out?”
He shakes his head. “No, nothing like that. It was more like realizing it all just felt good and not getting hung up on things. I was down to see them again, but they had a rule about one time only so things never got complicated.”
“Did you ever do that again with someone else?”
“Nope. Never had the opportunity. There was this guy in my graduate class. We used to study together sometimes. Brent. One night we were up pretty late studying for a test and he offered to blow me. He said it was how he liked to relieve stress, but swore he was straight.”
“He liked to suck dick for stress relief?”
“That’s what he said, but he didn’t do anything else with guys. I personally think he was bi and not comfortable with it yet, but I didn’t tell him that.”
“Did you let him?”
“No. I wasn’t even curious about it or him, so I figured that was a sign not to do it. I didn’t want things to get weird between us either, especially if I didn’t like it.”
“Head is head, man.”
He chuckles. “Maybe, but I wasn’t into it. I didn’t find him attractive or anything. I’ve seen attractive men before, and if one of them offered, who knows? Maybe I’d say yes.”
I think my brain just went offline with that admission. Is he more fluid than he knows?
“I’ve always been a whore when it comes to that,” I admit. “If someone wants to suck me off, who am I to deny them? I let a few women do it until I realized I was being too slutty.”
Vanian laughs. “You’ve had sex with women?”
“Not completely. Just messing around. I think it was a way of testing myself to see if I was truly gay or maybe something else on the queer spectrum. My biggest clue was that to get hard I had to close my eyes and picture whoever my current crush was.”
“That’s a pretty big clue.”
“Yep. Meanwhile, I just have to think of dick and I’ll pop a boner.”
He searches my eyes for a moment. “Sexuality is fascinating.”
“I think so too.”
A song I haven’t heard in years starts to play and Vanian’s face lights up. “Let’s dance.”
“Yes!”
We make our way out to the crowded dance floor, drinks in hand, and we’re immediately shoved together by the mass of people around us.
I feel like a kid again, hanging with my best friend with minimal responsibilities.
It almost feels like no time has passed at all.
The only thing I wish was different is the way I still respond to him after all these years.
This stupid attraction hasn’t weakened at all, I just forgot about it.
“I’ll get more drinks,” he says, leaning close for a moment.
I nod and keep bopping around to the music. A minute later, I feel hands on my hips and spin around to see a super hot guy grinning at me. He’s about my height, but with a much bulkier build, short hair, and a long beard. Stunning.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he says, leaning in toward my ear so I can hear him over the music. “I thought I’d never get you alone. Was that your man?”
“Just a friend.”
“I’m Gage. What’s your name?”
“Nantes.”
“Cool.” He hooks his arm around my waist and pulls me close until our chests are pressed together. “I can’t keep my eyes off of you.”
“Thanks.” I reach up and gently tug his beard. “You’re gorgeous also.”
“We could go somewhere for a few minutes.” He bumps his hips into mine, making it very clear that he’s already hard. “I’d love to get my hands on you.”
“Ooh, tempting.” I glance over my shoulder. “But my friend’s visiting from out of town and I shouldn’t leave him alone.”
“Bring him along.”
I chuckle. “He’s not queer.”
“Bummer. You’ve got five minutes though, don’t ya?”
Biting my bottom lip, I consider the offer. Gage is fucking hot, but it feels weird and gross to take off for a quick hookup and leave Vanian alone. Before I can say anything else, Vanian is back, holding two drinks and practically glaring at Gage.
“Everything okay?” Vanian asks.
“Perfectly fine, handsome,” Gage says. “I was doing my best to drag your friend off for a few minutes. You can handle yourself alone, can’t you?”
Well that’s presumptuous.
“I’d rather not,” Van says, his tone firm and even slightly threatening. “Maybe I have plans with my friend.”
Uh, whatever the fuck this is, it’s hot as hell. I gently grip Van’s arm, smiling at him in a questioning way. Van nods in acknowledgment but doesn’t take his eyes off Gage.
“Why don’t you take off now?” Van says, in a tone that’s far more statement than question.
“Why don’t you let Nantes here speak for himself?”
Obviously I’m not about to ditch Vanian for some sloppy dick in a club, so I pat Gage on the chest and smile. “I’m gonna bow out this time, but thank you. It was very tempting.”
Gage’s entire demeanor changes in a flash as he narrows his eyes. “So you’re a cock tease then, is that it?”
“What? I didn’t tease you.”