3. Indiana
THREE
INDIANA
It’s been a month since I made the most insane decision of my life and dragged all five of my best friends into it with me. Now they’re all standing behind me as I unlock the door and step inside the darkened space. Last week, we toured it with a contractor to get a quote on renovations, and today it’s officially time to start.
“Gawwwd,” Lowen says, pushing past me and waving the dusty air away from his pristine face. “We need to start by airing it out.”
“Obviously.” Ridley glances around with his hands on his hips. “What time is Oakley going to be here?”
“Oakley is such an unusual name,” Kit says.
Ridley nods, grinning. “It suits him. Fitting for a man I’d love to climb like a big old oak tree.”
“Keep it in your pants until the work is done, huh?” Lowen scolds. “It’s not easy getting the best contractor on the Eastern Seaboard to spend his time in Willow Bay.”
Ridley holds his hands up. “Don’t worry, gorgeous. I’ll be cool. ”
I lean on the old bar with my arms folded across my chest, and simply enjoy all the memories, feeling happy and full—two emotions I haven’t felt in a long time. “I’m really glad you guys are here.”
Bane smiles, turning to face me. “Where else would we be?”
“Either you have amazing timing or we all have shit luck,” Kit teases, playfully shoving my arm.
“It’s timing,” Jerryn says. “We were meant to come back together.”
I’d like to believe that. “It’s been eighteen years. We were just kids, all full of dreams and optimism.”
Lowen frowns. “You sound unhappy with your plight.”
“I’m not. Not anymore. Jer is right. We were meant to be together again. Obviously, we all needed a change.”
Lowen nods, twisting his lips. “I swear your call felt like a lifeboat as I stood on the bow of a sinking ship.”
“Still dramatic after all these years,” Ridley teases, grabbing Lowen’s waist and pulling him into a hug.
Lowen pushes him away, but I spot the glimmer of amusement and affection in his expression. “Eww.”
Not much has changed about us, yet somehow everything has. Kit is still gorgeous, but he’s a hunky bear of a man now with a trail of broken hearts behind him that rivals my own. Lowen is as stunning and glamorous as ever, but he’s a lot more feminine than he was when he left, wearing full makeup and heels. He’s nailing it though, fully comfortable in his own skin.
Ridley has changed the most, looks wise. Gone are his unruly locks of many colors, traded for a very normal haircut in a natural shade. He’s still wild though, and I find it very comforting. Bane and Jerryn are tight like usual, and while Bane mostly looks the same, just more mature, it’s Jerryn who’s had the biggest glow up of the group. He was cute before, bookish and sweet looking, but he’s shed his glasses, upgraded his wardrobe, and obviously spent some time in the gym. There’s still a boyish quality to his face that makes him look approachable though.
It’s not like we haven’t seen each other over the years, it just hasn’t been yearly like we all hoped for. Life takes over and time passes quickly, but our bond never broke. Obviously, since all these fools took me up on my insane idea.
“So I brainstormed some ideas last night,” Ridley announces. “For a name.”
I nod with interest. “I’m open. I’ve been stumped.”
Ridley jumps up on the bar, reminding us all of his past shenanigans. He opens his arms like he can see the marquee in front of him. “Moby’s.”
Lowen huffs while Kit and I look confused. Bane nods and Jerryn grins.
“Am I missing something?” I ask. “What’s the significance?”
“Oh my god, Indy,” Ridley says. “I thought you were more than a pretty face.”
Rolling my eyes, I wave my hand in a ‘get on with it’ gesture. “Explain.”
“ Moby Dick ,” he says slowly. “We met in English Lit. We bonded over our group project.”
“So you want us to name our gay bar after a classic novel?” Kit asks. “Random.”
“You guys are so thick.” Ridley jumps down. “Moby Dick .”
“Yeah, I got that part,” I say.
Ridley shakes his head, but Jerryn jumps in. “I get it, Rid. It’s a gay bar. There’s dick here.”
“Exactly. Jesus Christ, it’s not that fucking hard.”
“Will other people even get that connection?” Kit asks .
“They will with our tagline,” Ridley says. “No white whales but plenty of dick.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. Lowen scoffs while the others laugh.
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “We can’t be that blatant here.”
“Wait.” Lowen digs in his messenger bag and pulls out a notebook. “Give me a minute.”
We all watch him scribble on a sheet of paper, looking up every few seconds before returning his gaze to the notebook. When he flips it around, he’s drawn the outline of a whale with a water spray in rainbow colors. Across the whale’s body it says Moby’s Bar and under it, “No Whales, Just D (drinks, obviously).”
Lowen grins. “I think it works. It’s tongue in cheek without being too raunchy. The alphabet mafia will know it’s for us because of the rainbow. What do you guys think?”
Huh. He’s got me there. “Well damn. It does work.”
Ridley blows on his nails with a gloating smile on his face.
The front door opens, and I’m expecting Oakley and his crew, but instead it’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life. The sun shining behind him makes him look like some kind of angel, and my jaw drops. Am I dreaming?
“Uh, hi.” He steps inside.
I hear voices, conversation being exchanged, but my brain is still stuck on the man’s face. He’s a little thing, probably no taller than five-five or five-six and I’d guess he weighs a buck fifty soaking wet. His hair is golden brown, styled perfectly with not a single flyaway strand, and as his big blue eyes settle on me, he licks gloss covered lips. He might be talking, but I can’t hear a damn word.
Someone elbows me in the ribs, snapping me out of it. I turn to look at Kit, who’s got a shit-eating grin on his face. “This guy wants to know what this is gonna be and if we’re going to be hiring.”
I nod, staring at the stranger but apparently unable to form words. Jesus.
“Uh, I’m Lowen. This is Kit, Ridley, Bane, Jerryn, and our fearless and apparently tongue-tied leader, Indy.”
“Indy?” the man says, an amused curl to his lip. “Is that your full name?”
“Uh… uh…”
“It’s Indiana,” Kit answers for me. “But don’t call him that or make movie jokes.”
“Noted.” The man steps farther into the space, stopping just in front of me. Up close, he looks like a doll, delicate and perfect, but somehow he still manages to exude sexual energy. “I’m Salem. No witch trial jokes please.”
“Salem.” I whisper it, mentally cataloging it for the spank bank. “Hi.”
“Hi. You’re the owner?”
“Uh, we all are.” I clear my throat. “Can we help you?”
Lowen leans in, repeating Salem’s questions, and it clicks in my brain that it’s the second time I’ve heard them.
“Oh, uh, we’re opening a bar. A gay bar.”
“ Queer bar,” Lowen says. “All are welcome, except assholes.”
“Nice,” Salem says. “Willow Bay’s first, huh? Why’d you pick this town?”
“We went to the university,” Ridley says, while I keep staring at the beauty like a fucking creeper.
“And you came back?”
“We like it here,” Kit says. He nudges me again. “Are we hiring, Indy?”
Blinking slowly, I nod. Or maybe I don’t. I don’t fucking know. I just know that I have to learn more about Salem. “Do you live here?”
“For now,” Salem says. “I’m looking for a job, preferably close by.” He glances around the obviously run-down space. “But I’m guessing you’re quite a ways from opening the doors.”
“We start renovations today,” Lowen explains. “Our target date is April tenth.”
“April tenth?” Salem twists his pretty lips. “That’s two months. Do you need staff for anything? I can—” He glances around. “—do something.”
“Why do you want to work here?” I manage to ask.
“Honestly, there’s nothing else in town. It’s a long, tragic story why I’m in Willow Bay, but I’m willing to do just about anything.”
Just about anything? I have some ideas, which probably means hiring him is a very bad idea. I was planning to have a no-fucking-the-staff rule to keep us professional, but I can’t think of anything besides getting my hands and mouth on the man in front of me.
My cock swells slightly, reminding me just how long it’s been since I’ve shared my bed with a sexy little twink, and right now, my fantasies have Salem’s name written all over them.
“Do you have any issues working with queer people?” Bane asks.
“I am queer people,” Salem answers, glancing at me and batting long lashes. “I figured that was obvious. This type of establishment is long overdue in Willow Bay.”
“What kind of work experience do you have?” Lowen asks. “You look a little young.”
“I’m twenty-eight and I’ve been working in the city for ten years. Customer service work mostly. I don’t know how to mix drinks, but I wouldn’t apply to be a bartender anyway. I’ve worked in a few restaurants.” He smiles. “Besides, you guys can’t be much older than me based on your looks.”
Flattery. That will definitely work on Lowen.
“Indy just turned forty,” Kit says, squeezing my shoulders from behind.
“We all did,” Jerryn whispers, sounding confused.
“Forty?” Salem says. “Well, looks like time has been kind to all of you.”
Swallowing hard, I only nod in response.
“Why don’t you give us your number, Salem?” Lowen suggests. “We’re still figuring things out, but maybe we can find an early spot for you. We definitely want to hire queer people when we can.”
“That would be amazing.” Salem hands Lowen a card, but his eyes are on me. “I’m happy to interview or answer any questions you have. The QR code on the back links to my full resume.”
“Hey, Salem,” Ridley says, “what do you think of Moby’s Bar as a name?”
“Moby’s? Like the whale?”
Ridley’s face lights up. “Exactly like the whale.”
“No whales, just D,” Lowen says. “You know, drinks.”
Salem laughs and the sound is fucking magical. It’s as if his chest is filled with sunshine that spills out in his laughter.
“That’s epically good,” he says. “The college kids will love it. Everyone else can get fucked.” He covers his mouth. “Sorry. Hope swearing isn’t offensive.”
Ridley scoffs a laugh. “We’re a bunch of queer dudes. You think we care about that?”
Salem’s smiles shyly. “Good. I guess I’ll let you guys get back to work, but I hope to hear from you.” He licks his lips again as his eyes roam across my face. “Soon. ”
He waves as he walks out, swaying his hips, and my reaction is like a snake to a charmer. Fuck me.
“Well, wasn’t that interesting,” Lowen mutters, grinning at me. “Someone’s got a crush.”
“A crush?” Kit says. “That looked more like someone got hit with a ton of bricks.” He slaps my back. “I get it. He’s pretty.”
“He can’t work here.” I shake my head. “I can’t. I’ll spend all my time trying to get in his pants.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Ridley asks.
“It’s totally unprofessional and potentially illegal. I’m one of the owners. Isn’t that harassment?”
“Only if it’s non-consensual,” Bane says.
“Power imbalance though,” Lowen says thoughtfully. “You just have to make sure you aren’t coercing him or insinuating anything about his job.”
“I feel strongly that we shouldn’t fuck any of the staff.”
Ridley scoffs loudly, opening his mouth like he’s scandalized. “I’m not agreeing to that. That’s one of the bonuses of this whole idea. A steady stream of ass.”
“I have to agree with Ridley,” Kit says. “But of course we have to be smart and make sure it’s not some skeevy environment.”
“Which we can easily avoid by not fucking the staff,” I repeat, rubbing my forehead. “Besides, we need to focus on running the business. Not pretty twinks.” I glance at the door as if he’ll somehow walk back in. “Fuck, he’s like a dream man.”
“Looks-wise, anyway,” Bane says. “I vote we hire him. He’s adorable, so guys will like him, he’s queer and we want to support our community, and he needs a job. What’s not to like?”
“I agree,” Jerryn says and I groan.
“You’ll be okay,” Kit says, patting my back. “Once you get a taste you’ll get over it and be able to move on.”
“And then he works here. ”
“Be clear about your intentions,” Kit continues. “Besides, no one missed the way Salem was looking at you too. He wants some of what you got.”
“Agreed,” Lowen says.
“Yeah,” the other guys all agree.
I barely noticed in my lustful stupor. “We don’t have a position for him yet. We don’t have our business plan finished or our budget.”
“I do,” Lowen says. “It’s kind of my thing. I was gonna go over our operating budget with you all after the construction crew got here. I reviewed it with my financial adviser and got his stamp of approval.”
“Oh.”
“And we got the bank accounts set up yesterday,” Jerryn says. “We’re meeting with the payroll company this afternoon at two.”
“We could find out if Salem is good at inventory and ordering,” Lowen suggests. “He could find suppliers for us and take that off our plate while we work on design, hiring, and infrastructure.”
“There’s a lot to do in the next two months,” Bane says. “He could help. Maybe we could give him a leadership position of some kind.”
“We don’t know a damn thing about him,” I say.
“We know his vibe and it’s good,” Ridley says. “I learned a long time ago that most hiring decisions are gut based. People can lie their way through an interview, but their vibe is their vibe. I say we give Salem a shot. Worse case, he doesn’t work out and you get to bang him.”
“I’m clearly outnumbered.”
“You’d want to hire him too if you weren’t so worried about your libido,” Lowen says. “Besides, we need eye candy here. I’ve seen all of you a hundred times. ”
Blowing out a breath, I try to look annoyed, but I’m secretly excited to see the gorgeous, intriguing man again. “Fine. Who wants to call him?”
“Oh, that’s all you, Indy.” Kit grins. “As if he wants to hear from any of us.”
“This is gonna be fun to watch,” Ridley says.
“So glad I can amuse you.”
The door opens again, but this time it’s a brawny contractor. At least I’ll be distracted while I consider how to approach calling Salem to offer him a job and not a position riding my dick.