3. Bar Trouble #2
“Eventually, yeah. My uncle died a few months back, and she’s ready to leave those memories behind.”
“A few months ago? Your uncle wouldn’t happen to be Mark Haver, would he?”
“Yeah, he was. Did you know him?”
“I worked with him for a few years. He retired when he got sick, but he was a nice guy. So you’re his nephew.” Connor shook his head, still smiling. “What a small world.”
A bitter, slightly rotten taste filled Jake’s mouth. It might’ve been the aftertaste of the vodka, but more likely it was the memory of Robbie saying almost the exact same thing in Sandway earlier that week. He had to get over that encounter.
“It sure is.” Jake held out his hand. “Jake, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Jake. I’m Connor. Tell Isabel I said hi, okay?”
“I’ll do that.” Jake glanced down at his nearly empty glass before flagging Nick over for a refill. This was his chance. It was now or never. “So, uh, you come here often?”
Connor sighed, running his fingers through his auburn hair. “I really shouldn’t, but yeah, almost every weekend. I guess it’s become kind of a ritual to me. Helps me decompress after the work week.”
“There’s not really anywhere else to go, I’ve gathered,” Jake said. “Unless you head into Grayland.”
“There’re actually a couple of good spots in Grayland,” Connor said. “Have you been yet?”
Jake shook his head. “I want to, but the drive seems excessive.” A couple of good spots.
The gay bar? It was becoming more and more plausible, even as the alcohol began to cloud Jake’s already questionable judgement.
“Do you go there often?” he asked, his heart pounding a little faster than he would’ve liked.
“Not really,” Connor admitted. “Like you said, the drive is stupid long for a couple of drinks and some dancing.”
“Do you like dancing?”
Connor grinned. “Love it.”
Jake’s eyes twinkled. Connor was sexy when he smiled. “So do I. I’d love to go dancing with you sometime.”
Connor’s grin faded slightly, and Jake knew he’d made a fatal error. “Oh, I’m uh, I don’t swing that way, man. Sorry if I gave you a different impression.”
“No, no, it was my fault,” Jake said quickly, spinning his stool back to face the bar. “I read the conversation wrong. My bad.”
“Don’t worry about it. But if you’re looking for that, Grayland really is your best bet. I’m not too familiar with it, but the gay scene out here on the coast seems pretty dead.”
Jake sighed as he nursed his third vodka soda. “That’s what I was afraid of. Shit, and I’ve committed myself to about half a year out here if I’m lucky.”
“That’s a long time. You’re just gonna have to be okay with driving out of town, man. I know it sucks, but Eventide’s not gonna have what you’re looking for. Unless you like poor little rich boys.”
Jake’s chest tightened. “Robbie Eaton?”
“Yeah. You met him?”
“Unfortunately.”
Connor clicked his tongue. “Aw, Robbie’s not that bad. He’s just… different. Who wouldn’t be, growing up like that, right?”
Jake shrugged.
“And his parents still keep him on a tight leash as long as he wants to inherit the family estate.”
“He seems like a real dick.”
“I guess you’ll just have to find out.” Connor gulped what remained of his beer and stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Jake. I hope your stay here gets better.” He extended his hand, and Jake shook it.
“Yeah, I hope so, too. Good meeting you, Connor. I’m sure I’ll see you around town.”
Connor laughed. “It’s impossible not to.”
In the time they’d been talking, the bar had filled up considerably, and it was getting uncomfortably warm in there.
Jake would have been ready to leave too, except there were a couple of women dancing by the front door, and he didn’t want to brush past them when he was already unsteady on his feet.
It seemed a recipe for disaster, and the last thing he needed was to make more enemies so early in his time here.
So, he ordered another drink, got out his wallet to pay, and added a tip for Nick before finishing that fourth drink a little faster than he’d intended.
The room was a blur around him, the dim lighting and echoing music now serving to confuse and overstimulate him.
Laughter and chatter filled every last empty space in his brain, and Jake stumbled over the stool itself as he got up for the first time in a while.
His head spun. He blinked a few times, hoping to clear the haze, but it only made it worse. The women by the door had moved a little to the left, and he took this as his opportunity to get out of there and head home to pass out in the safety of his bed.
He didn’t even have a guy to bring home with him.
All that time and money and drink wasted, with no opportunities to follow up on.
Connor was nice, but a total bust, and he didn’t have any faith in himself that he could convince someone like that to try it out just once.
That worked on some people, but not Connor.
He was too straight. And gone. He’d left God knew how long ago.
Jake blinked again. The mere concept of time was becoming liquid.
He swayed and stumbled to the door, trying his best to avoid the dancing women. They were giggling and talking to each other, and he made the mistake of glancing over at them, sending a fresh wave of dizziness through him. He bumped into one of the girl’s arms, slurring an apology.
She merely laughed. “It’s okay,” she said, eyeing him up and down. “Hey, wanna dance?”
Jake tried to shake his head, but he wasn’t sure how clear the motion was.