Chapter Twenty-Five
Orsen walked into Tea for Two? and saw Cody in the corner. He spotted two drinks on the table, along with some cake, and went over. Taking his coat off, he put it on the back of the chair, then sat. He stared out of the window, then sighed.
“So, what now?” Cody asked once Orsen had settled.
“I love him, but he only sees a child. I’m not a child. I haven’t been one in years. I don’t even think I had a childhood. He sees my age and then puts me in a box labeled ‘child’. It really fucking annoys me.”
“It must. I can’t remember the last time I heard you swear.”
“I don’t see the point of swearing all the time. Only when necessary, and that’s now. I’m so angry with Santino.” Orsen leaned on the table and hissed, “I gave him my virginity and he still sees me as a child.”
“We need to do something to show him you’re not.”
“Like what? We’ve had sex! We’ve had lots of sex, and I’ve stayed over at his house, and I showed him where I’m going to build my home. And I’ve told him things, and I made him food and I talked to him…” Orsen narrowed his eyes. “What more is there? Tattooing his name over my heart? Stupid man.”
“Maybe not that extreme.” Cody’s eyes lit up. “I know. We should go to a club in the city.”
“Er, slight problem there.” Orsen pointed to himself. “Eighteen?”
“Pfft. Like that will stop us. I might know some people who can get us in, so don’t worry about that, but back to what happened between you and Santino. Tell me what he said.”
Orsen sighed and filled Cody in, pausing when Cody muttered, “Idiot.”
Shrugging, Orsen sipped his coffee. “Maybe he’s right.”
“Do you want to date, Orsen? Go out with other men and see how a relationship works with them?”
“Did you date?”
“No,” Cody laughed. “I fucked. The only man I have dated is TJ. He’s the only man I have ever wanted.”
“But I can’t feel the same way about Santino? Because of my past or my age or whatever else he has going on in his head?”
“We’re men. We can be dumb as shit sometimes.”
“For an intelligent man, he can be really stupid.” Orsen gritted his teeth, then stabbed at his cake. Looking at it, he asked, “Caramel fudge?”
“The one and only. Amazing too, so don’t stab at it too much. Enjoy its gooey goodness.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Shoot.” Cody licked his spoon, then watched Orsen. “What is it?”
“Do you and TJ you know, er, swap?”
Cody’s eyes widened. “Ah. Do we switch?” Cody sat back and Orsen had the feeling he shouldn’t have asked that question. It was a personal question, and he went to tell Cody it was fine, but Cody answered. “Not really, but that’s more me than him.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Forget I asked.”
“After everything I went through.” Cody touched his wrist and Orsen saw the faint scars on it. “I can’t bottom, and I have an incredibly understanding man in TJ who accepts that.”
“What happened?” He reached over and touched the scar, surprised that Cody let him.
“I was a mess, Orsen. I’d left here and I…
I fucked up my life for a year or so, then one night things escalated, and I almost died.
Things were done to me even after I said no.
” Cody looked away, his eyes staring off somewhere Orsen couldn’t see.
“I knew I was going to die,” he murmured, “but I kept thinking about TJ and then I was saved.”
“Mama and Jedson.” Orsen had met them briefly when they were leaving, and Mama had given him the best mom hug he’d ever had.
“Yeah. They picked me up and put me back together. I owe them so much, but they only want me to be happy.” Cody looked back at Orsen.
“Don’t accept someone who can’t see you for who you are, and I include Santino in that.
I think you’re great together, but he needs to get his head out of his ass, or he could lose you, so I suggest the club, and we party and make sure Santino finds out.
Don’t worry about TJ. I’ll suck his brains out, and then we’ll be fine. ”
Orsen spluttered, then laughed. “I should be used to the things you say.”
“I like to keep you on your toes.” Cody took a bite of his cake and moaned. Pointing his fork at the cake, he mumbled, “So good.”
Orsen nodded in agreement. He hadn’t had a bad cake or pastry from Tea for Two? yet. Every time he came in and tried something new, it was better than the last. They kept getting better and better. “Are these all made here?”
“Most are. Hang on.” Cody twisted in his seat and shouted, “Sherri? Are these all made here?”
“The caramel fudge one isn’t, but now that I know how to make it, I’ll be giving it a go over the weekend. Why?”
“We love them. You make excellent cakes.”
Sherri blushed and waved Cody’s comment away. “Since you brought those boys in, they come in a couple of times a week and now their moms come in as well, so I should be thanking you.”
“Free cake?” Cody sat up and fluttered his eyelashes, which caused Sherri to laugh. “One slice each. Please!” Yes, Cody was begging for cake, but Orsen would beg too because it was some good cake.
“Fine, but only because it’s you.”
Cody jumped up and practically ran over to the counter. “What do you want, Orsen?”
“The orange cheesecake, please.”
A minute later, Cody came back with two slices of cheesecake and two fresh teas.
Jasmine for Orsen and green tea and lime for Cody.
Orsen picked his cup up and inhaled the aroma.
He loved trying the different teas here.
He had some that had become firm favorites and some where he thought he’d throw up and swore to never have again.
“Right. Me and you. This Friday.” Cody grinned. “Let’s plan.”
***
“Are you sure they’ll let me in?”
Cody put his phone away and grinned. “Yep. That’s a good ID and we don’t mention to TJ where I got it from, do we?”
Orsen mimed zipping his lips, then grinned. “I’ve never been to a club before. Are there lots of hot men?”
“Very hot.” Cody waggled his eyebrows. “None as hot as TJ, but good eye candy.”
“You really love him.”
“Yep. I have always wanted him and now I have him.” Cody put his arm over Orsen’s shoulders and squeezed. “You’ll have that once Santino pulls his head out of his ass.”
“If I want him back,” Orsen muttered darkly. “He can be so kind and caring, then act like an idiot.”
“Welcome to the world of dating and relationships,” Cody told him dryly. “Except for TJ.”
Orsen rolled his eyes. “You two can’t be that good together.”
“Hmm.” Cody tapped his chin. “We don’t really argue.
If we disagree, we sit down and talk about it, and then we usually reach some form of agreement.
We don’t go to bed angry. I don’t want to be awake all night going over what’s happened, so if we need space, we’ll ask for it, then come back and talk. ”
“That sounds like a good thing to do.”
They shuffled forward, then Cody grinned at the guy at the door. The man’s eyes widened, and he smiled back. “Cody! Damn, I thought for sure you’d left us.” They hugged, and the man grabbed Cody by his arms, staring at him. “You look great, man. Wow! How long has it been?”
“Five or six years now.”
“You look… wow, Cody.” The man laughed as he shook his head, then hugged Cody again. He held Cody’s arms again. “You look so different. You look good. Like really good, man.”
“I made some changes.”
“Fuck you did. Dude!”
“Orsen, this is Toby. He tried to help me when I was younger, but you know…” Cody shrugged, then smiled at Toby.
“This is Orsen. He’s finally old enough to get in but look at those baby cheeks.
” Cody pinched Orsen’s cheeks and Orsen batted his hands away.
“Isn’t he cute? And have you seen eyes like his? ”
Toby moved closer, squinted, and murmured, “Wow. Those are some pretty eyes. You single?”
“No,” Orsen whispered as he stepped closer to Cody.
“He means not for long!” Cody gave Toby another hug, then pulled Orsen into the club after him. “Didn’t need the ID after all.”
“We could get into trouble.” Orsen slowed as they entered the main area, his eyes growing wide. The music pounded in his chest, bodies everywhere, some dancing, some kissing or touching and all men. “Are we in a gay club?”
“We are, so let’s have some fun!” Cody dragged him over to the bar and after five minutes, ordered them two waters. “Make sure you get your drink with the cap on and unopened.”
Orsen opened his mouth, then shut it. “Does that really happen?”
“Far more often than people know, so never leave your drink unattended.”
Orsen moved closer and shouted, “What?”
Cody grinned and shouted, “We need to go to a quieter place if you want to talk. Keep hold of your drink and let’s dance!
” Cody grabbed Orsen’s arm and pulled him onto the dance floor, past bodies swaying to the music and men touching and kissing.
Orsen knew he kept staring, his eyebrows so high they could take flight, but he’d never seen anything like it.
Men touching and kissing, and was that man stroking the other man’s dick?
Cody grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. Leaning close, he said, “Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. I’ll stick by your side. If someone touches you, knock their hand away. Most guys will accept that.”
Orsen opened his water and took a sip. He was already hot and sweating, and all he’d done was walk on the dance floor and watch men gyrate against one another.
It was strangely arousing, and he blushed when he realized he was hard.
Cody smirked when a guy approached them and shook his head.
The man looked at Orsen, then back to Cody and nodded his head, then walked away.
Leaning close to Orsen’s ear, Cody said, “Let them think we’re together. It won’t keep them all away. Some men love to have a third join them for some fun.”
“Really?” Orsen was sure he’d squeaked.
Cody laughed, then put his arm over Orsen’s shoulders. “Just watch and have fun. There is no harm in watching some hot men have fun. It’s called window shopping. You can look, but you don’t touch, and I like to look, but I love TJ, and he is the only man I will let near me.”
“I thought that about Santino.” Cody pulled out his phone and showed Orsen the message from TJ who had messaged to say Santino was on his way over and he would tell Santino where Orsen was when he arrived.
The message below had TJ warning Cody they would be speaking when he got home. “Will you get into trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, but more importantly, TJ knows he can trust me. I will never do anything to betray his trust in me.”
Orsen nodded and then sighed. He wanted that with Santino, but he’d walked away instead.
He had to. He wasn’t a child and Santino had to stop treating him like one.
They’d had sex! Santino hadn’t treated him like one then, and was that man taking his T-shirt off?
Orsen’s mouth fell open. “Oh my.” The man was built.
Not Santino built, but he made Orsen look and then he smiled.
He would look but not touch. Cody nudged his arm and grinned.
Orsen smiled back, then looked at the shirtless man again as he rubbed his crotch against another man, who then devoured his lips. “Holy shit.” It was hot and Orsen was going to stand back and enjoy. Thoughts of Santino could wait until tomorrow.