The Cowboy and the Rose
The storefronts were getting ready for Valentine’s.
“Oh fuck off,” Michael muttered to himself as he passed a chocolate shop that had festooned its windows with chocolate hearts of varying descriptions and a huge sign reading Love yourself.
The next had women’s clothes in the window. This one had Date night is the best night written on the window.
By the time he got to the third window, he raised the collar on his shirt and stormed past.
His hunger had long since gone. He desperately needed a drink and some warmth. In fact, he would drown his sorrows for the rest of the night.
The next bar I walk past, I’m going in. I don’t care.
He was in the Hell’s Kitchen district. Most of the buildings were bars and a lot of them had rainbow banners flying.
He and Hugh had rented an apartment about three blocks from here.
Well, Josh had rented it. If it had been down to Michael and Hugh, they probably would have been able to afford a one-room studio.
Perhaps Josh did come in useful after all.
Michael sighed. He was embarrassed to admit that since Hugh had met Josh, Michael had been jealous.
Not that he fancied Hugh. That was absolutely not a thing.
They’d shared enough beds with nothing happening.
Yet, they had been everything to each other for years.
Michael wasn’t sure how to continue on his own.
Country music blasting out of speakers stopped him in his tracks. Not because he was particularly fond of country music. He didn’t have anything against it. He’d always been more of a dance music kind of guy.
What made him halt was how out of place the bar appeared. Surrounded by the concrete towers that formed Manhattan, this bar appeared as if it had been picked up in the deep south and transported to the Big Apple.
The pride flag flew next to a sign that read Midnight Cowboys. He couldn’t see inside as red velvet drapes obscured the view.
“What is this place?” Michael asked the doorman.
“Only one way to find out,” he replied. “Come on in.”
He needed a drink or five and had no intention of returning to the apartment until he’d consumed them. This was a bar that served drinks. Besides, he was absolutely freezing now.
With a shrug, he walked through the open door.