Chapter five
FIVE
“Have fun?” Jason asked when Finley sat down in blue canvas chair.
“Oh, yeah, I just went in for the bathroom,” Finley said.
“Sure thing, anything you need,” Jason waved his excuse away. “We were just talking about the New Years party. It was a nightmare. Don’t ever throw a New Years party.”
“What happened?” Finley asked, trying to act casual. As if he hadn’t just been knocked off his axis and questioning what he knew about his sexuality. As if he hadn’t just had a mind-blowing blowjob.
“I think at least half the people here I had never seen before in my life. It was just bodies on bodies…” as Jason talked, Finley stared into the fire and tried to look like he was engaged in the story. He wondered if Alex was still with the man who had been in the doorway.
Finley sat by the fire for another thirty minutes or so and the group conversation evolved into an exchanging of alcohol related horror stories.
People were starting to filter out of the back door and walk off towards their houses and cars.
Finley looked up from the fire as Henry and Alex came out the back door and made their way towards the fire.
Alex sat in an open seat next to Finley and Henry sat beside him.
Finley tried to wave casually, not sure what the protocol was.
Henry didn’t even look over at Finley. Alex turned his head and waved back.
The writing was gone from his face and the fringe of his hair was wet.
Finley looked carefully at Alex, squinting in the dark to see if any remnants of black marker remained on his face.
Seeing the writing gone felt surreal and almost made Finley question if he had seen it in the first place.
Was he going crazy? He hadn’t imagined the best blowjob of his life, had he?
Finley realized he was staring when Alex winked at him. Relief at not dreaming his interaction in Henry’s bedroom flooded him, followed by embarrassment for staring. He darted his eyes back to the fire.
“And then, apparently, he decided the best way to help him walk straight was to walk with one foot up on the curb and one foot on the road, and that’s how he was going to get back to his apartment,” a woman wearing a quilted jacket was saying while waving her hands.
Out of the corner of his eye, Finley saw Alex light a cigarette.
He glanced over to see Alex pass a lighter and a half-empty cigarette pack to Henry, the lit cigarette hanging from his lips.
Finley’s gaze dropped to Alex’s lips. Alex caught Finley’s gaze and Finley looked away again.
He could see Alex bouncing his foot in his peripheral vision.
“I mean, how do you get that old and not know how much alcohol gets a person drunk? Are they not talking about alcohol in high schools anymore?” The woman continued.
Several people started talking over each other about the deficits of their high school health education classes.
Finley tried not to watch Alex bring the cigarette back to his lips.
He glanced at Henry, who transferred his cigarette to his right hand so he could reach for Alex with his left.
Henry placed an open hand over Alex’s right hand.
Alex didn’t look, but he leaned in Henry’s direction.
After the conversation came to an end and there was a moment of quiet, Finley stood up.
“Hey man, I had a great time, thanks for the invite,” Finley said to Jason. “I’m going to head out.”
“Thanks for coming, stats buddy,” Jason agreed. “Remember, last Saturday of the month, you’re always invited.” Finley nodded and waved on his way out of the backyard.
Finley was a few yards away when he heard his name. He turned to see Henry walking towards him. Finley looked around instinctively and was concerned and relieved they were alone. Henry didn’t say anything until he was pressed close. Henry unlocked his phone.
“Want to give me your number? Alex liked you. Sometimes we do more… private parties,” Henry said.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” Finley tried to play casual as he took the offered phone and typed in his number. Inside, he was thrilled. Scared? Yes. Confused? Also, yes. But they liked him.