Suber: The Uber of Sex (Queer Erotica Short Stories)

Part 39: Ronin

"Hello, ladies." Ronin approached the group at the bar wearing a wry smirk he knew worked. One of the surreptitiously giggling women throwing sideways glances at him had hired him, though he couldn't quite tell which one yet. All three were magazine-picture-perfect, with long, glossy, freshly curled hair in shades of blond and light brown, hip-hugging party dresses, and perfect makeup. One of them had checked the boxes on a date as well as sex, specified as "maybe," which had made him smirk. By the time the evening was over, "maybe" usually turned to "fuck yes."

The ashen blond in the middle with bright pink lipstick and winged eyeliner looked him obviously up and down, from his tight black jeans to the buttoned black shirt fitted around his strong chest. She smiled. "Are you Ronin?"

"I am." He looked her steadily in the eyes. "You must be Lily."

"No, no." She shook her head quickly, biting into her smile. "I'm Crystal." The two friends next to her tried not to laugh.

Ronin looked over the three women. What he'd originally though was nervous shyness began to shift into something more sinister. Something about their giggling made him feel like he was back in high school again, at the wrong end of a joke. What is this, trap the transguy? His smirk faded. Joke's on you, you're paying for this either way.

"Lily's going to be here in a few minutes," Crystal went on. "It's her birthday."

Ronin raised a pierced eyebrow. "What?"

Crystal leaned closer on the barstool. Her giggling—either nervous or venomous, Ronin still wasn't sure—quieted and she lowered her voice. "Lily hasn't been out on a date—a good date—in a long time. She's super shy. She'll really like this, I know she will."

"Oh." The cautious part of Ronin still suspected some kind of transphobic prank, but she might've been sincere. He thought about it. "Does she know she's being set up? Your description wasn't very clear. And didn't include any of this."

"I know, I'm sorry. We weren't sure we could get her here, but we did. She knows it's a date." Crystal looked him in the eye. "I told her you're a friend of mine and you'd really hit it off." That strange smile returned. "She wants a 'bad boy' in the worst way, but she's too shy to get one."

A 'bad boy.' In another circumstance, Ronin would've known she was referring to his dark clothes, sleeves of tattoos, piercings, and motorcycle parked outside. But the way she said it—and the things she knew, thanks to his Suber profile—made him uncertain. But that wasn't even the worst of it.

"Wait a minute." His seductive veneer dropped completely. "You bought your friend a date—and maybe sex—and didn't tell her?"

"She'd never go for it if she knew," Crystal replied. "Please, just play along?"

"How do you see this playing out? We have a great time and then I never talk to her again? I really don't think your friend's going to appreciate that." He scowled. "And, honestly, neither do I."

Surprise took over the humor on Crystal's face. "I, I mean, you can tell her eventually. Please, we just want her to have a good time."

The brunette with similarly curled hair and make-up next to Crystal pulled her arm sharply, looking towards the door to the bar. "She's here!"

Ronin looked. Lily took two sheepish steps inside the dimly space, already thumping with low bass beats, and looked around for her friends. At first, she seemed like another near-clone in the women's group; curled hair, bright lipstick, practiced contour along her cheeks. She wore a black, ruffled party dress, belted at her waist, with silver jewelry sparkling around her neck and ears. She was shorter than her tall, long-legged friends, with a pear shape and modest chest. Despite her elegant dress, makeup and the warm smile that climbed to her round cheeks, Ronin felt in her shy demeanor that she was used to being overlooked when she went out with her friends.

The three women greeted her with enthusiastic hugs, leaving Ronin standing at the bar. He examined the long lines of bottles behind it, wondering if he should follow through or just leave now. This is a terrible idea. These women are terrible friends.

The bartender approached, a curt man with a crew cut and a slim build. "What can I get ya'?"

Ronin sighed through his nose. "Bacardi and soda."

"Coming up." He started mixing as the group, now four-strong, approached.

"Lily, this is Ronin." Crystal smiled warmly at Lily, then raised her eyebrows pointedly at Ronin.

Taking a breath and turning, Ronin opened his mouth to explain. Then he stopped. Lily's face lit up like a star when she saw him. Her warm smile turned instantly to excitement. Blush crept into her cheeks.

"Hi," her voice was high and squeaky before she lightly cleared it. "Sorry. Hi. I'm Lily. Nice to meet you."

After a moment, Ronin smiled back. "You too." He glanced at Crystal once, then back to Lily's glowing countenance. Explain this right now. Do it now. He wasn't sure if the thought was for Crystal or himself. "Uh, Crystal told me it was your birthday. Can I get you a birthday drink?"

You idiot.

"Sure. Um, how about a cosmo?"

"Sounds good." He nodded to the bartender as he slid the vodka soda to him. "It's on me."

"You got it." The thin man started mixing again.

Lily edged towards the seat next to Ronin, and her two friends moved much too enthusiastically away.

"Do you guys want to chat? And we'll just go," Crystal nodded towards an empty table nearby "you know?"

The blush in Lily's cheeks got darker. She shrugged, looking at the floor, though her smile remained. "Sure, I guess."

Ronin took a seat at the bar with her. Explain this right now! Taking a stinging sip of the mostly-vodka soda, he set the drink on the bar and took a breath to immediately explain who he really was.

Lily's fingertips brushed over the back of his hand like brushstrokes, across the eyeball and snakes tattooed to his skin. "That's really cool."

He met her eyes. Ronin knew the look she wore, her eyes sparkling with a rare mix of hope and excitement. He knew it because he'd felt it before, and thought it was long gone; a crush. Chemistry. A spark. Whatever other name given to the sudden, unexplainable pull a stranger could bring.

In the back of his hand, between his fingerbones, her light touch lingered.

"Thanks," he answered. He hesitated. "So, uh... Do you have any tattoos?"

to be continued...   

... 

Author's note; 

Ooooh that spark. Butterflies. Chemistry. Bubbles. Oh, what a feeling!  

(but, for the record, don't trick your friends into a date, even for their birthday and even if there's a forecast of bubbly sparks. Sure-fire way to make friends mad!) 

Hope you'll visit again next Friday to see how Ronin and Lily's date is going! And/Or Monday for some snuggly reads in Cute, Cozy, Queer Stories :)