Hail Mary

Niall

It feels really weird bringing my straight friend to a gay bar. Not that there aren't other straight people here acting as wingmen or just enjoying some time out with friends. Despite the glittery façade, Dazzle is a pretty low judgment zone, so a lot of people who don't like regular bars come here because it feels less threatening. It's pretty easy to spot the gay guys who brought along a straight friend, but I don't see any of them standing too close, or giving lustful looks, so I can't imagine there's anyone else caught up in the same predicament as I am with Payne. I should be thinking about the guy I'm here to meet. He actually texted me a picture of his face, and he's pretty good-looking. Not a 10, but neither am I. And he's got a nice body, so that's really all that matters for some random hookup. At least, that's what I'm tell myself. I almost decided to make up some sudden illness, but Payne had a bug up his ass to get us here on time. I don't know what's up with him. Ever since I texted this guy, he's been distant and short with me. He's not making any sense, and the fact that he's so uptight about this is stressing me out. It doesn't help that he walks into the place stiff as a board, afraid to leave my side or even look around. "Nobody's going to come over here and molest you just for looking, man. Trust me, you give off the straight vibe loud and clear." Fuck, now I'm getting snippy. This night's definitely not going to end well. "It's not that," he says in a gruff voice. "I just don't like crowds." It's a shitty lie. We're packed together like sardines in the locker room, and the halls of Eastshore College aren't much better. But maybe he just doesn't like the bar scene. There's a special kind of claustrophobia that takes place when you're surrounded by drunk people and loud music. I'm not going to bug him about it. Truth is, I'm thankful for his company. I always feel like a perv doing this alone, and even if it's super weird having Payne here, at least I have a backup plan if everything goes to shit. Then again, what if everything goes well? What if this guy asks me back to his place or even just to his car for a quick fuck? Am I really going to be able to walk back to the dorms with Payne like nothing happened? "Show me the picture again?" I fish out my phone and open picture of the guy I am supposed to meet, flashing it to Payne. Because this isn't weird at all. "I think that's him over there," he says, nodding toward the bar. He's right. It's a dead ringer for the guy sitting at the bar, sipping on a martini. "Last chance to bail," I say, glancing up at my friend. "I'm good." I just shrug and start toward the bar, trying to derail my natural instinct to turn right back around and leave. I must be one hell of an introvert, because we've only been here a couple of minutes and I'm already over this place. Either that or my treacherous mind is trying to tell me not to waste my time. I sidle up to him and drop into a bar stool. Payne stands beside me, his arms crossed over his chest like he's my goddamn personal bodyguard. "You Tommy?" Tommy. What kind of self-respecting adult calls himself Tommy? He turns in his chair, and to his credit, he has a killer pair of blue eyes and a great smile. He looks like the kind of guy who could get away with selling vacuums door to door. "And that'll make you Niall." His voice is a little higher than I expected, and sitting in front of him, I can see he's wearing eye and lip liner. I don't have anything against guys who are a little more femme, but it's not really my type. Still, it's not like I'm here for a long-term thing. I'm not even going to see much of him when I'm standing behind him later. I offer my hand, and he shakes it, then his attention turns to Payne. "I didn't realize this was a two-for-one deal." Agitation flares in me, a byproduct of whatever the hell has been building all night. I can feel a sense of possession wanting to creep in and take hold of Payne as if he belongs to me, but I manage to tamp it down long enough to choke out a reply. "He's straight," I say, and it comes off as more of a warning than anything else. Tommy sticks his bottom lip out in a pout. "Sad." Tell me about it. "Sorry to disappoint," Payne says behind me. "He just came with me to make sure you're not a serial killer or anything." Despite my mood, I can't help but smile a little at that. Tommy takes it as a smile directed at him, and I know it really should be. If I'm going to do this, I need to give it the old college try. Tommy and I get to talking, and he actually seems like a pretty nice guy. Whether he picks up on my mood or not, he manages to put me at ease. At first, he tries to include Payne in our conversations, but I can tell it's making him uncomfortable. After a few minutes, He excuses himself with the Coke he ordered from the bar and goes over to watch one of the TVs that's currently playing highlights from the UF game. As soon as he leaves, Tommy kicks up the flirting to 11. He touches me constantly, every time he talks. First on the hand and the arm, which I don't mind so much. Then on the knee and the leg. Finally, he goes for the thigh, and I tense. He backtracks, and it takes me two beers before I loosen up enough to get over my fucking self. I'm the one who asked for this. We both know I'm here for a hookup, so I need to just calm the fuck down. The next time he does it, I let him. His hand slides over my leg, and he slowly massages my thigh as he asks me about the classes I'm taking. I can feel a familiar twinge in my groin, and I know I'm finally starting to get somewhere when I suddenly see Payne out of the corner of my eye. "Have some fucking class, man." My eyes widen and I just stare at Payne. He's looking down at my crotch, where Tommy has his hand still firmly planted over my dick. Payne steps a little closer as if he intends to pull this guy off of me. What the fuck? Tommy lifts both of his hands into the air. "Forget it. Not interested in boyfriend baggage." He looks down at me and makes that pouting gesture again. "Pity, too. You're a hot one. You ever want a three-way, you know how to find me." I just watch Tommy walk away, completely stunned. The music is a distant, droning sound, and everything in the bar just blurs into a world of dark and light. When I look up at Payne finally, he's still watching Tommy, his jaw clenched hard enough that I can see the muscle working underneath his skin. I stare at him, open mouthed, having no idea what to say until he finally turns to look at me. "What? That guy was a dick." I can't hold it in. I just go off on him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He seems genuinely surprised by my response, and his stricken look clenches around my heart. "He was all over you as soon as I left." I keep staring at him, hoping he'll get it on his own. When he doesn't say anything else, I shake my head. "I came here for a hookup. What the fuck did you think was going to happen?" He looks away from me, holding his head. I don't know what he's feeling right now, but I'm completely overwhelmed by a mix of total shock, agitation, and confusion. "What would've happened if I hadn't been here? Would you have let that guy fuck you? Maybe let him drag you off to the bathroom or something? Or let him blow you right here in front of everybody?" I can't even believe what I'm hearing. "You're being a real asshole right now, Liam. What the fuck is your deal?" He takes a step back from me and looks genuinely distressed. It only takes a moment of that expression to rip my anger away. This fucker has me on one hell of a roller coaster ride. One second I'm pissed at him, and the next I'm feeling sorry for him. "I don't know. I gotta get out of here." "Fine." Back to being catty, I guess. "It's not like I asked you to come here, anyway." He looks up at me, nods, and then turns and bolts for the door, not paying attention to anything around him. As I watch him storm out, I know I can't go through with whatever little indignant hissy fit I'm planning. Swearing under my breath, I toss some cash on the bar to settle our tab, and follow him out to the street. This time, his long ass legs aren't going to save him. By the time I throw open the doors, he's at the end of the block, hands stuck deep inside his pockets, waiting for the all-clear to cross at the intersection. I don't even know what I'm going to say once I get up there, but I can't just let him storm off. He was a dick in there, but a part of me is afraid there's something more going on here. There's also a part of me that's afraid I've just thrown our friendship away, even though he's the one sticking his nose into my business. Fuck. So much for being assertive. "Payne! Wait up." He moves across the street at a good clip, and I make it to the curb. "Liam," I swear again and follow him across the street, even as the signal changes. Someone lays on their horn. I flip them off, then jog up behind Payne and eventually step in front of him. He looks away from me immediately. "Look, I'm sorry. I lost my shit back there. I just need some time alone." I should just let him be. He's throwing down boundaries, and I don't want to run this any further into the ground. But his behavior is freaking me out. "Sorry for fucking up your chances," he says again, the words almost mumbled. He won't look at me, so, running on instinct, I put my hand on his face. His stubble is rough under my fingers, and I feel a little tingle run through me at just this innocent contact. Jesus. Not now. "I don't care about that guy." I messaged him to get my mind off of you. "I just want to know what the hell is going on. Are we cool or not?" He just looks at me, and his brown eyes have this openness about them that I've never really noticed before. But right now, I have no idea what's going on in his head. There's no way. Because every signal—from the way he leans in close to me, to the way his gaze keeps flicking down to my lips—is telling me he wants to kiss me. His tongue darts over his lips in the same way it does when he's busy concentrating. Only this time, his focus seems to be on me. I can't even catch up to the possibility before his mouth comes down on mine.