SHAKE ME
Outside Nathan stepped off the bus and it noisily pulled away from the stop. Woody's was opposite, the low suns rays bouncing off it's glass doors, Nathan smiled and went to cross the street...but stopped dead in his tracks...Brian was coming out of the bar and down the steps...and there was someone with him...some blonde lad.
Nathan backtracked to parked vehicle and watched them walk along the street...they were laughing and joking with each other...VERY MUCH at ease with one another.
Nathan rubbed his cheek, and saw that Brian was heading to HIS side of the street so he darted into a store doorway just as Brian and the lad he was with were crossing the street.
He could hear them talk now, as they approached the choice of vehicle he had just used to hide behind, a classic VW beetle, " So are you gonna let me drive back", asked the lad.
Brian had a look about him...a look of lust as he stared at this other guy, " No you can ride in the back...and then WHEN WE get back, you can ride me..." he teased with a flash of the grin.
And then they kissed and jumped into the vehicle, and it was soon pulling away up the busy street.
Nathan was gutted. No wonder Brian wasn't returning his texts. He had found somebody better...
Nathan was more than gutted...he was jealous as hell...HE wanted to be that lad...Brian was all over him...
It was getting dark when Nathan finally reached the park. Back where he had started. He sat on the iron bench and held his head in his hands...he really liked that Brian...he looked great for an older guy...a bit cock sure of himself...but he liked that...he was attracted to that.
As he sat there debating whether to or not just get the next bus back home...someone approached him...a pair of white sneakers, and the smell of a real leather jacket...and a shadow loomed over him...
It made Nathan jolt, and as he jumped up he had his hands in fists ready for anything. Especially with the mood he was in.
It was Josh, and he was backing away with his hands held out in front of him, " hey! It's just me..."
Nathan soon realizing who it was shook his head and sat back down again. Josh came and sat next to him on the bench, " fuck man, I didn't mean to give you a scare..."
Nathan looked at him, " you didn't"
Josh nodded, " yeah I suppose you're right there, you don't seem the type to scare very easily..."
Nathan didn't answer. In fact he just wanted to be on his own, why was he even here bothering him anyway, because he wasn't interesting in him. Josh nods to the park, "not much going on in here tonight...just you..." he trailed off with a flash of his white teeth, and as to make sure Nathan was actually listening to him, he added: " Oh, and that hot old hobo sleeping in those bushes..."
Nathan turned his head...he hadn't been listening to him, he had been thinking about Brian and that lad he was with, " ...you WHAT?" he asked screwing up his face.
"...hobo in the bushes...looks hot!"
Nathan wasn't in the mood for jokes. He stood and was about to head off when Josh stopped him, "Nathan...I was only jerking about with you...You looked a bit down and...that could only mean one thing..."
Nathan looked back at him, like he was some kind of smart ass, " what then...since you think you know what I'm all about..."
Josh stood up, and they headed up the trail path towards the gates, " it's some guy, right? Only a guy could make you look like that..."
Nathan was agitated by him, " and HOW do YOU know..?"
Josh shrugged, "just a case of been there before..." he said, hoping Nathan would respond abit more kindly to that. Nathan paused at the gates and turned to him, Josh looked as he was all ears standing there, so after a heavy sigh because this Josh wouldn't get out of his face any time soon if he didn't, he said, " I met this guy...I liked him...he wasn't responding to me texts...so I went to find him...and..."
Josh could guess the rest, "...and he's with someone else? Happens a lot...where was you gonna meet him..."
Nathan felt a little easier talking to Josh now, before it just felt like he just wanted to pick him up.
"Woody's...that bar in town.. and then go for a Chinese after"
Josh smiled as they crossed the street, "Woody's, I know it well...it's full of older men, I prefer to go to the Pink Parrot when I go out..."
Nathan stopped again and looked at him unsurely, Josh was quick to realize Nathan thought he just wanted random sex.
"just for a DRINK Nathan...nothing more..." and he put on the most friendly and most reassuring smile he could muster up to relax the lad.
Nathan nods at him. He was in town now anyway. Just as well not make it a wasted journey, "alright...come on then...", he said, with no amount of enthusiasm to show.
Xxxx
At Woody's, Nathan and Josh sat at a table with their drinks. Nathan was hard work to get any flowing conversation out of, but Josh was trying his best, always first to lead.
"So...Nathan...what do you do then, for a living?" he asked.
Nathan sat back in his seat glancing at folk around him. And staring at kissing couples because it was still a bit new to him.
"I'm a Mechanic..." he replied reaching for his beer, Josh raised his eyebrows with a nice smile, " so, you fix cars then?"
Nathan pulled a face at him, " Durrrrr...THAT'S what I said!"
Josh found it amusing. Nathan being all mean and moody, it was all a front of course, because he has met folk like Nathan before.
Josh realizing the conversation was running dry again, looked up, " So...aren't you not gonna be asking what I do...for a living"
Nathan focused his eyes on the lad, and in a sarcastic tone asked: "So what do you do for a living?" it was a mimic of Josh's first question.
"seeing you've asked, I'm a landscape gardener"
Nathan was quick to jump in, " arr, oh yeah...is that why you are always in that park? except it's not only the plants you are poking about with"
"Funny..." Josh said dryly.
Nathan cracked a smile, " I thought so!"
Josh smiled too. And he wasn't going to let that go, " SO! you CAN crack a joke and smile when you want to...I was getting worried about you"
Nathan relaxed a bit. He still thought about Brian, but why did he bother...because the older guy was certainly not thinking about him...
Xxxx
Later, Nathan stood up at the bar and felt his phone vibrate in his jeans, he quickly pulled out the cell and took a glance at the display. BRIAN CALLING...
What the hell did HE want! The cheek of HIM calling him. He was close to ignoring it but thrashed it up to his ear.
"WHAT?" he barked.
"Nathan? Is that you?
"of COURSE it's me...WHO else would be answering you? Maybe some lad with shit-blonde hair..."
"What? Nathan are you alright...I just called because you never got back to me..."
Nathan glanced at the bartender, and turned around to put his back to him, "I sent you a text...you never got back to me"
"I didn't a text from you"
Nathan was confused...had he set the text to somebody else? He sure hoped not, "look...I saw you and that guy you was with...I get the picture...I won't bother you again"
"You saw me and Justin?"
Nathan didn't care who the fuck the other guy was, he just shook his head and hung up.
He was in a foul mood. Josh realized that as soon as the young mechanic was back with the drinks. Not only that, but a group of lads on the next table were setting their nasty little gazes on Nathan...and there seemed a whole lot of whispering going on as well. And one of them was on his cellphone and looking straight over at them.
Josh glanced over at them, " ignore them...you're still new in here...and by the look of that bunch they're the type to go sticking it about..."
Nathan looked at him, " I wasn't bothered by them lot...THAT guy I was telling you about...he called me, just now, when I were stuck up at the bar"
Josh raised his eyebrows realizing, " so THAT'S why you have gone back to being all grumpy again...what did he want?"
Nathan was shaking his head because of the nerve of it, " He was going on about me not calling him...the nerve of him...Brian can go to hell!"
Josh looked up from his beer at the advertising agents name being mentioned, " Brian? Not Brian Kinney? Cock sure tall guy, who's claims to be a super cool pool player?"
Nathan shook his head, " Yeah...YOU KNOW HIM?"
Josh shook his head, " I know OF him...you've had a lucky escape..."
Nathan questioned that, "what are you on about?"
Josh leaned forward, "You ask anybody in here...it's Brian and Justin...they think they're are SO big them two...untouchable...they have what you call 'an arrangement'"
This was completely lost on Nathan, and the faced clearly showed it. Josh tried to explain some more, " They are a couple...but both have agreed to let the other stray, just as long as it's all anon..."
Nathan's blood was starting to boil. He was being played. All that bullshit Brian was going on about. He just wanted to fuck him and be done with it. Instead of going off into a rage, he sighed out heavily, just making it absolutely clear in his head.
"So I was a...?"
Josh answered his question, " ...you were just another fuck..."
Nathan downed his beer and was up. He stared at Josh in anger and stormed off. Josh thought about going after him, but thought best leave it...the guy was clearly upset.
Xxxx
Outside, Nathan came down the steps of Woody's and marched up the street...he was now boiling over in anger, but that was starting to slide to being upset...NEVER before had he felt this way, actually WANTING to meet someone...and now...
He thought about Brian as he crossed the street towards the bus stop. Brian can go to hell...but what if Brian called him again? Would he just roll over and be charmed by him?
The guy was a cheating bastard. Him and this Justin had an arrangement? I bet this Justin didn't know Brian had broken the rules of this arrangement.
He smiled to himself and wiped his eyes that were welling up at the hurt.
He'll make him pay...
Xxxx