Cody and Grant
folder
DarkFic › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
1,995
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
DarkFic › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
1,995
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Cody shuffled his feet on the sidewalk in front of the club. He looked up at the door and sighed at the line of beautiful people waiting to get inside. He felt ridiculous that he was being intimidated by a gay dance club. He was out, for God’s sakes! He’d even left his parents’ house so he could live the life he felt he’d been meant to live. Yet the pulsating music wafting out from the open doors and the bright strobe lights made him feel like he didn’t belong.
That’s not unusual. Cody had experienced the sensation many times in his life, most particularly in high school, though. He’d found that college students tended to be more open-minded. Not that he’d tested the theory by actually finding a boyfriend, but he was never worried that his friends would label him a fag if he decided not to date a girl, which was the case. Now, though, Cody was ready to find someone … to be in a real relationship. He’d stayed on the sidelines long enough, focusing on his grade point average. Now he felt he needed to get out there and live.
He’d been away from his parents for a month and things seemed to be going well. The deposits his father made to his bank account helped him pay his share of the rent, though he wouldn’t need to rely on them much longer. He’d landed an assistant professor’s position at a small local university. It wasn’t very prestigious by his parents’ standards, but Cody liked it. And now he would be able to support himself.
He looked down at his shiny light blue shirt and tight black jeans wondering if he was dressed right. Then he looked up at the door of the door again. Michael had offered to go to a less flamboyant club with him, but Cody had turned the offer down. He didn’t want his friend to pity him, and he also didn’t want to rely on him to start his new life for him. This was something he would have to do on his own. Shoring up his nerves he approached the door, which didn’t have a line anymore.
“ID,” the large bald bouncer said flatly. It was clear he was bored and would probably rather be inside the club.
Cody pulled his wallet out and handed the man his license, waiting to be deemed “unfit”. To his surprise however, the guy handed the license back, asked for the $5 cover charge and stamped Cody’s hand. He’d even opened the door for him and winked at him! Cody blinked for a second before timidly entering.
The flashes of light he’d glimpsed outside now blinded him as he tried to navigate the crowded room. It was a small club with a bar off to the side that ran the length of the room. The rest of it seemed to melt into the dance floor, and people all around him were gyrating to the beat, not really conscious of those they were supposed to be dancing with. Cody quickly weaved through the crowd to get to the bar and considered himself lucky to have found a small opening to squeeze into when he got there.
“What’ll you have, sugar?” the cute bartender asked.
Cody looked up and met a pair of amused dark eyes. The man was thin and lithe, even more so than Cody himself. In fact, the way he carried himself gave him a feminine appearance … almost. His shoulder-length hair was pink in some spots and yellow in others and his clothes were completely black.
“Um …” Cody thought for a second. “Can I have a strawberry margarita?”
“My specialty!” The bartender set about filling a tumbler with ice and pouring in the ingredients. “Frozen or on the rocks?”
“Frozen … please.”
“New here, huh?” the young man laughed.
“I … no,” Cody’s face flushed. “Am I that obvious?”
“Sugar, you are much too polite to be a regular.”
The bartender put the drink into a blender to crush the ice and blend the flavors then rubbed a lime around the rim of a fancy glass and dipped the top of it in salt. When the blender stopped he filled the salted glass and garnished it with a strawberry speared through with a cocktail straw.
“There you go, sweets!” he grinned. “That’ll be five ninety-five.”
Cody handed him a ten dollar bill and refused his change.
“That much of a tip?” the guy teased. “Thanks. Don’t be a stranger.” He winked at Cody at went down to the far end of the bar to help another customer.
Cody sipped at his drink as he surveyed the scene, taking in the varying appearances of those in the crowd. Some were dressed as he’d seen on TV, while others looked like normal guys you would see on the streets. He didn’t find that odd, deciding he probably fit somewhere in the middle of the two categories. He’d figured tonight he would just blend into the background and observe for a while. No need to rush into anything.
The music changed to a slow song after a while and he watched as the dancers came back to their senses and latched onto the people they were supposed to be dancing with. The room suddenly took on a much more relaxed and quiet tone as bodies melded to bodies and lovers cuddled in for a slow gait. Most of the guys were beautiful, Cody thought wistfully. He felt a bit on the plain side standing near them.
“No one to dance with, sugar?” the bartender asked and he turned to see him pouring some more margarita into his empty glass. He went for his wallet but the young man stopped him. “On the house, babe.” He popped another straw-speared garnish into the glass and nudged it forward. “You haven’t answered the question.”
“Um … no one I know here,” Cody shrugged reaching for his drink.
“Not out long then?”
Cody smiled for the first time that night, and it felt good to actually be able to talk to someone. Even if that someone was paid to listen to people’s drama.
“About a month and a half.”
“Ah.” The bartender nodded sagely then gestured to himself. “Derek, by the way.”
“Cody.”
“Nice to meet you, Cody.”
“You, too.”
“So … how’d it go then?”
“My coming out? Oh, fine … I guess,” Cody snorted. “My parents were ‘disappointed’.” He used air quotes to show the reaction. “They said they couldn’t face their friends if my sexuality was revealed, so I moved out … solving their problem.”
“They sound loving.” Derek’s expression displayed his sarcasm well. He picked up a bar rag and began wiping down the spaces near Cody to look busy. Another bartender had joined him earlier, so he wasn’t needed right away.
“Yeah, well, I can’t say I didn’t expect it to end like that.”
“Still,” Derek’s dark eyes regarded him sadly, “it doesn’t make it any better.”
Cody nodded and brushed back a lock of his red hair. He also adjusted his glasses before leaning back on the bar.
“So, now that you’re out and away from them …,” Derek prompted with a small smile.
“I’m getting used to living life on my terms,” Cody finished for him. “And I decided to check out the cool scene.”
“Cool, huh?” Derek grinned. “It has its moments.”
“I can see,” Cody nodded his head toward a couple of dancers who were slowly stripping each other a few yards away.
“Oh, them!” Derek laughed heartily. “They’ll never learn.”
“You know them?”
“That’s Kirk, my boyfriend’s brother, and his ‘best friend’.” More air quotes.
Cody gave him a confused smile and Derek leaned in closer and locked eyes with him. “Kirk’s not out yet.”
“But he’s here,” Cody replied. Why would the guy risk being seen here if he wasn’t able to come out?
“But his parents don’t know he’s as fruity as his brother,” Derek shrugged. “They took it hard enough when they found out Frankie was with me. They’re ‘old world’ or that’s what Frankie likes to tell people.”
“So now Kirk has to hide?”
Derek nodded. “Sad, isn’t it, when people are more afraid of what other people think than of wasting their lives?”
“Absolutely,” Cody agreed. It was why he came out to his parents to begin with. He was tired of hiding.
“See? I knew you were like me.” Derek gave him another lopsided grin before he went down the bar a bit to serve a customer.
Cody turned back around to watch the two guys dancing and stripping, wondering how they could live two totally separate lives. They were staring into each other’s eyes now, completely oblivious to the show they were putting on. Both were now down to nothing but their jeans and it looked like they were attempting to fuse their bodies together … knowing that in just a couple of hours they would have to go back to their lives … apart.
Definitely sad, Cody thought, sipping his margarita.
Cody shuffled his feet on the sidewalk in front of the club. He looked up at the door and sighed at the line of beautiful people waiting to get inside. He felt ridiculous that he was being intimidated by a gay dance club. He was out, for God’s sakes! He’d even left his parents’ house so he could live the life he felt he’d been meant to live. Yet the pulsating music wafting out from the open doors and the bright strobe lights made him feel like he didn’t belong.
That’s not unusual. Cody had experienced the sensation many times in his life, most particularly in high school, though. He’d found that college students tended to be more open-minded. Not that he’d tested the theory by actually finding a boyfriend, but he was never worried that his friends would label him a fag if he decided not to date a girl, which was the case. Now, though, Cody was ready to find someone … to be in a real relationship. He’d stayed on the sidelines long enough, focusing on his grade point average. Now he felt he needed to get out there and live.
He’d been away from his parents for a month and things seemed to be going well. The deposits his father made to his bank account helped him pay his share of the rent, though he wouldn’t need to rely on them much longer. He’d landed an assistant professor’s position at a small local university. It wasn’t very prestigious by his parents’ standards, but Cody liked it. And now he would be able to support himself.
He looked down at his shiny light blue shirt and tight black jeans wondering if he was dressed right. Then he looked up at the door of the door again. Michael had offered to go to a less flamboyant club with him, but Cody had turned the offer down. He didn’t want his friend to pity him, and he also didn’t want to rely on him to start his new life for him. This was something he would have to do on his own. Shoring up his nerves he approached the door, which didn’t have a line anymore.
“ID,” the large bald bouncer said flatly. It was clear he was bored and would probably rather be inside the club.
Cody pulled his wallet out and handed the man his license, waiting to be deemed “unfit”. To his surprise however, the guy handed the license back, asked for the $5 cover charge and stamped Cody’s hand. He’d even opened the door for him and winked at him! Cody blinked for a second before timidly entering.
The flashes of light he’d glimpsed outside now blinded him as he tried to navigate the crowded room. It was a small club with a bar off to the side that ran the length of the room. The rest of it seemed to melt into the dance floor, and people all around him were gyrating to the beat, not really conscious of those they were supposed to be dancing with. Cody quickly weaved through the crowd to get to the bar and considered himself lucky to have found a small opening to squeeze into when he got there.
“What’ll you have, sugar?” the cute bartender asked.
Cody looked up and met a pair of amused dark eyes. The man was thin and lithe, even more so than Cody himself. In fact, the way he carried himself gave him a feminine appearance … almost. His shoulder-length hair was pink in some spots and yellow in others and his clothes were completely black.
“Um …” Cody thought for a second. “Can I have a strawberry margarita?”
“My specialty!” The bartender set about filling a tumbler with ice and pouring in the ingredients. “Frozen or on the rocks?”
“Frozen … please.”
“New here, huh?” the young man laughed.
“I … no,” Cody’s face flushed. “Am I that obvious?”
“Sugar, you are much too polite to be a regular.”
The bartender put the drink into a blender to crush the ice and blend the flavors then rubbed a lime around the rim of a fancy glass and dipped the top of it in salt. When the blender stopped he filled the salted glass and garnished it with a strawberry speared through with a cocktail straw.
“There you go, sweets!” he grinned. “That’ll be five ninety-five.”
Cody handed him a ten dollar bill and refused his change.
“That much of a tip?” the guy teased. “Thanks. Don’t be a stranger.” He winked at Cody at went down to the far end of the bar to help another customer.
Cody sipped at his drink as he surveyed the scene, taking in the varying appearances of those in the crowd. Some were dressed as he’d seen on TV, while others looked like normal guys you would see on the streets. He didn’t find that odd, deciding he probably fit somewhere in the middle of the two categories. He’d figured tonight he would just blend into the background and observe for a while. No need to rush into anything.
The music changed to a slow song after a while and he watched as the dancers came back to their senses and latched onto the people they were supposed to be dancing with. The room suddenly took on a much more relaxed and quiet tone as bodies melded to bodies and lovers cuddled in for a slow gait. Most of the guys were beautiful, Cody thought wistfully. He felt a bit on the plain side standing near them.
“No one to dance with, sugar?” the bartender asked and he turned to see him pouring some more margarita into his empty glass. He went for his wallet but the young man stopped him. “On the house, babe.” He popped another straw-speared garnish into the glass and nudged it forward. “You haven’t answered the question.”
“Um … no one I know here,” Cody shrugged reaching for his drink.
“Not out long then?”
Cody smiled for the first time that night, and it felt good to actually be able to talk to someone. Even if that someone was paid to listen to people’s drama.
“About a month and a half.”
“Ah.” The bartender nodded sagely then gestured to himself. “Derek, by the way.”
“Cody.”
“Nice to meet you, Cody.”
“You, too.”
“So … how’d it go then?”
“My coming out? Oh, fine … I guess,” Cody snorted. “My parents were ‘disappointed’.” He used air quotes to show the reaction. “They said they couldn’t face their friends if my sexuality was revealed, so I moved out … solving their problem.”
“They sound loving.” Derek’s expression displayed his sarcasm well. He picked up a bar rag and began wiping down the spaces near Cody to look busy. Another bartender had joined him earlier, so he wasn’t needed right away.
“Yeah, well, I can’t say I didn’t expect it to end like that.”
“Still,” Derek’s dark eyes regarded him sadly, “it doesn’t make it any better.”
Cody nodded and brushed back a lock of his red hair. He also adjusted his glasses before leaning back on the bar.
“So, now that you’re out and away from them …,” Derek prompted with a small smile.
“I’m getting used to living life on my terms,” Cody finished for him. “And I decided to check out the cool scene.”
“Cool, huh?” Derek grinned. “It has its moments.”
“I can see,” Cody nodded his head toward a couple of dancers who were slowly stripping each other a few yards away.
“Oh, them!” Derek laughed heartily. “They’ll never learn.”
“You know them?”
“That’s Kirk, my boyfriend’s brother, and his ‘best friend’.” More air quotes.
Cody gave him a confused smile and Derek leaned in closer and locked eyes with him. “Kirk’s not out yet.”
“But he’s here,” Cody replied. Why would the guy risk being seen here if he wasn’t able to come out?
“But his parents don’t know he’s as fruity as his brother,” Derek shrugged. “They took it hard enough when they found out Frankie was with me. They’re ‘old world’ or that’s what Frankie likes to tell people.”
“So now Kirk has to hide?”
Derek nodded. “Sad, isn’t it, when people are more afraid of what other people think than of wasting their lives?”
“Absolutely,” Cody agreed. It was why he came out to his parents to begin with. He was tired of hiding.
“See? I knew you were like me.” Derek gave him another lopsided grin before he went down the bar a bit to serve a customer.
Cody turned back around to watch the two guys dancing and stripping, wondering how they could live two totally separate lives. They were staring into each other’s eyes now, completely oblivious to the show they were putting on. Both were now down to nothing but their jeans and it looked like they were attempting to fuse their bodies together … knowing that in just a couple of hours they would have to go back to their lives … apart.
Definitely sad, Cody thought, sipping his margarita.