Silent Attraction

Part 2


Adam was already regretting agreeing to meet Glen at the club tonight. He was in the middle of a big closure and had been putting in long hours which had curtailed his time spent with his young lover. They had been seeing each other for five months and he’d been trying to ignore the cracks that were already showing in their relationship. That was why he’d given into his lover’s pleas and agreed to come tonight in an attempt to smooth things over.

As soon as he entered he immediately felt out of place, still dressed as he was in his business suit. The covert looks cast his way only emphasized this, yet he hadn’t had any choice. He would keep his promise to Glen, stay a couple of hours, then return to the office to work through the night. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to that. Pulling all-nighters was not his idea of a good time.

He looked around, trying to spot his petite blond-haired lover. He wasn’t in their usual place and he felt a twinge of irritation. Enough, he chided himself, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Get a grip.

He turned to the bar instead. He would get one drink now and nurse it through the night but he needed to unwind a little first. In his current frame of mind he was liable to snap at his partner which served no purpose for either of them.

Motioning to the bartender he gave his order, leaning forward to be heard over the din. The bartender nodded his understanding and as Adam was about to lean back, he paused.

He’s here again, Adam thought, spotting the familiar suited figure. He really should take the time to get changed before coming. Looking at the well-dressed man, Adam wondered what sort of casual clothes he would be likely to wear. Would he be a flamboyant dresser or a subtle one?

Each time he had come to the club lately he had seen this man, always sitting in the same place. They had never spoken yet Adam felt drawn to this person for some reason, automatically looking for him as soon as he arrived. Last week when their gaze had met Adam had given a casual smile and thought he detected a slight nod of acknowledgment, although that could have been entirely his imagination. They had been going through these motions for the past five months but Adam wasn’t sure if the man even realized he was the same person each week.

The man hadn’t seen him yet and Adam continued to watch him, waiting for him to raise his eyes. At that moment his drink arrived and when he looked up again the man was gone from his place. Adam looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere. He may have just gone to the bathroom or he may have left entirely, Adam had no way of knowing. Would he return shortly? Adam frowned as he thought that. Why was he even worrying about it?

He took a sip from his drink and realized he felt more relaxed already. Maybe he had just needed a distraction from his thoughts. Picking up his drink he went in search of his lover, finally seeing Glen over to one side with some others his own age, none of whom Adam recognized. He saw one dark-haired guy lean in close to speak in Glen’s ear, remaining there for some time before drawing back and Adam couldn’t help but notice how Glen’s face turned towards this man’s, fully intent on his every word.

He reached them and the dark-haired man spotted him first, giving him the once over, causing Glen to turn to follow that gaze. His face lit up as he saw Adam and then a small frown furrowed his brow as he took in Adam’s attire.

“How are you doing?” Adam said, as he leant down to place a light kiss on Glen’s cheek.

“Fine,” Glen replied, then he paused for a moment before saying, “How come you’re not changed?”

“‘I did come straight from work remember,” Adam reminded him.

“Oh, yeah. I guess so.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Adam could hear the strange note in Glen’s voice.

“Ah, well, you look… old,” Glen finally said, not meeting his eyes.

Adam was a little taken aback. He’d never hidden his age from Glen, despite the twelve year difference, nor was Glen unaware of Adam’s career though this probably was the first time he had seen him dressed in a suit. Adam always changed and dressed casually when they met up. He didn’t think he looked that different but obviously Glen did.

“‘I suppose you can’t exactly dance in that,” Glen began when the other guy leant forward and interrupted.

“So how about I fill in instead?” He looked challengingly at Adam. “You don’t mind do you?”

Adam’s smile was probably more a grimace, although most likely not noticeable in this dim light as he was forced to reply graciously, “Not at all,”, and could only watch as the man lead Glen out onto the dance floor and his lover followed without another backward glance.

Adam just shook his head slightly, gave a nod to the others, then headed back to the bar. He ordered another drink and unbuttoned his jacket as he perched on the barstool, eyes on the dance floor where Glen and his current dance partner moved smoothly to the music.

They looked good together, Adam had to admit. Blond and dark heads leaning on opposite shoulders, slim bodies pressed tightly against one another. Glen may be just annoyed with him and was trying to make him jealous but Adam didn’t think so. It wasn’t in his nature to be petty like that, and Adam had no intention of making a scene over something like this. Glen was free to do what he wished.

Adam sighed, turning to reach for his drink and as he did so his eyes met another pair gazing at him intently. The man in the business suit stared hard back at him, one eyebrow raised in obvious surprise, once more sitting in his usual position.

Adam wondered why he warranted the intense scrutiny and then realized it was probably due to his attire, the first time this person would have seen him dressed like this. He gave a crooked smile and a shrug, then raised his glass in a semi salute. Surprisingly the man mirrored the salute. Adam returned his gaze to the dance floor as he heard the song change to see if Glen had decided to have a break, only to see the two youths still closely engrossed in one another.

When he looked back the other man’s position at the bar was now empty. Scanning the crowd Adam couldn’t see him and he growled to himself. Typical, stuck here with nothing to do and the only person he was remotely interested in striking up a conversation with decided to disappear on him.

He took a deep drink from his glass, reaching the bottom all too quickly.

“You should take it easy,” a smooth voice said behind him. “It’ll go straight to your head otherwise.”

He swung around to find the businessman standing behind him. Up close Adam was finally able to take better stock. His scrutiny didn’t dispel any illusions; the features were still just as chiseled, the eyes just as penetrating. The man still looked good in the suit, and standing, his over six foot frame showed off the expensive cut to perfection.

Adam pushed his glass towards the bartender and said to the man, “I know, but I intend to have another anyway.”

“Trying to drown your sorrows?” the man asked, motioning to the bartender also.

Adam glanced up at him. Obviously the bartender knew him well enough to know what he was drinking because he didn’t say anything.

“In a way,” Adam found himself admitting, eyes drawn back to the dance floor. Then he turned back to the bar. “What about you?” he asked the stranger. “You don’t seem to have a companion. Unless he’s hidden amongst this crowd?”

“No,” the man said, picking up the drink placed before him. “I’m alone.” He glanced down at Adam. “I find it’s usually better that way. Don’t you?”

Adam picked his drink up. “Sometimes,” he admitted, taking a more judicious sip, already feeling the buzz from the alcohol. “But not always.”

“Don’t you think it is more trouble than it is worth?”

Adam glanced again to where Glen was still dancing, noting how the dark haired youth was wrapped even tighter around him and Glen was making no move to disengage him. He swallowed the sigh. “Maybe; though perhaps it just means you haven’t found the right partner.”

“So you believe there is someone out there for everyone?’’ The man sounded disbelieving.

Adam laughed at that. “I suppose that does sound a little idealistic! I don’t know. Maybe I do believe that, maybe I don’t.” He picked up his glass and raised it to the other with a grin. “Maybe I’m just drunk.”

He downed the rest of the drink and stood, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. “Well, some of us have to work for a living,” he said, when the man raised a hand and interrupted.

“This one’s on me.”

Adam was surprised but wasn’t going to insult the man by arguing. It wasn’t like he was making any move to expect payment of a different sort for the cost of the drink, still leaning casually against the bar, sipping unhurriedly at his own.

“Thanks,” Adam said. He looked at the dance floor again briefly.

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye?” the man asked, his manner no more than mildly polite.

“No, I don’t think so,” Adam replied a little sadly. He threw a brief grin to his strange conversational partner. “Thanks again for the drink. Say, what’s your name, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Kyle,”

“Kyle. Well, see you around sometime.”

“No doubt,” was the simple reply.

When Adam reached the cool night air outside he sent a quick text message to Glen saying he had returned to work and he hoped he would continue to enjoy his night. As he got into his car Adam had the feeling that he wouldn’t be getting a reply back any time soon.

Sure enough, things had turned out much as Adam had predicted. Glen had sent a reply much later the next morning, saying he was going to be busy himself the rest of the weekend and that he would call later. He never did. Adam pushed the feelings of melancholy to the back of his mind. He’d seen the signs before now so what more could he expect? It had been nice whilst it had lasted and for that he should be grateful.

To avoid a possibly uncomfortable situation, Adam decided to stay away from the club for a time. It was never easy running into ex-partners directly after a break up, no matter what the circumstances had been, so to save everyone the embarrassment he just kept clear. Instead Friday nights became another opportunity for him to hang out with his friends, enjoying pizza nights, and drinking at the local bar. He wasn’t a bad darts player, mediocre at poker, but pretty good at pool so there were always plenty of activities to be involved in.

One evening, as Adam lined up for a shot, aiming to knock the black eight ball into the corner pocket and thus win the game, something about the carriage and stance of a figure nearby captured his attention. A brief glimpse of the profile distracted him as he took the shot and he missed, causing his opponent to let out a whoop of delight. Swearing under his breath, Adam looked again, wondering who the person reminded him of. Suddenly he realized; for a moment he had thought it was that man from the club, Kyle. How bizarre, he thought, turning back to the new game. Whatever made me think of that guy here?


After a month had passed Adam felt it was safe enough to return to his old haunt and resume his normal routine, certain that things would have settled by now. The club seemed busier than normal, or perhaps he had just forgotten what it was usually like. His drink was taking a while due to the crowd, and when it finally arrived he took it and headed upstairs, seeking a quieter place. Finding an empty space at the railing he leant his elbows on it, sipping his scotch. He watched the dancers and one foot tapped unconsciously in time with the music. Glen had enjoyed dancing as much as he and they had usually hit the dance floor as soon as they arrived.

“You look like someone who has lost his favorite pet.”

Adam turned in surprise to look at the dark-haired man who had addressed him. He couldn’t place a name to the face at first, and then remembered. Ah, that’s right. Kyle, he said his name was. Although something about him seems different, Adam thought. Perhaps it was the smirk on the face. He couldn’t recall seeing the man ever smile before.

He was additionally surprised to see that the man was no longer wearing his habitual suit. Instead he was dressed in crisp cut dark slacks with a burgundy shirt hanging loose and half unbuttoned to show a tanned chest. Adam couldn’t help but appreciatively cast a glance over how good he looked in this attire, so different from his norm. He should dress like this more often, Adam thought absently. He’d have a far better chance of picking someone up than looking like a dull businessman.

Adam finally remembered to answer the original question. “Well, as I don’t have a pet, losing it would be a little difficult,” he said, trying to keep the conversation light.

“Really? Isn’t that your missing pet?” the other asked as he leant on the rail beside Adam and nodded down into the crowd.

Adam glanced over his shoulder to the dance floor below and spotted Glen amongst the flashing lights and writhing bodies. He felt his heart clench a little as he noticed the person he was dancing so intimately with was the dark haired man from their last evening together. Ah, so that is how it was.

He turned away again, tossing the rest of his drink down his throat hurriedly, feeling it burn for a moment. “I don’t keep pets,” he stated curtly. He didn’t like Kyle insinuating that Adam only viewed his partners that way, dehumanizing them. He wondered what was up. Kyle’s tone seemed very different tonight. “They’re free to come and go as they choose.”

“So you’ve cut him loose?” The other looked up at him, one eyebrow raised mockingly.

“‘He has moved on. Obviously.” Adam stated, clearly wishing Kyle would just drop the topic.

“Interesting,” The man turned, straightening, to lean back against the railing to study Adam. “So is that how you are also? Happy to keep it casual?” The smirk grew on his face. “Or do you prefer the more possessive type?”

“That’s none of your business.” Adam was becoming more than a little irritated. Kyle hadn’t seemed like the type of man to pry into others' affairs. At least up till this point he never had. Adam felt a flash of disappointment that he had misjudged the other man’s character.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t so easily let go of what was mine, or what I wanted.” Kyle said, leaning forward, eyes boring into Adam. “So how about it? Which type do you prefer? You can have the easy-going, carefree type, or the intense possessive sort. Your choice.”

Adam felt a shiver run up his spine at the intense words and fixed gaze that fastened on him. He looked away, angry at the laughter he could see in those eyes, mocking him. He wasn’t in the mood for this tonight. Kyle’s words were cutting a little too close to a tender spot hidden deep in his heart. Just because he knew when to walk away gracefully from a failing relationship didn’t make him weak. It didn’t matter how much you might want to hang onto something, if your partner wasn’t willing, then it was just a waste of time. He didn’t see any point in prolonging the inevitable. His gaze fell back on his dancing ex, a flash of sadness churning his insides. It was time to go.

“I don’t have time for your games,” he said firmly, turning away. A hand suddenly grasped his shoulder, half turning him so he gazed directly into Kyle’s face, smirk all too evident, chin almost resting on Adam's shoulder.

“Don’t stay away too long,” Kyle whispered in his ear, and with a low chuckle released his hold. Shrugging the man off, Adam stomped down the stairs to the bar, standing there for a moment, seething. What was with that guy? Adam had at first thought he was the type of person he could strike up a friendship with. He’d even thought that if Kyle was here tonight that they could talk again. Now he was just pissed off.

He saw Glen again, a flash of nostalgia on top of his irritation throwing him further off balance. Enough was enough; tonight would be a waste of time now. Turning, he left, annoyed that his night had been cut short.


The following night Adam broke with tradition and was determined to return to the club. His previous night had been completely disrupted; obviously he’d let Kyle’s strange change in behavior and his overall tiredness disturb his emotional balance, so much so that his dreams had been filled with images of Kyle.

Upon entering he immediately made his way to the bar, ordering his drink and downing the first one rapidly. He coughed a little as it burnt at the back of his throat, but motioned for the bartender to give him a second, which he collected and made his way upstairs. He didn’t know if he was trying to avoid Glen or Kyle, but either way it gave him some breathing space. He sighed, scrubbing at his head with one hand. He came here to relax, not to feel that he was dancing around people.

He sipped at his second drink as he gazed over the crowd when he felt a presence near his side. Turning his head he saw Kyle standing there, watching him, face serious. He was once again wearing a suit and Adam couldn’t help but think that surprisingly that style of dress seemed to suit him better, despite how good he had looked last night.

“Are you alone?” Kyle asked.

“At the moment,” Adam replied, taking another sip, turning his head away. He felt a tendril of residual anger over Kyle’s manner last night. His hand paused half-way as his eyes fell upon Glen standing beside his new partner, locked in a tight cinch that left nothing to the imagination. Damn it! Did he have to have his nose constantly rubbed in the fact that he hadn’t been able to maintain the relationship? Adam forgot his intention to nurse the drink in his hand and swallowed the remaining liquid rapidly.

“Are you bothered by that?” Kyle stated, following his gaze.

Adam turned his back on the sight below and glared at him. “I told you, it’s none of your business,” he growled, not in the mood to be teased again.

He raised his glass, only to see it was empty.

“Come on,” Kyle said suddenly, reaching out to grasp Adam’s elbow and began to steer him through the crowd without asking. Adam’s surprise meant that he willingly followed for a few steps, before realizing what he was doing.

“Hey!” He dug in his heels to stop his momentum and shook his arm free of Kyle’s firm grip. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re getting a drink. You looked like you needed one.”

“Well, yes, I do, but the bar is that way.” Adam motioned in the opposite direction to where they were heading.

“We can have a quiet drink over here.” Kyle reached out, though this time he steered Adam forward with a hand in the small of his back.

Adam thought about just walking away but then mentally shrugged and allowed Kyle to continue directing him. What did it really matter anyway? They reached a corner lounge, generally set aside for reserved guests, barricaded and guarded by two unobtrusive crowd controllers. As they approached, one of the guards stepped forward to disengage the rope barrier and Kyle unwaveringly continued through without being stopped. He said something quietly to the guard and then motioned Adam to take a seat, which he did, still feeling a little bemused.

“So what did you have organized for this little spot?” Adam asked, knowing that he was probably prying but feeling justified in doing so considering Kyle’s pushiness. “Did your date stand you up or something?”

“I didn’t have a date planned for tonight,” Kyle replied just as drinks arrived, including a couple of bottles. “Though I suppose you could do.”

Adam laughed at the joke. “Yeah, right!” he said, picking up the drink before him. “Do you always keep this reserved just in case you pick someone up?”

“I’ve never used it before, however it seemed appropriate at this time.” He gazed steadily at Adam. “It appeared that you wished to be somewhere a little …quieter.”

Adam felt somewhat surprised at Kyle’s accurate assessment of his feelings. He looked down at the drink he’d just sampled noticing it was his usual. “Good choice,” he complimented. Either Kyle had managed to guess what he had been drinking, or most likely asked the bartender. The other inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Adam took a deep swallow and felt more tension ease in his shoulders. Was he feeling this wound up just because of the break-up? It wasn’t like it was the first, and it probably wouldn’t be the last so what was his problem? Glen had looked happy enough.

He downed the rest of the drink. Stop it, he admonished himself. Don’t start getting bitter at Glen just because he hadn’t wanted to take second place to your work.

The empty glass was removed from his hand and Kyle refilled it, mixing it correctly, and setting it back before him.

“Drink up,” Kyle said, finishing the last of his own and topping it up also. “I think you need it.”

“I shouldn’t,” Adam murmured, even as he reached for the glass. He swirled the liquid around for a moment, watching a tiny vortex form in the centre. “I didn’t come out to get drunk.”

“So instead you would have stayed at home and done so?” Kyle asked.

Adam looked over at him in surprise. This man seemed able to figure out everything about him so easily. It was a little…unnerving.

“Sometimes it’s better to drown your sorrows with company than to do so alone,” Kyle continued.

“What? Misery loves company?” Adam chuckled as he drank. “Maybe you’re right, but I still have no intention of getting blind drunk and making a complete fool of myself!”

“‘I’d make certain nothing happened to you.”

The way Kyle said that made Adam pause, eyeing him carefully over the rim of his glass. There were constant undercurrents in everything this man said that Adam wasn’t fully able to discern, yet for some reason he felt reassured.

He surveyed the area around them, watching the people drinking, talking, laughing, dancing, whilst others hung over the railing to watch those below. A few couples were in deeper shadows, engrossed in a far different type of dance than that on the floor. He quickly let his gaze skip past them from both politeness sake, (for he was no voyeur), and so as not to ignite any buried feelings of envy.

A youth was standing at one of the high tables, blond hair pulled back into a ponytail caught at the nape of his neck. He was dressed in tight jeans, a bright red t-shirt with strategic rips across the chest, and a studded choker. He reminded Adam of Glen.

“He’s just your type.”

Adam jerked in surprise, almost spilling his drink at the sudden words. “What?” He’d forgotten that he was with company.

He turned to look at his table partner to find Kyle leaning back in a relaxed manner, one arm flung casually across the back of the lounge, drink in the other hand, legs crossed. Adam found himself once again captured by that intense gaze.

“That guy,” and Kyle’s head nodded in the direction he’d been looking. “He’s just your type. Aren’t you going to go over?”

The air around them seemed to grow tense as Kyle waited for his answer. Adam looked at the youth again and wondered why he didn’t feel any desire to approach him. Hadn’t he come here to find some company for the night and have a good time? Yet the only thing that came to mind now was how comfortable he felt sitting here. How odd.

“‘I don’t think so,” Adam said, putting his empty glass on the table and pushing it towards his tablemate with a smile. The icy atmosphere evaporated although Kyle didn’t move at first, and then only leant forward to refill both their glasses.

Adam lifted his and drank deeply again, already feeling a lightness of body and mind. He knew he was drinking too fast, the scotch and dry was more scotch than mixer, but he actually did trust Kyle to take care of him. For some reason he seemed the type who if he said he would do something, he would.

From the corner of his eye, he saw another man approach the blond youth, to which the welcoming smile on the young face and loving embrace that followed only too clearly indicated they were more than a fleeting couple.

“See?” he said, turning back to Kyle. “It’s a good thing I didn’t go over.”

“Or you would have broken up a happy couple? How noble.” Kyle said in a deadpan voice.

Adam laughed out loud. “You have far too high an opinion of me! More that it saved me from being rejected.” He placed a hand over his heart, grinning. “I have my pride you know!”

“So your virtue remains intact.”

“Hardly virtue,” Adam smirked. “I gave up that a long time ago.”

“Yet you don’t seem the easy type either.” Kyle tilted his head to one side scrutinizing Adam carefully.

“Oh, come on! Give me some credit!” Adam said forcibly. “I’m not some stupid sex-starved teenager running crazy. The novelty wears off real fast, as I’m sure you know.”

“I agree,” Kyle acknowledged, though didn’t divulge any more.

“Besides, by this age we’ve figured out there’s a lot more than one night stands, especially with the risks involved. I was never really into that sort of thing anyway. It’s okay now and then if it’s done in the right way, but you eventually want to think you’ll find a more permanent solution.”

He pressed his lips together tightly, realizing he had spoken more openly than he generally would. The alcohol was obviously beginning to make him less circumspect in his speech, and he was treading dangerously close to those hidden emotions deep in his heart. It was time he curbed it.

He smiled at his drinking partner, a little self-consciously. “Well, on that embarrassing note, I will say thank you for the drinks and good night.”

He stood and staggered as the sudden rise in elevation made him light-headed for a moment. Damn it, the alcohol had had a greater effect than he had realized. It was definitely time to leave.

A hand steadied him at his elbow, and Kyle now stood beside him. “I’ll walk you out,” he said. “We can go out the back way.”

Adam didn’t bother asking any more as Kyle seemed well acquainted with these premises, so he allowed himself to be led through an emergency exit door near where they were seated on the upper floor, down a brightly lit stairwell, and soon found himself on the street.

“Stay here,” he was instructed. “I’ll get you a cab.”

Adam was pushed gently back so he could lean against the wall and Kyle left him for a moment, vanishing into the darkness. He took a couple of deep breaths of the cool night air, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

“Enjoying the air?” A quiet voice said almost in his ear.

If he hadn’t recognized the voice, he might have been quite startled but instead he just slowly opened his eyes to find Kyle standing beside him once again, one arm resting on the wall beside his head. Their faces were close, barely inches away, and Adam noticed again that they were about the same height. Streetlights nearby made Kyle’s piercing grey eyes seem to flicker with hidden flames. An interesting effect, Adam thought absently, admiring the chiseled features again.

“Hoping I’m not going to throw up on the way home,” Adam finally answered with a touch of humor.

“You won’t,” Kyle said. “You haven’t had that much to drink.”

“Feels like it,” Adam murmured, closing his eyes again and taking a deep breath. He felt very relaxed, more so than he had for weeks.

“Your cab’s here,” Kyle said and Adam thought he felt something warm lightly brush against his cheek.

His eyes snapped open but Kyle was now facing away, with his back to him, watching as the cab pulled up. He shook himself and pushed away from the wall. It must have just been his imagination. Kyle solicitously held open the car door and Adam wound the window down as he closed it.

“Remember,” Kyle said, leaning down to speak to him. “If you need to get drunk, don’t do it alone. I’ll be here.” He stepped back before Adam could reply in any way, and the taxi took that as the cue to pull away, giving Adam no more than a moment to look back at the dark figure silhouetted in the light from the open door before it disappeared back inside.