Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 33

Warren idly sipped his beer as Jake stared at him intently across the table. The blonde’s eyes held a note of disbelief, mixed with sheer awe. It was a heady feeling for Warren, actually. He wasn’t used to that look coming from anyone other than his pickups.

“You told Quentin Wainsworth … heir to Wainsworth Enterprises …”

“One heir, anyway,” Warren interrupted.

“Semantics,” Jake waved him off. “Quentin Wainsworth, who seems to be cultivating a future in politics, at least at the local level right now …”

“Yeah. Never trust a politician.”

“Stop interrupting!” Jake hissed. “You told that guy you’d take your past relationship with Chris public?”

“Uh uh, I threatened to insinuate to the press that I had a past relationship with Quentin.”

“What?!” Jake blanched and turned even paler than his usual light pallor. “You dated both of them?”

“No!” Warren laughed heartily. “But I know a lot of … intimate details he wouldn’t want getting out.”

“Plus, even with the present, slightly tolerable attitude to gays these days …” Jake narrowed his eyes conspiratorially.

“He still wouldn’t want to chance it in the polls.”

“Brilliant.”

Warren flushed a bit at Jake’s grin and settled back into his chair. They were celebrating another week gone with a round at Kelly’s. Warren noted a few past pickups as he glanced around him, as well as a few unfamiliar hotties who were trying at varying intensities to get his attention. Kelly’s was packed even more so than usual that evening. It could be the hot band playing. The sign outside had said they were only in town one night, and they sure as hell seemed to have quite a few hot, young gay men in their fan base. They were playing mostly covers of more famous artists’ hits, but the lead singer’s voice was strong and Warren could imagine that if they did have their own album out, it would sell fairly well. The throngs of attractive scantily dressed men swarmed around the room, most not even bothering to find a seat. The dance floor seemed to have grown to encompass the whole large room, as swaying hips danced ever closer to his table.

But Warren wasn’t in the mood to pickup that night. Maybe it was the summer heat; or maybe it was the adrenaline rush he was still feeling from forcing Chris’ arrogant older brother out of town. Whatever the reason, he was content to just sit at the table drinking beers with Jake, who, strangely, didn’t appear to be on the prowl either himself. Warren chalked it up to moral support.

“So, why’d you do it?” Jake asked softly, interrupting his thoughts.

Warren looked up at him and shrugged. He knew Jake’s opinion on the matter hadn’t changed all that much.

“It wasn’t out of a sense of guilt, was it?” the blonde went on.

Warren shrugged again. He didn’t know if he could put his reasoning into words – at least in a way that Jake would understand. Where Chris was concerned, Jake seemed firmly against giving any leeway on the matter. Of course, he was Warren’s best friend and could be expected to show bias.

“I still don’t think you did anything wrong,” his friend insisted.

“Well, you’re in the minority of that one,” the dark-haired man sighed.

-----------------------------------

“What’s he look like?” Chris asked as he followed Kee and Joe into a small Italian restaurant not far from his place. Brooklyn, he found, was teeming with small, excellent eateries. It felt good not to be traveling back into Manhattan, too.

“Are you questioning my taste in men?” Kee demanded, looking pointedly at Joe and back at Chris.

They were seated at a table against the wall with a clear view of the street. Well, Joe and Kee had a clear view. Chris was directed to a seat facing the back of the restaurant. He was nervous enough to start dating again. He didn’t need to have to worry about Kee’s “artist’s temperament” on top of it.

He smoothed out a wrinkle in his khaki colored slacks and hoped he was dressed up enough without looking too formal. He’d worn a tight-fitting cream-colored tee with the slacks just to be sure he didn’t overdress. His hair was gelled back – by Kee, of course, who fawned over him like an older brother when they came to get him at his apartment. Joe just stood back and chuckled with Victoria over the scene.

“No! I just want to see him coming!” he replied.

Kee looked over the blonde’s shoulder then back at him. “Too late. He’s here.”

Chris froze and gave Joe a pleading glance.

“You’ll be fine,” his friend whispered.

Then Joe looked up with a grin.

“Sam!” Kee said enthusiastically, reaching a hand out to shake the hand of the guy as-yet-unseen-by-Chris. “I’m glad you could get the night off.”

“After seeing you date so many duds before you found your guy?” asked a smooth, deep voice. “How could I turn down an offer from a seasoned blind-date professional?”

“You only saw one bad date,” Kee scowled at Sam playfully. “The other one I took to your place was just a … dead end.”

“Thank God,” Joe muttered darkly.

His boyfriend laughed at that then turned back to Sam and gestured to Chris, who still sat frozen in his chair. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, really. It’s not like he’d ever had a problem talking to people before. Well, that was before I left Seattle, though, he reasoned. Giving himself an imperceptible shake, Chris pasted a smile on his face and looked up … into the amused hazel eyes of a very good-looking man with light brown hair.

“Um … hello … Sam,” he said reaching a hand up to shake the one currently proffered to him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hi, Chris,” Sam smiled. He slid into the empty chair next to the blonde but didn’t break eye contact. “Kee’s told me very little about you.”

“Well, there’s a coincidence,” Chris smirked. “He’s probably told me even less about you.”

“I don’t know much about him,” Kee griped. “All I can say is he was there to witness some truly defining moments in my dating career.”

“Ex-dating career,” Joe clarified firmly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kee waved him off dramatically. “Sure!”

“Kee!”

“I’m just kidding, sweets,” the brunette laughed and kissed his lover briefly on the lips.

“That’s better.”

Kee turned back to Chris and Sam with a grin. “Now I know how much fun Tommy had setting me up!”

“Well, he was pretty bad at matchmaking,” Sam shook his head. “That first one was … a real eye opener, if you ask me.”

“I was so sure you were going to kill him with the pepper mill!”

Chris looked at Joe in confusion. The blonde just shrugged and grinned. Apparently he was happy as hell Tom had been so unsuccessful at setting Kee up. Of course, Chris would have expected such a reaction from Kee’s present, and apparently final (at least as far as Joe was concerned), partner.

“I’m a waiter,” Sam smiled helpfully then seemed to be searching Chris face for a reaction.

A waiter? Chris smiled at him pleasantly, and Sam’s expression relaxed once again. The blonde was over his pretentious airs, but he could definitely see his father’s sour face upon learning his queer son was dating a servant. That’s what his father would call the man, anyway. But Chris sensed that Sam wouldn’t be at all apologetic for his chosen employment right now.

“That’s how I met Kee here. His friends took him to the steakhouse where I work on that date. Whatever happened with … um …”

“Genie,” Kee supplied helpfully, snapping open his menu. “He’s a good friend now.”

“He’s a what?”

“He really isn’t that bad,” Kee laughed. “Once you get past the variety of colors he wears.”

“How do you get past that?” Sam demanded.

“You look at his current boyfriend and say, ‘Ah, I see now!’”

Chris watched them banter then gave Joe a small grin. His friend nodded as if to say, “See?” The waitress came over to bring them water and take their orders after that. Kee was dying to try some slow-cooked pork dish and convinced Joe to order the stuffed chicken with escarole – just in case he decided to trade off with him. Sam opted for a dish of roasted leg of lamb with swiss chard and Chris was having trouble deciding what to get.

“Have the wood oven roasted tuna and olives,” Sam said in his ear. “The chef here is amazing.”

Chris smiled, kind of enjoying the feeling of being out on a “date” again, and took his advice. Then he spent the rest of the evening relaxing, savoring the excellent food and getting to know Sam … between scowling at the knowing looks Kee was sending him. He had to admit, though. Joe’s boyfriend seemed to make a decent matchmaker.