Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 6

Damn it! None of the guys he’d been with over the past two weeks helped Chris satisfy his Warren-craving. They all resembled him in some way, but none of them smelled like Warren, and they didn’t make him feel like he did when he was with him. They were all fairly young and shy, that much they had in common with his missing lover. But Warren had something extra that pulled Chris in, and no matter how close the substitutes came to looking like him, they couldn’t fool him into believing they were him … not even while he fucked them. Warren, it seemed, wasn’t easily replaced.

And Chris was going out of his mind waiting for the man to realize he missed him enough to call him and tell him where the hell he was. That was the biggest insult of all. Warren knew how the blonde hated to be ignored. That’s probably why he’s doing it, he griped to himself. He’s trying to show me how it feels to be put aside for someone else. Well, Chris understood now how it felt when your lover decided you weren’t important enough to require even a simple phone call. But he didn’t know what good it did him since he couldn’t make it up to Warren.

He still had Victoria, though the idea didn’t bring him much comfort. She was her usual bubbly self, but it seemed nothing she did or said was right anymore. And he’d had to bite his tongue on several occasions to keep from snapping at her. That wouldn’t have gone over well at all, and if he’d managed it, she would show him the claws he knew she had hidden beneath the demur exterior.

If he were to be really fair about it, he knew he’d have to admit that the situation he’d found himself in wasn’t in any way her fault. It was his own for trying to force Warren to accept the “mistress” status he’d dubbed him with. But Chris wasn’t in the mood to be fair, and he saw Victoria as the single-most reason Warren decided to leave him. If she wasn’t in the picture, Warren would still be with him. It was as simple as that, as far as he was concerned.

He sighed as he adjusted his tie and buttoned his suit jacket. He was escorting Victoria to another charity fundraiser tonight, and he had to look good. Both of their parents would be there, so appearances were everything. And he had to keep his growing agitation with her under wraps, so that meant he’d actually have to screw her tonight. The thought left a surprisingly bad taste in his mouth. She hadn’t aroused him since they got back from the wedding and he’d found his lover gone.

He shook his head as he fixed a stray lock of golden hair and sighed again. It was going to be a long night. He took comfort in the knowledge that wherever Warren was right now, he was undoubtedly as lonely for Chris as the blonde was for him.

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“Warren, you look great!” Mindy exclaimed after she spritzed his hair one final time with some styling spray and stepped back.

He looked into the mirror critically and wondered what the hell she was talking about. As far as he was concerned, he looked the same as he always did – he looked like a regular, average gut. Nothing to get excited about. His nose was still too big for his face and he saw a pimple trying to make its way to the surface. What kind of a cosmic joke was that? He always assumed that once he got into his twenties, his zits would be a thing of the past. Not so, apparently.

He stood up and ran his gaze over his outfit for the night’s festivities. It would officially mark the first time Warren allowed Jake to make good on his offer to help him get out more, and he wanted to make a good first impression. His black slacks could be tighter – or so Mindy informed him, anyway – but they were pressed and neat. He wore a royal blue dress shirt, opened at the collar and revealing a black tee underneath. His black shoes were new and polished and the only jewelry he wore was his wristwatch. Still, he felt overdressed. But Mindy had assured him that he looked perfect. The door chimed, indicating Jake was here, so he guessed the final verdict would be delivered soon enough. Mindy ran to answer it, leaving Warren with a minute or two to collect his nerve.

What was Chris doing right now? He knew he shouldn’t be worrying about him, but he couldn’t help thinking of his lover for six years. It was his only relationship, so letting go wasn’t an easy feat. In fact it was hard as hell for him. Chris was always the confident extrovert, while Warren always wondered what the blonde saw in him to begin with. Did he even care that Warren hadn’t called him? Maybe he’d already found someone else who didn’t mind playing second fiddle to Victoria.

Even the thought of the woman’s name raised Warren’s hackles. And it shouldn’t, he realized. None of the problems he had with Chris were directly her fault. Chris made the decision to have both of them in his life, and as far as he knew the blonde had never even hinted to her about his and Warren’s relationship. But though she was oblivious, she was the one Chris chose to publicly acknowledge, and that made her Warren’s rival, to him at least. But now she had Chris, because he’d given him up. And though he had every reason to, he still wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision. Chris had been his only lover and Warren wasn’t sure he could muster up the will to feel that way about anyone else.

“You ready?” Jake asked softly from the bathroom doorway.

Warren turned his uncertain eyes to him and shrugged. Jake nodded in understanding as their eyes met. He knew the doubts his new friend was contemplating well.

“You can’t prove yourself wrong or right until you take that first step,” he said quietly.

Warren eyed him a moment longer before looking at his reflection again in the mirror. This was it. He had to make the first move to get out into the world, or shrivel up like the hermit he always figured himself to be. Change wouldn’t come looking for him. He had to make the effort. Finally, he nodded at his reflection and turned back to Jake.

“Do I look all right?”

“Better than all right,” Jake grinned as he led Warren out of the room.

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Chris stirred the ice in his drink with the small cocktail straw and glowered at the crowd of rich snobs around him. They were all decked out in the finest clothes and glittering jewels for the evening’s gala ball … to raise money for the homeless. Nothing smacked as a more hypocritical display to him than a bunch of the wealthy putting on their finest frocks to entice other, less privileged people into giving money to a cause that didn’t see even half of the donations due to “expenses” like the charity’s director’s six-figure salary and such. Typical of them though.

“Victoria looks lovely this evening, Christopher,” his mother said to him. “You two make a striking couple.”

“Mmm,” he replied noncommittally. For God’s sakes, leave me alone, woman! I already know I’ll have to marry her to shut you up!

“You’d better secure that future before someone else snaps her up,” his father added with a nod.

They looked over at the lady in question, who was chatting with the mayor and his wife. She looked every inch the hostess of the event, as she should. Her mother had worked with her to put the gala together, but Victoria had the final say on everything. She wore a deep purple and white designer gown as she worked the room like a politician in a voting year. Her smile was bright and engaging, and she knew a little something about every potential donor who attended the event. Victoria had long ago mastered the art of schmoozing.

“We’re in no rush right now,” Chris answered his father finally, infusing his voice with false enthusiasm. “But we’ve discussed the matter, so don’t trouble yourself over it.”

“Just looking out for my youngest,” the older man said simply.

But Chris could hear the underlying message. Victoria was his parents’ choice for him, and like his two brothers before him, he was expected to fall in line. He quashed the urge to tell the old man that their vision of his future had already cost him dearly. It wouldn’t do to cause a scene by coming out that way.

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“This place is … different than what I expected,” Warren said as he looked around the bar.

Jake laughed as he watched the expressions playing across his face. Warren couldn’t seem to keep his thoughts hidden no matter how hard he tried.

“You thought gay bars were all the same?” he asked.

Warren shrugged, not sure where to look first. The place looked like nearly any other bar slash dance club he’d been to before. Of course, he hadn’t been to many clubs, being that Chris hadn’t liked to go there with him. He was afraid the rest of the people would assume he and Warren were together – which they were, but it wouldn’t do to be that obvious about it.

“Well, this one’s a bar that caters to everyone, even if the crowd is always predominantly gay,” Jake informed him.

“Hey, Jake,” a deep voice called out to him.

Warren and Jake turned to see a hulking blonde man holding a beer bottle. He was sitting at the corner of the bar with a petite brunette with smiling eyes to match her friendly grin.

“Hey, Tom!” Jake shook his hand. “This is my friend Warren.”

“Uh huh,” Tom said, eyeing Warren with an interest that made him uncomfortable.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Jake frowned, positioning himself in front of Warren. “He’s not ready for a relationship, and he just moved into town.”

“So, he’s off limits?” the brunette woman asked with amusement dancing in her eyes.

“That’s right,” Jake said before turning to look over his shoulder. “Lauren here is Tom’s fiancée, by the way.”

“Fiancée?” Warren yelped. That means that he and she … they! They look here for … gulp!

“Don’t freak out,” Tom laughed. “We’re not looking for a third party.”

“Oh, hell no!” Lauren cried. “We’re looking to set his best friend up with someone nice.”

Warren quirked up an eyebrow in question. They were here scoping out guys for another guy. He looked around in confusion.

“No, he’s not here,” Lauren giggled. “And we only have one more shot of finding someone on our own before he does come with us.”

“And thus sabotages all of our efforts!” Tom added.

“What happened to that cute paralegal you were talking to the other night?” Jake asked as he leaned against the bar.

“Trevor?” Tom’s expression turned murderous. “He’s an S&M freak and Kee had to beat him off himself. He’d better never turn up here again if he knows what’s good for him.”

“Okay then,” Jake shook his head and turned to Warren. “If you see a hot dark haired guy with a lip ring who says he’s a paralegal, don’t give him your number.”

“You must have smoked something loopy if you think I’m that hot a commodity.” Warren snorted.

“Uh, yeah, you are,” Lauren answered for them all. “Trust me.”

Warren looked at her like she was crazy before turning to the bar to buy them and Jake a round. This night should be interesting after all.

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A/N: CROSSOVER ALERT!!!! LOL! I had to throw Tommy and Lauren in there from “The Gay Man’s Matchmaker”. Those who haven’t read it yet can see how successful Lauren and Tommy were if you shoot on over there to read it.