Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 7

“So, what brings you here?” the slightly effeminate brown haired guy asked Warren as he approached the bar to get himself and Jake another round.

“Probably the same thing that brought you,” he replied with what he hoped was an engaging smile. He was still new at this.

It was the third time he’d accompanied his colleague, and now close friend, to Kelly’s and so far Warren had amassed quite a few telephone numbers from friendly strangers. But he was still too shy to use them. Jake teased him over it, asking if he could have some of the numbers and pretend he was Warren when he called. It was mind boggling to Warren that he attracted so many guys. Jake had said he would be used to it by now if he hadn’t focused only on Chris for the last six years. Maybe he had a point, but Warren was still surprised with his own success. He even learned to flirt a little, if someone approached him first. But hitting on other guys first was still a daunting thought – though Mindy assigned him to the task tonight. She made him promise to approach at least one guy first that evening before she let him out the door, saying that it would be a good way to test his bashful boundaries. He frowned as he contemplated what he had to do. It would be easier to just lie to her … if it wasn’t Mindy he was talking about, that is. She always saw through him.

“That guy you’re here with,” the guy he’d been talking to said, breaking his thoughts. “He your boyfriend?”

“No,” Warren chuckled. “Just a friend.”

“Good to know,” the guy smirked as he sidled closer to the taller brunette. “You seeing anyone?”

“Not anymore,” Warren said. “But, just so you know, I’m not in the market for another relationship right now.”

“Who is these days?” the guy laughed. “I’m David.”

“Warren.” He let the guy lean into him as he motioned to the bartender to get his attention. “Want a drink?”

“If you’re buying …”

“David!” a big bald man with a gruff voice shouted. “How many times do I have to tell you not to hit on the customers during your shift?”

“Damn,” David sighed before giving Warren an apologetic look. “Rain check?”

“Definitely.”

David smiled brightly and took out his waiter pad. He scribbled his name and number on it, dotting his “i” with a little smiley face.

“Talk to you soon?” he asked as he slipped the paper into Warren’s front pants pocket … a little deeper than necessary to boot.

“Sure.” Warren felt his face heat up, which meant he was blushing again. David’s smile widened and he kissed Warren’s cheek before walking away. “Whew!” Warren said as he fanned himself with a cocktail napkin. The bartender finally came over and he ordered his round with a still-red face.

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

Chris lay in bed silently staring up at the ceiling of an unfamiliar bedroom. He was closing in on a month without Warren and still had no clue where he was. The bed shifted slightly and he turned his attention to the guy lying next to him. He was a good looking younger man with dark brown hair and eyes … like Warren’s. He found he could only think of approaching guys that reminded him of his lover … ex-lover. Chris knew he had to start facing the truth. Warren didn’t want to come back to him, so that classified him as an “ex”. But the bitter truth didn’t ease the situation for him. Acceptance didn’t always lead one to relief. He knew now that he’d lost something special when he let Warren go. He just wished he could have gotten past his own ego trip to see it before it happened.

The nameless young man moaned in his sleep as he shifted again. He’d been a good distraction, this one. Almost believable, actually. Chris felt for the briefest of seconds that he was back in Warren’s arms. But when the after-glow wore off his melancholy returned. He still wanted his lover back, if only just to tell him he was sorry he’d taken him for granted. Chris sighed and quietly got out of bed, looking around him for his clothes. He gathered them and put them on carefully, making sure not to wake the other in the bed. He didn’t think the guy would be terribly upset when he awoke alone. Chris had made sure, like those before him, that he knew it was a one-nighter before the clothes came off. He just didn’t feel like dealing with conversation before he left. He let himself out quietly and walked down the street to his car, feeling lonelier than he had earlier that night.

The side street he was parked on deserted … like he was the last one left on Earth. Actually, it felt that way to him even during broad daylight on a crowded sidewalk. Warren’s absence left a huge hole in his life and Chris wasn’t sure what he could do to fix it. But at least now he knew for sure he only had himself to blame.

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

The jeans-clad, golden haired Adonis was staring transfixed at the small table where Tom and Lauren sat with an attractive looking dark haired guy Warren assumed had to be the infamous Kee. It seemed the date they’d arranged for him with the bartender didn’t work out as planned. Warren felt bad for the irritated-looking guy whose friends wouldn’t leave him alone. Kee was talking to an interesting looking, colorful couple at the moment while Lauren and Tommy watched in fascination, like this was an odd occurrence. The guy Warren was now looking at wouldn’t look away from the table. Maybe that’s why Warren felt compelled to approach him, though he kept telling himself he just wanted to fulfill Mindy’s edict.

“Um … what brings you here?” he asked softly … lamely, he knew, cursing himself. But he didn’t know any pick up lines.

The golden haired guy turned to him in surprise and made him want to shrink back into the wall behind him. But it was too late now. He’d already called attention to himself. But the guy seemed to assess him in one long glance before breaking into a friendly smile.

“Not what you think, but thanks for the compliment,” he said holding out a hand to shake. “Name’s Joe.”

“Warren,” he mumbled shaking the proffered hand in bewilderment. He really hadn’t expected the gorgeous man to be friendly. “Um … sorry to bother you. My sister said I had to … um. Never mind. I’ll just um .., leave you alone.”

“I have a few minutes, it looks like,” Joe chuckled, darting an eye back to Tom and Lauren’s table. “Hang out for a bit.”

Warren warily set himself down on the stool beside him and looked back over to the table with him.

“So what’s this thing your sister wanted you to do?” Joe asked.

“Nothing,” he shrugged.

“C’mon!” Joe goaded him as he reached for his half-finished beer glass. “You’ve piqued my interest.”

Warren looked down, embarrassed. “She said I had to approach at least one stranger tonight because I’m shy and, according to her, I need to get past it to meet new people.”

“I see.”

Warren felt like a loser again, and kept his gaze down. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to get this socializing thing to feel anything but awkward.

“Look, I know I don’t know you and any advice I give you would be purely general,” Joe said. “But I think you should listen to your sister. People are a lot less scary the more you interact with them.”

Warren looked up and gave him a skeptical glance.

“Seriously,” Joe laughed. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” Then he winked at him. “If I wasn’t already interested in someone, I would definitely be looking at you.”

Huh? Warren’s eyes widened in surprise as he processed what the hot guy just said. “Me?”

“You really have no idea how attractive you are, do you?” Joe smirked. He looked over at the table again then stood up. “I have to go, but remember what I said, okay?”

He left Warren nodding in a stupor as he stalked over to the table where Kee now sat alone.

“Miss me?” a flirting voice whispered in Warren’s ear, bringing his attention away.

David sat in the barstool next to him, smiling at him in amusement. He really was cute, Warren decided as he nodded.

“I was surprised you were still here,” the waiter continued. “So, now that my shift is over, how about that drink?”

“Sure.”

“But let’s make it coffee,” David said with a twinkle in his hazel eyes. “At my place.”

Oh my God! Warren’s mind screamed. I’m pretty sure I’ve just been propositioned. What do I do? It would be the first time he’d had sex with anyone other than Chris. Was he ready for this? Warren contemplated it for half a second before deciding that he’d already warned David he wasn’t looking for anything long-term. Why not see what happened? He nodded to the waiter whose smile widened.

“Hey, I’m going to take off now,” Jake said from his other side.

Warren looked over his shoulder to see his friend smirking at him with an attractive auburn haired guy in tow. Looks like Jake’s getting lucky tonight too, he thought. Jake leaned in to whisper in his ear then.

“Just remember to use protection,” he instructed Warren then grinned as he led the young guy behind him away.

“Let’s go then,” David drawled as he took Warren’s hand and stood up.