The truth was, I didn’t really think he was shaming me. I wasn’t sure why, but Elijah didn’t strike me as the type. I just didn’t get his intense…anger? Annoyance? Whatever it was with me.
“You are cocky,” he added.
“I hear that often.” My grin made him roll his eyes again, and I was pretty sure he could tell I was talking anatomy and not personality.
“I meant full of yourself, and that right there! That’s what I mean.”
A laugh tumbled from my mouth. I couldn’t help it. He was judgy but fun.
“I’m leaving now,” Elijah said.
“Have fun! Hey, my buddy and I are going out tonight. You wanna go?” I called as he walked away, knowing he would say no. It wasn’t like he and I ever went out before.
Elijah stopped, turned, and looked at me. “No.”
“Aw, I’m crushed!” I teased.
He flipped me off and walked away.
I was halfway through my meal before I realized I was still smiling, which I immediately stopped doing because why did I let some guy who didn’t really like me much get under my skin?
I placed the leftovers in the fridge before heading to the shower. After that I put on a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt, folding the long sleeves up to my elbows, leaving the top two buttons undone. It was early still, so I started editing some photos from a shoot I’d done recently with a couple of models I’d found in the area. It was a newer thing for me, something I was still trying to get off the ground. I hadn’t done anything with the images yet, but I’d had fun taking them. My worry was that they weren’t very good, but that wasn’t something I shared with anyone.
Right at ten, a text came through—Will telling me he was in the lobby. I shoved my phone into my back pocket and made my way down.
Will was the golden boy next door, tall, nice body, blond. We had similar builds, only my hair was black and I kept scruff on my face as I’d been told it was hot. “Want me to get us a ride?” I asked.
“I already got a car outside.”
“Cool. Straight bar or gay bar?” Will was bi like me.
“I told them Krave.”
I grinned. Gay bar it was. “Sounds good to me.”
We chatted a bit on the short ride to the bar, but Will was being strangely quiet. It was awkward to talk about anything important in front of a random guy in the front seat, so I didn’t ask then, but when we got out of the car at the bar, I went for it. “Is something wrong with you?”
“Nah, I’m fine.”
Okay…well, that clearly wasn’t true, but whatever.
We got inside the dark building with glow-in-the-dark paint splattered on the walls. Pop music pumped all around us, and people kissed, danced, laughed. It was a good night. There were pretty boys everywhere I looked.
“Let’s get a drink!” Will said close to my ear.
“Okay.” I followed him to one of the bars. It took a minute for the bartender to get to us, and then I ordered us each a vanilla vodka with Coke. “Are you going to tell me what’s up with you, or what?”
He sighed. “Lisa broke it off with me.”
“Oh shit. I’m sorry. Why?” It was a stupid question because the answer was brighter than the colors littering the walls.
“She said we hang out too much…and that you’re a dick.”
“What! I’m not a dick! Just because I wasn’t serious about Tara?” My feelings might have actually been hurt a little.
“I don’t know, man. Whatever.”
The bartender put the drinks in front of us, and I gave him my card. This right here was why relationships made no sense to me. It seemed like it was always something. “Well, if you really like her, I can try and talk to her and see if that helps. Or you can stay in with her more often, if you want.” It would suck, but I was a big boy. I could go out and have a life without Will.
“What? No.” He shook his head. “Lisa’s great and all, and I hope we can stay friends, but it’s not like I was in love with her. I’ve just… You’re going to laugh.”
Now, this was getting interesting. I took a drink and said, “Do tell.”
“I’ve never been broken up with before.”
Pride? This was about his pride? How was I not surprised? And maybe there was a reason Will and I were so close. “Well, shit. I’m sorry you realized you’re human.”
“Fuck off, Shaw,” he said with no real heat to it. A smile curled his lips. “Have you learned that lesson?”
“But I’m not human. I’m extra special. You know that shit.”
We both laughed.
“Whatever.”
“Hey, Shaw.” José nudged me. He and I had hooked up a couple of times over the years. It was the only time we chatted. Not that we didn’t get along; we simply wanted something specific from each other, which meant he was interested in me for tonight.