Ahh, Ohh,
My baby’s fly, baby go
Yes, oh
Hurt me so good baby oh
I’m so
Wrapped up in your love, let me go
Let me breathe
Stay out my fantasy
The DJ began to play Beyonce’s “Baby Boy”, cutting and replaying the first verse over and over again. JC loved it. He loved the song. He loved the atmosphere. He loved the feeling. He loved the club.
Just being here. Just feeling free and knowing he didn’t have anyone to answer to other than himself. JC grinded on any one who settled to dance with him but for the most part he danced by himself. And he was more than happy with that.
He broke up with his last boyfriend, Ronal six weeks ago and tonight was the night that Joshua felt ready to socialize with others instead of just his best friend, Lance. The break up had deeply hurt JC. He had put his heart and soul into his relationship and Ronal never seemed to care too much to notice the time and effort his loving boyfriend spent on him. It hurt to have a loveless relationship fizzle out but it killed to know that there was extra love waiting to be noticed.
Just never was.
JC could remember that day as if it were yesterday. He had came home from work and found a strange man sitting on his couch. Short, blonde and blue eyed, flipping JC’s magazine and swishing his leg to and fro. The stranger had looked up at JC in annoyance.
“Um hello. Do I know you?”
“No thank God,” the blonde effeminately replied and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry we’ll be leaving as soon as Ronal is done.”
We’ll? Who is this “we’ll”? “Ronal! Baby!” JC called out and walked to the staircase.
“Sweetness!” Ronal called from the top of JC’s staircase. The caramel skinned man held a large suitcase in his hand.
JC sighed in relief and opened his mouth to call back to his boyfriend of eleven months but he was pushed in the back by the blonde’s shoulder. “What-”
“Baby. Thank goodness you came.” Ronal’s golden eyes gleamed. He flurried down the stairs and he ran into the blonde’s arms. “The bag was a little heavy but I guess just seeing you helped me.” The two men ignored JC.
“Ronal, what is going on? Who is this?” JC watched as Ronal kissed the man in front of his face. He could feel his lungs contracting.
“Joshua.” Ronal said in disgust. “This is my new boyfriend, Adriano.” He stopped to peck Adriano’s nonexistent lips. “I’ve packed all of my things. My baby helped me today.” He smiled and stopped when he looked at his now former boyfriend. “You’re boring Josh. All you care about is your stupid job and going to school.”
“And you’re bad at sex.” Adriano put his two cents in and then brought his hand to his mouth. “Oh wait that’s right you’re a virgin,” he tittered. Ronal joined in.
Ronal discussed me…with him, he thought brokenly. “Why are you? But I thought you loved me?”
“Oh God don’t tell me that you’re going to cry now,” Adriano drawled. “Aren’t you little miss drama queen? I see why you came to me. He’s got nothing to offer.”
“You’re suffocating and yet I’ve stayed with you for so long. You should kiss my ass.”
“You really should. You were so lucky to have a man like my Ronal.” Adriano puckered his lips and Ronal met him halfway. The two had made the most obnoxious sound.
JC nearly heaved. He didn’t want to give his ex the pleasure. “Get the fuck out of my house.” He trembled.
The two rolled their eyes at him and hissed. “Gladly.”
The two sauntered out his front door, leaving JC humiliated and broken. He had stayed in his bed for a week after that day. Neither Lance nor his brother, Tyler could get him out of the house.
JC shook his head and began to sway to the beat of the music. He shouldn’t reminisce on what he called his “Bleak Period”. He was here to have a good time and try to enjoy himself. He continued dancing and then his best friend sidled up to him, the two still dancing.
“Josh. Dude you have an admirer,” the blonde man leaned into Josh and told him in his ear.
“What?” Josh smiled nervously. “Look man I don’t want to hook up with anyone here. I’m just here to be here. Lance you know that.” Josh danced with a petite girl who threw her ass against his crotch and turned away from Lance. He wasn’t ready yet to deal with any new man.
Josh continued dancing with the dark skinned girl until she moved on to another dance partner. Lance once again danced his way to his friend and patted him on the back. “Josh, man the guy has been eyeing you ever since you hit the dance floor. He is totally into you. Look man, he’s staring your back down.” Lance pointed across the club to where the man stood.
Josh stuck his tongue and decided what the hell. He might as well look at the guy. So he turned to look and Josh felt his heart stop. He met an intense pair of eyes and it shook his soul for the brief moment. The guy looked good but Josh couldn’t see how gorgeous the man was because of the distance between them. Josh quickly turned away and looked back at Lance. “You sure it’s me he’s looking at?” He wasn’t used to rapt attention.
“Who else would it be?” Lance looked around jokingly.
“You?” Josh asked hopefully.
Lance rolled his green eyes. “Please. It’s your ass he’s been watching all night long. Why don’t you head on over there? Get back into the game.”
“No,” Josh shook his head adamantly. “I’m going to the bathroom. How about we head on home when I come back?” He had nothing to do in the morning and he wanted to take advantage of it by sleeping late.
Lance opened his mouth to protest but he saw the determined glint in Josh’s eyes. “Fine. We’ll leave when you get back. But you never know. He could be your soul mate.”
“Please. I seriously doubt I’ll meet my soul mate in a fucking club.” JC patted his friend’s back and walked away. He made sure to go the longer way to the bathroom instead of having to pass the tall, shorthaired man the other shorter way.
About twenty minutes later, JC finally left the smelly bathroom. He walked down the hallway and made his way to the bar. He signaled to the waiter and leaned against the bar. “Can I have a Heineken?”
“Make it two,” a strange voice announced from behind him. A twenty-dollar bill was held over Joshua’s head. The voice was smooth like silk and Joshua had to see who the owner was.
And once again Josh stopped breathing for a second. It was the guy from across the room. Only the guy was there and looking drop dead gorgeous. And now JC could see that the intense eyes were a distinctive shade of blue.
“I hope you don’t mean to pay for me.” Joshua pushed back a wayward lock of wavy hair and put a hand in the back pocket of his black pants.
“I hope you don’t consider it rude. I’m Justin.” The bartender held two bottles of beer for the man and Justin quickly paid him. He got the change and held a green bottle out for Josh.
“You really didn’t have to do that. Thank you.” He said shyly and took the bottle. Justin made sure that their hands touched.
“You’re more than welcome. What’s your name?” He inquired while staring deep into Josh’s eyes. His hand was still on Josh’s.
Josh tried to look for Lance but he couldn’t find him. He remembered Lance’s advice and figured to go for it. “I’m JC.” He decided against giving the stranger his full name no matter how good he looked in the close fitting blue jeans and black Harley Davidson t-shirt. JC is what his more impersonal friends call him.
“That’s different. I like it, JC. I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“Well my friend brought me here. I never have been here really.” Josh hoped he didn't sound as lame as he did inside his head.
“Well it's great to have you here.” Justin put his head by Josh's ear and breathily whispered, "I've been watching you ever since you walked through that door. You're beautiful."
JC nervously took a swig of his beer. "Oh?" He mentally slapped himself. Why couldn't he form a correct thought? He was shivering from Justin's heady presence. He meant to say thank you but the words weren't coming out of his mouth.
"Yeah. Oh. So you wanna go someplace more private?" He moved his head away from JC's head and stared. He made sure to be close enough to make the brunette know he was interested. "Just to talk," he quickly added after JC's incredulous look.
"To talk?" He looked away and saw Lance giving him two thumbs behind Justin's back from across the room. JC giggled and Justin took that as a good sign.
"So what'll it be? I'm telling you I won't take no for an answer." He smiled and how could Joshua not fall for this man even more. "I'm harmless. You can ask my boys over there if you don't trust me." The man pointed over to a bunch of tables where his friends were. They looked like Justin, a little worn around the edges but harmless.
Joshua was smitten but he wasn't that smitten as to leave the club with a virtual stranger just to “talk”. “Okay. See I was getting ready to leave and I-”
"How about my cell number?" Justin was very persistent. "C'mon JC. Gimme a chance, you'll see I'm not running lines." He damn near implored. Lance was jumping up and down like a dork, smiling too wide and pumping his fist in the air.
"Er ok." Josh put his hand to his back pocket and took out his cellular. "What's the number?"
"346-555-9078. Let me have your number too. Please?" He added and batted his blue eyes.
JC chuckled. "Fine." He gave Justin his number and the other man promptly dialed it. When JC's phone began to light up he smiled.
"Just to make sure you weren't giving me the run around." He looked down bashfully.
"That's cute."
"So are you." Justin quickly fired back. "When can I call you, JC? Now?"
Joshua gave him a beautiful grin. "That's cute too. I guess anytime after noon tomorrow. We'll see how things go then. Thank you again for the beer."
"It's the least I could do." Justin once again placed his hand over JC's. "You can call me anytime, day or night. But expect a call tomorrow."
"I will do that. Thanks Justin. Talk to you later," JC smiled and walked around the man. Justin turned and watched JC walk to his friend. The blonde had chattered animatedly to JC and then JC blushed. JC turned around and waved to Justin.
And Justin waved back. And watched JC and his friend leave the club. He stood there, sometimes drinking from the beer bottle, sometimes not but he leaned against the bar watching where JC had left.
"Yo J!" A hand waved in front of Justin's face and knocked Justin out of his reverie. "I saw you swap numbers with your dream boy. Y'all hooking up later?" His bearded friend asked him.
"Something like that." Justin pushed himself away from the bar. "Yo, tell those other assholes I'm ready to leave." Joey nodded his head to the bunch of tables. One by one all of the men got up and left along with Justin.