“So, Mr. Shaw, my dad’s friend, sits me on one side of the table between Cady and Cain, his son, and the whole time, he’s telling me how amazing Cady is - she’s in this fuckingsorority, and she’s won this debate thingy. He was, like, ready to negotiate a bride price right then and there. Like, how many goats will you give me for my daughter?” Cam snorted. “And you wanna know what was really funny? I had datedCainfor a while in high school! I guess his dad just never knew. I mean,Icertainly nevertold.”
Cort snorted. “You shoulda told him to offer you agroompriceinstead.”
But Cam shook his head and winced. “Oh, believe me, not from this guy. Nope.No.I kinda feel bad for Cain, because he’s, you know, gotta be seeing Narnia from that deep in the closet. But he was also kind of a pretentious prick back then, and totally emo for the longest time, so I was not gonna involve myself in that hotmess.”
Cam shook off thoughts of Cain Shaw and gave Cort a winning smile. “Okay, forget that shit. Moving on. Never have I ever had sex in a publicplace.”
Cam sized Cort up, watching him reach for his glass, waiting to see if he would drink, but he didn’t lift his hand off the bar. They both burst outlaughing.
“You’re lying! I’ve only known you for a couple of hours and I can already tell you’ve got to be lying,” Cam said, shaking his head sadly at the glint in Cort’seyes.
“No!” he said, nodding hishead.
“Oh my God!” Cam said, pointing at him. “You just did the thing where you nodded and said no! Total indicator you’relying!”
“What?” Cort’s expression was startled and maybe a little embarrassed. “I didnot!”
“Did too,” Cam teased.God,he liked this guy way too much already. He cast around for a safer topic to return to. “So, uh, publicsex?”
“I haven’t, really! I mean, unless… Wait, how are we definingsex?” Cort demanded. His green eyes danced and his mouth twisted up in a lopsided smile, which made Cam’s cock twitch. “And for that matter, how are we definingpublic?”
Cam raised a brow. “Public, like if someone could catch you. Sex, as in anything beyondpetting.”
“Petting,” Cort echoed, giggling. “Who the fuck sayspetting?”
“Me, clearly,” Cam defended himself. “And I mean, isn’t that what you do with girls? You, like, petthem?”
Cort dissolved into laughter and slumped on the bar, clutching his stomach. “Oh, holy shit. Oh,God.”
Cam felt his face flame. “Dude, like I’d have the first clue what to do with a girl…woman…whatever.”
Cort laughed softly. “Not even the first clue,huh?”
“Well, I took AP Biology, but ah, no. No practical knowledge,” Cam confirmed. He put his hand over his mouth. “I cannot believe I just saidthat.”
Not that Cam had a problem outing himself - he’d never really beeninthe closet, not from the first time his nanny had shown him an ancient episode of The Brady Bunch and he’d realized Peter did it for him way more than Marsha. Still, he wondered about the man in front of him, and the alcohol made him bolder than he otherwise would havebeen.
He licked his lips. “You do, though, right?” he asked Cort, who was still chuckling. Cam felt his face flush red. “I mean, beyond Cindy andBecky?”
Cort frowned, apparently trying to follow this inarticulate question, then he smiled again, and Cam forgot to be uncomfortable because the way Cort’s mouth hitched up at one corner made Cam’s stomachswoop.
“Beth. Claire and Beth. You have the cutest freckles,” Cort said softly, then he blinked as if he hadn’t meant to say that. He cleared his throat. “But yeah. I mean, yeah, I likewomen.”
Cam nodded and looked down at his whiskey.Well, of course.Hadn’t Cam seen Cort’s fascination with Misty Sturmacher earlier in the evening, when he’d first walked into the ballroom? It was alright. It was fine. They were just two new friends having a drink at a party, and it was absolutelynotdisappointment making it hard for him tobreathe.
Cort put his hand over Cam’s where it rested against the bar, and leaned toward him slightly. “I am also attracted tomen.”
Cam’s head shot up and he sucked in a breath, but Cort’s eyes were focused behind Cam’s head. “Speaking of which, the man you were talking to earlier is watching us rightnow.”
Cam shifted in his seat, but Cort’s hand trapped his. “Don’t turn to look,” he said softly, his breath hot on Cam’s ear. “Unless youwanthim to come over here. He’s staring at you like he wants to know what color your boxer briefsare.”
A bolt of acute lust shot straight to Cam’s groin - a one-two punch of Cort’s warm hand on his, and the words he spoke. He loved the way Cort touched him, and had seemed to find excuses to touch him all night. “How do you know I wear boxer briefs?” Camwhispered.
Cam wondered if he imagined the hitch in Cort’sbreathing.
But before Cort could speak - and Cam wasdyingto know what he would have said at that juncture-a hand fell on Cam’sshoulder.
“Cammy.”
