A while later, a smoke machine fills the dance floor as green strobe lights flash off and on. I’m on my third drink when I turn and notice a familiar face in the crowd: Eric’s friend Liam. He’s got his arms around some twinky guy. As Liam grinds against the guy’s ass, his gaze wanders and meets mine. He smiles and waves, and I nudge Eric. “Your buddy’shere.”
Eric follows my gaze and waves at his friend. “Well, well. He doesn’t waste histime.”
“We didn’t waste much time either,” I tease, since Ty is dancing far enough away for me to slip the remark in without it beingnoticed.
Liam whispers to the kid before dancing his way over tous.
“Hey, man!” Ty says, since he was apparently enjoying the Whitney song blasting so much that he totally hadn’t noticed Liam until he was right uponus.
“How is your night going, guys?” Liam asks. His gaze shifts to my hand, and he grins. “Ah, what’s this Isee?”
I raise my hand so he can get a better look at thering.
“Definitely appears as though things have changed since I last saw you guys so long ago…maybe twenty-four wholehours?”
“You played no small part in this,” Eric says. “It was our conversation in New York that really got me mulling itover.”
“I knew he was head over heels from the way he was talking about you,” Liam tells me. “Never seen Eric so hung up on a guy. He had this look in his eyes. Can’t say I’ve seen that look much in my whole goddamn life, but sure as fuck it’s unmistakable when you’ve seen it. Just happy to meet you and see you’re not a total asshole like certain guys Eric’s let into hislife.”
I wonder if he’s referring to Casey, but I guess he had the chance to meet far more of Eric’s exes than just thatone.
“But wait,” Ty interrupts. “Don’t forget the bestpart.”
He goes on to tell Liam about the way it really played out, and Liam bursts into laughter before saying, “The best-laidplans.”
“We don’t want to intrude on your evening, Liam,” Eric says. “Looked like you were in the middle of an importantconversation.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s way too early for me to be traipsing back to some guy’s place. I got his number, and we can finish that up anytime. I’d rather have another chance to hang with my buddy and his fiancé andkid.”
He does just that, dancing with us. We order a few more drinks, and at one point, he and Ty head off and throw back some shots together. Later, the crowd congregates on a balcony upstairs to watch the fireworks, Eric and I stealing our New Year’s kiss. Then we all pack the dance floor once again. As the night wears on and more and more guys begin taking their shirts off, Liam turns to Eric and says, “Are we keeping our shirts on to be polite around yourkid?”
Ty glances around. “Oh, we’re like the only guys in here with our shirts on, aren’t we?” He looks to us and shrugs before grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it off over hishead.
Eric shakes his head. “Ty, don’t encouragehim.”
“Well, Ty has a hot body. He should be struttingit.”
“Thanks, man,” Ty says, perking up at thecompliment.
Eric can’t seem to find any humor in the way Liam’s chatting to hiskid.
“Oh, come on, relax, Eric,” I say. “Liam’s playing around.” I pull off my shirt too, and Eric glares at me the way he did at Liam, thensmirks.
“Well, if everyone’s ganging up on me in this.” He pulls his shirt off and slides it in the back loop of his jeans, like a real pro, the way that lets me know how much experience he has throwing his shirt off in aclub.
Liam discards his polo, flaunting that impressive physique he was showing off at the beach partyyesterday.
There’s something about throwing our shirts off, and maybe about the amount of alcohol in us from earlier, that makes us all cut loose. Ty and Liam start dancing together at one point, grinding, in no small part due to how annoyed it’s making Eric, which cracks meup.
Ty wasn’t kidding about Liam and his shots. I try to keep up for a bit, but considering Liam’s size, it seems kind of unfair that we’re having to down the same amount of alcohol. However, I’m feeling good enough to really enjoymyself.
Ty heads to the bar to get some freshdrinks.
As Liam is steadily pulled away by a hottie grinding on him, Eric creeps up behind me, sliding his arms around my body and tucking his face near my neck. I can tell by the way he keeps pulling me against him that he’s experiencing the effects of the alcohol too, and I’m glad because I really needthis.
“It’s been so fucking hard not to do this all night.” His girth presses against myass.
“Hard seems like the right word,” Itease.
