Chapter Three
It had beena week since I’d had the confrontation with Marcus, and I hadn’t seen or heard from him. I felt like I was on borrowed time but tried to go about my business as usual. I hadn’t told anyone about the incident, and the only other people who knew were Donnie and that guy, James, I couldn’t quit thinking about. I had realized later that night after he’d left, that I’d seen him in the bar before. I hadn’t realized it was the same man, but seeing his empty seat at the table in the corner, had put the pieces together. He was the tall redhead who came in every once in a while. Most of the time he would be with another man a little older than him who had dark hair and gave that younger Sam Elliot vibe. Normally I would have been all over that, but there was something about the quiet, watchful red-headed man that always made me take another glance, then another. Honest truth, I could never keep my gaze off of him. My gran, Rosie, had always told me, “Ethan, my boy, you hafta watch out for them big red-headed men. They’re silent but fierce. The saying goes that redheads have no soul, so you watch out, m’boy.”
Gran had been full of Irish wisdom, but instead of scaring me off, she had made me very curious about redheads from that day forward. She would swear and moan about never listening to her if she were still around. God rest her soul. I said a silent prayer to her and thanked her yet again for the good life she had given me after Mom and Dad died in that boating accident in the Gulf. She had taken in a scared and sad seven-year-old boy and loved me with all she had until her heart gave out ten years later. She had never cared about what I wore or who I loved, just as long as I was happy, and hopefully never dated a redhead.
Well, the dating thing wasn’t working for me at all, no matter what the hair color these days. Gran would be so disappointed I wasn’t settled down by now.
I had tried to put the whole Marcus situation out of my mind and actually said yes to a date with a guy who had asked me out at the bar a few nights ago. It was an unmitigated disaster. Guys who saw me thought they were getting a sweet, feminine, passive guy. Sure, I wore makeup, nail polish, heels, and the occasional skirt—because the updraft felt amazing on a hot southern day, thank you very much—but I was definitely NOT a girl. I was all man and not some needy bottom boy looking for a daddy. Sure, that was fun to play, but I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Some guys didn’t like that. Well, most of them didn’t like the real me when they found out I wasn’t a girl trapped in a man’s body. I loved being a man. I just happened to like dressing in pretty things. How hard was that to understand?
Jensen knew about my man trouble, and I knew as soon as I walked into work tonight, I’d get the third degree from my best friend. I wasn’t wrong.
“Ethan, honey, how was the date with that beautiful Latin God last night?” He waggled his eyebrows under his bright blue bangs and looked at me for the dirty details. One look at my face told him all he needed to know.
“Oh, sweetie, that bad?” He came over and slid his arms over my shoulders to give me a big hug while he comforted me. “I’m so sorry, babe. What was it this time? Too pushy or too dominant?”
And this was why I loved Jensen. He always knew how to cut the shit and get to the point.
“He tried to get me to blow him in the car on the way to dinner. I don’t think he really planned to take me anywhere. He just thought I’d do it and he could bail. When I refused, he called me a cock tease little bitch and threatened to force me. He said I’d love it once I started. Fucking prick!”
Jensen had pulled away and stood looking at me wide-eyed while I told him what happened.
“My God, Ethan, he didn’t hurt you did he? Are you all right? What did you do?” He was getting upset, so I put my hand on his shoulder, slid it up, and then curled my hand around his neck to bring his head closer to mine. I touched our foreheads together, and he calmed down immediately. This was the way it had always been between us. If either of us ever felt we were getting overwhelmed, we would lean on each other like this, breathe together, and we’d know everything was going to be all right.
“I’m fine, Jens. I promise.” I squeezed his neck one more time in our little gesture ofI’ve got you, and I love you, and then I let him go and stepped back.
“So what did you do to get away from that asshole?”
I giggled a little. “I leaned over like I was going to do what he wanted me to do. I rubbed him and got him nice and hard, not that his pencil dick could really get that big anyway, but when I had him all nice and relaxed, I made him pay. I waited until he stopped at a red light, slammed my fist into his cock and balls, and jumped out of the car. I ran until I couldn’t see him anymore, and then I had to call an Uber to give me a ride home. Fucker cost me money I didn’t have for that ride.”
“Jesus, honey, you don’t play! That’s one of the things I love about you. I could never have done that. I’d have been too nervous to hit him. I would have just run. I wish I had your nerve.”
“Jens, you’re sweet and kind and perfect just the way you are. Don’t ever doubt that. I know you’re shy, but that’s perfect for you.” I gave him a big hug, and then we both went behind the bar to get ready for the night.
I had just finished cleaning and started cutting garnishes to get ready for another busy night when Jensen came up to me with a look on his face I didn’t trust one bit. I wasn’t going to like what was coming. I could feel it.
“Ethan, honey, you deserve to be happy, and I have the solution. You need to quit trying to date the assholes who come in here because all of them only want a hookup, not a relationship. So, I have a solution!” He held up his phone and showed me the new dating app everyone was talking about, 2Gether4Ever. It was supposed to help match you with the perfect person.
I shook my head. I hadn’t pulled my hair back yet. So when it flew into my face, I ran my hand through it to pull my bangs out of my eyes, frustration easily heard in my voice. “Jens, no way in hell am I joining a dating app.”
He just smiled his angelic smile, and I took a good look at my best friend. He had just changed his hair to bright blue this week. He said he just needed a change, but I knew better. Some jerk he’d gone out with a couple of times had said his white-blond hair had made him too pale. The asshat had started calling him Casper, so Jensen had ended it. Not long after, he went blue. Jensen was the very definition of a Nordic fairy prince. He had delicate features, pale skin, and the lightest green eyes I’d ever seen. Nothing about him was vibrant, except his hair, now. When anyone described him, they called him beautiful, never handsome.
I started calling him my Elf Prince when I finally got around to seeing those hobbit movies a few years ago. We both loved that fantasy shit. Jensen liked to say he was an Elf Prince looking for his own Prince Charming. I hoped he found him one day.
Jensen was still talking while I was daydreaming, and when I tuned back in, I heard. “I’m sure there’s a guy on here who would love to be bossed around by your fabulous self.”
“Jens, I don’t want a guy to boss around. I just want a guy who likes me for who I am, for once.” All of a sudden the weight of being alone settled on my shoulders. I slouched down onto the stool we kept behind the bar, propped my elbow onto the bar top, and dropped my head heavily into my hand. With a heavy sigh, I admitted, “I think I’m destined to be alone forever.”
Jensen tried to walk over and comfort me, but I waved him off with my other hand. “No, I’m serious, Jens. Look at my life so far. So many people have left me. Mom and Dad died and left me with Gran, then Gran died, and I was lucky enough to have you and your family. I love you, and I love your family so much. If y’all hadn’t stepped up when Gran passed away, I would have gone into the system at seventeen. God knows what would have happened to me if that had happened. But you’re not my match, much as we would both love that. I may never find my one.”
We were both way too serious now, so I decided to break the tension. I stood up and walked over to him, then grabbed him into a huge bear hug.
“You sure you don’t want to date me, Jens?”
I gave him a huge wet kiss on his neck and growled, “Come on, baby. You know you want me.”
Jensen pushed me away, giggling uncontrollably and I had to laugh, too. No one could stay serious when Jens laughed. It sounded like music when he giggled and laughed. I had no idea how he managed that. Maybe he was an Elf Prince after all.
Jensen pushed by me to get one of the bar towels and wiped his neck.
