We wait outside the booth until the current song finishes and the next one starts up, then Lex turns to me and pulls me into one of his signature bear hugs.
“Oof.” I groan as he squeezes the air out of me.
“Thanks for coming, man,” Lex says as he releases me. “You look good. Happy.”
“Thanks, Lex. So do you. Been spending time at the gym, I see.”
He pats his flat belly. “Gotta stay competitive. It’s a savage world out there, and since I’m now considered a bear, I have hungry twinks all over me. Gotta keep up.”
I laugh, turning to Vanian. “Let me introduce you guys. Lex, this is Van, he’s a longtime friend. Van, Lex, the maniac.”
Unsurprisingly, Lex manhandles Van into a bear hug too. I chuckle as Van’s eyes go wide, but he relaxes and smiles a few seconds later.
“Just a friend?” Lex asks, eyeing Van appreciatively. “Or are you down with thirds?”
Van’s brow creases with confusion as he shifts his gaze to me.
“We’re just friends and Van is straight.” I pat Lex’s shoulder. “Sorry, friend.”
Lex gasps loudly. “How dare you bring a straight boy around looking like that. You’re just asking for trouble.”
Van actually blushes as he drags his hand through his hair.
“I’m a glutton for punishment,” I reply, winking at Van. “We’re gonna go dance, so make sure you play something I can recognize.”
“I got you. I have some great remixes on deck. Have fun and come say goodbye before you leave.”
“We will. Good to see you, Lex.”
“You too, Nan.” He bats his eyelashes at Vanian. “Very nice to meet you, handsome.”
“Uh, yeah, you too.”
I grab Vanian’s wrist and lead him to the bar. Once we’re there, his shoulders drop and he laughs. “Lex is subtle.”
“Right? He’s always been that way. His motto is ‘if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.’”
“Good motto.”
“It is.”
“How’d you meet?”
“At a club years ago. He was just as forward with me, so we hooked up.”
Vanian looks startled for a second. “You had sex with him?”
I nod, trying to get the bartender’s attention. “A few times. Just blow jobs and frotting mostly. He was always up for it, which was a good stress reliever for me.”
“But you didn’t date?”
“Nah. I wasn’t ready for anything like that, and honestly, we had very different lifestyles. He’s a few years older than me and is still in the club most nights of the week, either working or partying. But he was fun.”
Vanian nods, his gaze shifting in Lex’s direction briefly. The bartender finally gets to us, and I order the drink special. Vanian leans in close to me.
“Did he mean it when he suggested a threesome?”
“Yep.”
