I get to my feet but stumble right into his arms. His face is so close to mine that his breath fans across my cheeks, smelling fruity from the drinks we had. He searches my eyes, which only confirms that I do actually want to kiss him right now.
“Tell you what, Doc. You still want to kiss me in the morning, in the cold, hard light of day, stone sober, we’ll talk about it.” He pats my cheek. “But even if nothing ever comes of this, thank you.”
Nantes kisses my cheek, which makes my breath hitch, but he’s right. This is a decision that needs to be made sober. Maybe I am just weirdly possessive and turning that into attraction.
“Deal.”
Ugh.I sit up and look at the clock. It’s been a few hours since I went to bed, praying the alcohol would pull me into a deep sleep,but no dice. Now that it’s worn off, I can’t stop replaying the conversation I had with that guy at the club. Gage is a full-blown abuser. I’m sure of it.
Fortunately for me, the intended victim knew a bunch of information about good old Gage, and armed with that knowledge, I think I have to do something about it. The way he turned on Nantes was a clue to just how aggressive he can get.
I rise from the bed and, as quietly as possible, dig in my overnight bag for my black sweats and t-shirt. I already know what I’m going to do, even though it’s not my usual modus operandi. I don’t have the time to stalk him and figure out his routine. I only know enough to find him and take out my frustrations on someone who deserves it. If I can’t fuck tonight, I can make a scumbag bleed.
Finding my jeans from earlier, I dig in the back pockets for the card the guy at the club gave me. It’s got Gage’s username for a hookup app on it, which will make this much easier than expected. I grab my burner phone from inside my bag and power it up, then I navigate to the app and search Gage’s username. I’m familiar with this app. I’ve used it more than once to stalk a dude.
Ah, yes, that’s him. There’s a little green dot next to his name too, which means he’s up. Perfect.
I open the message box and type out a quick message to him.
Me: Hey, handsome. I see you’re up late. So am I, and less than twenty minutes from you. Can you host?
I see the dots pop up and then go away and pop up again seconds later.
Gage: Do I know you?
Me: I saw you earlier at the club. You gave me your card.
Gage: What club? I was at two tonight.
Me: Blue Derby. We danced a little before we were interrupted.
Gage: Oh yeah, that fucking guy. I thought he scared you off.
Me: I can’t stop thinking about you. I can be there quick if you’re interested.
Gage: Fuck yeah I’m interested. I can’t sleep either. I’ll send my address. Just buzz apartment 505 when you get here.
Smiling, I type back my response.
Me: Excellent. See you soon.
I creep outside and quietly slip into my car, hoping I don’t draw any attention to myself. It’s very dark, and everyone should be sleeping. Hopefully I can make it back before Nantes wakes up, but if not, I’ll just say I had to go for a drive.
That should be believable after I made a fool of myself a few hours ago. Like, seriously, what the fuck was I thinking? Just because Nantes is gay doesn’t mean he’s attracted to me, but the bigger question is why I’m all of a sudden attracted to him. Or at least the idea of him. There’s something about him that is so damn sexy though. Maybe it’s his confidence. His handsome face doesn’t hurt, but it’s more than that. But I can’t be a creep and ruin the best friendship I’ve ever had.
I follow the GPS navigation to an apartment building that looks about six stories tall. There’s visitor parking right out front, so I park and exit the car, walking swiftly to avoid being seen by anyone as I pull latex gloves on. I’m wearing a hoodie, and thankfully, it’s cool enough at night right now that I won’t stand out if anyone does see me.
There’s a small set of steps to the front door where the intercom panel is. I press the button for 505, and only seconds later, the door buzzes and unlocks. Trusting fellow, isn’t he?
Unlike when I started these adventures years ago, my nerves are steady, my heart rate slow, my determination cold as ice. Gage isn’t my usual target, but an abuser is an abuser in my book—whether their victims are adults or kids is immaterial. AsI climb the stairs, I consider my approach. Once he sees my face, he’ll panic. He could be armed, so I’ll have to look out for that.
I make it to his floor and find his door ajar. Slowly, I peer inside. Finding the room empty, I step in. Soft music plays from down the hallway.
“In the bedroom,” Gage calls out.
Pulling my hood over my face a little more, I walk down the hall and slip inside. Gage is lying on his back, completely naked, his eyes closed. He has the survival instinct of a fart.
“Get naked,” he barks. “Then get over here and suck me.”
