Could it truly be so simple?“But…but…”
“Luther, what is this really about?”she asks in a sincere tone.
My gaze fixates on my coffee as the confession bubbles out of my chest.“I live my life in the straight and narrow, you know this.I had a notion of what Taz was like.Now that I realize it’s not true, nothing makes sense.”After sipping my drink, I continue, “And if there are no rules, what’s to stop him from liking me, then leaving me?What if we finally become more than friends, and he eventually decides he doesn’t like what he sees?Can I risk that heartbreak?”
Necia leans back and gives me a look of sympathy.“Listen, Luther.You’re a great guy.And it was so obvious Taz wanted you to spend your day off with him in Cosmo.He wants to explore this attraction.”She points at me up and down.“Take a chance and see where it goes.Was the sex good?”
Images of Taz in the shower on his knees, mouth full of my manhood, fill my brain.“Very.Very good,” I whisper with a grin.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” she murmurs with a wicked smile over her tea.“Just go over to his place and ask him out.”
“That’s another problem.I’m shit at asking out guys.”I frown.“I’m the most pathetic twenty-eight-year-old gay dude to live because I don’t know how to talk to cute boys.”
“Ooh, you think he’s cuuute,” she teases.
“Neesh,” I grumble with irritation.
“Okay.”She squares her shoulders and looks around.“It’s easy…just take…”
At that moment, Max strides past us a few yards away with a box of doughnuts in one hand and a coffee in the other.“Yo, Max!”Necia hollers.
He turns and beams at us.He saunters closer while I wonder what she’s up to.“Hello, friends!”
“We go way back, wouldn’t you agree?”Necia asks.
“Naturally.Spellcaster school chums,” he replies through a chuckle.
“Would you like to go out on a date with me next weekend?”
His smile falls, and I fear his eyebrows might fly up and leave the stratosphere.“Uh…uh…”
“Like a romantic date,” Necia adds, cool as a cucumber.“Unless you’re dating someone else, that is?”
“N-n-no!I mean, um, yes.I mean…” He wipes his brow with the hand holding the box of doughnuts.Almost dropping his breakfast, he does a little wiggle to stabilize himself.“I meant…um, a date with…with you?”
“Yeah.Are you not interested?”she grins and sips her tea.Meanwhile, poor Max is fighting to form a sentence.
“No.Yes.No.I mean…yes.”He takes a deep breath, and I have to refrain from laughing out loud.“I would…like to go on a date with you.”
“Wonderful.How about tomorrow night?We can meet up in the Union lobby and pick a country to visit and have dinner.”
“Yes!”he squeaks.Max clears his throat and lowers his voice.“I mean, very well.See you then, Necia.”He nods at me and strides away.That was entertaining.
“See?Easy peasy,” Necia says with a mouth full of cake.
“You’re really gonna do Max like that?Stand him up just to make a point?”I smirk at my best friend and sip my coffee.
“Who says I’m gonna stand him up?”She leans back.“Your girl needs to spend time with a man other than her gay bestie, who refuses to ask out the guy he had hot sex with.”
Shaking my head, I say, “You’re incorrigible.”
“But am I wrong?”
Sipping my coffee, I reflect on my almost twenty-four hours in Paris with Taz.“No.I just need to muster up some courage.”
“Only if it’s something you want.”She leans forward and lowers her voice.“Is it something you want?”
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation.
