He was so fucked, wasn’t he?
Denny almost wanted to call Sammie again, but he decided against it when he realized that he wanted to handle this on his own. There was a part of him that was attracted to Josiah, a part that had been dormant for all these years along the rest of his… well, he guessed bisexuality.
He could still find women appealing and wouldn’t be against having sex with a woman, but the more he thought about it, the more he was starting to think that maybe he didn’t like women as much as he’d thought? Now that his mind had opened to the idea that he was attracted to men as well, he was starting to question things.
He had early dinner at a small restaurant not far from the Hare. They opened late on Wednesdays anyway, so he had time to sit and people-watch, and whoa boy was that eye-opening, too.
Now that he looked at men differently, he could pinpoint things he liked and didn’t like. For example, a couple of young men walked past the windows as he was waiting for his meal, and one of them had tattoos on his arms. Denny’s mouth went dry, and he almost choked on his water when he realized that the man in question also had similar hairstyle to Josiah’s.
“I’ve been fucking blind,” he murmured under his breath.
“Excuse me?” The waitress who had reached his table seemed startled.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
He must’ve appeared sheepish, because she placed his plate in front of him and asked, “One of those days, eh?”
“You could say so, yes,” he admitted.
“Let me know if you need anything else.” She didn’t give him that look he sometimes got along with those words.
“Thank you.” He’d remember to tip her very generously. Not that he wouldn’t tip more than the suggested amount anyway. He could afford it, so why not?
He had his pasta dish in silence. There was a couple a few tables over, and they seemed to be in their early thirties. They were having quiet conversation interspersed with bright laughter. It looked as if they were on a date, and everything was going well.
Denny tried not to stare at them. They were attractive, but when the man tilted his head back as he laughed and the light of their candle hit him just right, he was breathtaking.
Denny groaned. He had never been blind to male beauty. Nobody could be in a world where appearance was everything. He’d discussed celebrities with Kristin, and they’d both had playful hall passes—hers had one female on it, which was funny in hindsight as he hadn’t even thought of putting a man on his—and talked about the various qualities of the actors they liked.
Once he’d finished his meal, he paid and left a large tip, then started his walk toward the Hare. He’d parked his car midway between the restaurant and the Hare, somehow feeling anxious about parking at the bar. He felt as if he was going on a first date and was about fifteen years old. Not that this was a date. It was as far from a date as they could get. If he were completely honest, Denny didn’t know where they’d even go from here.
He rounded the corner about half past six and could already hear someone singing inside the Hare.
Smiling, he approached the door where Nelson was holding it for a young couple.
“Hey, Nelson,” Denny greeted him.
“Oh, hey.” Something complex flashed in Nelson’s gaze.
“I know, okay. I’m sorry. I’ll try to fix it.” He hoped his words sounded like the vow they were.
Maybe he got it or maybe Nelson was being gracious, but after a long, hard look, he nodded slowly. “All right. Just… don’t break him any more than he’s already broken now.”
Swallowing hard, Denny nodded. Nelson held the door for him and he stepped inside.
His gaze immediately went to the bar. The twins were working, Yolanda handing drinks to customers and Drea was writing into her notebook to keep an order of the performers. Unlike normal, Josiah wasn’t there.
Denny’s forehead scrunched up as he glanced around. No Josiah anywhere.
He walked to the bar.
“Hey, is your boss around?” he asked Drea.
“Depends,” she deadpanned without taking her eyes off the list.
“Drea, please. I’m here to make it right, or at least better.”
She raised her gaze and locked eyes with him. “I don’t know what you did, but I have a good fucking idea. We’re not blind here and we’re all family. So you fix this. Whatever you did, you fix it.” She searched his face for something, then nodded. “He’s in the office.”
