Ace and Lucas both looked at him.
“Well, the dancing sounds fun. But the grinding with strange men sounds kind of like a death sentence for those poor innocent souls,” Ace noted.
Gavin gave him an awkward look.Was he that undesirable that it was a death sentence for men he made out with?
“Yeah. If Caden or Blade ever found out that we were out dancing with other men, they would go homicidal,” Lucas added.
Whew!That Gavin could handle.
“They’d probably beat their asses till they were breathing through an oxygen tube…” Ace continued.
“Then they’d take us home… and…” Lucas began, swallowing hard as if turned on by the thought.
“Fuck us till we can’t see straight,” Ace finally finished for his best friend.
Both their heads snapped toward Gavin.
“We’re going out!” both shouted in unison, smiles practically swallowing their heads.
“What?” Gavin asked, suddenly wondering what he had gotten himself into.
“I’m ordering us a rideshare,” Ace blurted, as Lucas jumped to his feet, rushing to Ace’s old bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later with a handful of clothing, which he quickly began distributing.
Gavin held up the black mesh shirt he’d been given, wondering what he was supposed to do with this…looselyheld together article of clothing.
“Quick, put that on. Our ride will be here in ten,” Ace ordered, pulling off the rock T-shirt he had been wearing and replacing it with a crop top that said, “Naughty When Nice.”
Fifteen minutes later, they all squished into the back of a rideshare and were headed to one of the bars that doubled as a gay bar about thirty minutes away.
New Mexico wasn’t exactly known for its thriving gay scene, so bars like these existed to provide the queer community and their supporters with a safe place to gather and hang out.
“Oh my god, this place is amazing!” Gavin exclaimed as they walked across the club and found an empty spot to stand next to the bar.
Ace took a sip of his martini and smiled back at Gavin.
“I know it’s not the fancy clubs you're used to in the big cities, but it’s got music, people, and loads of cheap drinks!”
“That it does,” Lucas agreed, throwing his arm around Ace and leaning in to kiss his cheek.
These guys were great.
Having Ace and Lucas as friends really helped him feel less lonely and almost made him feel normal again. These last few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, and being out with his friends who genuinely seemed to care about him and his well-being had his heart swelling.
He had finally found a place where he belonged. Forreal. And not the fictional façade he created and posted for everyone each day.
Having Marcus and Ace and Lucas in his life, and now his puppy, he almost felt… happy.
“Hey, let’s take a picture,” Gavin shouted, wanting to capture this moment, this feeling, so he would never forget it.
He held out his phone and switched it to selfie mode.
The three of them leaned close to each other, like lifelong friends having the time of their lives. They all held up their drinks while making funny faces.
Gavin snapped a few photos, laughing and smiling and secretly wishing that a big growly someone was there with them. The more he got to know Marcus, the more his heart craved his attention.
“Let’s go dance!” Lucas shouted, reaching for both of their hands.
“I’ll meet you guys there in a sec,” Gavin said, opening his social media apps as he tried to decide which one of their photos he wanted to post.
