Page 41 of A Matter of Time

“I want you to go home.”

I shrugged. “Somebody’ll take me home, Detective, don’t you worry.”

He stared at me a long minute before he got up.

“Jory!”

I lifted my head then so I could see my friend Eddie.

“Jory, c’mon, Wade’s gettin’ his ass kicked in the bathroom.”

“Only at a straight club,” I muttered as I got up slowly to follow him. “This kinda shit never happens at a gay club.”

I trailed after Eddie, zigzagging through the crowd, keeping up a running commentary about how if we were in a gay club, the word “bitch” would have been volleyed back and forth and then everyone would have walked away. At straight clubs, however, fists flew instead of insults about what you were wearing.

Eddie went through the door, but before I could follow, a heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder. When I turned my head, Detective Kage was there.

“Lemme go. I gotta⁠—”

“And you’re gonna do what?” he snapped at me, shoving me aside, pinning me to the wall. “Don’t move.”

“Wait, I gotta help my⁠—”

He pressed his hand hard against my chest, and I could feel the cold cement through the thin fabric of my spandex T-shirt. “He’ll be right out. Don’t you fuckin’ move.”

I nodded, and he threw open the door and disappeared inside. Not even a minute later Eddie came out, trailed by Wade, and finally Detective Kage.

“Thank you.” Wade sighed, pressing some paper towels against his bottom lip as he stared at the police officer. “Really.”

Detective Kage nodded before his eyes flicked to me.

“Jory.” Eddie laughed nervously. “You didn’t tell me you brought backup.”

“I didn’t know I had.”

“Once Detective Kage flashed his badge, he scared the shit outta those guys!”

“They deserved it,” Wade groused, balling up the bloody paper towel in his hand. “That asshole’s been hittin’ on Gretchen all night, and he saw she was with me—what the hell?”

“Never follow a guy into a bathroom,” Detective Kage warned him.

“Unless you’re in a gay club,” I countered. “And you’re invited.”

“Because,” Detective Kage said loudly, trying to keep the conversation serious, “you never know where his friends are. There were four other guys in there.”

Wade nodded. “I’ll keep it in mind, Detective.”

“Thanks again,” Eddie said quickly.

“Yeah, thanks, man,” Wade chorused, grabbing hold of the front of my T-shirt and tugging me after him. “Let’s go get something to eat and⁠—”

But I was yanked backward out of my friend’s grip. I felt like a rag doll pulled in two directions at once.

“Jory ate already. I’ll take him home. You guys go ahead.”

They would have argued with me. They didn’t argue with Detective Kage. They both hugged me good night, I got the guy-clench times two, and then they were gone. I stood motionless as Detective Kage walked around in front of me.

“Thank you for saving Wade.”