swatted her hand away and
returned his attention to the glass that held something stronger than beer, gripping
it with both hands.
Jay couldn"t blame her for trying. Dark Eyes looked good in the black leather
and faded jeans, his dark hair and skin a temptation for the fingers. Jay clutched
his beer and took a swallow before setting it on the table he"d grabbed ten minutes
earlier.
Sonny"s Tavern was crowded, the eligible singles mixing with the heavy
drinkers. Most—like the woman hitting on Dark Eyes—not knowing how to tell the
difference between the two. The Friday night crowd was more animated than the
last night Jay had been in. A group of couples danced near the back wall, creating a
makeshift dance floor. There was a different bartender on duty, the television and
music overhead were louder, but the same old man sat sipping whiskey near the
restrooms.
Jay drank more of his beer and waited. It wouldn"t take long.
By the time he finished the beer, the bar stool next to Dark Eyes was empty,
the chatty blonde desperate for a free drink—and possibly more—had moved on.
Jay waved for another beer, dropped onto the stool, and said, “Hey.”
Dark Eyes ignored him and stood.
Apparently Jay sucked at the flirting thing. Which made sense. He hadn"t
dated many girls. The only one other than Katie had been a fellow classmate he"d
agreed to go to the homecoming dance with his junior year during the five weeks he
and Katie had their one breakup.
Dark Eyes removed his jacket, laid the leather over the bar, and sat again. The
muscles of his arm flexed as he lifted the glass for a drink. The hint of a tattoo
peeked out from under the T-shirt"s sleeve. An outline of an eagle feather.
“Do I know you?” Dark Eyes asked.
He"d forgotten.
And here Jay was picturing what it would be like to blow the guy. He"d always
wanted to know. Always imagined he"d like sucking cock and couldn"t stop dreaming
36
Sloan Parker
of doing it to Dark Eyes since the man had walked out of the bar the other night.
Was it because Jay knew Dark Eyes was gay?
No. This guy was a total turn-on for him. He"d only been sitting next to the
man long enough for one smoke, and already all Jay"s fantasies were roaring to life.
“I uh…I was in here the other night.”
“I remember,” Dark Eyes said. “Saw you outside the night before that too.
Thought maybe I"d seen you somewhere else, though.” He slid the bowl of peanuts
toward Jay.
Jay stilled the spinning bowl. “Don"t think so. I"d remember meeting you.”
Heat rose in his cheeks. Shut up ! But did he want to? He nodded to the TV. “You
watching the game?”
“Nah. I gave up last half.”
“Guess I didn"t miss much excitement, then. I had to work late.”
Dark Eyes removed one hand from his glass. He made like he was going to
take a drink. “Where do you work?” The question came out in a rush before the
glass hit his lips.
“Stacking loads at McNeil"s Lumber Yard.” Jay made eye contact with the
man. Neither looked away. A nervous jolt shot from his gut to his groin. “It"s a shit
job, but I"m lucky to have it. I was going to college but, I…uh, I had to quit. And
since they won"t let you teach high school history without a college degree, or a
teacher"s license for that matter, I"m stuck with whatever pays the bills.”
Dark Eyes let go of his drink and turned on the stool a fraction of an inch in
Jay"s direction. The slight curve of his lips wasn"t as unnerving as the intense stare.
Jay kept talking. “History"s always been my thing. Since I was a kid. Everyone
thinks I"m crazy for wanting to teach high schoolers, but there"s a lot we can learn
from history.” And why was he sharing any of this?
The grin on the other man"s face grew. “You always talk this much?”
Jay shrugged and sipped the beer he"d forgotten he had. “I don"t know.” He
laughed. That statement was worth a laugh—the first real one in over a
returned his attention to the glass that held something stronger than beer, gripping
it with both hands.
Jay couldn"t blame her for trying. Dark Eyes looked good in the black leather
and faded jeans, his dark hair and skin a temptation for the fingers. Jay clutched
his beer and took a swallow before setting it on the table he"d grabbed ten minutes
earlier.
Sonny"s Tavern was crowded, the eligible singles mixing with the heavy
drinkers. Most—like the woman hitting on Dark Eyes—not knowing how to tell the
difference between the two. The Friday night crowd was more animated than the
last night Jay had been in. A group of couples danced near the back wall, creating a
makeshift dance floor. There was a different bartender on duty, the television and
music overhead were louder, but the same old man sat sipping whiskey near the
restrooms.
Jay drank more of his beer and waited. It wouldn"t take long.
By the time he finished the beer, the bar stool next to Dark Eyes was empty,
the chatty blonde desperate for a free drink—and possibly more—had moved on.
Jay waved for another beer, dropped onto the stool, and said, “Hey.”
Dark Eyes ignored him and stood.
Apparently Jay sucked at the flirting thing. Which made sense. He hadn"t
dated many girls. The only one other than Katie had been a fellow classmate he"d
agreed to go to the homecoming dance with his junior year during the five weeks he
and Katie had their one breakup.
Dark Eyes removed his jacket, laid the leather over the bar, and sat again. The
muscles of his arm flexed as he lifted the glass for a drink. The hint of a tattoo
peeked out from under the T-shirt"s sleeve. An outline of an eagle feather.
“Do I know you?” Dark Eyes asked.
He"d forgotten.
And here Jay was picturing what it would be like to blow the guy. He"d always
wanted to know. Always imagined he"d like sucking cock and couldn"t stop dreaming
36
Sloan Parker
of doing it to Dark Eyes since the man had walked out of the bar the other night.
Was it because Jay knew Dark Eyes was gay?
No. This guy was a total turn-on for him. He"d only been sitting next to the
man long enough for one smoke, and already all Jay"s fantasies were roaring to life.
“I uh…I was in here the other night.”
“I remember,” Dark Eyes said. “Saw you outside the night before that too.
Thought maybe I"d seen you somewhere else, though.” He slid the bowl of peanuts
toward Jay.
Jay stilled the spinning bowl. “Don"t think so. I"d remember meeting you.”
Heat rose in his cheeks. Shut up ! But did he want to? He nodded to the TV. “You
watching the game?”
“Nah. I gave up last half.”
“Guess I didn"t miss much excitement, then. I had to work late.”
Dark Eyes removed one hand from his glass. He made like he was going to
take a drink. “Where do you work?” The question came out in a rush before the
glass hit his lips.
“Stacking loads at McNeil"s Lumber Yard.” Jay made eye contact with the
man. Neither looked away. A nervous jolt shot from his gut to his groin. “It"s a shit
job, but I"m lucky to have it. I was going to college but, I…uh, I had to quit. And
since they won"t let you teach high school history without a college degree, or a
teacher"s license for that matter, I"m stuck with whatever pays the bills.”
Dark Eyes let go of his drink and turned on the stool a fraction of an inch in
Jay"s direction. The slight curve of his lips wasn"t as unnerving as the intense stare.
Jay kept talking. “History"s always been my thing. Since I was a kid. Everyone
thinks I"m crazy for wanting to teach high schoolers, but there"s a lot we can learn
from history.” And why was he sharing any of this?
The grin on the other man"s face grew. “You always talk this much?”
Jay shrugged and sipped the beer he"d forgotten he had. “I don"t know.” He
laughed. That statement was worth a laugh—the first real one in over a
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