Mike laughing instead of nervous, although there were several empty beer bottles on the table, which might have explained that. Mike went on, “The mustache sitting next to James is Dave. He did a tour in Saudi Arabia with me and Sandy in the late nineties. And the guy with the shellacked hair over there is Dave’s boyfriend Angelo.” Mike placed his hand on the small of Gio’s back and said, “Guys, this is Gio.”
Everyone greeted Gio with smiles and waves.
“We just have to settle up the bill and then we’ll be on our way,” said Mike.
“Yes, all right.”
“I got this,” Sandy said. “You and Gio go ahead and wait outside.”
Mike pulled a wallet from his back pocket and handed a wad of bills to Sandy.
They were relatively alone out on the sidewalk, but Gio was still conscious of the people scuttling by him. And he couldn’t take his eyes off Mike’s arms.
“Sorry, my friends are….” Mike waved toward the restaurant, looking flustered, but didn’t finish the sentence.
“It’s okay,” said Gio, although he had no idea what Mike was apologizing for.
“I’m glad you made it, though.” Mike hopped a little, shaking out his arms. “I… this is… it’s a little strange for me, I guess. You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who hangs around in clubs, but I can’t for the life of me think of what else I’d rather be doing on a Friday night.” He put his hands on his hips, which only emphasized the whole package. Gio stared at that chest and wondered what it would be like to touch this man, to be in bed with him. Mike said, “Well, I guess I can think of a few things I’d rather be doing.” He winked.
“Huh?” said Gio.
Mike laughed. “Wow. I make a joke about sex and you’re not even paying attention.”
Gio let himself touch, let his fingers float down Mike’s chest. The tank top was soft and Mike’s skin was warm beneath it. Oddio . “You’re distracting,” Gio said.
Mike caught his hand and held it for a moment. Mike’s hand was rough and calloused but warm against Gio’s soft skin. Gio felt weak for a brief moment. The hardest physical thing he ever did was run on the treadmill at the gym. But Mike had work-roughened hands and strong muscles, and his body was incredible. Mike let his hand go and Gio dropped it to his side.
“I’m distracting?” Mike said.
“You are… you’re a beautiful man, Mike.”
“Thank you.”
“You go out like this often?”
“Not like we used to.” Mike gazed down the street toward Ninth Avenue. “For a while there, Sandy and I were going out pretty regularly, but we’ve been doing much less of that lately. We’ve been busy, I guess.”
Gio wanted to know so much about that. He wanted to know if Mike and Sandy had been an item, if Mike had gone home with a lot of strangers, if Mike was more of a party boy than he came across as. Gio didn’t ask any of these questions, though, worried he wouldn’t like the answers.
“I haven’t been to many dance clubs in the States,” Gio said.
“No?”
“When I lived in Milan, there was this little disco near La Scala that I used to love. Milan has a few gay bars, but it’s not like New York. So this was kind of a refuge. It’s where my friends and I went to dance and drink. I was more carefree in those days, I suppose. I had my whole career ahead of me.” It was a little bittersweet, thinking back on that time. “Well, anyway, I suppose I have been feeling my age lately.” Gio shrugged.
“Maybe what you need is a little dancing to feel young again,” said Mike. He glanced toward the restaurant. “The guys are coming.”
Gio appreciated the sentiment but felt a little skeptical. Looking at these friends of Mike’s made Gio feel a little awkward and out of place. He worried he wouldn’t be able to keep up or he’d make himself look foolish. But before he could get very far with that line of thinking, Mike’s friends emerged from the restaurant.
When Sandy walked
Everyone greeted Gio with smiles and waves.
“We just have to settle up the bill and then we’ll be on our way,” said Mike.
“Yes, all right.”
“I got this,” Sandy said. “You and Gio go ahead and wait outside.”
Mike pulled a wallet from his back pocket and handed a wad of bills to Sandy.
They were relatively alone out on the sidewalk, but Gio was still conscious of the people scuttling by him. And he couldn’t take his eyes off Mike’s arms.
“Sorry, my friends are….” Mike waved toward the restaurant, looking flustered, but didn’t finish the sentence.
“It’s okay,” said Gio, although he had no idea what Mike was apologizing for.
“I’m glad you made it, though.” Mike hopped a little, shaking out his arms. “I… this is… it’s a little strange for me, I guess. You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who hangs around in clubs, but I can’t for the life of me think of what else I’d rather be doing on a Friday night.” He put his hands on his hips, which only emphasized the whole package. Gio stared at that chest and wondered what it would be like to touch this man, to be in bed with him. Mike said, “Well, I guess I can think of a few things I’d rather be doing.” He winked.
“Huh?” said Gio.
Mike laughed. “Wow. I make a joke about sex and you’re not even paying attention.”
Gio let himself touch, let his fingers float down Mike’s chest. The tank top was soft and Mike’s skin was warm beneath it. Oddio . “You’re distracting,” Gio said.
Mike caught his hand and held it for a moment. Mike’s hand was rough and calloused but warm against Gio’s soft skin. Gio felt weak for a brief moment. The hardest physical thing he ever did was run on the treadmill at the gym. But Mike had work-roughened hands and strong muscles, and his body was incredible. Mike let his hand go and Gio dropped it to his side.
“I’m distracting?” Mike said.
“You are… you’re a beautiful man, Mike.”
“Thank you.”
“You go out like this often?”
“Not like we used to.” Mike gazed down the street toward Ninth Avenue. “For a while there, Sandy and I were going out pretty regularly, but we’ve been doing much less of that lately. We’ve been busy, I guess.”
Gio wanted to know so much about that. He wanted to know if Mike and Sandy had been an item, if Mike had gone home with a lot of strangers, if Mike was more of a party boy than he came across as. Gio didn’t ask any of these questions, though, worried he wouldn’t like the answers.
“I haven’t been to many dance clubs in the States,” Gio said.
“No?”
“When I lived in Milan, there was this little disco near La Scala that I used to love. Milan has a few gay bars, but it’s not like New York. So this was kind of a refuge. It’s where my friends and I went to dance and drink. I was more carefree in those days, I suppose. I had my whole career ahead of me.” It was a little bittersweet, thinking back on that time. “Well, anyway, I suppose I have been feeling my age lately.” Gio shrugged.
“Maybe what you need is a little dancing to feel young again,” said Mike. He glanced toward the restaurant. “The guys are coming.”
Gio appreciated the sentiment but felt a little skeptical. Looking at these friends of Mike’s made Gio feel a little awkward and out of place. He worried he wouldn’t be able to keep up or he’d make himself look foolish. But before he could get very far with that line of thinking, Mike’s friends emerged from the restaurant.
When Sandy walked
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