C
hapter 9 –
D
avid:
Opening Day!
W
hen the sun rose that morning, David couldn’t believe the last few days had gone by so fast. He had spent his time efficiently and Bo had taught him everything he had to know about the bar. He knew all the cocktails’ names, where he could find everything in the bar, how to make this bar run smoothly. He had to repeat each technical term until his head hurt, not unlike a serious hangover after a long night drinking..
He knew the routine by heart. First, he would receive the deliveries every other day at seven a.m., for orders made no later than six p.m. the night before. The bar would open at eleven a.m. with 'last call' at ten p.m. on weekdays and at two a.m. on Friday and weekends. The bar was closed on Mondays and Saturday was their live-music day. He had done some research on the first band, which would play later that night. They had been booked by Bo. It was a blues band and the female singer had a lovely voice, low for a woman and groovy. He had heard the sample they had sent and was stunned by the quality of their music. It would be a delightful evening, if counting only on their skills.
Bo had introduced him to every actor in the bar’s life, even to their accountant. Going up the stairs to his flat at night, he was more exhausted than he had thought possible. He was far too tired to talk more than a few minutes at a time to his kids via Skype. He compensated by texting them throughout the day but he missed them a lot. He hadn’t seen James much lately either. Not that he missed him, but…he wondered if James was avoiding him. He kept questioning himself.
I might have misunderstood something. Was he not hitting on me, that day? Maybe he has decided I’m not worth the effort. Or he doesn’t like me enough?
Sometimes he thought him being so emotional with James that first day might have displeased him. Showing feelings might not be manly enough for James, but David couldn’t help being who he was. He used to adore his wife and wouldn’t hide it for the world. Actually, he should be the one to feel wary about this non-relationship they had. He was the one to take a leap into the unknown. He forced himself to think hard. He had been with Suzanne for so long, he had forgotten who he had been with in his life before her. He closed his eyes, letting the unwanted memories resurface.
He had spent his years at Uni in a continuous swirl, working crazy hours a day whether he was in any of the auditoriums or at the library. He had a night job in a restaurant to help him pay the tuition. A precise memory popped up in his mind, Julien.
Julien was the son of his boss ―a stunning beauty with dirty blond hair, a soft baby face and huge doe eyes. They had often exchanged stolen glances but never more than that. And, suddenly, it hit him.
Alone in his room, feeling a little sick, he remembered. Other boys. Other men. Other stolen glances. David was horrified. How could he have forgotten? How could he have buried these memories so deep they would come back only now, after all these years? He had heard of traumatizing experiences that could lead to partial loss of memory. But he couldn’t point out an event which would have forced his brain to shut everything down and bury the memories to protect his sanity. He had never lived through anything violent…well, except for the car crash that had killed his dear wife.
But…if I had blotted out my past, it would have been before even meeting my Suzie. Maybe…maybe I didn’t need a shock to do it. Maybe I forced myself to forget. Was it too painful?
He had been raised by kind but busy people. His parents held a bar and restaurant and didn’t always have time for him. He had hung out a lot in there just to spend time with them. That was how he had heard the patrons’ conversations. The TV was always on, broadcasting MTV’s music videos or international news channels. Customers would pick on a subject and discuss it for hours. Their comments about these “fucking fag presenters” or the “queer fashion season” didn’t do anything to make him comfortable talking about the beauty of the guys in question.
One day a young hairdresser moved to the village. Arnaud, if David remembered correctly. He was young, lean ―his muscles long under his tan― and he bore a few tattoos, when it wasn't all that fashionable. You would probably call him a twink, these days. He was a beauty and a very nice guy. But at the time, in a small village, they didn’t like strangers. And even less a stranger who was so blatantly gay.
They didn’t need a cute young thing like him to make them face their homophobia and they tried to make him understand. But Arnaud, the sweet guy, wouldn’t quit. He wouldn’t leave the life he was trying to build. He wouldn’t give up his personality or his manners and, one day, he vanished. Nobody wanted to talk about it, especially a group of hunters who were regulars in David’s parents’ bar. He had absolutely no proof, but David was convinced they had something to do with the young man's disappearance.
So, maybe, there was a traumatizing event that caused him to forget the attraction he felt toward men. At the time, he hadn’t been so shocked, just worried about this nice boy, wondering what could have happened to him. But his subconscious had been scared. He had tried to ignore the beauty of men and when he met Suzanne during their last year at Uni, he knew she was his safety net. They had become closer when they had begun to work together and their life was made before they grew conscious of it.
And now, here he was. His wife gone. His kids grown up. And nothing but freedom ahead of him.
Hello. My name is David, I’m 39. I am free. And I am gay.
It felt odd. He couldn’t help wondering if he was truly gay and, more importantly, if he just had to say it out loud to accept it. Or did he have to act on it to make it feel more real?
Well, it’s not by resting all day long in bed that you will find out about that!
He chastised himself.
And now he was talking to himself again. He sighed inwardly. He needed to get going. He decided to root out the evil and have a talk with James as soon as he saw him.
Why is he avoiding me? What does he think? That I’ll jump him next time I see him? That I’ll throw myself at his feet because we exchanged some hot caresses that blew my mind and put my heart on fire? Okay, okay, a little too much maybe? I’m being carried away by my grandiloquence, it seems… I still can’t believe it…
he mumbled inwardly. He bit his lip and grew angrier at the American.
How dare he? He did NOT hurt my feelings by ignoring me. No!
He took a shower, still pissed off, and got ready for the day. He went downstairs and signed the papers for the delivery guy. A long day was about to begin.
Bo hadn’t arrived yet, which was odd because he was always the first one at work. One of the kitchen’s double doors opened with a thud and there stood the man of his thoughts. James was quietly arguing with Bo, the sounds muffled and indistinct. As soon as they saw him, they stopped talking.
Talk about awkward…
“Good morning. What’s the matter?” David asked, smiling.
“Nothin,” Bo frowned. “It’s D-Day, are you ready for the rush?” he asked, promptly changing the subject.
David was happy to oblige. “I’m impatient, even. I’m curious to see what the band is like, live. I can’t wait for tonight, to be honest. It’s a major life change for me, in every sense of the word.” He watched James intensely, knowing he was probably making a fool of himself with his blatant statement. He didn’t know what more he could do to force James to accept that David wanted him.
Throw my naked self at him, maybe?
David smiled secretively. He liked the idea.
David caught a glimpse of the need in James’ eyes before he turned his head.
Hmm…let’s play cat and mouse…
He pulled one hand out of his jeans pocket and trailed it over his chest. He knew the black t-shirt he was wearing that day hugged him tighter than a tattoo. Looking at James with heat in his eyes, his reward came in the form of James’ scorching hot glance. A smile tugged at his lips. David felt less and less shy. It was as if a heavy armor had been lifted from his chest and heart. It was freeing and he felt so light he thought he could fly. He had the power to make his life whatever he wanted it to be. He could seduce a person he appreciated and who wasn’t female for once. The air he inhaled was fresher than ever, filling him up with courage and he dared to pronounce the next words.
“Will you be there tonight, James? We need all the support available to help us build a better future.” He winked and smiled.
James hesitated before nodding but he looked upset.
I hope I haven’t screwed up everything.
David thought. James, without warning, whirled on his heels and disappeared through the kitchen door. Bo looked at David with a fatherly attitude, as if ready to serve him
the
speech…he’d had enough sermons in his life and he absolutely didn’t feel like having one right now. So he decided to cut in before Bo even had the chance to speak.
“No, I have no idea where I’m headed and no, I don’t want to know it in advance. So whatever it is you wanted to say, just forget it. Or save it for later, when it’s time for an ‘I told you so’.”
Bo quirked an eyebrow and bit his lips, trying to stop talking. Or worse, laughing.
“Alrite, Kiddo, as ya wish.“ He finally blurted.
“Don’t call me
Kiddo
, I’m certainly not a kid. I’m probably even older than you!” He exploded, tense as a string. “I may not have lived adventures abroad like you both did, but I lived my life. And what I want to do with it is none of anyone’s business!” He knew he was on the defensive but couldn’t stop the words getting out of his mouth.
“It’s none of anyone’s business as long as it doesn’t have any impact on da atmosphere at work. If ya plan ta mess with me, or any of us for that matter, at work, ya should put an end to dis and fast. Do I make myself clear?”
Nothing had changed in Bo’s demeanor; it was all about the tone. Without even moving a single muscle, an aura of authority emanated from him. His hands casually tucked in his back pockets, he stood there, showing off his power. David didn’t know what his rank had been in the Marines, but there was no doubt he expected to be obeyed. David nodded reluctantly. Bo relaxed and they began to rearrange the tables and tidy up the room. Soon the entire team would be gathered, David had learned a little more about everyone during the preparations for tonight's opening.
Danny was 19 and worked as a server to pay his tuition fees. He didn’t have support from his parents so he had to gather all the money he could to sustain his needs. Bo hadn’t wanted to say more about him. He had only added that if Danny wanted to confide in him, he would do it in his own time. To Bo, he was sympathetic and wouldn’t cause David trouble.
Jet worked part-time at the bar. She was a petite 23-year old brunette with spiky hair. She had come by during the week to check out her new schedule. She was charming, and had a dry sense of humor that David loved. Her sarcastic comments had put him off balance at first but he quickly got used to it. Jet had stayed to chat for an hour and he knew he would love working with her. She had another part-time job in a bookshop during the day, so she would be here only a few nights a week.
He hadn’t met Sin yet. He didn’t even know if it was a man or a woman, but that kind of name was promising some interesting shifts. After all, gluttony was a sin and cooking would be double trouble, regarding the seven sins. Thinking about that reminded him of the cathedral he still hadn’t been able to visit.
A more or less gay bar, with Sin working in the kitchen, in front of a cathedral? What were they thinking?
David chuckled.
As it was opening night, the entire team would be together.
Time flew by and David only saw James at the end of the day. When he passed through the kitchen door, David was behind the bar, polishing the clean glasses with a dry cloth. It was a quarter to six, so there was precious little time before they would open the main doors. James looked stunning and David thought his heart had stopped beating. His breath hitched and he couldn’t help but stare.
James was wearing a black button-down shirt with a stylish grey print on his chest. The first button was casually open and he had rolled up his sleeves. His jeans were hugging his strong thighs. Even with the best will in the world, you couldn’t have slid a finger between the fabric and James’ skin. David noticed that James wasn’t wearing a vest so he was hoping he would stay the night in the bar. Watching him go out without him wouldn’t do any good for his plans. He would, however, gladly help him climb the stairs later that night.
The idea caused a stir down south and his Mini-Me woke up. As he stood behind the bar, he took the opportunity to place his disobedient cock properly in his pants. It didn’t want to stay still, hidden behind the soft fabric of his boxer shorts. No, instead, it insisted to show the tip of its muzzle at the most inappropriate moment.
If you can’t even trust your own body anymore…
He tried to force it to calm down by taking a deep breath.
David let his eyes wander over James’ body and lifted his gaze to his face, where it was more socially acceptable. James’ red-blond hair was artistically combed, transforming his mane in a disciplined mess. David moaned inwardly. James was glowing.
The night would be a long one. Incredibly long.