bar, low-key and casual, so he wasn’t worried about not fitting in.
Mark was at the bar, leaning over a pretty young blonde woman. He saw Michael immediately, and waved him over. Michael took a deep breath. Mark was very drunk, Michael could tell by the silly grin on his friend’s face.
“Mike, come ‘ere, meet my beautiful friend. She didn’t believe me, but I told her you’d be here. She’s a big fan, aren’t you, my beautiful friend?” Mark was good-looking, tall and muscular, with medium brown hair and brown eyes that were currently red-rimmed and un-focused. He had buried his face into the blonde’s hair, but she was not paying attention. She was looking straight at Michael, and he felt a wave of anger as she licked her lips and leaned toward him, completely ignoring his friend behind her.
“Hey,” he said, nodding his head briefly.
“Hey yourself,” she answered, arching her brows. “I missed the show last night, but I listen to you all the time.”
“Thanks. Hey, Mark. Man, how’ve you been?” Michael walked past the blonde and put his arm around Mark’s shoulders.
Mark grinned sloppily. “Mike, glad you could make it.” He put his mouth close to Michael’s ear. “This one is for you, Mike. I saved her just for you.”
“Thanks, Mark,” Michael whispered back, “But not tonight, man, okay?”
Mark looked at the bar and picked up a half-empty glass, sipping it sloppily. The blonde had come around behind Michael and slid her arms around his waist. Michael sighed. He should have gone home. He was in no mood for this.
“Mark,” he said, trying to ignore the girl as she pressed against him, “let’s get out of here. I need to get an early plane tomorrow.”
“That’s right. You’re going to Toronto. What the fuck is in Toronto?” Mark had finished his drink and was signaling the bartender, who was carefully ignoring him.
“A movie, Mark. I may be doing a movie.” Michael tried to pull away from the blonde. His body was responding to her. Diane was still fresh in his mind, and this woman’s touch was beginning to affect him. He gripped her left wrist and turned to her. “Please, not right now,” he said to her softly.
Mark grabbed Michael and swung him back around. “A movie? A fuckin’ movie? Jesus, Mike, can I be in your movie?”
Michael tried to maneuver his friend away from the bar. “It’s not my movie, Mark. You ready to get home?”
The blonde slid between Michael and Mark. “Don’t go yet,” she said, smiling. She rubbed herself against him, and he felt an immediate erection. She felt it too.
“See, I knew you’d be happy to meet me,” she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Michael pulled her arms away. “Not now,” he said again, louder, rudely. He grabbed Mark and pushed him ahead, through the crowd. He could hear her voice, shrill, following him outside. He and Mark started down the sidewalk, and she was right behind them.
“Hey, hey wait.” She put herself in front of Michael again. “Your friend here said you were a nice guy. Come on, be nice to me. I’ll be nice to you.” She was stroking him through the rough denim of his jeans, and he suddenly thought how easy it would be, that she would probably fuck him in the front seat of his truck. He was rock-hard, and she kissed him, her tongue deep in his mouth.
Mark staggered against them, and the blonde shoved him angrily. Mark started yelling, and Michael grabbed him again, pushing him further away.
“Hey, I’m sorry, really,” he called to her. “Listen, I’ll be back here tomorrow, okay?” He hurried Mark along, praying she would not follow. When he glanced back, she was walking back into Rollie’s. Michael sighed thankfully.
He walked them to Mark’s apartment. Mark searched his pockets, dragged out a key, and they went up three flights to a sprawling loft studio. Mark worked on Wall Street, and made easily six figures a year. The rent on his apartment,
Mark was at the bar, leaning over a pretty young blonde woman. He saw Michael immediately, and waved him over. Michael took a deep breath. Mark was very drunk, Michael could tell by the silly grin on his friend’s face.
“Mike, come ‘ere, meet my beautiful friend. She didn’t believe me, but I told her you’d be here. She’s a big fan, aren’t you, my beautiful friend?” Mark was good-looking, tall and muscular, with medium brown hair and brown eyes that were currently red-rimmed and un-focused. He had buried his face into the blonde’s hair, but she was not paying attention. She was looking straight at Michael, and he felt a wave of anger as she licked her lips and leaned toward him, completely ignoring his friend behind her.
“Hey,” he said, nodding his head briefly.
“Hey yourself,” she answered, arching her brows. “I missed the show last night, but I listen to you all the time.”
“Thanks. Hey, Mark. Man, how’ve you been?” Michael walked past the blonde and put his arm around Mark’s shoulders.
Mark grinned sloppily. “Mike, glad you could make it.” He put his mouth close to Michael’s ear. “This one is for you, Mike. I saved her just for you.”
“Thanks, Mark,” Michael whispered back, “But not tonight, man, okay?”
Mark looked at the bar and picked up a half-empty glass, sipping it sloppily. The blonde had come around behind Michael and slid her arms around his waist. Michael sighed. He should have gone home. He was in no mood for this.
“Mark,” he said, trying to ignore the girl as she pressed against him, “let’s get out of here. I need to get an early plane tomorrow.”
“That’s right. You’re going to Toronto. What the fuck is in Toronto?” Mark had finished his drink and was signaling the bartender, who was carefully ignoring him.
“A movie, Mark. I may be doing a movie.” Michael tried to pull away from the blonde. His body was responding to her. Diane was still fresh in his mind, and this woman’s touch was beginning to affect him. He gripped her left wrist and turned to her. “Please, not right now,” he said to her softly.
Mark grabbed Michael and swung him back around. “A movie? A fuckin’ movie? Jesus, Mike, can I be in your movie?”
Michael tried to maneuver his friend away from the bar. “It’s not my movie, Mark. You ready to get home?”
The blonde slid between Michael and Mark. “Don’t go yet,” she said, smiling. She rubbed herself against him, and he felt an immediate erection. She felt it too.
“See, I knew you’d be happy to meet me,” she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Michael pulled her arms away. “Not now,” he said again, louder, rudely. He grabbed Mark and pushed him ahead, through the crowd. He could hear her voice, shrill, following him outside. He and Mark started down the sidewalk, and she was right behind them.
“Hey, hey wait.” She put herself in front of Michael again. “Your friend here said you were a nice guy. Come on, be nice to me. I’ll be nice to you.” She was stroking him through the rough denim of his jeans, and he suddenly thought how easy it would be, that she would probably fuck him in the front seat of his truck. He was rock-hard, and she kissed him, her tongue deep in his mouth.
Mark staggered against them, and the blonde shoved him angrily. Mark started yelling, and Michael grabbed him again, pushing him further away.
“Hey, I’m sorry, really,” he called to her. “Listen, I’ll be back here tomorrow, okay?” He hurried Mark along, praying she would not follow. When he glanced back, she was walking back into Rollie’s. Michael sighed thankfully.
He walked them to Mark’s apartment. Mark searched his pockets, dragged out a key, and they went up three flights to a sprawling loft studio. Mark worked on Wall Street, and made easily six figures a year. The rent on his apartment,
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