want to be late picking up Aaron.
“Not she. I’m going with my friend Aaron. See you guys.” I escaped immediately, but the look on Curt’s face told me he remembered Aaron and that I had some explaining to do. Whatever. I would deal with my friends’ curiosity later.
I made it to Aaron’s in record time, sending him a text when I was in front of his building. A car was pulling out of a prime spot near his building’s main entrance, so I maneuvered my way over to snag it in case Aaron wasn’t ready. Aaron called me just as I’d set my car in park.
“Matty, I’m so sorry. I am running so behind. I need another ten minutes. Come on up? I promise I’ll hurry. You remember the way?”
“Sure. 5E, right?”
“Impressive. I’m off!”
He sounded winded, like he was indeed in a major rush. I could hear music pumping loudly in the background. Must be his method of unwinding. I smiled to myself, thinking we were similar in that music was definitely how I unwound after a long, stressful day, and yet how different our musical choices were! His dance music made me cringe a little inside, but somehow it made sense to me that it worked for him.
Of course, it came as no surprise as the elevator opened to the fifth floor that the bass boom could be heard down the hall. I shook my head, wondering if he’d hear my knock and how the hell his neighbors put up with him. The door was actually open a bit, possibly in anticipation of my arrival.
“Aaron?” I called over the incessant beat of a Black Eyed Peas song I sort of recognized as I closed the door behind me. I noticed his place was as tidy as I remembered on my first visit; however, a peek into his bedroom just beyond showed a ransacked mess. Wardrobe issue? I couldn’t think with the music blaring, and I had yet to see my host. I saw a speaker set up on his kitchen counter and made my way over to put myself, as well as the rest of his building, out of our misery. That caught his attention.
“Oh, hi!” Aaron sashayed into the room wearing very tight black leather pants and a floral-print, blousy-looking button-down shirt. His gorgeous eyes were heavily lined and highlighted with what looked like glitter. His feet were bare, and I think his toes were actually painted to match the black or dark-blue hue on his fingers. He kissed my cheek in greeting and grabbed a small tube of lip gloss, which he used liberally as he took in my appearance.
“You look sexy,” he said once his lips were painted to his satisfaction. “I just need to find my boots and I’ll be ready to go!”
“Whoa. Wait a sec. I look like I’m attending a conservative gallery opening, and you appear to be going clubbing. I’m a little at a loss here, Aaron.” That was an understatement. I had a bad feeling I was being set up again. Aaron, I suspected, had set a scene into play, and I was supposed to figure it out. Fuck it. I didn’t mind a little mystery, but he had me unnerved again. Was he attending the gallery show and then ditching me to go clubbing? I didn’t think so, because he asked about dinner. I was in over my head, way over my head.
“Don’t be silly. You look delicious.” I raised my eyebrows at that, and he flashed one of those beautiful smiles at me. I forgot for a second what we were talking about and remembered the last time I’d been here. He must have noticed something akin to desire in my expression, because he looked flustered and quickly busied himself trying to find his boots.
“Are we going to a gallery? I’m confused.” My focus returned when he left the room to find socks back in his bedroom.
“Of course. I told Richie I’d go, so I must. What’s the matter? Don’t you want to?”
“Yes. I’m… I guess I’m a little confused about how differently we’re dressed. That’s all.” It sounded stupid said aloud, but hey, it was true.
“People dress differently all the time, Matt. Self-expression, right? You don’t like my outfit?”
He
“Not she. I’m going with my friend Aaron. See you guys.” I escaped immediately, but the look on Curt’s face told me he remembered Aaron and that I had some explaining to do. Whatever. I would deal with my friends’ curiosity later.
I made it to Aaron’s in record time, sending him a text when I was in front of his building. A car was pulling out of a prime spot near his building’s main entrance, so I maneuvered my way over to snag it in case Aaron wasn’t ready. Aaron called me just as I’d set my car in park.
“Matty, I’m so sorry. I am running so behind. I need another ten minutes. Come on up? I promise I’ll hurry. You remember the way?”
“Sure. 5E, right?”
“Impressive. I’m off!”
He sounded winded, like he was indeed in a major rush. I could hear music pumping loudly in the background. Must be his method of unwinding. I smiled to myself, thinking we were similar in that music was definitely how I unwound after a long, stressful day, and yet how different our musical choices were! His dance music made me cringe a little inside, but somehow it made sense to me that it worked for him.
Of course, it came as no surprise as the elevator opened to the fifth floor that the bass boom could be heard down the hall. I shook my head, wondering if he’d hear my knock and how the hell his neighbors put up with him. The door was actually open a bit, possibly in anticipation of my arrival.
“Aaron?” I called over the incessant beat of a Black Eyed Peas song I sort of recognized as I closed the door behind me. I noticed his place was as tidy as I remembered on my first visit; however, a peek into his bedroom just beyond showed a ransacked mess. Wardrobe issue? I couldn’t think with the music blaring, and I had yet to see my host. I saw a speaker set up on his kitchen counter and made my way over to put myself, as well as the rest of his building, out of our misery. That caught his attention.
“Oh, hi!” Aaron sashayed into the room wearing very tight black leather pants and a floral-print, blousy-looking button-down shirt. His gorgeous eyes were heavily lined and highlighted with what looked like glitter. His feet were bare, and I think his toes were actually painted to match the black or dark-blue hue on his fingers. He kissed my cheek in greeting and grabbed a small tube of lip gloss, which he used liberally as he took in my appearance.
“You look sexy,” he said once his lips were painted to his satisfaction. “I just need to find my boots and I’ll be ready to go!”
“Whoa. Wait a sec. I look like I’m attending a conservative gallery opening, and you appear to be going clubbing. I’m a little at a loss here, Aaron.” That was an understatement. I had a bad feeling I was being set up again. Aaron, I suspected, had set a scene into play, and I was supposed to figure it out. Fuck it. I didn’t mind a little mystery, but he had me unnerved again. Was he attending the gallery show and then ditching me to go clubbing? I didn’t think so, because he asked about dinner. I was in over my head, way over my head.
“Don’t be silly. You look delicious.” I raised my eyebrows at that, and he flashed one of those beautiful smiles at me. I forgot for a second what we were talking about and remembered the last time I’d been here. He must have noticed something akin to desire in my expression, because he looked flustered and quickly busied himself trying to find his boots.
“Are we going to a gallery? I’m confused.” My focus returned when he left the room to find socks back in his bedroom.
“Of course. I told Richie I’d go, so I must. What’s the matter? Don’t you want to?”
“Yes. I’m… I guess I’m a little confused about how differently we’re dressed. That’s all.” It sounded stupid said aloud, but hey, it was true.
“People dress differently all the time, Matt. Self-expression, right? You don’t like my outfit?”
He
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