Chapter Three

Jeff

Tugging at the red booty shorts that do nothing to actually cover my booty, I glare at Kyle. “I can't believe you fucking dragged me here.”

“You look hot,” he says, nudging Jon’s shoulder. “Tell him he looks hot.”

Jonathan looks even more stressed than me as he tightens the rope of his toga. “You look hot, Jeff.”

“I'd be a little more convinced if you actually looked at me when you said it.”

He raises his eyes and gives me a quick once-over, tilting his head to check out my ass. “Yeah, you're good. But this thing is ridiculous.”

Kyle swats at his hands. “You're messing it up! I had it perfect when we got out of the car, and now you're all cockeyed again.”

Jonathan closes his eyes, throwing his head back. I can see his lips moving as he counts to himself. He does that a lot. I'm guessing it's a throwback to when his mother used to put him in timeout. Then again, I've met his mother and she's pretty chill. How she raised such an uptight guy is beyond me.

But he's a rich lawyer, so I can understand what Kyle sees in him. Besides, Kyle is the doting type and likes to take care of Jon and his little quirks.

“Alright, I'm gonna get a drink.” I leave them fussing with their clothes and head toward the bar. Jet is filling up a line of shot glasses for Trixie when he notices me.

“Hey, Jeff. You look great.” He leans forward and winks. “Nice ass.”

I smile awkwardly and nod. “Thanks. Kyle made me wear it. I wanted to be an M&M wrapper, but he insisted sexy devil was better.”

Trixie barks out a laugh. “Yeah, he was right. That's definitely better than an M&M.”

“But I thought it’d be ironic. You know, M&M. Like, male and male.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I get it. It's just not that funny.”

“Well, at least I wouldn’t be naked.”

Jet leans forward again and peeks down at the front of my shorts. “Damn, you got my hopes up. I thought you dropped those when I wasn't looking.”

~**~

“So, what's the game plan, tiger?” Kyle asks as soon as I slide into the booth beside him.

“The game plan is to dance.”

“And?”

“And what? I’m just here to chill tonight.”

“Come on, man.” He laughs. “I know that's only pre-gaming for you.”

I shake my head then smack his arm for good measure. “Not tonight. I’ve got a new strategy. Decided to make a few changes.”

“What? You switching teams? Gonna give women another shot?”

Jonathan almost chokes on his beer. “Be nice, babe.” Then his eyes dart to mine. “Wait, is he right?”

“Shut the hell up.” I laugh and throw a wadded up napkin at them. “I’m just not hooking up with strangers anymore. I’m gonna try to get to know them and shit.”

“So, no sex?” Kyle looks sad for me.

Hell, I feel sad for me.

“Not tonight.” I waggle my eyebrows. “Unless I run into someone I already know.”

“If you say so…” Kyle looks skeptical but Jonathan has an amused smirk on his face.

“What? You guys don't think I can do it?”

Jonathan shrugs and turns his focus back to the dance floor.

Kyle doesn’t even try to hide his true feelings. “Honestly, no. I don't think you can.”

“It's already been three weeks. I'll be fine.” I take another cursory look at the sea of men in the room. “If I meet a guy I like, I'll ask if he wants to get together for dinner or something. If he says no, it wasn't meant to be.”

Kyle gives me an approving nod and claps my shoulder. “Yeah, I like it. I think it's a good plan. I hope you stick with it.”

“Oh, I will. I totally will.” Leaning back in the booth, I cross my ankles and take a drink, looking for somebody who might fit my new criteria.

There are a lot of familiar faces but a few stand out. One guy in particular keeps pulling my attention. He’s wearing a mask and is one of the few men in the entire room who’s almost completely covered from head to toe. His chest is bare, but the cape over his shoulders gives him a mysterious air.

Tight pants outline a sculpted ass and thick thighs that I'd love to have wrapped around mine as he pins me down. But I'm getting ahead of myself. He’s already dancing with someone, so he might not be available. I can't quite tell who he’s dancing with, but I intend to find out.

“I’m gonna walk around for a few.” I slide out of the booth and move to the opposite corner of the room. With a better view of my mystery man, I can tell right off the bat that I’ve never met him before. I’d remember those wide shoulders and that square jaw.

Damn. I was hoping to find a loophole.

With that mask on, he’s completely anonymous. It's not the traditional half mask usually used for Phantom of the Opera. This one covers both eyes and cheekbones, leaving only his mouth and chin visible. The man’s full lips look thick and moist…and so fucking kissable. Too bad they’re just inches away from that little twink.

I lick my lips, staring at his and imagining what the rest of his face looks like. The guy he’s with shifts his position, and I recognize him immediately. It’s Tyler, one of the club regulars. He's a flirt and an easy lay, if that's what you're looking for, but he's not looking for more than that. Hopefully, that means this guy is single.

Maybe he’d like to have coffee sometime?