Heavy Metal Heartfelt Blues

Chapter 2

Halfway through my meal of surprisingly good rosemary shrimp, with potato corn hash and tomato scallion cream sauce, I’d finished my tale of woe.

Trenton wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Do you still love him, Bridges?” he asked before taking a sip of wine.

“I’m not sure. At the moment, the most I feel is guilt, regret, and concern over his well-being. I just want to talk to him, maybe explain…”

“I understand.” He bit into his chicken penne and chewed before continuing, “From what I know of you, given the last hour of our acquaintance, you’re a man who doesn’t go outside his comfort zone often. With the exception of moi, of course.” That wink made me smile. “Noah knows where to find you. You’ve probably kept the same phone number, lived in the same place, been with the same job for eons. Am I right?” He raised an eyebrow, and I reluctantly nodded, feeling staid and rigid in the face of such a perky, discerning man.

“So, you’ll just have to wait it out, or accept that this is what he wants. He’s an adult, after all. In the meantime, I don’t see why you can’t have some fun. With me.” His contagious grin charmed me.

“You remind me of Sonny Bonhomie, a friend of mine.” It still sounded a little strange, using that word “friend.” I tended to keep people at bay or scare them off, but Sonny wouldn’t have it. Now he and his boyfriend Bruce were a part of my world.

Trenton chuckled. “Sounds like someone I’d love to meet sometime.”

I tried out a wink of my own. “You never know.” Flirtation felt weird, but good. My date made it easy somehow.

Trenton pretended to be shocked, one hand on his chest. “Mr. Barfield! Are you suggesting we have further furtive frolics? I approve.”

I was getting used to his teasing manner, though I felt my cheeks heat. I cleared my throat. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Oh, now, that blush is delightful. I think I need to get you to do that more often.”

I resisted rolling my eyes since that would be unseemly for a man of my age. I sat back as the server cleared our table. Then dessert appeared.

“I’m not sure I have room for more,” Trenton said, patting his stomach as he eyed the white chocolate cranberry cheesecake we’d both ordered.

“Let’s try anyway,” I suggested gamely as I grabbed a fork and took a bite. My eyes closed of their own volition. I was rigid about many things, but when it came to dessert, I had no restraint. “This is good,” I murmured, licking my lips and barely containing a moan.

“Mm, strike two, Mr. Barfield,” Trenton said, eyeing me knowingly as I savored every bite. “I now know two ways to get under your skin. What’s the third, I wonder?”

I didn’t respond in favor of enjoying the decadence on my plate. God, it was delightful.

Trenton chuckled. “No answer, eh? That’s okay. I’ll figure it out.”

When it was time to go, Trenton paid for our meal and ignored my arguments and heavy glower as we left the restaurant and stood next to each other on the sidewalk. It was a warm spring night, and I actually didn’t want the evening to end just yet. I hadn’t expected to feel this way.

“My place?” he offered, tucking an arm in the crook of my elbow as he studied me under the streetlight. He was my height, but not as bulky as me.

“You sure you want to spend more time with me? What you see is what you get,” I replied, knowing my demeanor could often be called “off-putting.” Noah had called me a stick in the mud many times. So did Sonny, actually, but he was only teasing.

Trenton leaned in closer. “Oh, I think there’s more to you than you allow the world to see. And don’t forget, I like stern and rigid, especially in the right places.” He bumped my leg and leered.

I swallowed as my c**k responded to his words like a lightning rod. Need throbbed in my loins, pushing against my fly.

“And there it is, ladies and gentlemen, strike three!” Trenton was practically gleeful as we walked together down the sidewalk to find his car.

What had I gotten myself into?