A One-Time Thing

Chapter 1“What can I get you?” Peter Wong didn’t respond to the bartender’s question immediately. For a moment, he thought about ordering something stronger than a glass of beer. However, he quickly changed his mind. “Anything on the tap is fine. You choose.” The handsome, shirtless bartender grinned at Peter and nodded. “Coming right up.” “Okay.” While waiting for his beverage, Peter darted his eyes around the dimly lit interior of the bar. It was one of the smaller gay bars less than ten minutes away on foot from his rented apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. There weren’t many people inside the bar, but considering it was seven minutes away from six o’clock in the middle of the week, it probably explained why the establishment was lacking in customers. That was just fine for Peter, though. He liked that there were enough people inside the bar so he wouldn’t feel as isolated as he would be if he was alone at home, but there weren’t too many other customers that would make the place overly crowded and noisy. It was the perfect environment for his current mood. His gaze landed on the bartender again. Like him, the bartender was Asian, probably somewhere around two or three inches taller than Peter, who was five feet and ten inches tall. Judging by the bartender’s lean and muscular build, Peter estimated the man was about twenty pounds heavier than his one hundred and seventy-three pounds. Peter had been to the bar a few times in the past, but he had never encountered this particular bartender before. He guessed the man must be a new employee. For a second or two, he wondered where Leon, the owner and usual bartender was at, but he didn’t linger on it for too long. Besides, the new bartender was making his way back to Peter with a glass of beer. “Here you go, man.” Peter forced himself to smile at the friendly bartender as he paid for the beer. “Thanks, and keep the change.” “All right. Thank you for that. Holler if you need a refill.” “I will.” After the bartender had walked away to take care of another customer, Peter picked up the glass and downed more than half of his beer. He was a successful book illustrator, and at thirty-two years old, he was more financially stable than most of his peers because he’d saved a tidy sum over the years. He had also invested his money wisely, and it had been growing steadily. Hence, he wasn’t hurting for money. However, his present state of mind was anything but cheerful, no thanks to the phone conversation he’d endured with his parents. Thinking about it made him feel even worse. He finished the remainder of his beer before signaling to the bartender by pointing at his empty glass. He desperately needed another. The amount he had just consumed wasn’t enough to numb his emotions and make him forget how shitty he was feeling. “That’s fast,” the bartender said when he was standing closer to Peter. “Do you want the same beer? Or would you prefer something stronger?” Peter handed over some cash. “The former, please.” “Okay, man. Give me a minute.” “Sure.” Peter sighed under his breath as he couldn’t help but recall the phone call from less than an hour ago. It wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard he tried not to remember it. His relationship with his parents wasn’t completely terrible, but it was definitely more than a little strained. There were many reasons for that, and everything had started from when he was little. Unlike Eric, his older brother, Peter wasn’t good in Mathematics or any of the Sciences. It would have been more accurate to describe him as a less-than-average student. The only subject he’d truly excelled at was art. Naturally, his parents had been less than thrilled about that. Eric, on the other hand, had been incredibly intelligent, academically speaking, and he was now working as a doctor at Massachusetts General. Peter was merely a lousy book illustrator, who could never compare to Eric, the pride and joy of their parents. To make matters worse, Eric was straight, and he was dating Amy, financial analyst extraordinaire. Peter was certain it wouldn’t be long before those two ended up tying the knot. Peter knew how much his parents adored Amy. Meanwhile, he was nothing more than their disappointing son. It didn’t matter how well-behaved, loving, and obedient he was. Being gay meant he was worth less than Eric in their parents’ eyes. Granted, his parents still welcomed him into their house, but their attitude toward him had changed ever since he came out at eighteen. His parents were much warmer toward Eric and Amy. He wasn’t being dramatic about it. It was the truth. Peter sighed softly when several instances came to mind, and that worsened his mood further. When his parents talked to him, he was certainly nothing more than an afterthought. Maybe not even that. The phone call was a prime example. It had lasted for about ten minutes, but the majority of the conversation revolved around Eric, Amy, and their incredibly amazing careers. Then his parents talked about his successful relatives, his cousins who were about to get married or have children, and even about the neighbors’ children’s upcoming weddings. Toward the end, his parents finally inquired about his well-being, but it hadn’t lasted for even one f*****g minute. Right after he’d responded, they abruptly informed him the three of them had been chatting for far too long, and it was time to hang up. “Would you like some sandwiches to go with the beer?” the bartender asked as he placed the glass in front of Peter. “The grilled beef sandwich is awesome.” Peter wanted to decline, but his stomach gurgled at that particular moment, reminding him he was drinking on an empty stomach. He might as well have dinner at the bar, since he would probably be there for a while. “Any burgers?” “The double cheeseburger is delicious,” the bartender replied. “It comes with fries and coleslaw.” “Sounds great. Can I order it here?” Peter inquired as he glanced around for another employee. “Or do I have to call on someone else?” The bartender smiled. “I’ll do it for you, man, but only because you’re f*****g hot.” Peter chuckled a little. He was still rather down, but it felt wonderful to get a compliment. When the bartender informed him of the total for the food, he gave the man some cash. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” “You’re welcome. Be right back.” “Okay.” A moment later, the bartender approached Peter again. “All set. Your food should be out in about twenty minutes.” “Cool. Thanks again.” The bartender nodded. “What’s your name, by the way? I’m Bruce Yang.” “Peter Wong. Nice to meet you.” “The pleasure is all mine. So, why the long face?” “That obvious, huh?” Bruce snickered. “Oh, yeah. You can tell me about it. I’ll listen. No judgment. If you don’t want to, it’s fine.” Peter hesitated for a few seconds before he decided it would be a good idea to unload some of his problems onto someone else. Bottling everything up was becoming too depressing. He started sharing a few things with Bruce, and continued to do so once his food arrived. He was thankful Bruce listened attentively without adding any unnecessary opinions. “That’s why I’m here instead of completing the illustrations for the books,” Peter finally concluded. Earlier, he’d shared what he did for a living, but he didn’t provide any details. It wasn’t as if he was ashamed of his job. Besides, he didn’t want to reveal too much about being a book illustrator. Not right now anyway. Then Peter glanced down at his plate, surprised he’d polished off nearly everything on it. He only had some fries left so he quickly picked them up and shoved them in his mouth. The fries were cold, but still delicious. Most importantly, Peter was feeling a lot better. “Would you like dessert?” “Is there dessert on the menu?” Bruce laughed. “Nope, but there’s this awesome place about fifteen minutes from here.” Peter was stunned. He briefly wondered if Bruce was trying to ask him out, but he didn’t know how to bring that up without sounding narcissistic. It would be best to play it cool. “Which one?” “The Sweet Souprise.” “Oh! I know that place. It’s the one that sells only soup and dessert. I’ve never been there, but my friends have been telling me I need to check it out.” “Cool. Do you want to go there with me?” “Now?” “I clock out at eight. Hopefully, Leon will be here on time. He had something to take care of. I’m just filling in for him.” “So, you’re not a new employee here then?” Bruce laughed. “No. Leon and I are friends. He usually has some other people to stand in for him when he needs them to, but none of them could make it today, so here I am.” “I see. Have you done this before?” “Yeah, man. I used to work as a bartender in college.” “Okay.” “So, what about it? Will you wait for me?” Bruce inquired, but Peter hesitated. “Anything urgent at home or something?” Peter shook his head. “The earliest deadline is next Thursday, so I still have nine days left.” “Good,” Bruce said. “Plenty of time then.” “I guess.” “You can relax, at least for tonight. So, just say yes, man.” Peter could feel his heart pounding a little faster. “Are we going there together? I mean, just the two of us.” Bruce grinned. “Nope. Someone else will be joining us. I really want to introduce you to him.” “Who?” “His name is Kevin Chan. He’s my boyfriend. We’ve been together for ten years now. We met when Kevin was twenty. I’m four years older than him. I’m guessing you’re somewhere around our age. Am I right?” Peter nodded. “I’m thirty-two this year.” “Cool.” “Are you about to have a late dinner with Kevin or something? I don’t want to intrude.” “I’ve already eaten, and I’m sure Kevin has, too. As for the other thing, don’t worry about it. I’ll send Kev a text in a minute. He’ll be delighted to meet you.” “If you’re sure—” “I am,” Bruce interrupted. “Kev owns The Sweet Souprise. You can get your dessert and also meet Kevin. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.” Peter felt a little better. “Oh! That will be fine then.” “Absolutely.” Bruce appeared excited about something, but Peter had no idea why. He was more surprised to discover he was disappointed by Bruce’s relationship status. He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted from Bruce. He wasn’t infatuated with Bruce. Admittedly, Bruce was a good-looking man, and he made Peter feel comfortable. However, Peter was definitely interested in spending more time with Bruce, and maybe there was a small part of him that was hoping something deeper and more meaningful could develop between them. Now he knew about Kevin, that wasn’t possible anymore. He was also concerned about how he and Kevin would take to each other. He and Bruce were able to hit it off, and that was because the man was so easy-going. He didn’t know what Kevin was like. Things could become awkward later because he wasn’t certain what his and Kevin’s chemistry would be like. The two of them might dislike each other at first sight. Nevertheless, Peter was curious enough about Kevin. Having another friend was a good thing. Besides, Peter didn’t feel like returning home yet. He quickly decided he’d go along with Bruce’s plan for the time being. “Okay. I didn’t drive here, though.” “That’s fine. I did. You can ride with me.” “That’ll be great.” “Sweet. Anyway, should I refill your glass? Or do you want something else?” “Coke, please. I think I’ve had enough alcohol. “ The amusement was written all over Bruce’s face. “I think so, too. Anyway, I’ll be right back with your Coke.” “All right.” As Bruce walked toward the refrigerator on the other end of the counter, Peter remained where he was. He checked the time on his smartphone—7:43. Peter could be patient. It would be better than going back to his empty apartment anyway.