Fortuitous (BoyxBoy)

Eight

            “Everyone’s waiting to meet me? Who’s everyone?”

            “It’s okay…just my friends—if they say anything to embarrass me, don’t listen.”

            We went to a bar and Sein walked all the way to the back, hand in mine until we sat down. He introduced his friends but the music was so loud that I barely heard anything. There was only one girl, and seven guys, including Sein and I.

            “Luna,” she whispered in my ear as she passed me a shot. “It’s Washington Apple, good shit.”

            They were loud and everybody was up in each other’s space trying to hear each other out. I was suddenly thrust into a game of Q and A by his friends until Sein told them to back off. He seemed a bit overprotective in that moment but I honestly didn’t mind. The questions though, turned less personal and more curious.

            The guy sitting opposite Sein leaned over and said something to him. Sein tensed first and then he shrugged. He pulled is cellphone out of his pocket and turned into between his thumb and index fingers for what seemed like forever. He put the phone back and then took it out again.

            “I’ll be right back,” he whispered in my ear. He was gone for awhile before he texted me.

            Sein: Why didn’t you tell me?

            The message was attached to a picture of me and next to my company logo.

            Me: Does it matter?

            Sein: That you didn’t tell me? Yes. Is it not important to you?

            This isn’t a conversation I want to be having right now, I thought to myself, taking a deep breath.

            Me: Of course it is. I wasn’t hiding it from you.

            Sein: Oh. I thought you were because that would mean you didn’t trust me...

            I smiled at that.

            Me: Get back in here. I just bought you and your friends a bottle. It’s almost done.

            Sein seemed uneasy when he finally made it back to the table but one kiss on his lips changed that. His friends cooed at him, much to his embarrassment. The night continued with rambunctious conversations and laughter. The highlight of my night was when Luna had went to use the ladies room and a guy touched her breast on purpose and she kneed him in the groin then pushed him over. Her friends didn’t even bat an eyelash when that happened. They knew she’d take care of herself. She was fierce and strong and her mop of curly hair and sweet smile that made her look younger than she was would make anyone think otherwise.

            It was an early night because unlike Sein, his friends had work Friday morning. He was drunk but manageable. He handled himself well, actually. I just made sure I was holding onto him whenever we had to cross the street.

            “I think we’ve become exclusive and hadn’t really noticed it,” Sein commented as we waited for the train.

            “Lets have this conversation when your head is a little clearer, hmm?”

            Sein nodded. I thought he agreed but it only took a few more seconds for him to start talking again. “I know what I’m saying. I know I’m a little drunk, too, not stupid. I’ve dated a lot these past couple months and before I even officially met you, I felt more for you than I’ve felt for anybody else in a really, really long time.” He stepped closer to me. “I want to be with you, Max. If it’ll make you feel better, then yeah, let’s have this conversation in the morning.” There was a sudden chill in the tunnel.