Page 25 of Hittin' the Right Note
Or, at least, it usually did.
However, no matter how long he drove–and the hours sped by faster than he thought they would–he was never quite able to settle down anywhere or find anything to occupy his attention for very long. Every so often he’d see someone he’d know, they’d wave and try to get his attention, and he’d just keep on driving. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk to anyone right at the moment, since he knew he was going to have more than his fair share of talking once he met up with Bryce and Katrina. The two of them would almost certainly talk his ear off, and they’d also pump him for every bit of information they could about Mikey, about their relationship, and about what, if anything, Luke was going to do.
It’d be nice ifIknew what I was going to do,he thought.Because I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused.
It was one thing to know about Mikey in a distant, abstract way, and quite another to have to come face-to-face with him again. It was much easier to dislike him when he was just a concept rather than a person.
Finally, though, he couldn’t keep putting this off any longer. It was time to meet his friends.
By now he was far enough out in the country it would take at least an hour to get to Wheeling, and he took his time just enjoying the night and the drive. Finally, though, he came within city limits and made his way toward the Purple Unicorn, steeling himself for Bryce and Katrina’s questions, which were sure to be invasive.
At least they come from a place of love,he thought.And at least they care.
For a long time Wheeling hadn’t had a gay bar. A few had come in over the years, but none had really managed to have any staying power. The Purple Unicorn, though, was an exception. It had first opened in the dark and dreary days after the worst of the pandemic, and in the years since it had really flourished. It was the kind of place that hit just the right balance between classy and fun, and it was a favorite for gays of almost every age. It was the kind of place where you could get a pricey mixed drink or a simple can of Bud Light.
Luke had only been in it a few times, and each time it had been a fiasco. He might not be a household name anymore, but there were always a few people who were willing to grab a photo of him, usually to post on social media with some snarky comment attached. Finally, he’d decided enough was enough.
I really just want to go home,he thought, thinking about how long it was going to take him to get home from here.I’m probably going to have to ask to crash with Bryce, even if I don’t get drunk.
Sighing and shaking his head at his own foolishness, he opened the door and stepped inside.
He was immediately hit with a wall of sound, the bass threatening to shake his teeth loose.
I knew this was a mistake,he thought.I knew I should’ve just gone straight home.
He paused, but then he saw Katrina waving desperately to him, and he knew he wasn’t going to so easily escape her.
Luke slowly made his way to where Katrina had found a booth with Bryce, the two of them already on their second drink. Katrina was a buxom woman in her mid-thirties with rich, deep red hair and a pretty face radiating warmth. Her blouse showed off her generous cleavage, while Bryce, as usual when he was in a club, was wearing something shimmering and tight.
Luke couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. They were two of the constants in his life.
“I’m so glad you actually came!” Katrina shouted over the pounding bass and a remix version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” She gestured with her glass to the set of stairs off to one side of the room. “Do you want to go ahead and go up?”
Luke nodded vehemently.
Bryce got up and gave him a hug, and then they headed upstairs. As they did so, the sound of the thumping bass grew less, and Luke found he could finally think clearly again. He had to admit The Purple Unicorn had really done a good job making sure the upper story was suitable for a different kind of clientele, and he was reluctantly impressed. He even began to think he mightenjoythe evening.
They came to a space that looked like it belonged more in a bigger city bar than a location in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. There were upholstered seats against the walls, as well as nice tables with actual wood. A fancy bar ran along the back of the room, and the whole place had a much calmer atmosphere. Even the loud bass from downstairs was little more than a faint hum.
Now that they were in a quieter space, Luke decided he might as well get a drink and start to relax.
I deserve it after the day I’ve had,he thought.
So he ordered a beer–can, not draft–and the three of them sat in a booth.
They shot the shit for a while, none of them quite willing to broach the topic they knew they were going to have to talk about. Given it was almost certainly the entire reason they’d had him come out in the first place, Luke found it kind of odd neither of them seemed willing to bring up Mikey. So, finally, he did it, if only because the suspense of it was starting to get on his nerves.
“Okay, look,” he said. “I know you both want to ask about what happened between Mikey and me, so I’ll just tell you. We went out to lunch to talk about the show, and it was a complete shit-show. We have totally different ideas of what it should look like and how we should approach it. I’m almost tempted to just call the whole thing off. In fact, he saidhewas going to cancel it, but I don’t think he has the balls.”
When he was finished neither Katrina or Bryce said anything at first. They just looked at him, and then they looked at each other, and then they looked back at him again.
“Well?” he demanded. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
“Are you really going to sit there and tell us you don’t want to go through with the concert?” Katrina asked. “Are you really going to sit there and tell us you don’t have the major hots for this guy?”
Luke didn’t even know where to start. He wanted to tell her fuck no, he had no romantic interest in Mikey at all, but he knew she’d be able to see through his lie in a heartbeat, because Katrina wasn’t an idiot, and she knew him better than almost anyone. She also wasn’t the type to just let a lie slip through. If she thought he wasn’t telling the truth, either to himself or to her, she would say so. With her whole chest.
So, he said nothing.
