Page 4 of Every November

“Same thing.”

“Yeah, yeah. You know you can always come visit,” I tease right back. I’m sure he won’t, and that’s okay, but I want him to know the offer is there. “I’m going to go get a drink, then I’ll be back. Want anything?”

“An IPA. Thanks, man.”

I nod and head toward the crowded bar, saying hi to a few people I recognize in passing. As I wait for the bartender to approach me, I look around and notice a guy with shaggy, dirty blond hair and scruff on his jawline, as if he hasn’t shaved in a couple of days. It’s incredibly sexy. He’s staring at the drink in his hand while a guy with black hair beside him talks. He’s attractive, even with his resting bitch face that makes it seem like this crowded bar is the last place he wants to be.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asks as she approaches.

“Two of your most popular IPAs, please.”

She nods and turns to pour the drafts, then sets them down in front of me, some of the foam sliding down the cold glass.

“Thanks. You can keep it open,” I instruct as I slide my card across the bar.

“Be right back.” She walks to the register, swipes it, then returns it.

I grab the drinks and make my way over to my friends, handing Derek his glass before I’m pulled into conversation.

“Let’s catch you up,” Haley starts, and the next hour or so passes in a blur of conversations as I catch up with people I’ve known most of my life. Katy tells me about her new job, Randy talks about his breakup, and the gaps are filled with stories from other people we went to school with. I drink my beer, then another, which Derek gets this time.

Liza is talking to me off to the side now about my apartment when I catch sight of the same blond-haired man across the bar, leaning against the wall near the pool tables and I’m instantly captivated by him again. He’s tall, probably around my height, and the corners of his mouth are slightly tugged down, still looking entirely bored. He’s attractive in a way that makes my stomach flip, so much so that I lose track of what Liza is saying to me.

“Evan? Earth to Evan?”

“Sorry, what’s up?”

She follows my gaze across the bar, then looks back at me with a knowing smirk. “Oh, I see.”

“He’s hot,” I admit, not bothering to hide it. Everyone important in my life knows I’m bi.

“Very.” Liza squints across the bar. “And he looks very ready to get out of here.”

I laugh. She’s not wrong, and I am tempted to go over there and introduce myself. But is a hookup really worth it over Thanksgiving weekend? In my hometown of all places.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go talk to him!” Liza urges. “You’re leaving in a few days. What’s the worst that can happen? Not like you’ll see him again.”

“Yeah, alright.” She has a good point. She doesn’t seem to recognize him from anywhere and neither do I, so why not.

She smiles at me, then turns back to our friends, leaving me to admire the pensive blond across the bar. This time, when my eyes land on him, he’s looking right at me. He doesn’t look away, and neither do I. It feels like the noise has faded away as we lock eyes, and I take that as a good sign. Then someone steps between us, blocking my view, and the moment breaks. When they pass, he’s no longer looking at me, so I drain the last of my beer and head to the bar. I’ll see if he follows. If not, I’ll walk over to him afterward and if he rejects me, I’ll live. It wouldn’t be my first rejection and he seemed interested based on the eye contact.

As I’m waiting at the bar, someone steps up beside me, and I feel it like electricity. Before I even look, I’m sure it’s him. My heart’s hammering, and my skin feels tight—every nerve suddenly aware of how close he is. Close enough that I can smell him. He smells of wood, leather, and a hint of spice. It’s such a bizarre reaction to a stranger, but I have no interest in fighting it.

“Hey,” he says, voice gravelly and lower than I expected.

When I turn to meet his eyes, I see something dark and hungry in them that makes me momentarily forget to breathe.

“Hey,” I respond weakly after taking him in. He’s even more handsome up close, with deep ocean-blue eyes and a piece of his blond hair falling against his forehead.

“You from here?”

“Born and raised. You?”

“Same. Just here for the holiday.”

“Me too.”

The corner of his mouth quirks up for the first time I’ve seen tonight, and suddenly, all I want is to pull a real smile out of him. It’s an odd thought for a hookup.