More Than Friends

Chapter Seven

The next day was a blur of classrooms and people and mumblings around him but Ryan wasn't engaged. He was in his head the whole time.

He bounced between feelings of disgust for having fucked a dude, to feelings of guilt for feeling disgust when it felt so good, to feelings of need. Need to be with Zach again. He wanted to call him. He wanted to say that maybe he could try it again. Just with him. Just one more time. He wanted to hold him and taste him.

But he couldn't. He knew it would never work. Zach was older and probably looking for something serious. Maybe to settle down and adopt kids or something. Ryan was definitely not at that point.

He kept his phone turned off for the entire day, wondering if Zach tried calling or if he was just a challenge that had been met. Either way, Ryan wasn't ready to talk.

When Ryan got to work, he dove into an inventory project he'd been avoiding for weeks and tried to stay as far away from Paul as possible. Paul had an uncanny way of knowing when something was really bothering him and he didn't have any answers to offer.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like your dog just died." Paul never minced words.

"Nothing happened to me. I'm fine." He knew he was acting mopey again but he couldn't help it. He tried to justify it as annoyance that Zach had ruined their friendship rather than anything else.

It would be selfish to hope that Zach had been trying to call him when he knew he was just going to ignore him, but he was selfish. And he wanted to be wanted. Even if he couldn't want back.

"Well, buck up buddy cuz I'm taking you out tonight."

Again? Considering how well the first time turned out, Ryan wasn't interested.

"Thanks but no thanks. I've got to study... and catch up on some errands." And wallow in his own misery.

"Not tonight. It's Mike's birthday and we're going to the Kitty Klub. Bring singles."

Maybe watching a bunch of naked women riding the stainless steel shaft on stage would help pull him out of his mood and help him forget about Zach. He needed to remember why he loved women.

"Fine. But I'm not staying late. I'll drive myself and just stay for an hour or two."

"Whatever. But wear your good boxers. Maybe you'll get lucky tonight."

Paul slapped his shoulder and laughed as he walked into the break room.

The next few hours flew by. Ryan was both excited about going to a strip joint and repulsed by it. He'd been there once before but it was more pathetic than sexy the last time he went. Those poor girls, crawling around on stage, teasing the guys that lined the catwalk, just to earn a few bucks.

He realized that the image should have made him hard but he just wasn't into it. Hopefully, the real thing would be more stimulating.

After running home to shower and change, Ryan met up with the guys at the club. They had reserved a private table up front so Mike could get some personal attention. Ryan scrounged up a handful of ones but didn't really need them. He was there just to look but nothing else. Unless he was invited into the VIP room. If that happened, all bets were off.

When Candy came on stage, he was ready for her. Ready for some tits and ass to get him back into a normal frame of mind. But normal for what? Not being into sex was more normal for Ryan than anything else. Was that really what he was going for? Back to being uninterested.

She was wearing a candy striper uniform and looked like she was barely eighteen. She had long, brown hair that flowed halfway down her back and huge tits. As she unbuttoned the front of her dress, Ryan had to force himself to pay attention. She was gorgeous and sexy and about to be naked and he wasn't even interested.