Teeth

Chapter Eleven

Spencer shifted on his stool again, leaning onto the railing and hoping that he'd be able to get control of himself before he had to move. He emptied his beer bottle, trying to think only of the crisp, cold liquid that washed over his tongue and coated the inside of his throat. He tried not to think of August, or the red head currently wiggling her hips to some cheesy nineties tune. He was supposed to be focusing on Thomas. He was supposed to be teaching him, but it was increasingly difficult when August kept popping into his head.

He was a dick, that was what it was.

August would have known that his presence at the bar would preoccupy him. He never understood why the older man had the power to make him forget about everything, but every time he showed up Spencer let everything else go.

Then there was that unnerving feeling that kept coming back to him. Someone was paying them a little too much attention. He could understand if August had sent someone to watch them, to make sure everything went alright, but why hadn't they revealed themselves? Spencer gnawed on the  side of his thumb.

Thomas reappeared from the bathroom, positively gagging, and went straight to the bar. He downed half his beer as he walked to sit next to Spencer and the relief on his face was clear as day. He'd forgotten to warn him about bathrooms, especially public ones. Those holes were foul your first few weeks. Thomas pushed a new beer towards him and looked out over the crowd.

"No luck?" Spencer asked.

"I found one," he corrected. "Just needed a... a minute."

Spencer chuckled into the mouth of his bottle and took a generous swig, pushing August's scent to the back of his mind.

"I did warn you about the sex aspect."

Thomas didn't look amused by the reaction he'd had to finding someone he wanted. Spencer had found it got easier as time went on. It reminded him of being a teenager and seeing his first dirty magazine. Back then, seeing a girl—or guy—without their shirt had been enough to make him get hot under the collar, but as time went on he needed more. The same was true with the taste of someone appetising. The first time had been embarrassing as all hell. These days, he barely registered a reaction until he had their blood on his tongue.

"Come on then, who's the lucky one?"

The pale blush that crept across Thomas's cheeks sent a warm flush through the air. Not as warm as if he'd fed, mind.

"It's a guy," he murmured into his drink. Spencer grinned.

"Alright."

"But, you don't understand, I'm not..."

Spencer's eyes widened and he blinked innocently.

"Not hungry?" he asked casually. "Or not gay?"

"Not gay."

He waved him off dismissively.

"Has nothing to do with it."

"But you said about the porno."

"Only as a comparison to how it'll make you feel. It's the thrill of the chase, the excitement of a hunt. It doesn't automatically mean you want to sleep with them. Though sometimes..."

Thomas was somewhere between looking horrified and understanding. He stared across the dance floor where a tall and tanned wouldn't be out of place on a runway looking guy was laughing with some girls. Spencer's nostrils flared and he quickly shook it off to take another swig of beer. He didn't need to know why Thomas chose the guy, just that he had. For now.

"Okay, so the next step is getting them alone."

"But I'm not gay," Thomas repeated. "How do I get him out of here?"