Gay Bar

How They Met (1/2)

Douglas made his way into the bar. About a week after he turned twenty-one and he still gets nervous waiting. He pulls up a high-stool and sits up straight staring at the menu. His friends forgot to do something special for his birthday last week, so they promised to make it up to him tonight.

He ordered a tray of hot wings and a bottle of ranch dressing. He told them to meet him at McClarrison's at  seven, and it's already a quarter till. His palms start to get sweaty. He looks everywhere to distract himself from the time. He stares at the bartender for a good few seconds or so until the guy notices.

He looks again and has eye contact with the bartender. The bartender gestures him to the bar. He walks over and pulls up a seat along with his tray. He asks Douglas for his I.d. Douglas hands it to him and the bartender's expression changed.

"I knew it. I fucking knew it"

"What?"

"Well, you're good to drink now. Happy Belated. How did you celebrate?"

"I didn't. Everyone's too busy"

"Awww. Sorry to hear that... Uh-I think I have a way to celebrate"

He comes up to his ear and Douglas leans forward so he could hear better. 

"You know it's a McClarrison tradition for the birthday boy to get drinks on the house."

"Really? I got some friends coming later.

"Yeah, just lemme know when they come and I can give you a little birthday hookup."

He raised his eyes at Douglas. He smiled at the bartender and the bartender bit his lip back. 

Douglas laughed a little and shook his head away from him.

"Thanks"

"No problem. Name's James."

"Douglas."

He poured the ranch dressing over the hot wings and he can't help but attack the tray. He gets a last glimpse of the sweet bartender before he turns back to a customer. Douglas gets a call from his phone. It's from Grace.

"Hi. You can't make it, can you?"

"Can't. I'm sorry, man. But we're gonna go again tonight and we're finally gonna talk about personal stuff."

"Alright. Have fun! Make mommy proud."

"Thank you for understanding. I will make it up to you, I promise!"

"Alright. Okay. Bye."

He pulled out his phone and started texting everyone, ignoring that it's already 7:20. He just gave up. Right now, all he think about the game. He asks Jared if the offer is still on the table
"Sure thing. What'll it be, baby?"
A customer looked away at that comment and Douglas knows he should too, but it's sort of growing on him.
"I don't know. Whatever you like."

Jared smirked to the side. He had a way of swinging of his hips, like a hula dancer. It was hard to tell if he was gay, but Douglas didn't care. No one there knew him, so he could start over and be whoever he wanted to be. Make some bad decisions; anything to celebrate twenty-one years of solitude. Douglas crosses his arms in front of his head downwards as he waits.

"You shouldn't trust me with that much power. It can be scary."

He smirks away from James trying to hide it. Jared turns back to Douglas and tries to get eye contact by crouching down. Jared smiles when Douglas finally picks his head up. He hands Douglas his drink and looks up to see how 

"I think I'll take my chances," Douglas said reaching for his drink. 

He notices James staring at the tv. He gets an idea. He tells James that the Giants are gonna win. James hears this and prepares to unleash his hell, getting mad at every call Douglas made. Then a huge argument over the good and the bad calls both baseball teams made were being called out. He made it extremely clear that if the Celtics had a chance of losing, that they were just having an off-game. In the end, the Giants won and James feels foolishly flustered.

Douglas turns to James waiting for his response. He was already halfway chugging on the beer he received. James puts his hands up in defeat and laughs. He said he's sorry because he was just defending his Irish blood.

"You're Irish?"

"Yeah. Well, half-Irish half-Black, obviously."

James kept repeating "Fair game" every time he had free time to stop in front of Douglas to check up on him. He also stopped every now and then to ask if Douglas was alright. Douglas didn't care because he was already three-beers drunk; enough to hear, but not comprehend. He noticed James kept reusing the same napkin when he refilled his beers. Soon, it was close to closing time.

James told Douglas he called a cab for him. His co-workers all left early and he finished wiping down the countertop. He helped Douglas up to the door.

"Come on, almost there Baby"

"You know you are very sweet. And very attractive. Thank you for tonight. You gave me a better time than my friends could ever give me."

"From the looks of it, I don't think those are your friends. I think that you deserve better. That you deser-"

"Are you gay?--- I'm sorry but you drugged me and I really can't tell"

The cab pulls up. He helps Douglas get in and buckled him down."

"Hometroff avenue, right?" Jared asks turning to Douglas. He nods.

"Okay, I guess this is goodbye Irish blood"

"Goodbye, for now, Baby adult."

"James leans into the cab window and kisses Douglas on the forehead.

"So you ARE gay." With that James pushed his head back, smirked, and pulls out something from his back pocket. "I almost forgot" He hands Douglas the napkin from the bar after scribbling something new on it.

The cab takes off and Jared is still waving Douglas away. Douglas is now halfway home and decides to see the napkin. He pulls out his phone flashlight. Douglas unfolds the napkin and all he can do his smile.

"I'll be gay, if you can...

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