Pretty Boy (manxboy)

Chapter Two

Sam

I waited at a table in my favorite coffeeshop for my friend to arrive.

I was more aware than I usually was today. Scenes from yesterday kept playing in my head and it made me hyperaware of myself, my body, and everyone around me.

I looked at all the other patrons at the coffeeshop.

I noticed two things:

Most women were in pairs.

Most men were alone.

Was it weird that I was here to meet my guy friend?

I didn't really see other guys here together...

...That wasn't like...a gay thing was it?

Suddenly, I was very self-conscious.

I took a sip of my coffee and averted my eyes from the rest of the people in the coffee shop.

I really didn't want to be here anymore, but the next time I looked up, I saw that my friend was walking through the door.

He waved at me and began walking to the counter to order a drink.

I'd known Will for most of my life. He'd lived next door to us when I was a kid and we'd remained friends even after he moved away to a different neighborhood years later.

I didn't get to see him as much anymore because he was busy with college classes, but I knew I needed to hang out with him.

Will and I had a few other friends that we hung out with, but I had been spending a lot of time with my brother and his gay friends and I was worried that...

I knew you couldn't catch some sort of gay virus.

That would be ridiculous.

My brother had been gay his whole life and so had his friends.

It wasn't contagious.

My brother Danny would seriously kill me for even suggesting the thought to myself for a moment.

But he would never know about this...because I wasn't gay.

And that was the end of it.

After Will had his drink, he came and sat across from me at the table.

"Hey, man," he said with a smile, his green eyes lighting up.

"Hey," I greeted with a forced smile, hopefully he wouldn't be able to tell.

"What's up? How's work going?" He asked.

Oh fuck.

Of course he would ask that.

Of course.

Will was a super nice guy and he always asked about shit like that. I really shouldn't have been surprised.

I didn't want to tell him because I was scared something on my face would give away how I felt.

"It's good," I finally spoke...it may have been more a squeak than I hoped it would be.

"How many clients do you have now?" He asked with a smirk. "Last time it was like twenty."

I sighed with a smile. "Well, I'm nannying for a couple for most of the day during the week, I have my usual dog walking clients, sometimes I babysit at night, and then occasionally housesit on the weekends."

He shook his head with a grin that said he couldn't believe it. "And I think I'm busy with my classes. How do you even have time for yourself?"

I shrugged. "I find time."