A Second Chance?

Chapter 6

  It was Saturday evening, and Ryan and Spencer were preparing to go out. They had made plans to meet Brendon and Dallon at a club down on the Strip. Ryan thought the less intimate atmosphere would make taking seeing Brendon with Dallon a bit easier.

  Spencer was well aware that it was going to be a bit difficult for Ryan to see Brendon with another guy that he was dating. Despite Ryan not saying so, years of being best friends gave Spencer the insight to tell him that Ryan was head over heels for Brendon. But he wasn't intruding, knowing that Ryan had to work it all out for himself.

  At 9 PM, they got into Spencer's car and headed out. Since Spencer was staying in a hotel on the Strip, Ryan planned to just crash in his room then head home the next morning. They had set it to meet Brendon and Dallon at 9:30.

  Spencer and Ryan finally got into the club around 9:40. All Spencer had to do was flash his record label credentials, and he and Ryan got to skip the line. Ryan was grateful to not have to wait in line and be appraised by the bouncer. He wasn't worried about Brendon getting in - he was gorgeous. Ryan assumed Brendon would have attracted someone equally stunning to date. Ryan soon found out he wasn't wrong about that.

   When they headed for the bar, he saw Brendon already there. And the guy, Dallon, pressed up right to his side, was a stunner. He was tall, even taller than Ryan or Spencer. He had medium brown hair that just swooped into his eyes, which upon closer view were a stunning shade of blue. Ryan looked at Brendon as the two men talked, and Brendon smiled widely at his date. Ryan felt a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach but shook it off the best he could. He was determined to be a supportive friend.

  Brendon turned and saw him before he could say anything, and grinned at him wildly. "Hey Ryan! So glad you could meet us! This is my date, Dallon Weekes. Dallon, this is my good friend, Ryan Ross. And I assume this must be Spencer Smith?"

  Spencer stepped forward, smiling broadly and offered Brendon his hand. "I am. It's so good to finally meet you Brendon. Ryan's told me a lot about you. But I'll try to overlook it, because you seem nice anyway."

  Brendon burst out laughing as he shook Spencer's hand. "Spencer, I like you already. You're my kind of dude."

Spence laughed in return. "Yes, I heard that we should get along well. It's nice to meet you too, Dallon."

  Dallon, as if noticing he needed to kick into gear, tore his eyes from where he'd been staring Ryan down, and offered a big smile to Spencer that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Likewise. Say, you're not the Spencer Smith that runs A&R for Fueled by Ramen, are you?"

  Spencer held his hands up in surrender. "Guilty as charged. Please don't convict me by association with that nut Pete Wentz!"

  Dallon laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it." Dallon then looked down and took a sip of his drink, all without ever having said a word to Ryan. Ryan shared a glance with Brendon, who then gave a puzzled look at Dallon for being so rude to his friend. Ryan then turned and raised his eyebrows at Spencer, who mouthed "awkward" to him while neither Brendon or Dallon were looking.

  "Well, it doesn't look like we're getting a booth in the regular seating. I hate doing this normally, but I don't want to stand at this bar all night," Spencer said. "I'm gonna go see if I can wrangle us a VIP booth."

  "Ooh, can I come?" Brendon asked. "I wanna see you in action, Spencer!"

  Spencer laughed. "Sure thing."

  Brendon looked to Dallon and leaned into his ear. "Hey, please at least try with Ryan? We are doing really well at being friends, and it would mean a lot to me," he said quietly.