I knocked on the door of the apartment and waited. Eventually he answered, a man, well dressed in a light turtleneck sweater, glasses and salt and pepper beard. He looked warm and relaxed, the apartment was warmly lit, pleasant to me as I had been fighting traffic in the late fall evening, and it had just turned cold.
Hey man, I said.
Come in, come in, he told me. Can I get you a drink?
No, thanks. I can't stay long.
The apartment was well decorated and clean, very straight. We sat on his leather sofa, and in front of us a glass coffee table where a couple of joints were rolled. Another, half smoked sat in an ashtray. There was a whiskey in a tumbler in front of the place where he sat.
What are you getting into tonight? I said.
Not much, he answered. I may meet a friend for a drink down the street at the Tophat.
The Tophat was a well known pick up spot for gay men.
Cool, I said.
I took several packets of gummies from my pockets, placed them on the glass coffee table.
What do I owe you? he said.
Nothing. Alexis took care of it.
Aron was a friend of my girlfriend Alexis. They worked together.
No, he said.
Seriously, she told me not to accept your money.
Wow, okay... Well let me get you a drink anyway.
I looked at my phone.
All right, a quick one. Let traffic die down...
He got the drink, came back. It was a big one. We talked for a minute or two and he lit a joint. Passed it to me. I took it and hit it.
You sure I can't give you anything for the trouble.
No, I grinned. Alexis said she wanted you and Tim to have a fun anniversary weekend in the mountains... She said if I took a dollar from you I wouldn't get any for a week.
Wow, he said. I guess you better listen.
Right?
Then, he said: She just said money, right?
Yeah, the drink should be fine, I'd hope anyway.
But he was looking at me. Smiling vaguely, suggestively. I shifted in my seat...
Sorry, he said. The weed does it to me.
No, it's cool, I said.
There was an awkward silence. Then out of nowhere I felt blood rushing to my crotch, thinking about how long it had been since Alexis gave me head.
What'd you have in mind? I said.
He smiled.
I have a thing for straight guys, Aron said. I like to suck their cocks.
I smiled not knowing what to say. Alexis had told me this. She and Aron told each other everything at work.
You could lean back he said. And I'll just take care of you.
I -
I could put on some porn if you want, he said. To get you in the mood.
What about Tim?
He won't care, we're still pretty open, even after six months. C'mon... Alexis told me about her TMJ.
I laughed.
