I first met Hank around a fire.
It was one of those evenings where you didn't feel very cold until the wind blew, then you felt like you were going to freeze on the spot.
I had finished up classes and the weekend was starting. An acquaintance of mine, Brian, invited me over to a little friendly get-together he was having before going out to the local gay bar. Usually, it was just a bunch of queens drinking and primp before walking down the street to the bar. This time when I arrived, Brian had lit up his big fire pit outside; and funny enough, most of the guys were outside around it instead of the mirror in the bathroom.
Once outside, Brian introduced me to Hank who was there with his buddy Phillip. Hank had worked with Brian for a bit and Brian had asked him to hang out. Now I understood why everyone was so interested in freezing to death in the cold wind.
Hank was older than anyone there, being in his early forties. I thought he was really handsome - a head full of dark wavy hair, tall, big manly build. Phillip was a jacked up bodybuilder whose clothes were too tight for his bulk.
Everyone wanted Hank and Phillip. However, two guys told everyone that they were cool with gay guys, but that they were straight. None of the gay guys seemed to care about what they said. Of course, some hot straight alpha male was like catnip to most of the gay dudes there.
Hank was pretty quiet and reserved; while, Phillip was the life of the party. Phillip was this big and loud bodybuilder, built like some wild bull with a wisecracking filthy mouth. Even in the cold, Phillip loved the high he got of showing off his very muscular body to the adoring gay fans. Almost every gay guy there was trying to figure out how to get the effervescent bodybuilder naked. Hank would just shake his head and laugh as Phillip would teasingly expose another part of his body to his adoring thirsty audience.
I myself just sat there sipping my beer quietly and every once in a while looking over at the handsome Hank. And every so often, I would catch him looking at me. Phillip got up to go inside and it left me, Hank, and a couple others who didn't want to get in the middle of the gaggle following Phillip around.
Hank moved closer to me.
"So you're not a Phillip fan?" he chuckled.
"Not really," I answered. "I'm not into the loud, center of attention thing," I laughed.
"Yeah, I'm not either," he told me, holding out his beer bottle and clinking the neck against mine in a cheers.
We chit-chatted for a bit. He told me about working with Brian. He told me about being college roommates with Phillip.
"I bet being in college...being his roommate was eventful." I laughed.
"You have no idea! I'm actually surprised he graduated," he told me, glancing at the raucous happenings on the other side of the patio doors. "See that," he laughed, pointing at a shirtless Phillip gyrating to something thudding on the stereo system inside the house, "that was every day for me."
Even though I was by the fire, I was still a bit chilly after a couple of beers.
"You cold?" Hank asked, looking down at me with a little smile.
I had worn a light jacket instead of a coat. "Yeah, just a bit, but I'll be okay. I think we're going to the bar later. It's always warm there," I responded, feeling my teeth chattering in my mouth.
"Here," Hank said, grabbing the edge of his thick coat and putting it around me and huddling close to me.
I could smell the dark masculine smell of his body and his musky, clean deodorant/cologne. His hot body so close to me warmed me immediately up as we huddled there. He was wearing a thick cotton shirt under his big coat but I could still feel his hard muscled torso under it.
"That's better, right?" He said with a wink, tightening his hand around me in a friendly hug..
"Oh, yeah, definitely," I responded softly, my heart beating fast.
"Good," he said, finishing off his beer. "You've been pretty quiet all evening."
"Hard to get any word in edgewise around this group," I laughed.
"Yeah, Phillip gets going too and you can't stop him. Like lighting a powder keg around this crowd," he laughed back.
Suddenly Brian, Phillip, and the rest started to come out of the house, laughing loudly. They were talking about walking over to the bar. I got up off the bench quickly, pulling myself away from Hank's daddy-warmness.
"Uhm...Thanks for warming me up," I said shyly, nodding my head and smiling.
"Are you going out?" Hank asked me.
"I probably am," I told him.
"Okay, cool," he got in before Phillip grabbed his coat and started slurring something at him.
I slipped out and ran by my apartment to get a bigger coat.
When I got to the bar, Brian and everyone else was already there. Hank was sitting at a table. He motioned for me to join him. He was playing pool with his friend Phillip. Brian and a few other guys were gathered around Phillip and they were all about three sheets to the wind. Hank was seated by himself on the opposite side of the pool table
"Well, I'm glad my little buddy showed up," he said with a big smile, grabbing my shoulder and giving it a quick massage.
"I think it's your turn," I told him as Phillip scratched the cue ball and it fell into a side pocket. "I'm going to get a drink."
I came back as he sat back down after his shot. I stood next to him. We were in a bit of a shadowy area of the dim bar, even near the glare of the pool table light. There was a break in play as Phillip and the boys took shots. I suddenly felt something around me and realized that Hank had put his arm around my waist, resting his big hand on my ass. I turned to him and he looked at me, giving me a wink and a bit of a smile.
The intro for the drag show started to play and the group abandoned the game. Hank and I were left on our own as they all stumbled off toward the stage.
"I'm about to leave," Hank told me. "You wanna come over to my place?"
"I thought you were straight," I laughed.
He gave a chuckle. "I like you," he leaned over and whispered nonchalantly before leaning back and finishing his bottle of beer.
