"Okay, may I make a suggestion?" Dom said,
dropping the jacket he was carrying on the sofa a moment after Tim let him into
his apartment.
Tim nodded hesitantly.
"Do you own jeans?" Dom inquired. "And
maybe a T-shirt?"
Tim looked at Dom and saw why he'd asked. He was
wearing tight jeans, and a T that fit him like a second skin under a half
unbuttoned blue shirt. "I think… I mean… I've got jeans, yes—and T-shirts,
but they're more like undershirts, if that makes sense."
"It does. What about tank tops?"
"In the middle of winter?"
Dom smiled. "Trust me. Bars tend to be too warm,
not too cool. You'll be fine if you have one and a shirt that doesn't look like
something you'd wear to work."
"I… Okay, give me a minute." Tim went into
his bedroom. Opening his closet door, he looked at the pants he had hanging
there. Jeans were in short supply, meaning he had two pair, both of them fairly
well-worn. And not at all tight, but…
He chose the newer pair, which still looked like he'd
owned them for quite a while, and changed. Then he checked his dresser drawer, digging
through it to find the only tanks he owned. Color
would probably be better than white. That meant either blue or black. He
opted for the latter and put it on then checked what he looked like in the
mirror. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he grumbled, "Next to Dom, I'll
look like a wimp trying not to look like… a wimp."
Shirts weren't quite as much of a problem. He
actually did own some that weren't basic blue or white. Since he was wearing
the black tank, he thought maybe the dark green shirt he'd bought on an impulse
and only worn once would work. He put it on then returned to the living room to
ask shyly, "Is this okay?"
"More than okay," Dom said
enthusiastically. "You look pretty sexy but… undo a couple more
buttons." When Tim did, Dom said "Perfect." He grinned.
"Next step in your makeover is letting your hair grow some. Why do you
keep it so short?"
"It's easier?"
"Well, easier doesn't catch fair lady—or
handsome man, I think, in your case."
Tim gulped. "How did you know?"
"I'm not as dumb as I look," Dom replied,
chuckling. "Now grab your coat and let's get moving."
* * * *
Dom watched the look of panic on Tim's face with a
bit of amusement. While the bar wasn't gay per se, there seemed to be an equal
mix of gays and straights. It was also loud, with music and voices fighting for
ascendency.
"It's awfully busy," Tim said, veering
toward an empty table at the back of the main room.
Dom laughed, catching Tim's arm to steer him to two
vacant seats at the bar. "It's Thursday night, almost the weekend. People
are gearing up." When they were seated, he asked what Tim wanted to drink.
"A beer." Tim smiled weakly. "That is
what you said last night... that we should go out for a beer."
"That's fine with me, but if you'd like
something else..."
"No, no. Just a beer."
Dom ordered two, insisting on paying for them, since
this had been his idea. "Besides which, I owe you for all your help."
"No you don't," Tim protested.
"I think I do, so don't argue." When the
beers arrived, Dom took a couple of swallows then said, "I take it you've
never been here before."
Tim shook his head. "I tried the bar I pass on
the way home from work—twice. I felt like a fish out of water."
"I bet you sat in a corner, watching, but not
doing anything."
"Yeah. So?" Tim replied defensively.
"So you're not going to meet people that
way."
"Who says I want to meet people?" Tim
asked, still sounding defensive.
"That's right," Dom replied. "You're
not a people person, according to you."
Tim grimaced. "Not really. Besides I'm… Did you
ever see 'Chicago'?"
"The city or the movie?"
"The movie. There's a song, 'Mr Cellophane'.
That's me. People look right through me, as if I'm not there."
"Is that how you want it?" Dom asked,
pitching his voice just loudly enough for Tim, but not the people around them,
to hear.
"It's… safer."
"But do you like being invisible?"
"No," Tim whispered. If he hadn't shaken
his head at the same time, Dom wouldn't have known what his answer was.
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