Q laughed and sat up to pull A down for another kiss. “Worth it.”

It felt like I was intruding on their moment, but I couldn’t look away. I knew they shared a sub who lived with them and wanted to know how that worked. I’d met their partner once, and there was no outward jealousy between the three of them, which I had a hard time understanding. Somehow, it worked for them, and I wasn’t one to judge. If I had someone who looked at me the way these three looked at each other, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to share.

Mostly, I wanted someone to kiss who wouldn’t run away screaming when it came to getting naked.

“Hey, Long,” Jefferson pulled me away from my staring and I pretended I was switching to an arm stretch.

“What’s up?” I didn’t meet his gaze, grateful it was hard to tell when I was blushing due to my dad’s Filipino genes dominating my looks. Dark hair and eyes, with permanently tan skin, and I got his height as well.

“I wanted to invite you to game night this weekend,” Jefferson continued, and I finally looked his way. “It’s at Shepherd’s.”

“We’ll be there,” Q added, and I saw A nodding. I liked these guys, but I also knew what they got up to in their spare time. Kinky stuff.

Narrowing my eyes, I grabbed my bottle and took a drink before replying, “What kind of games?”

“We start off tame and just hang out. Shepherd always prepares a spread,” A started and stopped when I didn’t drop my suspicious expression. “If you don’t want to watch or join in when it inevitably gets more fun, you are free to bounce. Or not.”

“Why don’t you go shower and rest up then get back to me?” Jefferson elbowed me, tossing me a clean towel. “I thought I’d freak out at those kinds of things, but it’s actually fun.”

“I’ll think about it,” I reluctantly agreed, waving to the guys and making my way to the locker room. They only had one big space, instead of gendered areas, and my body was begging to feel cold water on my heated muscles.

After staying in the shower longer than necessary, I turned the water off when I realized I was dwelling on my constant single status after being around happily partnered friends. I dried off my body enough to not leave a trail of water in my wake and tossed the towel in a basket before grabbing a new one for my hair. I didn’t think twice about walking to my locker naked until I heard a whistle. Cringing, I turned to find a man I’d met before, eyeing me with appreciation.

“I see you were aptly named, Long.” Roman lifted his eyes to meet mine. It wasn’t original, but I was glad he didn’t stare. I was more of a shower than a grower, especially in girth, but the cold water hadn’t hidden how much I was hung without any stimuli.

Eying his own state of undress, I saw he had a good size cock on him as well, though he was circumcised where I wasn’t. Seeing as Roman had two boyfriends, I shouldn’t be ogling his fit body. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” Roman shook his head, pink hair falling across his forehead. “In fact, you should really come to game night.”

His eyes darted down to my crotch, where I’d moved my towel. One girl and multiple men have said I’m romance novel size, or hung like a horse, and I hadissuesrelated to my size. It took them forever to work up to taking my dick, and most weren’t that patient or even interested in doing that. Bottoms said they were, but then they complained I came too much, usually overflowing my condom. It was hot until I asked anyone for more than a hookup, and then they were gone.

“Because I have a big dick?” I asked, more bluntly than I would normally, on edge after feeling so vulnerable from watching Q and A together.

Roman threw his head back and laughed, “O-M-G, I didn’t know you had that in you, Shane. But no, I meant because you would see a bunch of people talking about sex openly and who are comfortable in their own skin.”

His words struck a chord with me. I didn’t discuss sex openly or feel so comfortable in my skin. But damn if I didn’t want to be.

“I’ll think about it,” I answered the same way I had before, not committing to anything.

How would I cure my chronic singledom if I never got out there to meet people? I knew the answer to my internal question, but didn’t acknowledge it even to myself.

Chapter three

Miles

BeforeIknewit,the weekend had arrived. My pressing work was done, all deadlines met, so I had no excuse for staying home. Cielo had finished my taxes the day before, and let me know I’d owe the state money, but I had a bigger refund from federal taxes. They got my permission to pay one with the other and I was happy to have a few hundred dollars headed my way.

They also reminded me about game night.

The idea of being around the established group of friends was a little intimidating. Cielo was only a couple of years older than me, both of us still in our mid-twenties, but I knew a lot of the others attending were decades older than us. I had my kinks and never shamed others for theirs, but these guys were hella kinky.

Still, I was too curious not to go see for myself. They wouldn’t break out the whips and chains on game night, right?

Cielo gave me the address of an industrial area of the Mission, and I thought I was in the wrong place when I saw a restaurant. A large sign read, “Shepherd’s Kitchen,” and I quickly searched it up for added details. The first article was from a San Francisco Magazine I’d done comics for and trusted their reporting, though it was more of a human interest piece than a news article.

“Shepherd’s Kitchen is a concept restaurant, feeding the unhoused for free, as well as selling pre-made meals,”the first line read, making me nod at the cool idea. But it only referred to the owner and head chef as Shepherd, there was no other details.

A memory of meeting Cielo’s friends, Roman and July, pinged a memory when they talked about their partner:Shepherd. He was a chef! All three lived together over the restaurant and were roommates before hooking up. Sounded convenient to me, but the restaurant was closed…how was I supposed to get in?