Page 40 of Tough Guy
Ryan warily shook his hand, and Fabian slapped Marcus’s arm. “Don’t listen to him, Ryan. He’s just trying to embarrass me.”
Ryan tried not to think too much about what that might mean. Instead he said, “It’s a lot quieter here than it was at your show.” He noticed that Fabian was dressed very casually—jeans, a black sweater, and just a trace of eyeliner. When Fabian leaned forward, Ryan could see his collarbone peeking out of the wide neck of the sweater.
“Oh, this place is dead,” Fabian said casually. “I like that, though. It’s a good place to try stuff out.”
“The place would be packed if people knew he was playing tonight,” Vanessa said.
“As if.” Then Fabian smiled. “Well, yes. Probably. But it’s a very small room.”
“So you play for the Guardians?” Marcus said.
“Yes. Last I heard anyway.” It was a joke that would work better in hockey circles, but Marcus smiled politely.
“You played Saturday night. The bar I work at shows the games early in the evening. I didn’t see the end. Did you win?”
“We did. It was a good one.”
“What are you drinking?” Fabian asked. “I’ll buy a round.”
“Um, tea.”
“You’re not buying me anything, Fabian,” Vanessa scolded. “Sit down.”
“I’ll buy,” Ryan said. “I was thinking of getting a beer, and hockey pays pretty well, so...”
“I’ll bet it does,” Marcus purred. “I like your new friend, Fabian.”
Ryan stood, and Fabian offered to go with him. Ryan was grateful because he was worried he would forget everyone’s orders. When they were away from the table, Fabian said, “Sorry about them. They’re sort of...overly interested in you.”
“Really? Why?”
And for a moment it really looked like Fabian might be blushing a bit. “I don’t know. I guess because they know how I feel about hockey players and they probably think it’s funny that I—” He shook his head. “They’re just being dumb. You’re a curiosity because you’re new.”
“Okay.”
They ordered everyone’s drinks and Ryan paid. Everyone had ordered a beer or a wine, so they didn’t have to wait long for them. Ryan picked up two pints of beer and was about to carry them to the table when Fabian put a hand on his arm. “Wait.”
“What?”
“Just...before we join those two idiots—who I love—I just want to thank you for being here. Sincerely.”
“Oh. No problem. To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Ryan held his breath and waited for Fabian’s reply. There was something in Fabian’s eyes—surprise or maybe confusion. But then he smiled and said, “Me too.”
Ryan truly had no idea what this was anymore. It seemed almost like a date, but that would be ridiculous. And impossible. Ryan liked spending time with Fabian, and he loved watching him perform, but someone as beautiful and happy as Fabian had no place in Ryan’s miserable world. And Fabian was showing Ryan kindness by offering himself as a guide to the Toronto scene. It didn’t mean he wanted anything to do with Ryan beyond that.
They brought the drinks back to the table and they had barely sat back down when Vanessa said, “Have you tested that vibrator yet, Fabian?”
Fabian struggled to swallow his wine, then glared at her. “What iswrong with you?”
She spread her hands. “What? Are we shy about vibrators now? Is this a church supper? I need to get a review of that thing on my site.”
“We can talk about thislater.”
She turned to Ryan. “Sorry. Are you an adult who is aware of the existence of sex toys?”
“Yes.”
