Page 45 of Two for Holding
Tom was precisely none of those things.Tom had no idea what he wanted and presented as heteronormatively masculine as he possibly could.If something did happen, ridiculous as the thought was, Jax would never be rid of Tom no matter how badly it went.They played on the same team.
Jax glanced over at the bar again and found Tom alone, no black T-shirt man in sight.
“Your friend struck out, huh?”the guy in Jax’s arms yelled in his ear.
“Seems so.”
“You wanna go comfort him, or do you wanna come home with me?”
Jax watched as Tom turned to the bartender and signaled for the bill.He was giving up.He’d tried all of once and immediately called it quits.He’d return to the hotel, put his head in the sand, and spend another fifteen years “taking care of it himself.”
Jax pulled away from his dance partner.“I’m sorry.”
The guy shrugged and gave him a rueful smile.“Worth a shot.You should tell him how you feel.”
“What?”Jax said.“I don’t… No, that’s not… I’ve got to go.Your eyeliner is awesome, by the way.”
“Thanks.”The guy gave him a bemused smile and a little wave, and then Jax had to hightail it out of the club.Tom was already gone.
Jax found him a block and a half away, walking way too fast for a man who’d been to hockey practice, witnessed the implosion of his hockey team, and played a full game all in one day.
“Tom!”
“You shouldn’t be out here,” Tom said without turning around.“You were having a good time.”
Panting, Jax drew even.“We were there to getyouto have a good time.”
“We were there because you, and I quote, ‘needed to suck someone’s dick.’”
Oh, right.Jax had said that.Unfortunately, in the meantime, he’d been forced to accept he only wanted to suck one dick, and it was Tom’s.“Yeah, well, maybe it was more of a want than a need.”
“The guy you were dancing with looked like he wanted you.”
“Plenty of fish in the sea.Which is why we should both go back so you can try again.”
Finally, Tom turned to face him with an utterly anguished expression.“I can’t do it.”
Jax swallowed heavily.Had his stupid plan to get Tom out there somehow made everything worse for Tom?Had the man in the black T-shirt put him off sex for life?“What did black T-shirt guy do to you?”
“He asked me to dance.”
Blinking, Jax tried to find the problem.
Tom continued, heedless of Jax’s confusion.“I don’t knowhowto dance with a guy.And even if I managed, what if he wanted to kiss me?I haven’t kissed anyone since I was a teenager.I’ll be terrible at it.I’ve given one blow job in my entire life.I’ve missed the boat.I can’t do this.”
He tried to stop himself, really, he did, but Jax couldn’t help it.He burst out laughing.
Tom turned away, ready to keep power walking toward the hotel.
“No, no, Tom!I’m sorry.But…do you only ever do things you’re good at?”
“All I do is play hockey or talk about playing hockey.”
Good God, this man.Didn’t he cook meals or do his laundry?Or had he performed some crazy leap of logic to make believe he only cooked meals as fuel for hockey and did his laundry so he’d have clothes to wear to hockey?
“So firstly,” Jax said, “you’re lying.I’ve seen you play cards, listen to music, and watch the news.Secondly, were you born with a magnificent slapshot?”
“No.”
