Grown-up by Kim Fielding Page B

Austin and thought he was kidding when he ordered a beer and a Coke, but Austin was serious. He was tonight’s designated driver. He’d actually considered buying Ben something stronger, but he’d never seen the guy drink any alcohol and wasn’t sure of his tolerance. He didn’t want to get Ben wasted, just relaxed.
    Ben did not look especially relaxed when Austin joined him at the table. He grabbed the beer and had a quick chug.
    “Want me to go back and get you something?” Austin asked Randy.
    “Nah. You know I like to talk to Ty myself.” Ty was one of the bartenders. He was smoking hot, and Randy had lusted after him for ages without ever managing to get in his pants.
    “So what do you think, Benny?” Austin waved his arm. “Not too scary, is it?”
    “It’s fine. Not my favorite music, though.”
    “Yeah, but it’s good to dance to.”
    At the mention of dancing, Ben looked slightly stricken. “Um, where’s the bathroom?”
    Randy pointed. “Off that way.”
    “Thanks. Be right back.”
    Austin considered warning him that he was apt to find a little more activity than he expected in the men’s room, but then he just let Ben go. The guy was no fainting virgin. He wouldn’t succumb to a fit of the vapors if he walked in on a blowjob or two.
    Randy and Austin watched him walk away, and then Randy turned to Austin. “Your new friend’s kinda quiet.”
    “I suppose so. But, um, what do you think of him?”
    Randy twitched his shoulders. “He’s all right.”
    “Just all right?”
    “He’s cute, I guess. Not my type.”
    Just cute? As Austin followed Ben’s retreating form, he wanted to protest that Ben was a lot more than cute or all right. He was gorgeous. He was special. He was—
    Oh, fuck.
    “Oz? You okay?”
    When Austin only opened and shut his mouth like a dying fish, Randy looked concerned. “You okay, dude? Somebody slip something in your Coke?”
    “I…. No.” Austin swallowed thickly. It was just another goddamn epiphany, that was all. The things were like a fucking plague lately. He shook his head. “I just thought of something.”
    “Shouldn’t do that. Might strain something.” Randy stood and patted Austin’s shoulder. “I’m gonna go seduce Ty.”
    Austin was alone at the table for a few minutes. The music blared and the lights flashed, but the club was library-calm compared to what was going on inside his head. He barely even noticed when Ben returned, sat opposite him, and picked up his beer. “I thought you’d be dancing,” Ben said. He didn’t look overly scandalized by whatever he’d witnessed in the john.
    “I was waiting for you.” Five goddamn words ringing out like a voice from on high. Shit. Fuck. Shit fuck shit fuck.
    But apparently Ben didn’t notice the sentence’s potentially deeper meaning. “Oh. Well… you can go now.”
    “I thought… I thought maybe you’d dance with me.” It was a crappy idea. Knowing what he did, Austin had no business getting that close to Ben. But he doubted Ben would dance at all otherwise, and Austin had promised a night of youthful abandon, dammit.
    Ben gave him a long look. “I think I’ll need another beer first.”
    Austin could have used five or six drinks himself. But all he had was another Coke as he sat at the table with Ben, watching Ben watch the other men. If Ben’s gaze stayed on any particular man for any length of time, Austin couldn’t discern it. Which should not have made him feel so relieved.
    “I think I can face it now,” Ben said as he polished off his bottle. He stood, but his shoulders were tense.
    “Not a torture chamber,” Austin told him as he took Ben’s hand, although in truth, Austin was also reminding himself. He felt his own particular torture at the moment. He might have been acting more adult lately, but apparently he’d not yet been gifted with mature wisdom, especially when it came to falling for a friend. Still, dancing needed to be part of Ben’s carefree