Day Six: Betsy

Gavin, however, found himself with nothing but distractions. He kept the napkin with the cheerful Jeff’s number. He told his sister the story of the fight with Cabe, and with the stranger who wanted to talk to him about it. Tulip helped him cheer up about Cabe, telling him if he didn’t want children, she didn’t think the relationship could go any further.

She was, however, leery of Jeff. Tulip explained that Jeff seemed to be seeing some people, but that she didn’t know whether or not he was exclusively with them.

This intrigued Gavin. He definitely wasn’t willing to share someone, but perhaps he just needed a good fling to get on his feet. He told Cabe he didn’t need anyone, so he didn’t need anyone. He just needed a good screw and didn’t exactly feel like doing it himself.

So he called Jeff. They talked for a bit, just casual conversation, and Jeff ultimately asked him for a drink after Gavin hinted around about it.

He didn’t tell Tulip where he was heading.

Gavin found Jeff quickly in the bar and, he was pleased to note, Jeff spent the entire time with him. He clearly knew people, often giving them a short wave, but aside from that he focussed his attention entirely on Gavin. None of this “I’m going to talk to so and so for a second” and then leaving him alone at the table for an hour just to stare at the coats.

And he knew there was a possibility of Jeff just trying to soften him up, but that was fine too. He reminded himself he wasn’t looking for anything serious.

So Gavin rewarded him with a serious gaze and a few touches on his freckled wrist and, later in the evening, on the inside of his thigh. Jeff was not stylish like Gavin, but he looked good in his facial hair, and Gavin did prefer the extra weight that Jeff wore extremely well.

“So do you ever go home with strange men?” Jeff finally asked, enjoying Gavin’s hints a lot. “Or is it only for vengeance?”

“Oh please,” Gavin replied. “It can’t be vengeance if he doesn’t know about it.”

Jeff looked sceptical, but put a hand on his shoulder as he stood up. “Well, I’ve got an early morning tomorrow,” he said. “But if you need a warm bed to stay in, you’re more than welcome. I’ll just have to make a quick phone call.”

“Sure,” Gavin said, assuming he was calling someone else he was supposed to be.

Gavin felt smug as he stepped out of the bar, feeling the stench the smokers caused penetrate his nostrils. He pushed away the thoughts of Cabe as Jeff joined him outside. He took a deep breath, but made no motion to pull out a cigarette like Cabe would have.

The apartment was pretty much what Gavin expected. It was messy. He left his porn out in the open (among various self-pleasure devices). He had suitcases out, and Gavin briefly wondered where he was going. He noticed some things had been boxed up with labels that were just years. There were also tons of large reference books and small plastic dinosaurs laying around, neither of which Gavin would have guessed.

But he didn’t bother dignifying them with a mention. Aside from the mess, the apartment wasn’t actually dirty. He ran his fingers along shelves and found little-to-no dust, and he noticed Jeff’s blue eyes watching him inspect the apartment.

“Does it meet with your approval?” Jeff asked.

Gavin simply shrugged. He had no desire to nod because it didn’t. But it was enough, he didn’t really need anything else. He just hoped the bed wasn’t a waterbed or something as equally sleazy. He decided that a waterbed might just be a deal breaker.

“Just so things don’t get awkward,” Jeff said, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked into what Gavin assumed to be a bedroom, “You’re welcome to stay the night, but I’ll probably wake you up before I go. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’ve had bad experiences with letting people loiter in my apartment while I’m not here.”

Gavin investigated his bedroom in a similar manner. The bed wasn’t water. “Why?” Gavin asked. “Are you hiding something?”

“No,” Jeff replied. “But things sometimes go missing and it’s rude to say ‘Well it was here before you came over’ and sometimes other people show up while I’m out and there’s a fight while I’m out and I like watching a good fight.”

Gavin just stared at him blankly. He wasn’t sure what to think. Cabe probably would try to break up the fight quite swiftly. And Cabe probably wouldn’t have various sexual partners and let them be aware of it. Or maybe he was the only one that got to be aware of it. He wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t sure he cared.

“Well,” Jeff continued, sprawling out on the bed. “I do happen to be hiding something. Do you care to find it?”

Gavin snorted, disapproving. But Jeff just kept his stupid smile on him, and Gavin climbed on top of him. He closed his eyes as he felt the soft bread before the kiss.