No Good Deed - Marie Sexton Page 0,104

hung with. These days, young twinks on the scene saw his bald head and gray beard and called him “sir” or “daddy.” They were good for a night or two of fun, but when the sex was done, Will sent them on their way, feeling lonelier than ever. He had nothing to say to them. They were half his age. What could they possibly converse about?

And maybe that was why meeting Robert had filled him with such hope.

The Tap House was crowded, Robert and Avery’s show approximately at its midpoint when he arrived. He made the rounds, greeting the people he knew—some of them fellow members of his leather club, some just people he’d met in the time he’d been coming here.

“Hey, Will,” Emily said, when he finally reached the bar. “The usual?”

“Yes, please. And a glass of that wine Rob likes.”

He eyed his seating options as she poured their drinks. He would have liked a table where he could see Robert play. Will liked watching his long, graceful fingers move over the keys. He liked imagining those pale fingers doing other, less sophisticated things. But the only way to get a good view of that was from Robert’s piano store, where drinks weren’t allowed. He could sit with his buddies from the leather club, but he wanted more privacy than that. There were a few small high-tops in the corners, all taken. Will assessed the people using them, wondering if they’d leave once the music ended.

He sipped his beer slowly. He wasn’t a big drinker. Two max, but one was more common. Half the time, he forgot about his drink completely as he talked to Robert. The trick was not drinking too much as he waited for Rob to finish playing and join him.

“You actually going to ask him out tonight?” Emily asked.

“Assuming I don’t chicken out again.”

Emily gave his arm an encouraging pat. “You have nothing to be afraid of. I’ve seen the way he smiles when he sees you here.”

Will grinned at the thought. He’d first approached Robert at the Christmas Eve-eve party two months earlier. He’d been nervous in a way he hadn’t for years, a blue-collar black guy decked out in head-to-toe leather, approaching a quiet, reserved man who wore a full suit to work every single day. But five hours later, they were still engrossed in their conversation. Emily had had to shoo them out at closing time.

Tonight, luck was with him. The ladies at one of the small high-tops in the corner stood up to leave as the last song started, and Will claimed it, clearing the empty glasses and wiping the table himself. Emily laughed at him as he returned the towel to her, knowing what he was up to. “Don’t chicken out,” she said, “or I’ll kick your ass.”

Will laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

He took his seat and waited. Rob scanned the crowd as he left his piano. His eyes found Will, and he smiled. The first week or two after Christmas, he’d lingered at the bar, giving Will bashful looks as if he wasn’t sure whether to approach or not. Now, he knew better. He touched Will’s shoulder as he squeezed past him to get to the stool Will had left open for him.

“William.” Only Robert ever called him this, but Will loved the way it sounded coming from his lips. “I’m so happy you came.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Sometimes Will wondered if Robert was really as blind as he seemed. Did he not realize Will had memorized his work schedule and always came on the nights Rob would have time to spend with him after the show ended?

“You didn’t have to buy my wine for me.”

“I’m happy to do it.”

Rob blushed. He always acted shy at first. “Thank you.”

The urge to make a move on him at times like this was almost unbearable, but Will still held back. Some part of him wanted to show as much respect as he could. And yet he had a feeling Robert wasn’t nearly as uptight as he seemed. Will suspected he was dying for a chance to break out of his shell. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he got down on his knees right there in the bar and offered to suck his cock.

They talked for an hour, Will’s beer forgotten on the table at his elbow. Conversation was easy for them. Robert always listened intently. He always considered his response before giving it. He was thoughtful. And he never made Will