Better Than Good (5 page)

Help came in the form of her roommate, Stephanie. She was dressed in pajama bottoms and a tight T-shirt, no bra, eating ice cream straight from the container in front of what looked like yet another chick flick. This one looked like the sad kind, though. One look at Stephanie told me she was an emotional mess; tears were streaming down her face. Kristin rushed over to her side.

“Steph, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Men suck. I want to be a lesbian,” she cried. Stephanie is actually a very pretty girl, but her eyes were puffy and red, and she looked a little miserable. I didn’t really want to stick around to find out who had stood her up or let her down. I got that it was one of my gender. I didn’t need to know any more.

“Um. Maybe I should head out, Kristin….” I was already backing up toward the front door.

“Yeah, I’m so sorry, Matt.” She had her arm around Stephanie. She blew me a kiss over her sobbing friend’s shoulder. I smiled and gave her a small wave as I made a mad dash for the door.

I breathed a sigh of immense relief as I stepped out into the cool November evening. It was still early. I knew I wasn’t going home. I pulled out my cell and called Curt’s number. I got his voice mail. There were other friends I could call, or I could just grab a beer on my own. But I couldn’t stop thinking of Aaron. It had been almost a month. Would he even remember me? I pushed “send” before I could talk myself out of it.

The call was answered on the first ring, but it didn’t sound like Aaron.

“Chel-lo… Aaron’s phone….” The voice was masculine but lilting. It was very loud in the background. I’d bet Aaron and whoever had his phone were at a club. “I’m sure you’re looking for Aaron, because I am too. I need to give him his phone.” He must have pulled the phone just away from his mouth, but he was still yelling in my ear, “Yoo-hoo, Aaron honey… you just got a call. Yes, I answered it. You didn’t say I shouldn’t! Sorry… I don’t know who it is. No wait, it said Matty. Who is Matty?”

I had to smile. Matty? I didn’t mind it so much coming from Aaron.

“Matty, hold on. He’s on his way, although he looks like he wants to strangle me. Be nice to him. He’s a little cranky,” Aaron’s friend whispered loudly into the phone.

“I’m not cranky, bitch. Give me the phone, sweetie.” That voice I’d know anywhere.

“Bitch, sweetie… which one is it, Aar Bear?”

“Hello?”

“Aar Bear? Hi, Aaron. It’s me. Matt. I’m not sure if you remember…,” I began nervously.

“Call me Aar Bear again and I’ll hurt you, but don’t be silly, of course I remember you, Matty. It’s been a while. How are you?” Aaron’s voice was like honey. I wanted to keep him talking, but moreover, I really wanted to see him.

“It has. I wanted to call you, but I wasn’t sure I should. How’ve you been?”

“Same ol’, same ol’… nothing exciting.” He sounded great and anything but same ol’ and unexciting to me.

“Can I see you, Aaron? I don’t mean to sound weird, pathetic, whatever. I just… I can’t stop thinking about you. What are you doing?”

I heard a small laugh, and Aaron said, “Yeah, Matt, that sounds good. I’m at a party, but I’m really ready to leave. Want to pick me up now?”

He gave me quick directions to a residence off of Logan. I had been sitting in my car while talking to Aaron, so I turned the engine on and headed over the bridge toward the Circle. Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to the address Aaron had given me to find him standing outside with his arms wrapped around himself to ward off the chill. He saw my car and made his way to me.

“Where’s your jacket?” I asked. He looked at me in surprise and then laughed.

“Matty, I didn’t want to mess up my ensemble by covering it! Like the shirt?” I nodded slowly. Aaron had on a tight-fitted, floral-printed button-down shirt, which at least had long sleeves, and tight dark jeans. Yeah, he looked good. Really good.

“Yes, I like your shirt. You look amazing. But you look cold too. Want my coat?” I offered my coat almost without realizing I had done it. He looked surprised again, but he gave me that glorious smile and shook his head.

“No, I’m good. Thank you for offering. Where should we go?”

“Well, I have a suggestion, but if you’d rather go somewhere else, that’s cool too,” I began lamely.

He raised his eyebrows, inviting me to continue.

“This friend of mine, Sam, is playing at this little bar off Pennsylvania. It’s pretty cool. A little crowded, but….”

“Sure. I’m in. Show me how the other half lives, Matty.” I must have given him a funny look because he continued, “The straight half, I mean. This is a hetero bar you’re taking me to, yes? I’m game and I promise not to embarrass you. Much.” He said the last part tongue-in-cheek, but I still wondered what that was supposed to mean. Maybe he was referring to his tightly fitted clothes and the ever-present eyeliner. I guess he looked gay, but plenty of gay people went to straight bars, and vice versa. He was my friend. Who cared what anyone thought? I didn’t imagine they’d think anything one way or the other. This was DC, not some backwater hick town.

The traffic was a little heavy the closer we got to the bar, so I parked in the first available spot I saw and suggested we walk the remaining two blocks.

“Aaron, seriously. You’re going to freeze. Take my jacket. Please.” He was wrapped around himself as closely as he could manage, but the guy was very lean. Of course he was cold. I took off my leather jacket and practically shoved it at him. He looked at me funny but didn’t argue this time. The jacket was enormous on him. I had him by five inches easily and a good thirty pounds.

“I must look ridiculous!” He laughed out loud.

“Ridiculous but warm, and right now, which would you rather be? Come on, we’re heading this way.” I directed him up the avenue.

Along the way, he chatted nonstop about the party he’d just been to. A work gathering. Someone’s birthday. He was supposed to go to his best friend Jay’s house later, but he’d just text him and tell him he had other last-minute plans. He told me about a new layout he was helping the photographer with for his magazine shoot. And on and on. It was enchanting, honestly. I got the sense that things were never dull in Aaron’s world. He wouldn’t let them be. He asked about me, but I was able to give him only the briefest of updates before we were at our destination.

The bar was packed. It was wall-to-wall people. I signaled for him to follow me and made my way to the bar.

“What do you want?” I yelled above the din.

“Umm… let’s see. A cosmo, please.”

“Aaron. This is a
bar
bar. How about a vodka soda or vodka cranberry?”

“Really? They can’t throw in a little triple sec and lime juice? Fine. I’ll have a vodka cranberry, then. But make it strong. I was at a work party. I’ve had like two sips of wine tonight, and now I’m in enemy territory. I need a drink more than anyone here.” He gave me a dramatic eye roll and flipped his hair back from his eyes. All it did was make him look even more adorable, especially since he was still wearing my jacket. I had to fight the urge to lean over and kiss him.

I ordered our drinks and asked the bartender if I could get word to Sam that I was here. Maybe give him a note or something. A waitress picking up drinks from the bar said she was heading toward the stage area. She would tell Sam I was there in the audience. I gave her my name and thanked her. I played in the same kinds of bars Sam did. Sometimes we played together. We always let each other know when we were at a show. It was good to know you were playing to at least one friendly face. Helped steady the nerves, I thought.

We were still at the bar when she came back to us and instructed us to follow her. We made our way to a very small table placed to the right of the makeshift stage.

“Sam reserved this table for guests. It’s yours tonight.” She gave me a flirtatious smile and seemed to flash a bit of cleavage as she leaned forward to place our drinks on the table.

Aaron noticed too. He gave her a cool smile and leaned back in his chair. He then sprung suddenly to his feet and shrugged off my jacket, making a big production of handing it back to me.

“Too hot for me now, Matty. Do you mind taking your jacket back for me?” He batted his eyelashes at me. Seriously. I noticed his voice had a more feminine note as well. Was he jealous of the waitress’s attention? This was new territory for me. Once again, I felt unsure. The glass of vodka soda I ordered would help a little with my unease.

Aaron was uncharacteristically quiet for a few minutes once he took his seat again. He swept his gaze warily over the crowd as though trying to gage what sort of folks came to bars like this. I could tell he was feeling a little uncomfortable. He caught me watching him and flashed me one of his beautiful smiles before taking a big gulp of his vodka cranberry. I wasn’t surprised when he started choking.

“Easy, big guy. There’s no hurry.” I patted him on the back the way my mom had always done to me when I was little. I’m not sure what she thought that would do, but that silly pat was an ingrained gesture in my family.

Aaron gave me a weak laugh as he regained composure.

“The bartender must have heard me ask for a stiff one. Ha! Pun only sort of intended.” He laughed out loud at his own joke, and I couldn’t help but join in. His laughter was infectious. “Better be careful, Matty. I get a little slutty when I’ve had too much. I don’t want to do anything you’ll regret in the morning.” He giggled softly. Geez, I was beginning to wonder if Aaron had eaten at all. I leaned forward to ask him when the lights over the stage area went dark, announcing the evening’s entertainment.

“Oooh, is this your friend? Sam, right? What does he sing anyway?” I was surprised I could hear Aaron’s voice over the wolf whistles and cheering.

I smiled at him and just whispered in his ear, “You’ll see.” My lips gently brushed the tip of his ear. He started at my touch, but just turned forward in his seat to focus on Sam.

Sam Thompson and I had met in a criminal justice class my first year of law school. We were in the same study group and quickly learned that we shared a second passion in music. Sam was a year ahead of me in school and had been making a name for himself in the small club and bar scene, playing acoustic guitar and singing. He said it worked as a great stress reliever for him and gave him a life outside of textbooks and lectures. I’d been playing guitar since I was in my midteens. I was even in a small band in college. Like Sam, it was never my intention to make a living playing, but I loved it too.

Sam walked out with his six-string guitar draped over his shoulder. He made eye contact with me and gave me a nod before he sat on a small stool and adjusted the microphone in front of him. Sam looked the part of a soulful blues guitarist. His sandy-blond hair was a little long and shaggy. He had a lean and lanky build and was probably a good couple inches taller than me. He was dressed casually tonight in a worn pair of jeans and an ancient concert T-shirt. Sam was all about the music, not fashion.

I snuck a peek at my companion as I realized that, although I didn’t know Aaron well at all, my guess would be that he liked to dress for whatever the occasion called. I hoped he wasn’t going to hate being here tonight. Inviting him here was pure impulse on my part. I had no clue what I was doing. Once again. But Aaron seemed to bring out a carefree, go-with-the-flow side of me. If I thought too much about any of this, I knew I’d be in trouble. He was looking attentively toward the stage as Sam welcomed everyone and began to run his fingers over the strings of his guitar. I figured that as long as Aaron didn’t expect him to play Lady Gaga, this could be all right.

Sam played for a good forty-five minutes to an enthusiastic audience before he announced he was taking a small break. During the set, I’d kept an eye on my companion while Sam played. I noticed Aaron would alternate his attention between Sam and the people gathered to listen to him. He reminded me of a wild, beautiful creature who somehow found himself in enemy territory. He looked wary and on guard but interested at the same time.

I leaned forward to ask him if wanted to head out when Sam approached our table. I stood to greet him and gave him a one-armed guy hug. Sam was on a performer’s high, keyed up from the adrenaline rush playing in front of a crowd gives you when the nerves give way to the simple joy of playing the music you love. Sam and I both performed covers of music we liked. Mostly classic rock, but I also loved good pop music and would play anything from the Beatles to Maroon 5. I didn’t think Aaron’s taste in music ran in either direction, but so far, he seemed at least mildly entertained.

I introduced Aaron to Sam as Sam pulled up a chair to join us.

“You were awesome, man,” I enthused, giving him a high five. “Let me buy you a drink.”

“Thanks, but I’m good. I have so much work to do this weekend. I’m not drinking anything tonight.”

Sam gave Aaron a brief once-over before asking him if we knew each other from law school. I don’t know why that struck me as funny, but I gave a quick chuckle at the thought of Aaron in one of my boring classes. He was much too vibrant for Constitutional Law. I would have remembered someone like him. Aaron raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled at him, hoping to convey that I meant no insult.

“No, we met at a club and then a bar and now another bar. Creatures of the night, right, Matty?” Uh-oh. Aaron was on the defense now, and Sam was giving me the weirdest look. It was time to retreat.

“Right. Hey, Sam. We’re gonna be heading out. Let me know when your next gig is, ’kay?” I started to get up from the table, but Sam grabbed my wrist before I got anywhere.

“Wait. I was going to ask you if you would come play a song or two with me. Come on, dude, it would be great. We can do a couple of the ones we practiced last week.”

“Do it, Matty. I want to hear you.” Aaron was the one giving funny looks now.

“Yeah, Matty…,” Sam pleaded, drawing out my name to let me know he wanted to know when I’d gone from Matt to Matty.

“Alright, but only one, Sam. We haven’t practiced enough. It’s going to be edgy anyway. I’m assuming you have more than one guitar?” I figured it was easier to give in and then get out of here. I felt like I was paying for my impulsiveness now, and I really wanted out.