I smile at Briar’s animated friend, his brown eyes brimming with mischief. Gen is definitely the social planner of the group, even though he looks shy, so it makes sense he would be in charge of The Project, as we’re calling it. Briar tells me that Gen is going through a hookup only phase after his last relationship ended, though he won’t share the details of what happened. He’s also doing “everything in excess” according to Briar after spending years following the rules. He’s a good-looking guy, very slender with cropped black hair, brown eyes, and naturally tan skin. He’s pretty short and wearing a bright yellow sequined tank top, tight black shorts, and silver ankle boots. He always dresses with a “look at me” vibe, and he’s definitely fun to be around.
“Sounds good,” I answer.
“Wednesday there is a popular drag show on the strip, so we’ll go there.”
I nod, sipping my drink.
“Then I’ve given Briar an itinerary of things that should take place.”
“An itinerary. Can I see it?”
“Of course.” Gen hands me his phone. “There’s movies, shows, songs, singers, books. It’s basically a crash course in everything important to little gay boys growing up.”
“This is helpful.”
“I recommend finding one you can claim as your favorite.”
“Easy. Whatever Briar’s favorites are.”
Gen wrinkles his nose. “A bit gauche, don’t you think?”
“Gauche?”
“Too on the nose. Pick one mutual favorite, but then have your own. Builds authenticity.”
I nod. “Okay. Good tip.” I turn to Briar. “You’re up for all this right?”
He nods, smiling. “I think it’s going to be fun.”
If I’m honest, it wouldn’t kill me to have a little fun. I agreed to this project so I might as well make the best of it. “Me too.”
Shortly after, the three of us pile into the Uber and head to Tru. I’ve heard of it a few times. Some of the guys at work have gone. Apparently, it’s pretty legendary. I’ve wanted to check it out honestly, but I’m always busy with work. That, and I’ve been avoiding dating like the fucking cesspool it is.
Going with friends is a much better option. Briar is dressed in what Gen called his “hookup look” which cracked me up since I’ve never known Briar to do that. Sure, he’s been on a few dates here and there, but he always comes home alone. He’s wearing tight white jeans slightly above his ankle, red loafers, and a black shirt with a subtle tropical pattern, but keeping with Briar’s low-key vibe, he’s got the shirt buttoned to the top. He styled his hair in a trendy way with Gen’s assistance. Normally his hair is just combed nicely, but tonight the top is pushed up and back like a cool, modern pompadour. He looks really good like that, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say that Briar is feeling himself a little.
For my part, I chose what I would wear to any nightclub, a pair of tight black jeans, a white linen short-sleeved button-down with a black tank underneath, and black loafers. I got a fresh buzz on my hair today, keeping the sides short and the top longish, and slicking it back. When I get to dancing, it’ll fall, but that’s okay. By then I’ll be plenty drunk. Besides, I’m not trying to impress anyone tonight except Briar.
I tap Briar’s knee with my hand. He turns to look at me with a big smile. “You excited?”
Briar nods. “We’ve never been to a nightclub together.”
“Weird.”
“Yeah. Better late than never.”
“For sure.”
Gen is tapping on his phone. “Exciting news, boys. Tate, Cairo, and Saint are coming.”
“Saint?” Briar questions. “How’d you pull that off?”
“I played on his upcoming birthday and his age.” He scrunches his nose. “Tacky I know, but I had to pull out all the stops.”
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We’ve been trying to get Saint to come out of his shell more,” Briar explains. “He’s a really great person, but he’s a hermit.”
“We’re all sure something terrible happened to him,” Gen says, tsking when he’s done. “He won’t talk about it, but we all try to be friends with him and help him see there’s still a big wonderful world out there, and he’s still young enough to participate.”
“So, he’s single?”
“Definitely,” Briar says. “The only thing we got out of him is that he’s gay. It didn’t take long for us to figure out everyone who works there is.”
“Intentionally?” I ask.
Briar shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because a lot of male bakers are. Not all, of course, but statistically speaking in Miami anyway.”
“True,” Gen agrees. “But I think he’s partial to supporting us.”
“Oh. Maybe it just happened like it did at my shop.”
Gen grins. “Ooh, you have gay boys at Black Heart? I might need a tattoo.”
“I have a guy who’s bi and a gender fluid artist. Not intentional. I just hire people that are good.”
“Same with Saint,” Briar continues. “He absolutely would not hire someone who wasn’t qualified.”
“Truth.” Gen nods, then pats my leg. “Just remember, Saint is the very essence of a delicious, big, gorgeous daddy bear, but you’re with Briar.”
I laugh. “And straight.”
“Oh.” Gen winks dramatically. “There’s that.”
“A little detail.” I hook my arm through Briar’s. “Don’t worry, babe, I won’t let Saint steal me away.”
Briar laughs. “Good to know.”
We arrive at the club, and it’s a spectacle. Our car pulls up to the colorfully lit buildings with throngs of people waiting outside to get in. This is the best place to be on a Saturday night.
After standing in a line that moved pretty quickly, we get inside and snag a tall table near the dance floor. You have to stand, but at least it’s a place to put our drinks down. A waiter shows up just as the rest of the guys join. They have two women with them too. We put in our drink orders. I order a Tito’s and soda, and Briar agrees to drink something Gen ordered for him.
“Guys,” Briar begins, “you remember Jude?” He puts his hand around my arm. “Tate, Cairo, and Saint.”
I shake hands, greeting everyone. “Good to see you guys again.”
“Congrats on your upcoming wedding,” Cairo says, then busts out laughing.
I chuckle. “Like I told my guys, you better start saving for the registry. We have good taste.”
Cairo laughs. “I like you.”
“Thanks.”
I take them all in—Cairo with his silver-sequined tank top and bright blue pants, Tate, a more hipster version of Briar in a button-down shirt and tight fitting slacks, and Saint, the daddy bear as Gen called him, whatever that means. He looks slightly uncomfortable in his jeans and black t-shirt. I meant to ask Briar how old he is. To me, he looks to be early forties, but he definitely keeps himself fit. I don’t imagine he’d have a hard time finding company if he wanted it, but he could be a lot like me. Running your own business takes a lot of time.