A New Life Ch. 02

'So what are you up to this weekend?' Greg asked, startling me slightly as it had been quiet for a while and I was concentrating on the work on screen.

I thought for a moment before answering, deciding to keep it vague. 'I'm going for a few drinks tonight with my neighbours. Aside from that I think it's going to be the last of the unpacking and just a bit of chilling out.'

'I'm out tonight with my brother and his wife. Maybe I'll bump into you somewhere,' he said. I thought that was pretty unlikely, knowing where I would be. 'They've got a babysitter for once so they want to make the most of it.'

'So have you got nieces or nephews?' I asked.

'One nephew. Owen is three, and he loves his uncle. Probably because I spoil him rotten!'

I laughed. It was nice that Greg opened up to me about his family. Maybe soon he'd open up about some exes and I'd have the answer to what I needed to know, even if I might not want to hear it.

By the end of the day I was really looking forward to my night out, and better than that, after a week of close quarters with Greg I was a load more comfortable around him. As I got ready to go out, picking clothes to show off my best features, I still couldn't get him off my mind though, and if I had my way I would be dressing to impress him. My dream version of Greg would like the sight of my arse in these tight trousers. I smiled at the thought.

* * * * * * *

Greg

As I glanced around the club I was struck by the heady smell of sweaty men and the sexual tension. Actually, that was probably just me, because much as I tried to avoid it I was permanently horny at the moment. The only way I could seem to get release was to think about Simon, and I was trying really hard not to let that happen. Hard was of course the operative word. I'd even had to buy some new clothes for work so I had some roomier trousers.

I looked around again, not really concentrating, but my eyes stopped moving suddenly when my attention was drawn to a man crossing the room. It was just the back of him, but I noted with interest the line of his trousers where they cupped his arse, and the long hair in waves that fell between his shoulder blades. I reckoned Simon's hair would look like that if he let it down. I kept imagining that long hair falling around me as he lay on top of me while we kissed and ran our hands over each other. Typical, I come out to try and get my mind off things and the only person here that gets my attention reminds me of Simon.

Simon. Beautiful Simon with the chocolate eyes who has absolutely no idea what he does to my mind and body. Beautiful Simon who was... no, it couldn't be. I blinked hard to make sure I wasn't imagining this, but opening my eyes again saw the same thing. Simon, sat on the other side of the club talking to two guys and laughing and joking like they were old friends. The guy walking across the room had been Simon. Now I could see his face, his smile, the tightness of that top across his chest, the flowing locks of hair. I groaned, so loud that I got my brother's attention immediately.

'What's up?' he asked.

'Simon.' I replied.

I saw him roll his eyes in a gesture of desperation. 'I thought this whole exercise was about you trying to forget your obsession with Simon for just one night.'

'It was. But he's here.'

Carl just grinned. 'Excellent. Go make your move bruv.'

I could imagine the look of panic on my face just then. 'I can't.'

Carl's eyes rolled back again. 'Oh for goodness sake. Greg, he's in a gay club. Doesn't that answer at least part of what you are agonising about? How many straight guys hang out here?'

'You for one.'

He managed to look even more exasperated with me before he spoke. 'With my wife, Greg, not by myself. Trust me, single straight men do not hang out here and look comfortable with it.' He looked over at where my attention had been previously. 'Or deal calmly with some guy trying to chat them up.'

My head snapped back so I could look across the room. He was right, a tall blond guy was chatting to my Simon. I felt the jealousy curl in my stomach and it actually didn't surprise me. I was surprised when he moved away and I exhaled with relief and realised I had been holding my breath through their conversation.

'Greg, either you head over there and talk to him, or I will. Just say hi. Even if your paranoid brain is right and he isn't gay he clearly has no problem with it.'

I sat frozen to the spot, wondering what on earth I could say to Simon if I could manage to make my way over there. Wouldn't I just end up making my lust for him really obvious? I couldn't seem to move my legs anyway, and across the club seemed a million miles away. From over here at least I couldn't see into those eyes that made me hard and want to melt at the same time. Movement beside me brought me back to reality just as Carl headed past me. I tried to grab at his arm but he was already too far away, and he just turned and grinned at me. 'You had your chance,' he said as he made a beeline for Simon. Oh God, I thought I was going to have some kind of heart attack.

* * * * * * *

Simon

I was chatting to Charlie and having a good laugh with him and Mark until their attention was diverted by another man at the side of our table. This must be about the third guy to come by in the last 30 minutes. At least they had taken the hint that I wasn't interested pretty quickly. The last one, a tall blond, had been cute, but he wasn't a patch on Greg and I wasn't here looking for a quick fumble. I'd almost decided to ignore this one totally and hope he would just head off when he cleared his throat and said my name.

'Simon?' he enquired.

I couldn't help but turn to look at him then. He had dark hair and brown eyes and looked kind of familiar, but I had no idea where from. I hadn't had any random sex for many years, or in this town, so at least I could be fairly sure I hadn't slept with him. Always embarrassing when some previous one nighter remembers you and you don't have a clue.

I must have looked very confused when I replied. 'Yes. Do I know you?'

He smiled at me and it made him look more familiar but I still couldn't place him. He sat down though, so I had to move up closer to Charlie to make some room. Both Charlie and Mark were trying to pretend they weren't listening although I had no doubt not a word would escape them.

'No, you don't. But you do know my brother Greg.'

My mind flashed to an image of Greg and there was suddenly no doubt in my mind why this guy looked familiar. But why on earth was he talking to me or even in here, and how could he possibly know who I was even if I knew Greg. Most of this train of thought probably showed on my face because thankfully he started to explain.

'I'm not trying to crack on to you, promise. It's just Greg is a wuss, and panicked when he saw you here. He's not out at work and he's never seen a colleague in a gay bar before. I don't know what he thinks will happen, but I want him to have a good night out and figured the best way was to make sure you knew he was about and he knew you weren't going to freak out on him.'

Freak out was just what I wanted to do right then. Greg was gay, and in the same bar as me right now, plus he was having some bizarre crisis at seeing me. That couldn't be a good thing.

'You can reassure him I'm not going to out him to the firm, so long as he promises not to do it to me either. I totally understand not wanting to let everyone know that I'm gay. But if he comes here he's highly likely to see me again, so he'd better get over whatever problem he has with that.' I said with a hint of bitterness in my voice. 'I'm quite happy to avoid him as far as possible if that helps.'

He sounded a little panicked himself when he replied to that. 'No, god, I really think he'd like to talk to you, here or anywhere. He just got his knickers in a twist about the work thing. He's normally really confident and well-adjusted but you seem to have thrown him completely. In fact, if you don't mind, it might really help him relax if you did come talk to him, if your friends don't mind losing you for a little while.'

I was correct in thinking that Mark and Charlie had heard every word, because they instantly said they didn't. My brain was too busy trying to work out any hidden meaning in everything that had been said. I threw him completely? In a good way? Or did he have some problem or issue with me? I couldn't help thinking it would be very difficult to go and talk to the man of my dreams when he didn't have the guts to talk to me and sent his brother over to tell me he was having a crisis at my mere presence. I hadn't even noticed him here.

'I might head over in a bit. I just haven't been out with these guys for a while and we have loads to talk about.'

He nodded and stood up, shaking my hand before he went. 'I hope I haven't made Greg out to be some complete idiot. Although to be fair he probably is when it comes to you.'

He winked at me at the end of his sentence and left me looking dumbfounded. I managed to pay attention to where he went and caught sight of Greg finally, who was giving the impression of listening very intently to a woman even though it was obvious he was very aware of where his brother was and probably was barely hearing her speak. I turned back to Mark and Charlie with my mouth still hanging open. They just looked back at me expectantly.

'What are you waiting for?' asked Mark. 'The man of your dreams is just over there and his brother practically told you you're on a sure thing. Go!'

'You heard that I'm onto a sure thing? I heard that Greg can't bear to be in the same room as me.'

Charlie piped up then. 'Did you not see that wink? He made it very clear his brother is playing for our team and that he wants to at least talk to you. He's just a bit of a pussy about doing it.'

I pulled my grumpy face. 'So why do I have to make the move then? If he wants to talk to me he can come here. I'll see him at work anyway.'

The others exchanged a glance. 'You're going to pass up a prime opportunity to talk to him outside the office despite what you think about him?'

'Yes. Because now I know he's gay it's going to be even harder to find out he isn't into me. It's better not to know.'

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