Somebody behind him was being pushed against his back, the crowd keeping them close.
There was another apology as his shoulder was gripped. Apparently he was helping someone keep their balance. Someone male judging by the feel of it.
“Usually I like to get a name before I let someone back there,” Desmond said lightly over his shoulder. The man laughed before he was jostled again.
“I’m really sorry.”
“No problem,” Desmond said for the fourth time. This guy needed to stop being really sorry all the time. “Want me to order for you while I’m up here?”
“That’d be great,” he said with relief as he readjusted his glasses. “Scotch on the rocks. I’ll be by the door.”
_______________
Desmond ignored the red outline of a Florentine guard pacing behind the bar and made his way over to the entrance. He held the glass out to the still-ruffled man.
“Thanks. I don’t know why things are so out of hand tonight. It’s usually pretty quiet,” the man said. “I’m Paul, by the way.”
“Desmond.” He stepped closer and shook the offered hand. Paul’s handshake was warm and strong. “I figured it’s always like this. It’s my first time here,” he explained.
“How do you like it?”
Desmond let his fingers glide lazily up the neck of his new beer bottle, already wet with condensation. Watching, Paul licked his lips absently before taking a small sip of his drink.
“Rough,” Desmond said. Paul choked into his scotch.
Shaun was suddenly beside him.
“Hello,” he said cheerfully, looking between the two men. “I don’t think we’ve met,” he said to Paul.
“Paul, this is my colleague, Shaun. Shaun, this is Paul.” Desmond easily sidestepped the trap.
Paul, however, didn’t.
“Colleague, huh?” He eyed Shaun.
“If you want to call it that,” Shaun replied evasively. There was a long pause. Desmond used it to imagine puncturing Shaun’s lung with a hidden blade.
“Well it was nice meeting you both,” Paul said with finality. They shook hands again and he was gone.
“Damn it, Shaun! I was thirty seconds away from a number.”
“Probably closer to ten and that’s assuming he didn’t invite you to go cottaging, but point taken.” Shaun tried to keep up with Desmond, who was weaving in and out of groups of bar patrons. “I didn’t even know you were…”
“Were what?” Desmond asked, abruptly turning to face him. “Into guys?”
“That’s not what-”
“I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I like people. I like talking to them and spending time with them and, yeah, sometimes fucking them. I’m crazy like that.”
Shaun blinked at the flood of words.
“Desmond, I didn’t mean to-“
This time Rebecca interrupted.
“Hey Shaun, did you see your twin?” She pointed to Paul from across the room. “He even tucks his sweater into his pants like you do.”
Shaun grimaced. “It’s not a sweater and I don’t tuck anything into my pants.”
“Aww, come on,” she drawled. “We both know you can speak American.”
Lucy pushed her way to the front of the group.
“I think it’s about time we headed back. Got a busy day ahead of us.”
Desmond offered his beer to a blonde standing nearby. She looked a bit disappointed when he told her he hadn’t taken a drink from it yet. She got a wink and he got a quick kiss on the cheek and a thank you before Rebecca grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the bar.
Should I Walk By Again? [3/?]
There was another apology as his shoulder was gripped. Apparently he was helping someone keep their balance. Someone male judging by the feel of it.
“Usually I like to get a name before I let someone back there,” Desmond said lightly over his shoulder. The man laughed before he was jostled again.
“I’m really sorry.”
“No problem,” Desmond said for the fourth time. This guy needed to stop being really sorry all the time. “Want me to order for you while I’m up here?”
“That’d be great,” he said with relief as he readjusted his glasses. “Scotch on the rocks. I’ll be by the door.”
Desmond ignored the red outline of a Florentine guard pacing behind the bar and made his way over to the entrance. He held the glass out to the still-ruffled man.
“Thanks. I don’t know why things are so out of hand tonight. It’s usually pretty quiet,” the man said. “I’m Paul, by the way.”
“Desmond.” He stepped closer and shook the offered hand. Paul’s handshake was warm and strong. “I figured it’s always like this. It’s my first time here,” he explained.
“How do you like it?”
Desmond let his fingers glide lazily up the neck of his new beer bottle, already wet with condensation. Watching, Paul licked his lips absently before taking a small sip of his drink.
“Rough,” Desmond said. Paul choked into his scotch.
Shaun was suddenly beside him.
“Hello,” he said cheerfully, looking between the two men. “I don’t think we’ve met,” he said to Paul.
“Paul, this is my colleague, Shaun. Shaun, this is Paul.” Desmond easily sidestepped the trap.
Paul, however, didn’t.
“Colleague, huh?” He eyed Shaun.
“If you want to call it that,” Shaun replied evasively. There was a long pause. Desmond used it to imagine puncturing Shaun’s lung with a hidden blade.
“Well it was nice meeting you both,” Paul said with finality. They shook hands again and he was gone.
“Damn it, Shaun! I was thirty seconds away from a number.”
“Probably closer to ten and that’s assuming he didn’t invite you to go cottaging, but point taken.” Shaun tried to keep up with Desmond, who was weaving in and out of groups of bar patrons. “I didn’t even know you were…”
“Were what?” Desmond asked, abruptly turning to face him. “Into guys?”
“That’s not what-”
“I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I like people. I like talking to them and spending time with them and, yeah, sometimes fucking them. I’m crazy like that.”
Shaun blinked at the flood of words.
“Desmond, I didn’t mean to-“
This time Rebecca interrupted.
“Hey Shaun, did you see your twin?” She pointed to Paul from across the room. “He even tucks his sweater into his pants like you do.”
Shaun grimaced. “It’s not a sweater and I don’t tuck anything into my pants.”
“Aww, come on,” she drawled. “We both know you can speak American.”
Lucy pushed her way to the front of the group.
“I think it’s about time we headed back. Got a busy day ahead of us.”
Desmond offered his beer to a blonde standing nearby. She looked a bit disappointed when he told her he hadn’t taken a drink from it yet. She got a wink and he got a quick kiss on the cheek and a thank you before Rebecca grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the bar.