Lightning Crashes

The drink went down very smoothly as did a second and third and Tanner made small talk with Collin, asking him about working at the club. He was so nervous that he knocked his drink over and Collin smiled, placing a hand on his arm. "You don't have to be so nervous. I'm just a man."

"You're not

just

a man, Collin. You're a beautiful man."

Collin set his glass down, his expression pained. "Tanner, just what are you here for?"

"Sex, I guess."

"Well, then," The dancer stood, pushing his empty glass toward the bartender. "Thanks for the drink."

"Hey, wait!" He leapt to his feet, grabbing Collin's arm. "Why are you leaving?"

"I'm not a whore, Tanner."

"I didn't say you were."

"Then why are you treating me like one?"

Tanner just stared at him for a moment, astounded to discover that Collin was speaking the truth. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that." He sat back down, grabbing his drink and emptying it. "I'm sorry, Collin. If I don't see you again, have a good life."

Collin watched as Tanner arose from the chair and headed for the door. He caught him just before he reached the foyer and they just gazed at each other for a few minutes. "You were serious about that apology."

Tanner nodded. "Of course I was. I'd never treat another human being like that."

"Then don't leave. Not yet." Collin paused, glancing back toward the club. "I have to dance another set. We can talk after."

Tanner's shoulders slumped. "I don't know, Collin. I think maybe I should go home, you know, cut my losses and try this another time."

"How will I get in touch with you?"

"I'm just in town on business, Collin. I doubt we'll meet again." Tanner leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for my first kiss."

Collin grabbed his neck, cupping his face in his hands. "Please don't go, Tanner."

"Why?"

"Because... because... I don't know. I just thought that there was something... " Collin hesitated in his speech, releasing Tanner when he saw the look of disappointment in his eyes. "Maybe I was mistaken."

Tanner gave him a tentative smile and turned away, cursing himself for letting his feelings go so quickly. If he hurried, he could get back to the hotel in time to call Jenny before she went to bed and with time on his side, he could forget all about this fantasy. As tears pricked his eyes, he hopped into the first cab that stopped and let it sweep him away from the club.

* * * * *

It haunted him.

Tanner Guildcross returned to his hotel room, slept restlessly, then boarded the plane with his colleagues and returned to Seattle. Jenny, his breathtakingly beautiful blonde wife, met his at the door in a lace teddy and he fucked her until she screamed his name. He never told her that he hadn't cum and when she didn't mention it later, he figured that she hadn't noticed. He went to work on Monday and continued his efforts toward becoming a partner. His life went on as it always did. He arose at five-thirty, worked out for an hour, showered and dressed for work.

But the kiss haunted him.

He would find himself sitting in his car, rubbing his fingers over his mouth as he remembered the raw roughness of Collin's face and lips against his.

It was just a kiss, wasn't it?

He closed his eyes and thought about that night, about the kiss and about the way Collin touched him. His nipples hardened and his cock twitched in his pants as his mind filled with the remembrance of a rigid tongue sliding along his and Collin's hands on his ass.

"Tanner?" He looked up to see Jenny standing in the doorway of his home office, two balloon glasses and a bottle of wine in her hands. He pushed back from the desk and welcomed her with a wide smile. "Are you busy?"

"Not for you, honey. Come on in."

She sat on the edge of the desk, pulled the cork and poured the wine. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Okay."

"Missy called me this morning. She's getting a divorce."

"What? She's due to give birth in a week!"

"I know." Jenny took a swallow of wine. "Damien screwed around on her and got another girl pregnant."

"No shit!"

Jenny giggled for a moment, then sobered. "She's afraid that the baby's gonna come early since she's stressed out and she asked if I could come and stay with her for a couple of weeks."

Tanner smiled. "Dial her up and give me the phone."

Looking confused, Jenny did as he asked and handed the phone to him. "Missy? Hi, it's Tanner. How are you? Oh, no, honey, don't cry. I was just calling to let you know that Jenny's coming to stay with you... Oh, I love you, too, honey. Don't worry. She'll be there soon. Now I'm gonna go and make the arrangements and I'll have Jenny call you when everything's figured out, okay? He must be a piece of shit, Missy, if he could leave you, especially when you're pregnant... I know, honey. Now you go lie down and get some rest. We'll call back in a little bit, okay? I love you, too, Missy."

Tanner gave his misty-eyed wife a smile and a hug. "You stay with her as long as you need to, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Tan." He held his wife in his arms, patting her back. He wasn't thinking of her trip and her upcoming absence as a good husband should have been; he was thinking about taking a trip to San Francisco and seeing Collin.