My first few days working for Thaxter went just as I'd expected. I had to do everything from bussing tables to taking orders to running cards, basically the same work I'd been doing before. The main difference was the atmosphere, which of course was very gay. Thaxter wanted to cater to every kind of mo, from leather bears to drag queens to everything in between. It made for a hell of a work environment. Some guys were so over-the-top that they made me feel completely straight by comparison.
Every day we went through the same basic drill. For the first few hours after we opened, we'd mostly serve guys who were just there to hang out. The later it got, the more you'd start seeing couples on dates, or bigger groups of friends coming to party. The rowdiest time of all was late at night, when we'd have strip shows and other special events, which brought the horny drunks out of the woodwork. They kept making passes at each other, and at the performers, and at us staff. By the time we closed every night, we were always exhausted.
It wasn't long before Thaxter asked me to help out behind the bar. I hadn't really expected that, since I was so new; but he was stretched thin and I wasn't about to complain. The part that made me nervous was how many of the bartenders worked shirtless. They did it voluntarily, and I'd been in enough gay bars to know this wasn't unusual. I liked to think I was in good shape, though I wasn't sure how my body stacked up to the go-go dancers, strippers, and other ripped guys around me. Still, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I might as well try to fit in. Sure enough, on my first shift working topless, I got way better tips. I also got a few catcalls, which I didn't know how to take. Part of me was flattered, though part of me was grossed out; the most aggressive guys were usually the slimiest. To say nothing of the fact I was taken.
When I did have time off, I naturally wanted to spend it with Chad. But it turned out to be easier said than done. Since Chad worked at a congressional office, he mostly had to operate on Washington time, which was three hours ahead of San Diego. He had to get up early every morning, at an hour when I was always asleep. If I was lucky, he might get home before I had to leave for my shift, but most days we missed each other. He was mostly only free late at nights and on weekends-- which was right when I had to work. By the time I got home, he was invariably in bed.
I usually ended up jacking off in the bathroom. It wasn't ideal, but under the circumstances, I knew I needed a release. I didn't want Chad to feel guilty or whatever, so I made sure to cover my tracks. I forced myself to stay quiet: I just sat on the toilet while I pounded my pud. I tried to cum as fast as I could, to avoid any suspicion. Then, after I finished, I brushed my teeth and went to bed. I usually snuggled up to Chad's unconscious body, though I had to be careful: sometimes my dick was still hard, so I had to make sure he wouldn't feel it. Then I held him tight as I drifted off to sleep.
I found myself counting the hours till Saturday and Sunday mornings. I knew I'd be tired then, since the nights before were the busiest times of my week. But I almost didn't care, since those were main times we could really be together. I was determined to make the most of them, so I swore we'd fuck each other's brains out. I couldn't help wishing we'd brought our sex toys with us-- we'd left them at our apartment-- but I told myself we'd make do. After all, I thought, we could still experiment any number of ways. It was just too bad that we always seemed rushed.
"Hey," Thaxter said. "Earth to Scott."
I blinked and turned around. I was standing behind the bar, but at that particular moment, we just had a trickle of customers. "O-oh sorry," I said.
"Is something on your mind?"
"No, it's cool," I replied. I didn't want to tell him I was thinking of sex with my boyfriend.
"Uh-huh," Thaxter said. He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat. "You know, as quiet as it is, you should probably clock out. At least for now."
"Okay sure," I replied. I wasn't thrilled at that thought, since I needed all the money I could get. But then again, this was part of what I'd signed up for, and Thaxter did warn me about this beforehand. I suspected the business would pick up later, so I didn't want to venture too far. I just retreated to the private parts of the building.
I ended up browsing through the backstage areas, which were full of all sorts of props. A lot of them were just random knickknacks, but some of them did pique my interest. I found a bunch of masks and blindfolds, along with collars and leashes. I also went through a trove of cock pumps, nipple clamps, hog ties, and other paraphernalia. Some of these things I didn't even recognize; I assumed they were used for something kinky, though I didn't know what.
I picked up a chest harness, held it in my hands for a minute, then slid it over my shoulders. Since I was already shirtless, the metal buckles felt cold against my skin, at least for the moment. I adjusted the straps till they were tight across my pecs. Then I picked up a collar and fastened it around my neck. Finally I looked in a mirror and turned my body around.
I had to admit, it was a helluva sight. Up until recently, I'd never imagined myself dressing like that. It was so out there, so stereotypically gay, that I'd never thought it might be up my alley. At the same time, I was kind of tempted to go back behind the bar in that outfit, just to gauge the reaction I might get.
I also considered taking these toys home to Chad, so we could explore our kinky sides some more. I didn't want to get in trouble, so I figured I'd need to keep it secret from Thaxter. It was hard to gauge if it was really worth the risk. After all, Chad and I had some pretty incredible sex one-on-one, without any special gear at all. The add-ons were really just icing on the cake. At least that was my opinion, though I realized Chad had as much to say about it as I did.
I was trying to decide what to do when I heard some voices nearby. I took off the harness, along with the collar, and I tried to sneak away. But I'd just gone a few steps when I heard the words: "Oh fuck yeah." Then: "hey Mason, look who it is."
I froze in my tracks. That voice belonged to the twins, Mason and Madison, who Chad and I had hooked up with months before. I'd actually forgotten that they worked there. It took me a second to realize what that meant. I now had co-workers who'd slept with both me and my boyfriend.
"O-oh hi," I said as I turned around, and I tried to act casual. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, no kidding," Madison said. "What brings you back here?"
"I, well... I work here now."
"No shit! Are you going onstage?"
"You mean as a stripper?" As soon as I said that, I realized I sounded too dismissive. After all, both Mason and Madison were strippers themselves. "I-I mean I'm just working the front of the house. Right now I'm on break--"
"That's too bad. I was hoping we'd get to see a show."
I licked my lips. I felt like saying:
Haven't you already seen it?
But those words got caught in my throat.
"Are you still with that boyfriend of yours?" Mason asked.
"Chad? Yeah, we're still together--"
"I thought his name was Charles?"
Aw shit
, I thought. I didn't want to admit we'd used fake names with these guys. But I also didn't know if I could keep the charade going, since all my other co-workers knew me by my real name.
"You know," Madison said, "we had a good time that night. We were hoping to see you guys again."
I bet
, was all I could think. I had to admit we'd had a hell of an experience with them. I could never forget the sight of Chad sucking Madison's dick while I was sucking Mason's. Not to mention the feeling of Madison inside me while Chad pounded Mason beside us. I didn't necessarily regret what we'd done, but then again, there were plenty of reasons why Chad and I had never done that again. "Well," I said, "we've been busy--"
"Welcome to the club," Mason said.