CHAPTER 1: KICKOFF
There was this rush of excitement in the air. I felt it in my bones the second we stepped out of the car. The summer night had a beautiful chill. That chill only added to the celebratory event if you ask me. I had just gotten my certification as a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). It was the first time in six months all four of us were together. A night with my besties from college. What could go wrong? We all met freshman year in college, and became the best of friends. We were the four T's: Todd, Tadeo, Tao, and there was me, Tyson. How did such an unholy alliance happen? An act of God.
Tadeo had promised us he could get into the hottest club in all of Manhattan to celebrate. Tadeo was an event planner in the city. He had great connections. If he said he could do it, then trust that he could do it. Among our group, I was closer to Todd than anyone. For some reason, we just bonded with each other differently. Todd was the queer one out of the group. The rest of us were as straight as an arrow. Todd would often joke with me that maybe I was queer and just didn't know it yet.
I allowed him to joke like that. He knew my boundaries and respected them. I loved women. Pussy was my favorite meal. I never got tired of it. I could eat a pretty pussy for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Hell, I could even munch on it for a late-night snack. Women loved me. Honestly, how could they not? I was often labeled a fucking heartthrob for women. I exude charisma and confidence. My smile was magnetic, and I often mixed charm, intelligence, and humility. I was effortlessly captivating without trying. Simply put, I was just me.
The line to get inside the club was wrapped around the building. The loud beats of the music could be felt outside. This massive body of a human stood at the door. He was no doubt a bouncer. He was intimidating at first glance. His face was stone, and without strain, his veins poked out the side of his neck.
"Come on, follow me," Tadeo instructed.
We all followed suit. This beautiful blonde bombshell standing in line caught my eye for a brief moment. She was wearing this sheer black dress that left very little to my imagination. I wanted to fuck her before the night was over with. She caught my brief stare. We gave each other a naughty smile. I hit something. It felt like I had run into a brick wall. Only it was a person.
"My bad. Sorry about that, man," I said as I looked at his face.
Something happened to me the moment I looked at him. I felt flushed in this weird way. He was painstakingly beautiful. I had never seen a guy before that I thought was beautiful. I was secure enough in my sexuality to admit when a guy was nice-looking. This dude was hot and beautiful at the same time. He was Puerto Rican, and his skin had this warm caramel hue with a healthy sun-kissed glow. His hair was dark with a sleek fade, and he had high cheekbones, full lips, and dark eyes that expressed a wave of confidence and passion. He had an entire entourage with him. One of the guys with him was about to say something to me, but he held his hand up and uttered something in Spanish.
As he spoke to the guy, he never once looked away from me. His stare made me feel a bit anxious. That was a rare feeling for me. No one made me feel that way. I was used to making people feel out of sorts, but never had it happened to me before.
"Watch where you step," he finally said. His voice was deep and smooth.
Whatever spell I had been under was gone. I could apologize to anyone when I was wrong. I couldn't, however, take disrespect from anyone. That would always cause me to be a little hostile. He turned and took one step.
I fired off, "Don't be a dick, bruh."
He quickly spun around, "What you say to me," he asked as he walked up to me.
"You heard me," I said as I squared off with him. "I didn't stutter. I articulate my words well."
We stood there staring at one another with our chests puffed out. Neither one of us wanted to appear weak to the other. The last thing I wanted was a fight. I'm no violent person by nature, but if you come knocking, I'll answer the door. My boys were already inside the club, so it's safe to say I was outnumbered. I wasn't going to back down from this clown.
"You didn't see me walking there," he asked in an aggressive tone.
I chuckled, "If I saw you, I wouldn't have run into you. Now that I think about it, you owe me an apology."
"I owe you an apology?" He was shocked that I had turned the tables.
I explained, "Yeah. I apologize, but you made that rude comment. There wasn't a need to be an ass. So, apologize, and I'll forget all of it."
Someone in his crew yelled, "Put him on his ass, Hen."
For some reason, he looked around. People had pulled out their cellphones and were recording. I honestly didn't think much of it at the time. Society has gone down the path of everyone trying to have a viral moment. He must have seen something wrong with it because he smiled and slowly backed away.
"I apologize," he said. "I thought you saw me. Have a good time tonight."
He turned and walked away. Someone in his group was about to say something, but he put his thick, manly hand up, signaling that our brief exchange was a one-and-done. I walked up to the doorman. He was staring at me hard. I told him that I was with Tadeo, and he let me in. No questions asked. Just as I passed him, he grabbed my shoulder. I looked at him, and he said...
"Not many hold their own with Hen. Respect."
He fist-bumped me as If I was a local hero or something. I stepped inside the nightclub. There were bright lights flashing, and the floor was thumping from all the dancing. I was instantly hit with a throwback beat of A$AP Rocky's "Fuckin' Problems." The dance floor was packed, and every woman I laid my eyes on looked like she could be the next warm pussy I played inside of.
"I love bad bitches; that's my fuckin' problem. And yea, I like to fuck. I got a fuckin' problem," I rapped along with the song.
I was determined to have fun. My body responded to the beats of the music. Todd spotted me from across the dance floor, and we waved at one another. He quickly made his way across the floor to me.
"Tyson, where were you," he shouted over the music.
I pointed, "Outside."
"Why? Is something wrong," he asked.
I smiled, "You worry too much. The night is young. Let's just have fun. Let's dance," I screamed.
Beyonce's "Break My Soul" intercut, and the club lost its mind. Todd was a huge Beyonce fan. I could never understand why he was single. He was such an attractive guy. He had the body of a track runner with short blonde hair and piercing green eyes. He had a little cupcake of an ass on him. He deserved to have guys falling over him left and right.
Todd and I were lost in the beat, but something pulled my attention. I could feel someone's eyes on me. Above the crowd was a catwalk, and standing there staring down at me was the guy I had run into outside, Hen.
He was smoking on a blunt as he stared down at me. The way it sat between his thick lips made it mesmerizing. The way he looked at me made me feel this strange type of warmth. Todd realized I was zoned out, so he stopped dancing. He turned his attention in the direction of my eyes, and he saw Hen staring at me.
Todd asked, "Tyson, who is that guy?"
I heard his question, but I couldn't answer him. I was caught in this stare-down with this Hen character. It was then that I really got a full look at him. I saw more than his hot, beautiful face. He wore clothing that allowed me to see how much he took care of his body. The dude appeared to be athletic, with a lean, toned body.
