© 2014 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.
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NOTE: this story is the sequel to "Roberto the Mechanic Stud".
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It was Friday, one week before Christmas.
Simon was swamped with work at the Queeries office. The back catalogue database was recently updated, and at the beginning of the week, his boss Luke asked him if he was up for working overtime to check and sign off on all entries before the holidays. Simon readily agreed.
It had also been a week since that surreal and ultimately heartbreaking incident at Jae's birthday party. The scene with the birthday boy and Tyler coming on to him, naked, replayed incessantly every night as Simon tried to fall asleep. What could've been a very arousing scenario was instead a disappointing shock. He felt misled, as if the bond he felt with Jae was fake...but at the same time, he knew he himself was also responsible for the consequences. He willfully led himself down a painful path, so he had no one else to blame when he fell down and hurt himself.
For his part, Jae was trying to make things right. He called and texted every other day, asking first for forgiveness, then any kind of communication -- face-to-face, phone, even text -- that Simon was willing to partake. But the damage was still too raw, and the musician honestly thought he would probably fall into the same trap again should he acquiesce and talk to Jae, so he never responded back. The athletic Asian was still the same sexy, positive, friendly, funny guy; Simon was sure he would develop feelings for him in a heartbeat if they started hanging out again.
He didn't want to cut Jae out of his life, but at this stage, when he couldn't trust himself to be strong and sober enough to just be friends with the Korean hunk, burning the bridge might be the safest, most logical thing to do.
In the office, Simon was working hard, working hard to block Jae out of his mind. He didn't even notice he'd been at work for eleven hours until he felt a chill and sneezed, then paused and looked at the clock on his computer. He knew the coworkers in his row of desks had gone home hours ago; as he stood up and stretched, he realized the office was empty.
Empty except for Luke's office, where the lights were still on. Simon saved his work, then put his computer to sleep.
"Luke, I'm gonna head home. I'll come in around eleven tomorrow," he said through the editor-in-chief's door. Though the next day was Saturday, he had to go into work since the deadline was fast approaching, and he kept running into unexpected issues that took up extra time.
Luke's door opened as he walked away.
"Can't wait to get home, huh?" his boss asked, putting on his coat.
"It's been a long day," Simon replied, nodding. "I'm sure I can get everything done on schedule though."
"I have absolute faith that you will. And, thank you for staying late, again," the husky, impeccably-groomed, and always charismatic editor-in-chief said, shutting off the lights in his office.
"No problem."
"So, are you really going home, or are you going to see your boyfriend?" Luke asked slyly.
Simon's eyes bulged. "Uhh..."
Luke waited patiently for his response.
Simon shuffled awkwardly. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh," Luke remarked with a glance as they began walking out of the office. "Well, all that texting you've been doing lately must've been for someone else."
At this remark, Simon held his breath but kept walking, looking straight ahead.
"I'm so sorry, Luke, I..."
Luke chuckled. "I'm not reprimanding you. I know you're a hard worker, don't worry," he affirmed, patting Simon's shoulder. "I've just noticed you've been coming in with these slick, fitted ensembles, and I thought you finally found someone worth your time."
It was too late: Simon was full-on blushing at this point.
"I'm so embarrassed..." he muttered.
"Of what?" the editor-in-chief questioned as they headed downstairs to the street. "You're smart, dedicated, and attractive. Own it."
"Thanks," Simon responded shyly.
When they walked out onto the busy gay village sidewalk, Simon turned around and said goodbye to his boss.
"Come have a drink with me," Luke offered.
Simon looked at the debonair bear. "I shouldn't," he said.
"Why not?"
"I should go to bed."
"Are you really going to sleep, though?" the editor-in-chief asked with a glint in his piercing eyes. Simon was caught.
"...well, I think I need some time alone," he elaborated.
"You'll feel better if you talk with someone about it. And I'm a damn good listener. C'mon," Luke insisted.
Once again, the magnetic gentleman was softening up Simon with his persuasion. He stood still, uncertain how he was about to spend his night.
"Are you seriously going to turn down free drinks?" Luke asked with a tilt of his head.
"No funny business?" Simon blurted out.
"No funny business. Just free drinks and the best advice of your life."
They went to Glory Bar, which was popular for hosting alternative gay events, from leather-themed parties, bear nights, to live sex shows. Simon noticed that Luke seemed to know everybody who worked there, and assumed he came often. Of course, being one of the most visible queer faces in the city, Luke seemed to know everyone everywhere anyway.
Once they sat down with their first round of drinks, the editor-in-chief got Simon to spill on what was bothering him. The black musician started with Jae's hotel party, then gradually revealed all the layers of their relationship.
When Simon finished his story, he gulped down his drink. Luke was silent and in thought for a moment.
"Wanna hear what I think?" he then asked.
Simon nodded.
"Take back the power. Make him want you back."
The musician liked the sound of that, but he wasn't sure how to go about it.
"Show him that you know you're hot and you can do better than him. This isn't the end of the story, and you absolutely have the opportunity to come out on top."
"Okay..." Simon still didn't know what he was supposed to do.
His boss took out his phone. "Here, let's take a picture. We're gonna post it on your Facebook wall."
Luke sat down beside Simon and circled his arm around the singer's shoulders. Holding up his phone at the classic selfie angle, he took a few snaps, all of them suggesting a very close bond between him and Simon.
"Which one's your favourite?" Luke asked the musician while flipping through the shots. Simon shrugged, so his boss picked one and promptly posted it on Simon's Facebook wall, with the caption "Fabulous night with the smart and sexy Simon at Glory Bar...waiting for the show to start ;)"