Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“No way,” Clint replied.
Vince and Colby were at dinner with Clint, a longtime Briar County resident and one of Colby’s closest friends, and August Reynolds, a man Clint was crazy in love with, even if he hadn’t admitted it to Colby yet. August had lived here when they were kids, but Colby hadn’t met him back then, and at some point, August had moved away. August and his son, Reese, had moved back to Briar County this summer—Clint and August picking up right where they left off.
“Yeah, I was shocked,” Vince said. “I know I said I’m looking for something different, and I am, hence moving to Harmony, but it’s also boring as shit. I was going to drag this guy”—he motioned to Colby—“to Asheville, so I was looking stuff up and found a gay bar in Chelsea. It’s only been open a few weeks. Some guy from California.”
Chelsea was one of the three main towns in Briar County, the other two being Harmony and Everett. For most of Colby’s life, the only queer person he’d ever known was Roe. He’d had an old boyfriend Colby had met but never been fond of. But now, outside of his brother, there was Deacon and Grady, Clint and August, and Vince. He sure as shit had never thought Briar County would ever have a gay bar, and the fact that it did made Colby proud of his little area of the state.
“Don’t say that too loud. Locals are already complaining about all the Californians and Northerners taking over North Carolina,” Clint joked.
August started talking about hearing people complaining about traffic in the area, while Colby mulled over what Vince said. He’d never been to a gay bar before. It wasn’t that he had a problem with it. It was just…different.
How many times have you thought how tired you are of doing the same old thing? How many times have you silently complained about not having any new experiences, and now here Vince is, offering them to you, and you’re second-guessing it.
“You guys wanna go with us?” he heard Vince ask Clint and August. “Roe and Holden are camping with the boys, and not sure it’s really Grady and Deke’s thing.”
“I never said I was going,” Colby reminded him.
“But you will,” Vince countered.
The thing was, Colby knew that no matter how much he questioned it in his head, he would go. It might have only been a short time since Vince moved in, but Colby liked that Vince shook up his world a little. Still, he said, “How do you know?” Maybe he wouldn’t go. Maybe Vince was wrong. Why did he think he knew Colby so well already?
Vince wrapped an arm around him and ruffled his hair. “Because you love me, and I’m forcing you to be my new best friend.”
Yes. I’d like that, he thought, pulling away from Vince and teasing with, “What if I don’t wanna be best friends with you?” He did, in fact, want to be good friends with Vince. Clearly Vince knew that too.
He grinned. “He’s mad because I made him eat something other than Frosted Flakes this morning.”
Colby rolled his eyes. “I don’t only eat Frosted Flakes. I like Honey Smacks, Golden Grahams, Lucky Charms, oooh! Cocoa Pebbles.” It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t a great cook and had a bit of a sweet tooth. Cereal was a universal food! It had always been his favorite.
“You’re the biggest kid I know,” Vince replied.
“What you say is what you are.” Colby held back a laugh. He liked this easy comradery, the easy friendship he’d grown with Vince. They were often teasing and giving each other shit. He brought a levity to Colby’s life he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.
“We’ll talk about this later, dear,” Vince tacked on playfully.
He teased like that when it was just the two of them, but doing it in front of others was new. It didn’t mean anything, though. How could it? Vince knew Colby was straight, and it wasn’t as if Vince would want anything with him if he wasn’t. “He jokes like that because we live together,” he explained to August and Clint.
The couple across from them discussed if they wanted to go to the bar while Colby looked down at his food and took a bite. When they agreed, Vince added, “See? Now you have to go.”
“Do not,” Colby argued.
“Do too.”
“Do not.” This was absolutely ridiculous but also made his chest feel light.
“Please?” Vince fluttered his dark lashes at Colby. He’d recently buzzed his dark hair again. He kept neat, short facial hair around his mouth, a few whisps of gray hair among the otherwise black curls. Vince’s skin was a warm, dark brown, his eyes a whiskey color. “Straight guys can go to gay bars.”
There was zero chance Colby was saying no. He couldn’t say why he pretended he didn’t want to go in the first place. It sounded fun. “I know, and yes, fine, whatever. You’re spoiled as shit.”