Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Zolt washed his hands and pulled on the front of his shirt, fanning himself with the pinched fabric. “Anders and Neil. And then Anders introduced me to Sidell. We’re all similar in a lot of ways. None of us give a fuck what others think. And we’re not sentimental types,” he said before taking a bottle of Pepsi out of the fridge.
“What do you mean?” Leo couldn’t help but be pulled into the conversation, and the call of the whisky standing on the table was too great. Talking to Zolt put him on edge, so he poured himself a glass of the liquor for courage. Volunteering to stay here had been an idiotic idea, and now that he was trapped with this temptation dressed in male flesh, Leo found himself hoping Dad would move the cargo sooner rather than later. He felt as if he was a rabbit trapped inside a lion’s cage, yet this rabbit was fucked up and wanted to be eaten, no matter how fast it ran from the long teeth and claws.
Zolt sat on the other side of the table and took a sip straight from the bottle. “I mean… we’re not in the whole imitating straight culture business.”
Leo cocked his head and pretended it didn’t bother him when their knees met under the table. “I still don’t get what you’re saying. Can I have one?” He pointed to the impressive box of Cuban cigars.
Shallow crow’s feet appeared at the edges of Zolt’s cheekbones when he smiled. “Have you ever had one?” he asked but offered the box to Leo. “What is it that you don’t get?”
Leo shook his head, picking up the cigar. “What’s ‘straight culture’?”
Zolt rested his elbows on the edge of the table, his massive fist closed on the bottle. “The way I see it, there’s this myth that everyone has a soulmate. And that people can only be happy if they’re married, have a house, two-point-five kids and a dog. Some gay men got caught in that mind trap too. But at the end of the day, everyone keeps fucking around and lying while faking happiness in their public lives.”
Leo sniggered at that rant and leaned in when Zolt snapped open his lighter for Leo’s cigar. “Oh, I see. And you’ve got them all figured out, huh? Is this you trying to tell me you don’t want a boyfriend?”
Zolt instructed him to keep the smoke in his mouth instead of inhaling it into his lungs like he would with a cigarette, but then went on, “That’s right. I don’t want a boyfriend, and I think gay marriage and adoption are ridiculous. I say we should let the straights have it while we enjoy full lives until we’re so old nobody wants to fuck us anymore.”
Leo held the smoke in as told, even though he wasn’t sure how much he enjoyed it. “Wow, that’s one depressing plan for retirement,” he said as he finally let it out.
Zolt laughed and tapped his thick fingers against the bottle. “Is it? What’s so great about getting old? I don’t want to be some old fart trying to pick up hot guys. I don’t want to slowly lose mobility. I’d rather decide when I’ve outlived my usefulness. Preferably on a beautiful Caribbean beach, with a whisky glass in hand and my lips tasting of my final lover’s cum.”
Leo’s ears burned when he envisioned Zolt naked on a sun chair. “Well, I want to be surrounded by family, and I know just how to get that. Nothing wrong with a typical life. Wife, kids, and yes, a dog. Mock it all you want.”
Zolt laughed. “I just keep seeing how that kind of life makes people miserable. But everyone’s so desperate to pretend they have it all, they choose to do nothing about it. Well, not openly.”
“Don’t know what’s so miserable about being with the one you love and making a life for yourself with them. But then again, I’m not gay, so how could I know.” There, he could bite a little too.
“Really? How many married couples you know are really happy? I don’t think I’ve met a single one,” Zolt told him and drank more of his soda. “People should stop lying to themselves and be honest about being selfish. Would spare everyone lots of heartbreak, if you ask me.”
“My parents are doing pretty well. And I intend to follow in their footsteps.” Leo groaned and had more whisky, but put out the cigar. He pointed to it. “It’s not working for me.”
Zolt shook his head and took it from him. “Yeah, well, that’s one. Most aren’t doing so well, and I think that we can only live our best lives when we aren’t dependent on others. Take what we need and what other people want to give us, and just have fun. That’s all there is to it.”