In the Silks (9 page)

Henry followed him to the kitchen area. Ryan placed the bag on the counter and emptied the contents. Almost immediately, someone came and snatched up the Patrón.  Ryan stuck the wine in the refrigerator along with the beer, grabbing one for Henry before closing the door and turning to face him again.

“Here,” he handed Henry the beer, tapping the bottle necks together, “for old times’ sake.” Ryan said, smiling at him. Henry was leaning against the counter. Ryan reached behind him and grabbed a bottle opener. Henry had the urge to lean in to him but resisted. Ryan opened Henry’s bottle first, and then his own. Henry practically inhaled the beer. Staring at Ryan even as he tipped the bottle back to chug, Ryan only sipped it.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to some friends. You may know a few from school or just from around.” Ryan patted Henry on the arm and then turned back toward the living room, and Henry followed.

Music filled the air, as did the scent of weed. Henry didn’t care. He didn’t smoke, because of work, but he would if he could. Ryan introduced him to some people. Two of them had gone to college with Henry and Ryan, but he didn’t know them. They were locals, Ryan told him. The other people that Ryan introduced him to were from New York. Henry started to get anxious when he realized that he had yet to meet the boyfriend. Part of him really didn’t want to. It was ridiculous to be jealous he knew that, but he still couldn’t help himself. The other part of him did want to meet him out of curiosity. He wanted to see what the man looked like. If they looked good together, if he was better looking than Henry. Not that Henry thought he was a prize, but he knew he wasn’t too bad.

“Hey, make yourself comfortable. I need to go hit the head and check on some things. Be back soon,” Ryan said to Henry before walking off.

Henry sat down on the sofa, with his almost empty beer bottle. He people watched for a few minutes. Most everyone seemed about his age. They appeared to be a very diverse group of people, and they were friendly. Several of Ryan’s friends that came to sit by Henry struck up a conversation with him. He finished the beer and was pulling at the label, looking back up to the swaths of silk hanging from the ceiling. Henry was transfixed, deep in thought. Staring up so intently that he didn’t notice Ryan come and plop down next to him. Ryan threw an arm around the back of the sofa behind Henry’s head. He reached the other hand in to Henry’s lap. Henry startled, looked down at his lap and froze. His body visibly stiffened.

“Relax, Henry,” Ryan grabbed the beer bottle from Henry’s hands, put it on the side table and passed Henry a new one he’d already opened. “It’s a party you’re supposed to be having fun.”

Henry had to clear his throat before he spoke, “I’m having fun. You just scared me.”

“Why would you be scared?” Ryan asked. His eyes were red and glassy Henry noticed. Ryan was biting his bottom lip again. It was so damn sexy Henry wanted to rub his thumb across Ryan’s mouth. “Hello, I asked why you would be scared of me.” Ryan took a drink from a red solo cup. Henry wondered what was in it.

“Maybe scared was the wrong word. Startled, you startled me,” Henry said taking a pull off his beer. “Thanks for this by the way.” He raised the bottle in Ryan’s direction.

“You’re welcome,” Ryan smiled and leaned back on the sofa resting his head against the wall and looking up. “I saw you checking out the silks.”

“Yeah, pretty cool that you have them in here.”

“Yeah, I’m not supposed to be using them, but fuck that shit.” Ryan laughed and scrubbed a hand across his face.

“So, you use them?” Henry asked.

“You could say that.” Ryan grinned. “I love being in the silks, in the air, it’s where I belong. Where I’m meant to be. I’m corny as hell; I know.”

“Nah,” Henry said waving him off. “If that’s what you love and you’re passionate about, there’s nothing wrong with that. It must be really hard for you being stuck here like this.”

Ryan frowned, “Yeah, it bites ass. It won’t be forever though.”

Henry nodded at him, feeling a bit sad. They made small talk. Henry mingled a bit. He drank more than a bit. Henry watched Ryan with his friends. He was so easy going, smiling constantly. He was very affectionate, touchy feely, not in an obscene way; with his friends. Henry felt a twinge of envy. Ryan hugged his friends, leaned into them when they were talking, kissed them on the cheeks, ruffled their hair. He was a great host, bringing people drinks. He did disappear a few times for a few minutes. Henry thought that maybe he was talking to his boyfriend, who was clearly not here tonight. Henry was ambivalent about that, a mix of curiosity and jealousy still present.

~~~~~

Ryan was lying back on his bed, Shay sat next to him, playing with his hair. He loved that she knew how much he loved that. “You know Ry, shit happens for a reason. Maybe something better is coming. You never know,” Shay said. Despite being in his room they still had to speak at a slightly higher pitch to hear each other over the music and voices all through the rest of the loft.

“Damn, Shay that was harsh. I can’t let go as easily as that I guess,” Ryan said to her. If Ryan could rely on one thing, it was for Shay to be brutally honest with him. She was a good friend to him though. She had been since they met three years ago in New York. She was a dancer, and so they ran in similar circles. They had clicked immediately, bonding over their love of dance clubs and Tom Hardy. She looked like a delicate young thing, her hair long and strawberry blond and her petite frame. She was fierce though and that was what Ryan loved about her so much.

“Well, for right now you’re here and you need to make the best of it. To be honest I’m a bit surprised. You seemed to be handling it well a few days ago.

What about that Adonis out there?” She jutted her chin in the direction of the living room.

When she asked the question, he reluctantly lifted his head a bit to look before answering her. He knew who she was talking about but he needed a beat to collect his thoughts before answering, because there was plenty he could say. He trusted her implicitly. However, he didn’t want to share too much about how he felt too soon because she would jump on that real quick. Truth was, he was still feeling the loss of Cameron in his life somewhat. Not because he wanted them to get back together, but it’s never easy to lose someone who was such a big part of your everyday life. Someone that you’d shared everything with whether they were a boyfriend or simply a friend.

“Who, Henry?” he feigned confusion.

“Don’t try to play coy with me, Ryan Mallory. I want info, now.” She gave him a stern look and a tug to the top of his hair.

“
Oww
, okay be nice!” he laughed, “Well, we went to college together, but we only met once toward the end of senior year at a party.” Ryan cleared his throat and absently rubbed his hand up and down his stomach thinking about that night. “We messed around a bit. He left, and we never talked again. He messaged me not long ago. I invited him here, and that’s that.” He didn’t want to tell her yet that he had dreamed about that Adonis constantly over the past six years. He played that scenario out so many times in his mind before they had lunch. If he had not just had lunch with Henry, would he have given up that easily?  He was still wondering about that one.

“Sure Ry, how stupid do you think I am? I know there’s more. I can see your little gears turning right now.” She swirled a finger in front of his head.

He swatted her hand away. “Hey, there is nothing little about me, thank you very much.” They were both laughing when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up to see Adon-
err,
Henry standing there, looking awkward and uncomfortable. Add that to the list of things that made Ryan want him. There was something so sincere about him that Ryan was drawn to. He was so shy, reticent but Ryan had gotten a small glimpse of another Henry, and he’d wanted to see so much more.

“Hi!” Shay said to Henry not moving from her spot.

“Hi.” Henry waved at Shay and smiled, “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“No interruption, we were just talking about all the fun things Ryan plans to do now that he’s back in Boston.” Ryan watched in horror as Shay blatantly assessed Henry. He nudged her in the side.

“
Oww
, now who’s not being nice?” She rubbed her side and stood up walking toward the open doorway.

“Hey, Henry come here.” Ryan waved Henry over. “Did you meet Shay yet? She’s one of my best friends. She drove from New York tonight to see me.”

“Nice to meet you Henry; I’m going to get a drink. Can I get you boys anything?”

They both said no, at the same time.

She turned and gave Ryan a wink before leaving the room.

Ryan didn’t sit up, just propped himself up on his elbows, before addressing Henry. “What’s up? Aren’t you having fun?”

“Yeah I am, but I think it’s time I head out. I wanted to say thanks,” Henry said clearing his throat. The discomfort clear on his face, at least Ryan thought so anyway.

“Why? It’s still early.” Ryan rolled over and stretched to look at the clock on the night stand before rolling back to face Henry. “It’s like eleven. Don’t go yet, Henry. Do you want another drink I can go get you one,” Ryan said.

“No, I’m all set thanks. I really should get going though.”

“Why, do you have somewhere to be or is someone waiting for you at home?” Ryan asked.

God, he hoped not.

“No and no,” Henry laughed. “I’m just tired, and it’s getting late. I had fun though.”

“No,” Ryan said standing up and moving right in front of Henry.

“No?” Henry asked sounding surprised.

“No, I won’t let you leave, come on. Want a Jäger bomb? That shit will wake your ass right up!” Ryan grabbed Henry’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen. Ryan made Henry a Jäger bomb. He hoped his desperation to have Henry stay longer wasn’t obvious. Shit, he should have been a better host. The urge to pull Henry close and kiss him was so intense. He knew that if he did that in front of everyone Henry would flee for sure. Henry didn’t seem thrilled with the drink but he drank it when Ryan drank his. Then Ryan was able to convince him to have a second round.

“Ahhh,” Ryan said with an exaggerated voice. “Come on, Henry let’s go sit.” He grabbed the other man by his hand and led him to the sofa.

As the next hour passed, Ryan intentionally kept Henry close. Sitting with him and talking and when friends would get ready to leave, he would walk them to the door and then go right back to his seat next to Henry. One of Ryan’s friends was really tipsy; another person went to pull their car around to take him home. Henry offered to help Ryan walk his inebriated buddy down to the waiting car.  Once they had him settled in, they walked back into the building; Ryan had propped the door open with his cell phone which made Henry laugh. That laugh, it sent shivers down his spine. And as they walked to the elevator, Ryan’s resolve to keep Henry at his house that night had only strengthened.

Henry pulled the door down, and he stood back and waited. Ryan didn’t press the button to go up though. He leaned back against the opposite wall as Henry. Henry shot him a confused glance before going over to the panel to press the button.

Now or never.

When he reached up to press it, Ryan grabbed his wrist and pulled Henry toward him. Henry stumbled a bit. When Ryan let go of his hand, Henry put it on the wall beside Ryan’s head to steady himself.

Maybe he was a bit tipsy himself?

Ryan reached up and grabbed the collar of Henry’s shirt and pulled Henry’s mouth to his. As soon as their lips made contact, Henry froze momentarily, but only momentarily. Ryan had a feeling that if he took the initiative now, Henry would loosen up and be more apt to take over. God, he hoped so. Once Ryan’s tongue pushed at the seam of Henry’s mouth, that was it; Henry opened up for him. Ryan was showing him no mercy; the only chance he gave him to come up for air was when he decided to suck in Henry’s bottom lip.

Henry moved in closer to Ryan. One hand still on the wall beside his head; the other he trailed down Ryan’s side and stopped at his hip, gripping it. Ryan pushed off the wall a bit so that their groins met. Henry’s moans were lost in Ryan’s mouth. After several minutes, Henry pulled back.

“Why did you stop?” Ryan reached for him.

Henry backed up out of his reach. “Because you have a house full of people a few floors away.  If this keeps up, I’m either going back in there with a wet spot or a hard-on that could hammer nails.” Ryan watched Henry rub his dick through his jeans.

Ryan laughed, “So which would you rather?”

“Push the button, Ryan.” Henry put his hand up to stop Ryan when he started to move toward Henry again.

“Wimp,” Ryan said with a smile on his face. Then he pushed the button with a grunt.

“I got your wimp right here,” Henry said grabbing his crotch.

Ryan cocked an eyebrow at him. Here was the other Henry starting to peek out from behind the curtain. Ryan went with it. If he called Henry out, he would probably retreat.

“Hmm, doesn’t look too wimpy to me,” Ryan said looking directly at the bulge in Henry’s jeans.

“You know, I’ve never kissed anyone that had their tongue pierced before.” Henry said, a blush apparent on his cheeks.

“And?”