Page 40 of Sight Unseen

Blu laughed again. “Salud, my friend. It would be nice to know your name.”

“Nate Powell.” I reached my hand out this time and found it grasped in a warm, calloused hand that lingered a little bit longer than the norm.

The nightclub was loud, the music resonant and the smell of testosterone, sex and male bodies was overpowering, but during the next half hour I enjoyed myself tremendously. Blu was entertaining, funny, irreverent and easy to talk to. He reminded me of Cody.

It was a pity he hadn’t been able to make it tonight. Cody loved clubs, got off on the vibe and the hype and was a marvel with those hips on the dance floor. He would have every man in the club drooling and wishing they were between those swivel hips. He could be quite the slut when he wanted.

A pang of regret swept over me thinking about what I’d lost in that fucking accident.

I’ll never see Cody rip his shirt off and throw it into the crowd. I’ll never dance with him, body to body, and see the sweat glisten on his skin, or that wide smile he had when he was happy. All I have now are memories.

I clenched my fists, body tightening. A loud cough brought me back to the present.

“Earth to Nate. Where the hell did you go?” Blu’s amused voice broke through my reverie and I blinked, coming back to the raucous club.

“Sorry. I zoned for a bit there. It’s not the company, honest.” I frowned. “Wait, how long have we been sitting here? Shouldn’t you be back at the bar?”

I sensed his shrug as he leaned forward and picked up something off the table. “Naw. I’ve got underlings taking care of that. What’s the point of being bar manager if you can’t slack off to meet an attractive guy?”

I heard the distinct pop of a bottle and the sound of Blu swallowing. Someone must have brought him a drink. Probably one of his underlings.

“So, you’re a sculptor. How’s that working for you? I imagine you let your hands do the talking now? Do you visualize it in your head and work it into the clay or whatever you use?”

I nodded, tilting my head down to the table. “Yeah. It’s been a bit tough to transition to the whole ‘not seeing what I’m creating’ thing, but I’m getting there.”

“Can you tell me what you’re working on right now?” he asked.

I hesitated. My art was private and I wasn’t keen on revealing it to strangers, even people as easy-going as Blu. He must have sensed my reluctance because a rough hand covered mine.

“Hey, no sweat if you don’t want to tell me. I know that you creative geniuses don’t like to show your hand too soon.”

“Cool, thanks for that. It’s not a big thing, but I prefer to keep it to myself until it’s finished.” I grinned. “And not really a genius. Just an artist.”

We talked for what seemed like ages and when the music changed and RuPaul blared throughout the club, my ears pricked up. I loved RuPaul. Under the table, my feet began tapping to the beat.

“Does this sculptor dance?” Blu leaned in, his breath ghosting my ear. The hairs on my forearms prickled with static and my groin grew warm. He smelled so damn good.

“I have been known to but it’s not my favorite thing. I haven’t danced in a club since the accident. I don’t want to poke someone’s eyes out with my fingers.”

“I’ll get you in the mood and keep you focused. Come on.”

Blu scraped his chair back, and I had a vision of his crotch close to my mouth. My face flamed.

“I’m not sure,” I hedged, while my feet tapped below. “It’s been a while.”

Blu leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Then let’s stop the dry spell and get you going again.” The double entendre was plain, and my cock stirred and inflated.

Okay. Caution to the wind; I stood up. “You’ll have to help me,” I muttered. “Best for me to hold your arm.”

Blu took my left hand and placed it on his impressively muscled bicep. “There you go. Stay with me and I’ll get us into the party. Don’t worry, I won’t lose you.”

“I might need to pee soon,” I said as I followed him onto the heaving dance floor. “In fact, after this dance, I’ll definitely need to take a piss. For no other reason than relieving myself,” I added hastily lest he think I was offering him a bathroom blowjob or a quick fuck.

He laughed and pressed a hand around my waist, navigating me skilfully through the hands that flew past my face, causing waves of air, and feet that knocked mine as we entered the fray. The scent of sweat and perfume mixed with sexual arousal was intoxicating.

“No worries.” Blu chuckled. “I promise I’ll show you where it is after this dance. No strings attached.”

Part of me was disappointed by his comment. Perhaps a one-night stand was exactly what I needed.