It’s funny, really. Isaiah is about my height, so he’s short for a guy, but he’s wide too, maybe a little more than he’d been a decade before.
But he’s positively dwarfed by my husband, who does not look amused.
“I know you,” Otter growls.
“Eep,” Isaiah says.
I’m a little buzzed. It’s pretty great. I wonder if they’ll fight over me. I hope Otter wins.
Otter’s eyebrows draw together. “You’re that guy.”
“Yep,” Isaiah says. “That’s me. That guy. I’m also that guy who’s leaving, so if you could maybe move your mass a little to the left, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Didn’t you once try and get in Bear’s pants?” Otter asks, crossing his big arms over his considerable chest. He’s wearing a suit I’ve never seen before, and it looks like it’s been perfectly cut for his frame, tight in all the right places. The suit is black, and he’s wearing a red dress shirt with a black silk tie. I’m going to fuck him until he’s cross-eyed.
“I like your shoulders,” I tell him, because I feel like he needs to know.
“Thank you,” Otter says without looking away from Isaiah. “I’m pretty proud of them.”
“You guys are so weird,” Isaiah breathes. “Mazel tov and all that.”
“What was your name?” Otter asks. “It seems to have slipped my mind.”
He’s lying, but he’s enjoying himself, especially since Isaiah doesn’t seem to be having fun, so I leave him to it. I signal the bartender for another glass of wine.
“I don’t know that my name is important.” Isaiah is starting to sweat. “Seeing as how I was just leaving. And probably not coming back. Ever.”
“Probably?” Otter asks, and I remind myself that erections in public are frowned upon.
“Oh, I didn’t mean that,” Isaiah says hastily. “I meant to say never. I’m never coming back.”
“I feel like your name is Ricky,” Otter says. “You look like a Ricky.”
“It’s Isaiah,” I say helpfully.
“That’s right,” Otter growls. “Isaiah. You were in Bear’s class. You came to the gay bar that one time.”
“He wasn’t wearing his ring!” Isaiah exclaims. “How was I to know you guys are kinky sumbitches! I wouldn’t have said anything if I’d known. You have to believe me. I’m serious!”
“Hi, Serious, I’m—”
“Stop it,” I snap at Otter. “Stop it right now. Tube socks. You were wearing tube socks with shorts.”
Otter glares at me. “They’re just socks.”
“You had sandals on. You were wearing socks and sandals at the same time.”
“Oh wow,” Isaiah says. “You are such a dad.”
Otter turns his head slowly back to Isaiah.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Isaiah says hastily, taking a step back. “You’re probably the hottest dad I’ve ever seen.”
“Are you hitting on him?” I demand.
“What? No! Okay, maybe? I mean, you never really said no to the three-way—”
“I dared him to say that to you when you got here,” I tell Otter. “I did not expect him to actually do it. He’s got balls.”