Gareth Dunham was in no rush to do anything on a lazy Sunday morning. He had decided to walk not run this morning and gone to a yoga class in the afternoon with Michelle. He ran into a friend of Logan’s there, Dan, who had been convinced to go by Slaine Indi. He had briefly met Dan as he hung around the fire hall on Canada Day after what sounded like an embarrassing conversation between him and Patrick Peterson. Apparently Dan had dated Sajani, Patrick’s distractingly beautiful girlfriend, or tried to before he came out fully as gay. And then he had met Patrick, not knowing he was dating her currently and proceeded to flirt with Patrick. Gareth found the whole thing hilarious and comforted Dan by saying the Peterson twins had that effect on people. The crew howled with laughter but Dan did look more relaxed.
Now as they came out of class Dan caught up with Gareth just outside the door. Gareth was in grey sweat shorts and his old Candian Red Cross t-shirt with a pair of black trainers. He was cute. Short but fit and tattooed with a face that looked like Chris Pine. He was exactly the kind of guy Gareth would look twice at, and he had but now Dan was definitely looking at him twice. Dan was in black track pants with white stripes down the side and a loose black tank top that showed off his physique and his tats.
“Gareth right?” He held the door open for him and smirked. “It’s Dan in case you forgot.”
Gareth smiled kindly “Oh...hey thanks. I remember you Dan. You’re still in town? How’s the holiday going?”
Dan stepped though, looking back for Slaine but Slaine was in a conversation outside the studio door still with the teacher named Darlene and a few other yoga students. They had chosen this class strategically because Sajani wasn’t teaching it. So far Dan had managed to dodge her but he was sure her boyfriend had told her everything. “Yeah I’m still here but leaving tonight. Back to work tomorrow. Listen, this is forward and maybe a little arrogant of me. Logan told me a bit about you...here’s the thing. You’re gorgeous and I’m quite attracted to you. Would you like to...I dunno anything...have lunch together. Make out with me...take me home with you. Open to any and all of those.” He gives him a hopeful and charming grin.
Gareth chuckles and looks flattered and then blows out a breath. Everything about this offer should be a loud yes but in his head and heart Gareth retreats from it “Dan, you are incredibly attractive and normally I’d say hell yes to all of that. I’m just not there right now. I’m sorry. I’m very flattered you asked though.” He sees Dan’s smile falter and puts a hand on his shoulder and pats it “I am sorry.”
Dan tries to laugh it off “No no...hey it was a yes or no question right? No means no. Respect. You take care Gareth. Thanks for being cool about it.” Dan backs up and turns and then joins Slaine as she comes out and just gives Gareth a nod before they walk off.
Gareth gives Slaine a little smile and then nods back at Dan. He really was cute. Just not today.
In the early evening he ends up at the Blue Door. It’s after supper and he feels like a drink and some music and company. Gareth is a regular there so he’s made lots of friends over the years He’s changed into a black button up shirt and a pair of nice blue jeans with his old favoutire black bar boots. Kitty is there but she’s with Sam and it’s clearly a full on Sam night for them. Gareth respects and and really is a bit relieved. He adores Kitty but he wasn’t craving her company tonight, not like that. He chatted and drank with Kitty and Sam until they wandered off and then he ended up chatting with Quentin a bit at the DJ booth and a few other regular acquaintances. As he’s walking to the bar for what he’s already decided is his last drink a striking woman turns around and offers to buy it for him.
“Buy you a drink? I’m Raven.” Her hair was the jet black of a raven and long and silky down her mid back. Her skin was light brown and she looked like she was the best of many races poured into one beauty. Her eyes were dark brown and almond shaped and when she smiled at him her whole face lit up. She was wearing a strapless crinkled little black dress and shiny black leather boots up to her thighs with zippers down the inside of the leg. Raven is immediately sexy to Gareth.
“Yes please. I’m Gareth. Are you new in town?”
Raven flags down a bartender “Just here for a few last days off. I’m a flight attendant for Air Canada. More than half of us were laid off but I just got hired back. I used to vacation here as a kid and I guess I’m feeling stir crazy and sentimental.” The bartender waits for their order and she says “I’ll have a ….can you make a purple people eater? I know it’s not on the menu. It’s basically blue curacao, grenadine, cranber…”
The bartender stops her and laughs “Yeah I can make that. I know it.” She begins to walk away and Raven stops her.
“Oh and whatever he’s having.” She thumb points at Gareth with a small smile.
Gareth smiles back “Tequila Sunrise please.” He glances at Raven “So like the song..One eyed one horned flying purple people eater?”
The bartender nods at them both and makes the drinks.
Raven flips her hair off her shoulder onto her back and reveals her smooth elegant neck and grins “Yes like the song. So...what do you do here Gareth?”
He eyes her neck and then moves his gaze back to her eyes “I’m an EMT and paramedic.”
Raven looks impressed “Big job. Do you like it?”
Gareth smiles “I love it actually. It’s not easy but it’s worth it. I wouldn’t do anything else. Do you love being a flight attendant? I hear there’s a big protest to the middle seats being filled again.”
Raven smiles “I do love it. I don’t love that. I want to keep my job but working in this pandemic has me pretty stressed out. I think that’s why I took this little holiday for myself on the last of my Cerb money.”
Gareth looks sympathetic “Yeah planes are hotbeds. I’ve transported a few patients with Covid 19..” He knocks on the bar “Protective gear worked. But we had a lot of protocols. Measures. I’m sure you will too. They’re not going to just toss you in there.” He takes his drink as it’s set before him “Thanks Raven.”
She takes hers too and then pays “No thank you. You’re helping me face this coming week.” She sips at her drink “So is this your local then? I noticed you making the rounds.”
Gareth grins “You were watching me for a while?” He’s flattered. She’s beautiful and interested.
Raven nods, not shy to admit it “You’re worthy of watching.” She smiles at him sweetly. “This is my last night here.”
Gareth raises a brow at her “Oh? And you’re buying me a drink. I’m touched.” He chuckles.
Raven giggles “Do you dance Gareth?” She sets down her drink and looks at his.
Gareth smirks and sets his down too “I’ve been known to.”
She takes him by the hand and leads him to the dance floor. They begin to dance. It’s a fast song so they are close but not touching and swaying and shimmying in complementary timing with each other. Raven is smiling at Gareth and he watches her move with an intense look on his face. She reaches for his hands and places them on her hips, pulling him closer to her in the dance. Gareth complies and even squeezes the hips. He’s laughing and having fun. The music changes to a slow song and Raven winds her arms around Gareth’s neck. They press against each other and he wraps his arms around her waist. Part way through the song she brushes her nose against his cheek and then moves her mouth to his and starts kissing him. He kisses back at first but as her kisses get hungrier and it’s obvious where things are going he pulls away and takes her hands, stepping back and shaking his head.
He leans in so she can hear him over the music “I’m sorry...I’m not up for this today.”
Raven giggles “Up for what? Come on we’re just dancing.”
Gareth gives her a knowing look “You’re trying to pick me up. Raven you’re beautiful and interesting and fun...I’m just. I don’t want a hook up.” He leans in to kiss her cheek feeling bad for leading her on.
Raven pushes him away “Wow Mr. Assumption. I was kinda thinking about a hook up, but you’re an ass and I think we’re done.” She turns on her heel and walks away from him, grabbing her drink from the bar and heading for a table by herself.
Gareth purses his lips and nods at her . Yeah he had that reaction coming. Then he quietly heads to the door and starts to walk home alone. He didn’t want Dan, cute flirty Dan. He didn’t want Raven and by all accounts he knew he should probably have his head examined. But the point finally began to slowly smack him over the head. He had said it to Raven. He didn’t want a hook up. He wanted something real with someone real.
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