Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:06:13 -0500
From: Leo Stefano <leo.stefano.1990@gmail.com>
Subject: Lust in Miami Chapter 3

Hello all, and welcome again to Lust in Miami, the continuing series
following the love and heartbreak of one teenager in the bustling area of
Miami, FL! Thank you to Nick and Brad, who have been so great in contacting
me and keeping up with editing this story. I wouldn't be able to deliver a
fully polished product to you readers without their help! On a quick note
before all the "legal" stuff, please remember that Nifty is offering these
wonderful series and stories free of charge, and they could really use the
help of everyone who uses this fantastic website. So, if you're feeling
generous, please head on over to http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html and
help them out. We definitely owe it to them!

This story is owned by the author, and is under copyright of the author. If
this story is in any way copied or reproduced, credit must be given to the
author. You must be of legal age to read this story, and if you aren't
legal or comfortable enough with the details of hot teenage boy sex, just
leave and don't come back ever again! Otherwise, feel free to stay and
enjoy!

I want to give a really big shout-out to my great friend,
Alejandro. Without you, dude, this story would not be possible at
all. Thank you so much for your friendship and your support.I felt really
bad that I didn't give you credit for that in either Chapter 1 or Chapter
2, and I hope to make it up to you in the future.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me such positive feedback on chapters 1
and 2, I really enjoy receiving your e-mails and responding to them, you
guys are awesome and give me that much more reason to continue this
story. As always, feel free to contact me at leo.stefano.1990@gmail.com.

And for all those guys (and possibly gals) who are looking for a nice story
to jerk off too, you might be a little disappointed in this chapter. Sorry,
but I'm just giving fair warning.


- Leo


Ch. 3 – The Truth

When I stepped into my closet, the shock of the dream hit home. What almost
happened with Julien last night was not something that I really
wanted. Sure, to the rest of the world I would come off as just a man-whore
who wanted nothing but tail. And perhaps Anthony would see it as me trying
to get revenge on what happened between us. But if I was being honest with
myself, the only reason I would "see" so many guys is because I am trying
to find what I had with Anthony in someone else.

The dream brought something crashing into my reality: I'm not happy
anymore. That first day together was beautiful, and I can't believe I
remember it so clearly, especially after a dream. But I couldn't hold onto
it anymore. Anthony gained my heart shortly after we first met, and the
months we shared together were amazing. When we were together there was so
much joy in our lives. Well, in mine at least. And despite hiding it from
everyone else (including Jason), the threat and fear of being discovered
only heightened the risk. Shortly after Anthony and I met, I realized that
I would do anything, be anything for him. The thought of disappointing him
would kill me. I did everything in my power to be good for him, and it was
worth it because he did the same for me. And I knew that together, we
really were happy. But he knew my heart was in his hands. And he crushed
it.

Shaking my head, I dispelled those thoughts and hid them away. School was
starting soon, and I had to get myself mentally ready for my senior year. I
finally had a grasp on what my education was leading to.

I had spoken to my parents several times about what path I would take. My
father, on one hand, wanted me to throw myself into my studies, go to Yale
– his Alma matter - and get into their amazing writing program. My
mother, on the other hand, surprisingly told me to take my time; she let me
know that even though college is an important part of anyone's life,
rushing into it is sometimes not always for everyone. She recommended I
defer for a semester or two and take the time to see a little bit of the
world, learn who I am, and not commit to anything right away. I could see
why she would recommend that – when she herself went on her own trip of
"discovery", she met my father, and that's how they grew to love and
eventually marry each other. And even though that time was meant for
discovering herself, she allowed it to become the time when she was engaged
to marry my father. Both vastly appealed to me, but I knew I would have to
start thinking about my decision soon – Yale accepted my application
this past spring.

Throwing on some shorts and a tee, I walked into the kitchen to find
something to eat. I hadn't eaten anything since last night at Capital
Grill, and those few bites I did manage to swallow felt like a century ago.

I looked in several pantries, cabinets, and the fridge, but I remembered I
told Maria we didn't need food prepared last night, and since Sundays are
her days off, I knew she wouldn't be around to make any breakfast, and my
stomach was grumbling pretty badly. I decided I may as well go out
somewhere to have lunch. I got my wallet and keys ready, and was about to
walk out when there was a knock on the front door. I rushed to answer the
door before mother woke up. I plastered my best fake smile on my face and
opened the door.

Immediately my smile fell. "Anthony? What are you doing here?"  He was
wearing black slacks and a white long-sleeve sweatshirt. His hair was
styled impeccably, and he had a touch of color on his skin from the heat
outside. But he also looked mad. At least that's what the scowl on his face
told me. "May I come in?" He held up several bags that looked like they
were from Capital Grill.

I squinted and looked at him. "I don't know if that's such a good idea,
Anthony."

He sighed and I could see what was left of the warmth in his eyes drain
away. "At least let me leave these bags here?"

I raised my eyebrows and stepped aside. He walked in and took a quick look
around. "The place hasn't changed that much, huh?"

I walked up to him and nodded. "Yes, my mother hasn't had a chance to
redecorate ever since the company went public. I'm sure she'll get to it
eventually." He gave me a look when he heard the measured tone in my
voice. That always bothered him.

"I'm sure she will. Where should I leave these?" He motioned at the bags.

"You can leave them with me, Anthony."  I held out one of my hands when I
heard steps coming down the stairs.

"Matthew? Who is it?" My mother walked around the corner and smiled when
she saw Anthony. "Anthony! What a wonderful surprise!" She walked up to
Anthony and hugged him.

Anthony set down the bags and hugged my mother back. "Ms. Baron! It's great
to see you again!"

Turning to me, my mother glanced at my clothes. "Matthew, if you were
expecting company, why have you dressed like that?"

"I'm sorry mother, I wasn't expecting Anthony to come over today. He did
that on his own."

She smiled warmly at Anthony and said, "Well Anthony, I must say dinner
with your mother last night went better than I expected. It seems your
father's company has been doing very well for itself since I last worked
with him."

Anthony smiled and nodded. "Yes, my mother is very proud of all the effort
he has put into his work. I'm sure she mentioned they need a consultant?"

My mother, for lack of a better word, was flushed. "Yes, in fact she did
hint that they were looking for someone to help the company possibly go
public. I mentioned to her my own firm just went public and that I could
probably give your father some helpful tips in that regard."

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure they would appreciate it. I'll let
her know I think it really is a great idea."

"Well Anthony, I don't mean to sound rude but what are you doing here?
Surely you have a lot of preparing to get done now that you are settling in
back home?"

He looked straight at me and said, "Well, the thing is Ms. Baron I actually
had the pleasure to have dinner with Matthew last night. Sadly, though, he
felt ill and couldn't finish all of the food, and I didn't see the point in
dining alone so I had them pack it all up. I thought I would bring it over
on the off-chance one of you would be home."

"Oh Anthony! Thank you so much! Matthew, why didn't you tell me you had
plans with Anthony last night? You never mentioned it when we spoke of
having dinner together."

"I didn't want to impose on our own plans together, mother."

"Nonsense, dear. It would not have been an imposition." She looked over at
Anthony. "Anthony, sweetheart, why don't I get Matthew to heat up some of
this wonderful food and maybe we could enjoy a nice brunch together, just
the three of us?"

My heart sank and I would bet my eyes bugged out of my head. "Mother, I'm
sure Anthony has better places to be. Like you said, he's probably still
getting settled back at home."

"Actually, Ms. Baron, I wouldn't mind having a bite with the two of you. It
would be a great chance for us to catch up again!"

"Oh that's wonderful! Matthew, go set these bags in the kitchen and
change. I will call Maria in to help get this food prepared." With that,
she walked out of the room to go make the call to Maria.

I looked over at Anthony and gave him the death glare. "What the hell is
all this about?"

"What? I can't have brunch with your wonderful mother now?"

I rolled my eyes, but before I could even take another breath Anthony took
my chin in his hands. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Little M."

I smacked his hand away and kept glaring at him. "I better get changed."

"Hmmm, would you like any help with that?" I wanted to smack that
shit-eating grin off of his face.

"No Anthony, I don't need any help from you." I picked up the two bags from
Capital Grill and took them into the kitchen.

Anthony followed me in. He looked around the familiar kitchen when he
locked eyes on the kitchen table. "We had sex on that table, didn't we?"

I blushed deeply and looked him dead in the eye. "Why the hell are you
still here? I can just tell my mother you came down with something. Or
maybe I could tell her I kicked you in the balls and you had to get them
reattached?"

Anthony raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Now, now Matthew, I don't think
your mother would appreciate you being so rude to her guest. She did, after
all, invite me to brunch."

I rolled my eyes again and slipped away to the stairs so I could get to my
room. I walked into my closet to find something a little more decent than
shorts and a tee. I decided on a red polo with light blue jeans and my gray
top-siders. I turned around and walked into my room when I saw Anthony
staring at my bed sadly.

"Anthony! What are you doing in here!?"

He sprinted to me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and threw me on the
bed. "What, now I'm not allowed in your bed?" He climbed on top of me and
pinned my arms above my head.

I stared up into his multi-colored hazel eyes and gulped. "Anthony, my
mother will be waiting for us. Stop this now."

He trailed a finger along my cheek and down my neck. "Did you shower yet?"

I shook my head and looked at him. "What's it to you?"

He grinned and snuck a hand under my polo. "I love touching you knowing
you're still dirty." I lost my voice. No, after everything, I wasn't going
to let this happen! "God your skin is so soft, Matt. I want you so bad." He
let me know he meant it by grinding his hips into mine and letting me feel
his hard dick through his slacks.

I tried pushing his chest away, but even though I've been working out for
several months now, it looked like Anthony had been doing twice as much
working out as I have. When he tried to lean in and kiss me, I looked away
and shook my head. Dejected, I could hear Anthony sigh and nod.

"Let's go have brunch with your mother now." Anthony lowered my polo back
into place and brushed my hair out of my face. "Hmm, even with a good brush
your hair never could stay in place. It always looks like you've been
fucked." He got up off me and walked out of my room.

I ran to my mirror and tried to brush my hair in place, but he was
right. It looked like someone was running their fingers through the thick
hair and pulling on it. Which is exactly what Anthony was
doing. "Motherfucker."

I tried my best with my hair and walked into the dining room. There, I
could see a very upset Maria pouring coffee into cups and serving out food
onto plates. "Oh Matthew, there you are! What took you so long?"

I looked dead at Anthony and responded to my mother. "There was a pest in
my room I was getting rid of. Eventually it just ran away."

"Oh, well good. I'll have Maria look into it. Come now, sit down Matthew."
I sat down across from my mother, who was sitting next to
Anthony. "Anthony, be a dear and sit next to Matthew? I think that seat you
are sitting on may have a stain on it from where Maria spilled some of that
wonderful Bolognese you brought over." My mother glared at Maria to make
the point clearer.

"Oh, thank you Ms. Baron, it's no problem at all." I could see the sly grin
Anthony gave me when my mother turned to look down at her Sunday paper. He
got up and sat down at the seat next to me, which I tried pushing as far
away as possible before he sat down in it.

Anthony simply laughed and pushed it back into place before sitting
down. "So, Matthew, how was your summer?"

"Oh, dear, Anthony, I'm afraid Matthew's been having a troubled summer this
year." I glanced at my mother who ignored the look I was giving her. "He
insists on bringing the worst possible `dates' into my home. Why just the
other night the boy he brought home went sick all over my foyer rug. I was
not happy about that, I'll tell you!"

I wanted to sink into my chair when I saw Anthony's grin spread even more
on his face. "Really? Well, tell me more, Ms. Baron."

*************************************************************************************

April 12, 2011

I was walking down the hall to my last class when I saw Anthony walking the
opposite way. I waved my hand at him, and when I saw he noticed me a huge
smile spread across his face. We met halfway down the hallway and I looked
up at him. "Hey, you."

He looked into my eyes and smiled warmly. "How are you, Little M?"

I blushed and looked away. "I'm still thinking about our date this past
weekend."

"Really now? Did I leave that big of an impression?"

I nodded excitedly. "It was my first date with someone else, after all."
His face fell a little when I said that. "I'm sorry. Did I say something
wrong?"

"No, no of course not." He shook his head and looked at me. "I just hope
you don't think we moved too fast."

"Oh." I thought about it for a moment. "Well, what happened Saturday...," I
looked around. "Hey, tell you what. Why don't we just go out for a coffee
after school today and I can tell you what I think. Is that alright?"

He nodded and looked a little dejected. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I'll see
you later, okay Little M?"

I nodded and smiled.

All throughout my class I tried to decide what I would tell Anthony. I
didn't want to scare him and tell him I was a little frightened about how
fast we got to making out. The thing is it really is my first
relationship. I hadn't ever done anything with someone else besides a small
kiss here and there. Our date this weekend made me feel things I have never
felt before. But what frightened me was how easy it was to just forget
where we were, what we were doing, and just get lost in each other. And to
be honest, I didn't even know if Anthony got the same feelings I did. I
wanted to let him know what I felt was strong and passionate, but the other
frightening thing was whether or not he felt the same things.

Shit. I didn't even think about that. I was so caught up in how good and
glad I felt this past Saturday that I didn't even take into account whether
he would get caught up in the same way I would. It was one thing to get
lost in a kiss, but I would get lost in him just with his presence.

Dammit, I'm hung up.

Unfortunately, I couldn't decide exactly what to say to Anthony by the time
I got to the café. I stood in line waiting to get my coffee when I could
feel him come up behind me. I could already recognize his cologne all
around me.

"Hello Anthony." I turned around and giggled. I could see the
disappointment and surprise on his face.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Oh, I have my secrets." I smiled up at him. Picking up our coffees, we
settled into a secluded booth where no one could listen in on our
conversation.

"So, what is it you want to tell me that you couldn't say at school?" He
took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, first I want to say I haven't exactly figured out how I feel."
Immediately his face fell. "No! I don't mean how I feel about you! I mean,
how I feel about us."

"Oh, okay." His eyes lit up a little more again. "So what is making you so
unsure?"

I couldn't look him in the eye. "Well, I guess the biggest thing would be
how fast we're moving." His eyebrows shot up. "I know, it sounds so cliché
it's stupid. But I think I may be a little unsure about what happened on
Saturday."

He cocked his head. "You didn't have fun?"

"No! I had a lot of fun with you, Anthony! It really was an amazing
night. But I think..." I took a sip of coffee.

Anthony leaned forward. "What is it?"

I sighed. "I think I'm scared about how I feel around you." I peeked up at
his face to gauge his reaction.

"Oh. Well, that's not really what I expected to hear." He leaned back and
took another sip of coffee. "You're scared of how you feel around me? What
does that mean?"

I closed my eyes and kept going. "I mean, I get lost when I'm around
you. It feels like the world falls away when I'm just near you. That's why
I can't even look you in the eyes sometimes; I feel like if I keep looking
into your eyes I'll forget where I am forever. And that scared me. Kissing
you was amazing, and learning to do that with you was one of the best
experiences I've ever had. But, when I realized where we were, it was a
miracle no one said anything to us. It shocked me to realize my body just
shut everything else out when you're near me."

"I see." He looked around, obviously uncomfortable. "So where does that
leave us?"

"You mean, what do I think we should do about it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I definitely want to keep seeing you." Anthony's face lit up when I
said that. "But, I kind of wanted to know how you feel around me too."

"I don't know if I can say the world falls away when I'm with you, but I
see what you mean. It feels like maybe you're more focused in my world than
anything else. Think of a painting where everything else is blurred and the
only thing in focus is a beautiful lily." I nodded, knowing exactly what he
meant. "That lily is you, all the time. You're my lily." I giggled and
drank some more coffee. "So, is that everything that is bothering you?"

I looked at the ground again. Okay, here we go. "I actually wanted to ask
you about something."

"Yeah, shoot."

"Umm...how would you feel about sleeping together?"

"Sleeping together? You mean like having a sleep over or something?"

I blushed. "I mean...like...sex."

He blushed and I could clearly see him gulp. "Oh. Well, I definitely want
to. You are a virgin, right? That hasn't changed since Saturday?" I nodded
and giggled. "Good. I guess, to answer your question, it should be the
right moment."

"Was your first time the right moment?" I looked into his eyes.

He looked away and frowned. "Let's just say I could have waited a few more
years before I was emotionally ready to do that."

That answer caught me off-guard. I thought he would have been happy to not
be a virgin. From what I hear, sex is great! "Do you want to talk about
it?"

He shook his head. "Maybe some other time, okay?"

"Of course." I smiled at him. "And, do you mind if I say one more thing
about it?" He hesitated, but nodded to go ahead. "I don't think less of you
because you are not a virgin. Even if your first time wasn't as special as
you would have wanted, I'm sure because of that you'd make sure it would be
special for anyone else."

He laughed and took my empty coffee cup. "Thank you, Little M. That makes
me feel better."

"Hey, that's what I do." I smiled, and we left the café together.

*************************************************************************************

"Don't you agree Matthew? Matthew? Matthew?!"

My mother's voice finally broke through and I snapped out of it. "I'm
sorry?"

"Where were you? I was just telling Anthony that maybe you should take him
and Jason to go to the Wine Fair next month. You know, with school coming
up I'm sure the three of you will have a lot of time to get together and
make plans."

I looked at my mother and nodded without much excitement. "Yes mother, that
sounds like a wonderful idea."

The ring from her Blackberry cut the silence. "I'm sorry boys, I need to
take this call." With that, she rushed out of the room to leave Anthony
sitting next to me in the dining room.

"So, your mother seems to be doing well." I looked over at Anthony as he
said this. "The firm looks like it's been picking up a lot of business."

"Yes it has." I looked back at my plate.

These memory flashbacks were getting annoying. I could hardly keep track of
the conversation during brunch, and it made it impossible to block out all
these memories of Anthony that I so desperately wanted to get rid of.

"Did you enjoy brunch? You barely ate anything again." Anthony looked me in
the eye and I nodded.

"It was very nice, thank you. I'm surprised you had the restaurant box up
the food. Normally you throw it away."

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, normally I would throw it away, huh?" He
looked dead into my eyes. "I guess I just wanted another excuse to see
you."

My pace quickened and I stood up from my chair. "Yes, well...I'm still busy
getting ready for school starting tomorrow. And I'm sure you're busy
getting settled in." I walked out of the dining room to try to make my
escape up the stairs. I heard Anthony run up behind me and turn me around.

"What is going on with you Matt? When you said what you said
yesterday...you know, about cheating...You didn't even give me a chance to
explain myself."

I looked down at the floor and away from him. "You don't have to explain
anything to me, Anthony. Nothing's changed."

"You're right, Matt. Nothing has changed."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Anthony looked deep into my eyes. He slowly walked forward, until he backed
me into the stair railing. He rested both hands on the railing on either
side of me, and leaned in close. "Do you really want to know what I mean,
Matthew?"

I hesitated for a split second before I nodded. "Yes, I want to know what
you mean Anthony."

His cheek grazed mine, and my skin exploded in fireworks. My heartbeat was
racing as fast as possible without giving out on me. I could feel my palms
sweat from his proximity. His lips ran along my ear, and I shivered form
the contact.

He drew in close to me ear. "Nothing has changed, Matthew. Nothing has
changed, because I still love you as much as the day I first met you."

I could feel the blood drain from my face when he said the words. I began
to tremble from the fear that ran through me. He still loves me? He still
loves me and wants me as much as the first day we met? But, what about what
he did to me? What about the hurt and pain he put me through for half a
year? Did none of that matter to him?

"Oh."

"OH? That's all you can say, Matt? Oh?"

I couldn't look him in the eyes. "What would you like me to say?"

"Definitely a hell of a lot more than 'Oh'!"

"I think you should leave, Anthony."

He backed away and scoffed. "I knew it. I knew you were so cold you would
break my heart again."

That's when the anger hit me. "Get out Anthony! You've said more than
enough for the day!"

His eyes sent out a freeze that I could feel go down my spine. "You are so
selfish, Matt. You're a spoiled brat that gets to do whatever he wants! You
don't care about anyone else's feelings but your own!"

I couldn't even open my mouth to retort. All I ever did in our relationship
was worry about his feelings. How could he say all of this?

"You know what, Matt? I'm glad you left me. It was easier than having to
dump you." The coldness in his eyes didn't betray the truth and venom in
his voice.  "I hope you have fun fucking all those sluts that aren't good
enough for anyone else. They deserve someone like you." He stood there,
letting the words sink in.

My eyes closed. There wasn't even a tear in my eye. The reason is because I
knew everything he said was true. I didn't deserve someone as good as
him. That's why he wanted someone else. And that's why all I can ever find
are guys that throw themselves at others. Because that's what I am. An
unlovable, self-centered piece of shit.

"Thank you, Anthony." His eyes widened in shock. I started to make my way
up the stairs.

"Matt, wait! I'm sorry!" I didn't even look back. I walked into my room,
closed the curtains, and sank into my bed.

The truth always hurts.

****************************************************************************

It was almost 4 pm when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw me on
top of Jason's back. The photo was taken a few days into spring vacation
this past spring. I looked at my face for a second. It looked so happy, so
content. I wanted to somehow warn myself of what was to come. But I just
sighed and took the call.

"Hey Jason, what's up?"

"Hey dude, not much. Listen, do you want to come with me to this bar that
just opened up? I got this bangin' chick's number and I could definitely
use a wing-man!"

I looked around the dark room. Normally, when I feel this bad, I would just
sit in the dark and listen to some Joni Mitchell and really get into a
deep, dark funk. "I don't know dude, I don't really feel like going out
tonight."

"What? Why not bro? Come on, it'll be so much fun!"

I sighed quietly. "Look Jase, I haven't been feeling good lately. You
should just go without me."

"No way dude! You know what, I'm heading to your place now. We'll just hang
out together tonight."

"No Jase, don't come over!"

"Why not?"

I rolled my eyes and tried not to sound exasperated. "Go have fun
tonight. I don't want to get in the way of your plans tonight."

I could hear the pause in his breath. "Listen Matt, either I stay over at
your place or we go out. But you are not staying alone tonight." I took a
second to think before his voice came on again. "Well? What's it gonna be?"

I rolled my eyes yet again and sighed. "Fine, let's go out."

"Yes! I knew you wouldn't let me go without pussy dude! You're the fucking
best!"

I had to laugh at that. "And you are disgusting!"

"You still love me! Anyway, I'll text you later with the details okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Talk to you later."

After hanging up, I let my head fall back on my pillows. Fuck, I should
have told Jason I didn't want to go out tonight. I wasn't in the fucking
mood to have fun.

I replayed everything Anthony said to me after brunch over and over
again. And he was right. I was always cold and unapproachable to
everyone. Most of the guys I would talk to at school wouldn't even like
talking to me because they figured I was just some stuck-up asshole with
rich parents – which, in my defense was pretty much everyone at school
too, but no one would say that. And as for sleeping around, Anthony was
right about that as well. I would sleep with anyone who would give me a
passing glance, and most of those guys were real pieces of work.

I covered my eyes with one arm to block out what little light there was in
my room from my sight. I just wanted to know why Anthony had to come by
today to say all that to me. Sure, he didn't come by just to say those
things, but it's not like I told him to start insulting me. After this past
spring it started to sink in that maybe I never was the good guy I always
thought I was.

Before meeting Anthony, I was only ever friends with Jason because no one
else felt comfortable around me. It wasn't because of my attraction to
other guys – there was plenty of that from others in my class, even in a
private catholic school. The issue is how I come off to people. For one, my
eyes would definitely unnerve people a lot, since focusing on one and then
the other brought out the difference in their color. The other huge
obstacle to get over was just how calculating I would sound whenever I
spoke. I knew that was always a huge issue with other students, but it's
just how I was raised to be. Even around Jason I found myself speaking like
I was a Harvard professor explaining to his class the inner workings of
modern colloquialism. I never came off as warm and accepting. To this day,
I still don't know how Jason and I became such good friends. He was so
easy-going and confident while still being polite that he could slip up and
say a curse word in front of adults and be able to brush it off in a
charming way. I would mention the methods of Carnegie and get uncomfortable
looks from the group.

Eventually, I simply accepted it as just another obstacle of life I would
have to hurdle if I was ever going to move forward in the world, but it was
still pretty difficult. Constantly being the mature young man was
exhausting and brought expectations from some that would have never fallen
on others my age.

But that all changed when I met Anthony. He would look at me whenever I
spoke and remind me that he was not a student, and I was not his
professor. Then he would wiggle his eyebrow seductively and say we could
just role-play that instead. He was the one that helped me overcome my fear
of rejection in conversations. He was the one that helped me let go of my
reservations in front of other people so that my involvement wouldn't stop
at some half-hearted joke about the misgivings of The Great Gatsby. I found
myself liberating my mind and speaking freely (and sometimes crudely) about
pretty much anything.

But when he told me I was cold and selfish...it just made me realize I
could never be the carefree person he always wanted me to be.

It was getting close to 7 when Jason finally texted me the directions and
information to the bar we would go to. It was some placed called the Broken
Shaker and was Indian Creek Drive. These fucking pop-up bars were beginning
to be the end of me. It was great at first because you would never know the
people who turn up at these places and their drinks and music would always
be edgy, but then another one would open up down the street and suddenly
you're facing a whole new crowd and a whole new menu of drinks and
music. That's why I loved places like The Forge and Space – they were
always open year-round and you learned the crowd and drinks.

But Jason really wanted to go, and I wasn't about to have my best friend
fall into a slump like I did. So I showered, making sure to scrub the skin
where Anthony touched me, and walked into my closet. I settled on a white
button-down with a little sheen to it with gray jeans and white boots. I
changed it up with a deep purple leather belt and looked at myself in the
mirror, making sure to get some fluff of the jeans.

Content that I looked okay, I sat down at my desk and pulled out my
severely battered notebook. In it were notes, ideas for stories I thought I
might be able to pursue and little excerpts from books I really enjoyed. I
laughed inwardly when I thought of how similar my situation was to Miss
Elizabeth Bennett. She and I both felt cold and distant around others, but
simply because they expected less from society than we did. Not to mention
the fact that there was a brooding figure constantly in the background,
judging us from behind closed doors while secretly pining for us.

Okay, I was getting ahead of myself. I doubt Anthony was "pining" for
me. And Elizabeth had one thing that I still couldn't obtain – her
ability to brush off rejection as simply someone not being good enough for
her attention.

Jason's call brought me out of my thoughts. "Hey, where are you?"

"I'm almost in front of your building, Matt. You wouldn't believe the
traffic. You'd think it was Friday night or something!"

"Why don't I just meet you at your car? What intersection are you at?"

"Uhhh...I'm on Collins and 6th. Can you walk that far?"

I scoffed and said, "Yeah, I'll just meet your car there. Don't move too
far okay?"

"Alright dude, see you soon."

I hung up and walked out of the apartment. I made it downstairs and stepped
outside. Even though it was well into the evening, the humidity and heat
from the day still hadn't been washed away by the ocean breeze. I walked
north to meet Jason's car.

I finally saw the BMW parallel parked in front of Zara, which was good
because then we wouldn't have to waste time turning around to drive north.

I got into the passenger side and fist-bumped Jason. "Hey dude, what's up?"

"Not much bro! I can't wait to check this place out!" He peeled out of the
spot, cutting off about twenty cars behind us.

"So, who is this chick who has your attention all of a sudden?"

He looked at the road with a devilish look on his face. "Bro, you would not
believe the tits on this girl! They're amazing!"

"Is she Venezuelan?"

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"They're fake." Not to hate on Venezuelans, or anyone from South America
for that matter, but a lot of women from those countries tend to get their
boobs, butts, faces...well, they get everything done. I gave Jase a
shit-eating grin and laughed.

"I don't give a shit, Matt! They're beautiful!" Jase kept his eyes on the
road but I could tell pretty soon he would overexcite himself if he didn't
slow down with the description.

"Where did you meet her?"

"She's one of my dad's legal aides. Best fucking legs on earth, dude! And
she's got this awesome accent. I almost begged to fuck her in the middle of
the office. I can't wait for you to meet her dude."

I nodded and smiled. "Sound like I'm going to be a third wheel tonight
then."

"Shit! I forgot to tell you!" I looked at Jason surprised. "She's coming
with a friend of hers!"

"Umm...by friend you mean a girl? It better not be, because no matter how
hard you try, Jase, I'm not going straight. No way!"

He laughed loudly. "No way dude! She's got this hot guy friend who is gonna
meet up with us over there. Besides, why would I want to turn you straight?
That would just mean less women for me, bro!"

I shook my head and smiled. "Is he even gay?"

"Fuck if I know, bro. All she said was she was coming with a guy friend. I
just assumed you two might hit it off. Besides, since when is meeting
another straight guy such a bad thing?"

I sighed. I have to admit, he has a point there. "Fine, let's just get
there soon. I'm thirsty."

"Your wish is my command, Matt!"

We finally pulled up in front of Broken Shaker. But it looked like there
wasn't much there. A sign with the bar's name pointed to an alleyway
between two bright buildings, and a bamboo gate covered most of that
area. We both assumed the bar must be in the back of one of these
buildings. Walking up to the gate, we were surprised to see a small line of
people waiting to get through.

"Sonia! Over here!" Jason waved his arm over at someone in the
crowd. That's when I saw...well, Jason's "Bangin'" chick. She really was
beautiful.

"Hi Jason, it's nice to see you here!" I looked Sonia up and down. She had
really long and wavy brown hair that fell past her shoulders and stopped
below her breasts. Her soft face was accentuated by her brown eyes, and her
skin had a nice warm tan to it. She was probably 5' 6", but with her killer
heels she was closer to my height. Standing next to Jason I realized they
made a really good-looking couple. Her eyes fell on me and I could see them
glued to mine for a second, the standard confusion passing in her
expression as she tried to assess what color my eyes are. "And who might
this be?"

I stuck my hand out to her and said, "Matthew Baron. Jason's best friend."

Her smile was warm and genuine as she shook my hand. "Sonia Ramos, at your
service."

Jason smiled, glad that I didn't act too cold to the girl he obviously
liked. "Come on Sonia, let's get inside." His arm snuck around her waist
and I stood at her other side, the three of us waiting in line to enter.

It took about 15 minutes for the line to thin out and for us to finally get
in. I was surprised at how low-key it was. Mismatched furniture was strewn
about small wooden tables, the walls of the buildings on either edge of the
bar defining the space while the sky was overhead, purple and gold mixing
with pink as the late summer sun was setting. The place looked a lot like
someone's backyard with the exception of a huge bar running along the far
right wall. It was a really casual place, and I was glad Jason recommended
it.

Jason was the first to speak up. "Let me get the first round guys. Find
somewhere to sit and I'll meet you there with the drinks."

Sonia nodded and took my arm in hers. We took a few steps before rushing to
get a nice cozy spot in the corner so no one else could get it. I sat down
across from her in a wingback chair while she settled down by the arm of a
couch. "So how did you meet Jase, Sonia?"

She looked up at me and laughed quietly. "I help his father's legal team
downtown. Jason was there meeting his father for lunch when we bumped into
each other. I don't think a retriever could have been more excitable. All
he could do was stare at me as I apologized for bumping into the son of my
boss' boss." She ran a hand through her hair and looked over at the
bar. "The first thing he said was he thought I was the most beautiful
creature on this earth and he wanted to go out tonight. I told him I
already had plans to meet with a good friend of mine here, so he said he
would grab his own friend and join us. I probably could have fought harder
to say no, but I figured he wouldn't take no for an answer." By the end of
her explanation, I was on the edge of my seat, almost dying from laughter.

"Haha!! That definitely sounds like Jason! I'm sorry he imposed on your
get-together with your friend, though."

"Oh it's alright. He just came into the city on vacation and I told him we
should meet up here. The margaritas are to die for!" She giggled and
glanced at her phone. "I just hope he didn't get lost on his way."

"I'm sure he'll find the place okay."

"Actually, I did." I looked around behind me to find the owner of the voice
when my eyes fell on Julien, of all people!

"Julien?"

"Matthew? What are you doing here?"

"Julien! You know Matthew?" Sonia got up and walked over to hug him.

He hugged her and smiled down at me. "Yeah, we actually met a couple of
days ago in Brickell. How do you know him?"

"He's my best friend." Jason came up to us quickly. I could tell he spilled
a little of our drinks in his rush to come over and see why Sonia was
hugging another guy. "And you are?"

They shook hands quickly. "Julien Hastings."

"Julien and I have known each other since middle school. He's visiting from
Boston, where I grew up."

I looked at Sonia. "You mean you're not from Miami?"

She shook her head and smiled. "No, I moved down here two years ago to go
to UM."

"That's great! Hey Jason, mind giving us our drinks?" I looked at Jason and
willed him to calm down. I could see he was still a little uneasy that
Sonia was obviously familiar with Julien.

"Here you go." He handed Sonia her margarita and me a beer. I looked up at
him. I hate beer, and I let him know it.

"A beer, Jase? Really?" Sonia and Julien started to laugh, and I could see
the pink rise in Jason's cheeks.

"Come on Julien, let's go to the bar and get some drinks." I stood up and
smiled at him.

"Sounds like a good idea Matt."

We walked over to the bar and put in our drink orders. I leaned against the
granite top while Julien stood next to me with his hands in his pockets, a
warm smile on his face. "Fancy seeing you here, Matt. When Sonia said some
guy asked her out and promised to bring a friend for me, I would have never
guessed it'd be you!"

I laughed and looked at him. "Yeah, I figured Sonia would bring a straight
friend or something." I giggled until I saw Julien's expression. He looked
panicked.

"You mean you think I'm...gay?"

My face turned white. "Oh, you're...I'm sorry I thought...shit, I'm sorry
Julien, I just –"

His laughter cut me off. He was doubled over, and I could see tears coming
from his eyes. "Oh my god, you should have seen your face! It was classic!"

"You jerk!" I punched him on the shoulder, which almost made him lose his
balance and laugh even harder. I had half a mind to throw a drink in his
face except I didn't have any...until the barman passed me our drinks.

He held up his hands when he saw the menacing look in my eyes and two
drinks in each hand. "I'm sorry Matt, but I couldn't help myself." A little
chuckle escaped him. "Let me help you with those drinks." He took his own
and took a sip. "Mmm, that's pretty good. What is it?"

"It's a Lover's Kiss. I've come to like it actually." I smiled at him and
took a sip of my own. "So, am I right to assume you are gay?"

His smile reached his eyes and he nodded. "Yup! Certified since 2002!"

I was confused. "You've known since your early teens?"

"Yes, when I was 11."

I took another sip. "How did you know so early on?"

He shrugged and looked at me seriously. "I don't know, it's just something
I knew. I'm lucky enough to have parents and a sister that are okay with
it, and ever since I started college it's been really great, especially in
Boston."

"Why especially in Boston?"

"Well, people are pretty progressive there, and being gay isn't really as
taboo as it might be like here. I mean, sure Miami is definitely one of the
more liberal cities in the Florida, but go up to Tampa and it's something
entirely different. Conservatives up the butt, if you pardon the pun!"

"Well you sure know your Florida Politics." I smiled and looked over at
Jason and Sonia. They looked to be getting along pretty well.

"Yeah, I'm actually studying Political Behaviors at Boston U and thought
Florida might be a good place to compare to Massachusetts for a research
paper I'm working on. And since I have family here, and it's an election
year, and Florida tends to be a swing state, I figured I should come down
and get a feel for the atmosphere."

"That's impressive. I don't think I could ever have the patience to study
politics."

"Why not?"

"I might be able to go two minutes into a debate before just realizing I'm
right and everyone else is wrong. It tends to happen pretty quickly."

Julien laughed at that. "Well, good thing for me you're not studying
politics then. Ready to head back?" I nodded and we made our way to the
table.

We all were having a really good time. Julien and Jason got into a heated
political discussion, mostly concerning tax revenue and federal
deficits. Sonia and I would just look on and smile whenever we would catch
each other's eyes. I swear I even saw her roll her eyes a few times at the
two of them.

Eventually I had enough. "Come on guys, this is no fun. We could have just
gone to a back alley somewhere and get jumped. That would be more
entertaining than this!"

Jason and Julien both backed down. Jase looked over at Sonia and smiled
sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm a cruddy first date."

She looked at him through squinted eyes. "Who said this was a date?"

I could see him hold something back, and he just sighed and nodded. "You're
right, I'm sorry."

"We would have to be alone for this to be a date." She looked over at
Julien and myself with a major spark in her eyes. Whoa.

"Yeah, we can take a hint. Come on Matt, let's go." I looked over at Julien
getting up and Jason staring at me, waiting for me to leave. I laughed and
nodded.

Julien and I were laughing on the sidewalk. "Oh my god, and she's supposed
to be your friend?"

He punched my arm playfully. "Hey, I didn't hear Jason put up much of a
fight to keep you around either!"

After settling down, I asked, "So what should we do now? I'm not really
buzzed."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "There's a lounge nearby that I know
of. Want to head there?"

I agreed. The lounge turned up to be in the lobby of The Palms Hotel, and
was only a few blocks away from the bar we left Sonia and Jase at. We
settled into the plush chairs and were handed the huge menu. I almost died
when I saw the number martinis listed in front of me, and I quickly ordered
an Aviation Manhattan up while Julien settled on a beer.

"Julien, if you wanted a beer we could have just gone anywhere
else. There's a sports bar nearby that's pretty good."

He shrugged and looked around. "I'm tired of sports bars and dive bars. I
think I've been to enough to last you and me a lifetime!" I smiled and took
a sip of my martini. It was so good! I quickly bit on the olive sitting in
the glass to get some more of the flavor. "Besides, I'm in Miami. I think
it's high time I class it up, don't you?"

I shrugged. "Only if you've been rolling around in the dirt, I suppose." He
smiled at that.

"Nah, it's not that bad up north I guess. Boston is a great place for
academics and beer. I think Miami is just so far from all of that it's not
even funny."

"True. It seems like the most popular major here is public relations!"

"That's exactly what Sonia came out here to study! She hated it the first
week of school and switched over to pre-law. I'm glad she did though. Now
we can actually have stimulating conversation and not just talk about which
celebrity she'll represent in the future." We laughed pretty hard over
that. I'm glad I decided to come here with Julien. He's really easy to talk
to. And he hasn't mentioned anything about my eyes, which is a definite
plus!

"So, your eyes are interesting. How does something like that happen?" I
rolled my eyes. Of course.

"Ahh, you know, get an eye poked out and with enough money they just give
you a new one. I was cheap about it, though, so of course they gave me a
different colored eye." Julien sputtered into his beer with that one. I
giggled and smiled at him. "You okay?"

His eyes turned red from having the carbonated drink half choke him. "Yeah,
I'm okay. Hah, you got me good there!"

I smiled. "It's just a genetic thing, I suppose. My grandmother was
heterochromatic too."

"Ah, so that's the term. I didn't want to say bi-eyes or something equally
embarrassing." I myself almost sputtered into my own drink. "Well that's
pretty cool. I'm sure you get compliments on your eyes all the time!"

"He does."

My heart stopped. Fuck. Fucking fuck! Shit fuck!! I didn't even want to
turn around to look at him. Julien looked up behind me at the owner of the
voice. I really have to fucking stop facing my back towards entrances. I
could see the confusion cross Julien's face, and then his eyes went from
mine to the person behind me, and the recognition dawned on him. I think it
was obvious when I didn't turn around to greet this person, but rather
downed my drink in one fell swoop. I could feel the person step up to my
right, but I still didn't want to look his way. That's when his cologne hit
me.

Julien, gentleman that he is, stood up and extended his hand. "Julien
Hastings, pleasure to meet you."

The silence was deafening, and you could cut the tension with a Shinto
knife. When he didn't shake Julien's hand, I sighed, blinked twice, and
stood up.  "Hello Anthony. What a surprise."

Julien, realizing his hand was not going to be accepted any time soon, sat
down and took a swig of his beer.

He gave me a curt nod. "Matthew."

I made sure to maintain the iciness in my eyes. "I didn't know you came to
this part of the beach. I was just having a drink with my friend Julien."

"Yes, your friend." Anthony gazed nonchalantly towards Julien, who just
looked away and clung to his beer. "I couldn't help but overhear your
conversation as I entered the hotel."

"Speaking of which, what are you doing here? You don't normally frequent
hotels."

"Well you would know all about that, right?" Ouch, that one hurt. "But if
you must know, I'm staying here until I can find an apartment somewhere."
Oh? I'm surprised he wasn't staying with his parents. I wonder what
happened. Wait, what the fuck? Fuck that! I don't care!

"Oh...well I'm sure you're enjoying your stay. Now, if you don't mind, I
was having a conver-"

"Actually, I do mind." He slipped off his jacket, slung it onto the back of
the armchair next to mine, and sat down. Damn him and his body! "What is
everyone having?"

Shit. I sat there next to this beast, this hideous, sexy creature. Damn him
again! I hadn't even thought about what happened earlier at home until I
heard his voice. It hurt to think about that cold look in his eyes, with
his face spinning and the room spinning...whoops. I shook, my head, trying
to clear my thoughts. I shouldn't have downed that martini so quickly. I
almost wanted to ask him nicely to leave. Almost.

"Anthony, what the hell are you doing here? Can't you see I'm with a
friend?"

"Yes, I can clearly see that. What, am I not allowed near you when you're
with other people? You don't think that sounds a tad strange? Or obvious?"
His gaze darkened and I could see he was supremely pissed. But what was he
pissed about?

Julien finally spoke up. "Matthew and I were just having friendly
conversation. There was nothing in either of our actions that would
question what his or my motives are." Well, even though that was slightly
embarrassing, thank you Julien. I smiled over at him and he gave me a
wink. I think all of that only made Anthony even more pissed.

"I don't think having drinks in a hotel bar far from other friends could be
considered friendly activity. I would hardly even rank it above
prostitution. Luckily, I think I know Matthew better than that."

I almost threw my drink in Anthony's face for that one! Except my glass has
been empty for about ten minutes already. I couldn't even glance over at
him, but that probably just reinforced his crazed notion that I was on a
date with Julien.

Speaking of which, that's when Julien stood up and grabbed his own
jacket. "I should probably get going. You two obviously have a lot to talk
about, and I would just be imposing."

"Yes, you would." If looks could kill.

Once his jacket was on, Julien looked at me with a concerned look that I
knew was sincere. "Will you be okay getting back home?" I almost wanted to
leave with him, but I knew I had to clear things with Anthony first.

"I'll just take a cab, and if worse comes to worse I can walk."

I got up and hugged Julien goodbye. He pulled a card out of his pocket and
handed it to me. "Give me a call soon. I leave the city in about two weeks
so make sure to call me before then." I smiled up at him and nodded. He
looked down at Anthony and gave the slightest of nods before leaving the
hotel.

Making sure Julien was far from ear-shot, I glared at Anthony. "How dare
you! How could you say those things about me in front of a friend?" Anthony
simply took a sip of his martini and looked at me with hooded eyes. "Well?"
Nothing. "What, now you're not so talkative? Only a minute ago you were on
the verge of calling me a prostitute! What's the deal, Anthony?"

He lowered his eyebrows and bit his bottom lip. Most likely to prevent from
saying something he would really regret. Except he said it anyway. "I
couldn't just stand by while you were whoring yourself to him."

It took a minute or two to remember to breathe. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Matthew. You may as well have been humping him here in the
lobby!"

"You're insane! What did I say that sounded so absolutely slutty to you?"

"Oh I don't know, the bit about the eyes, or maybe how you were sucking on
that olive like it would save you from dying that moment."

I froze. That was barely ten minutes after we sat down. "How much of our
conversation did you listen to?"

"Enough to know you were pulling all your tricks to get that guy to fuck
you."

My eyes dropped to the ground. Wow. I've never heard Anthony speak to
anyone like this, let alone me. "Anthony, Julien and I just came from a
bar-"

"Of course you did! God, I bet he said he was tired and you just happened
to mention there was a hotel nearby, right?"

"No." I sighed. I couldn't even look at him. Why is he saying all of this?
Okay, I'll give him the whole `cold attitude' thing he said to me
earlier. But he was really accusing me of being slutty, easy trash! "I went
to the bar with Jason to meet Julien's friend, Sonia. I met Julien this
past weekend."

He leaned back in his chair. "This weekend? When?"

Fuck. I'd hoped he wouldn't ask me that. "Saturday. At Capital Grill." May
as well tell the whole truth now. "I hid from you in the bar, and he helped
me hide from you. Then I got extremely drunk."

"And?"

Why was I explaining all of this to him? I felt like I was being
reprimanded by a parent – or worse, a boyfriend. "I woke up the next day
on the couch of a hotel suite. Nothing happened between us."

He shook his head and looked away from me, a look of disgust apparent on
his face. "Wow Matthew. You really have fallen far. What do you have to say
for yourself?"

I furrowed my brow, confused. "What do you mean? I don't owe you an
explanation, if that's what you're getting at."

"You owe me a lot more than an explanation, Matthew." He finally glanced
over at me and let out a sigh. "A hell of a lot more than that."

I stood up. "No Anthony. I don't owe you anything anymore. What I do with
my friends, or anyone for that matter, is entirely none of your business."

He slumped, and for the first time since I saw him again he looked
defeated. "How can you just throw yourself at anyone that even shows the
remotest interest in you? What happened to the guy that thought sex was
special? The guy that thought sex was only something you did with the
person you love?"

Shaking my head, I scoffed at him. "He grew up." With that, I walked out of
the hotel, ready for my 4 mile walk home along the crowded streets, with
nothing to accompany me except my thoughts.

****************************************************************************

And there you have it folks, Chapter 3! I hope you all agree it's coming
along rather nicely. I again would like to think both of my editors (Nick
and Brad) for all of your comments. You guys really help me round out this
story nicely to bring a polished product to the readers. I would like to
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all a farewell and a happy second week of December!

- Leo