“I’m not grumpy,” Auryn said. “Only when I’m covered in sparkly crap that goes in my eye.”
Nathan pushed him towards the bed. “Be quiet and sit down. I’ll perform an emergency removal.” Auryn reluctantly lay on his back as Nathan sat next to him and got out a wipe.
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 151
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just hate it when it gets in my eye.”
“Happens a lot, does it?” Nathan teased. He took out a wipe and bent to lean over Auryn’s face.
“Used to.”
“Oh?” Nathan frowned in thought as he carefully wiped the edge of the man’s eye.
“Be careful,” he complained.
Nathan bit his lip again to keep from smiling. “I am being careful, grumblore. Keep still.” He managed to locate the culprit, one minute speck of glitter, and gently wiped it away.
“There, see!” he waved the wipe under Auryn’s nose. “All gone. Well, apart from your chest.” On seeing just how much of the stuff had smeared itself over Auryn’s skin, Nathan lost the battle against smiling.
He could see a smile tugging at Auryn’s mouth as well.
“Thank you, Nathan, for dousing me in glitter,” he said sarcastically. “Can I use some more of these?” Nathan handed him the packet of wipes. “Go for it. I’m sorry about that. It must have come from my hair.”
“Hmm.” Auryn didn’t really respond; he focused on the wipes and scrubbed at his broad chest. Nathan settled back on the bed to watch him.
My buff boyfriend. Who apparently hates glitter.
“You could just leave it,” Nathan suggested. “You’re not going to show your bod to anyone else are you?” Auryn glanced up at him. “No.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 152
“Just me?” Nathan gave his best seductive pout.
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t mind you covered in glitter.” Nathan was only teasing; he hoped Auryn could tell by his smile. Even so, he was surprised by the somewhat serious answer.
“I hate the stuff.” Auryn still scrubbed at his chest. “My ex dressed in drag most weekends. It always rubbed off on me and always got stuck in my eye. I hate it.”
“Oh.” Nathan blinked in surprise. “That’s… um, interesting.”
“Hmm.” Auryn gave up on the wipe and put it aside. “It’s not coming off, Nathan.”
“Er… no, it probably won’t,” Nathan conceded. He felt guilty now. “You can use my shower though,” he offered in seductive tones. “I can help you wash it off?” Auryn’s mouth finally turned upward in a proper smile.
Nathan was relieved.
“No.” Auryn eyed Nathan’s hair warily. “Maybe another time. I think taking a shower with you now will just make it worse.”
Nathan had to laugh. “Worse?”
“Sorry.” Auryn leaned in and planted a rather chaste kiss on his cheek. “I’ll go wash.”
“Hey, hang on.” Nathan grabbed at his arm and turned him back in. “Don’t spend the only time we’ve got left together in the shower. I wanted to get messy with you before I go to work.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 153
“Oh, is that right?” Auryn curled his arm around Nathan, pulling him down onto the bed.
“Yes,” Nathan said, snuggling into the man. “I mean, when exactly am I going to see you next?”
“Tonight.”
Nathan shifted back to look at him. “I thought you didn’t want to see me tonight?”
“No. That wasn’t what I said.” Auryn traced his finger over Nathan’s chest. The touch was light, tentative. “I said I thought that if you’ve already arranged to see your friends, you shouldn’t cancel on them.”
“But—”
“So I’ll come along too.”
“What?” Nathan was surprised. “You want to come to Punk Rock Sunday?”
“Well, Gaz is going. So, yes.” Those deep brown eyes looked up at Nathan then. “And… I was going to suggest, we don’t have to stay late. We could still spend the evening together. I can stay over if you want?”
“Oh… yeah, sure!”
This was a pleasant surprise, Nathan thought. They would actually get to spend some time together. Still a little confused, Nathan asked, “Um… why didn’t you suggest this before?”
Auryn gave him a look. “I tried, Nathan. I was trying to tell you last night, then you stomped off in a huff. And now here we are.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 154
“Oh,” Nathan said. He could feel his cheeks start to flush. “Well, try harder next time.”
“I’m hoping there won’t be any huffs next time, Nathan.”
“Oh, right?” Nathan laughed. “Better keep the glitter away from you then.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 155
Epilogue
AFTER getting messy as promised and having the quickest, coolest shower on record, Nathan generously left most of the hot water for Auryn to use. He would stay in Nathan’s flat to have his shower and de-glitter himself. Nathan told him there was no rush. He trusted Auryn; there was no question about that. It wasn’t like Danny, where Nathan would have thought twice and perhaps hidden his valuables. He knew he could trust Auryn.
As they said goodbye at the door, Nathan even teased,
“Now don’t spend all day playing with my Evil Dead figures!” Auryn smiled and kissed him. Nathan had to give him instruction on how to lock up; it was simple enough, just pull the door shut. Then he skipped away to work. He was floating on cloud nine! Well, right up until he got to the bar and sheepishly had to face his boss, Mathew.
Although in the light of a new morning it seemed Mathew had all but forgiven him. Nathan was relieved. He still had his job, Danny could never come in again, and everything would be all right.
Even with Stuart’s constant teasing about the dramas last night, Nathan was still on cloud nine, daydreaming about Auryn.
“Are you even listening to me?” Stuart demanded.
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 156
Nathan’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “No,” he said flatly. He set aside the dishcloth he’d been using the scrub the bar and pulled out his phone.
It was from Auryn! Nathan’s heart flip-flopped in his chest. The message said: “Biker Zombies from Detroit.” Nathan grinned in delight. They were back to their game quoting B-movie titles. He replied: “Hey, I hope you aren’t cheating by looking at my DVD collection?! P.S. Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town. XOXO.” Stuart was peering over his shoulder. “What the hell?” he frowned. “What sort of kinky chat is that?”
“Stuart, go away!” Nathan swatted him, still grinning.
WHEN his shift finished at six, Nathan dashed home in a hurry to get changed. Punk Rock Sunday would have already started, but hopefully he’d be in time to catch Tazz’s new band. Throwing off his work outfit, Nathan sprayed on more deodorant but didn’t bother with a shower. He’d be getting even sweatier soon enough, so it made more sense to shower later.
Locating his baggy cutoffs and a Turbonegro T-shirt from the clean laundry, still propped against the wall, Nathan mussed up his hair and grabbed his jacket.
That had to be a new record for getting ready to go out, he thought. He didn’t run to the venue, though, since it was a little too far away for an all-out sprint. He did walk briskly, while smoking a cigarette, down St. James Street and onto The Old Steine. As it had been a sunny day, there were still A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 157
people lounging about on the grass areas between the two lanes of traffic. This included the usual crowd of street drinkers, passed out and still clutching their cans of cider.
Nathan hurried down London Road, stopping off at a newsagent’s to grab a chocolate bar for a much-needed sugar hit. As he waited at the till to pay, his phone buzzed alive. He’d taken it off silent, and the chorus from Die Monster Die by The Misfits blared out.
The shop cl
erk eyed Nathan as he frantically searched his pockets for the phone, finally answering it. “Hello?”
“Hello, Nathan,” came the Welsh-accented voice.
Nathan melted just a little bit. “Oh, hellooo,” he drawled back, grinning wide. He placed his chocolate on the counter.
“Ten Marlboro, please, mate.”
“What?” Auryn asked.
“Not you,” Nathan told him. “I’m in the newsagent.”
“Oh.” Auryn chuckled. “I was going to ask where you were. Are you nearby?”
“I’m literally next door,” Nathan answered, handing over his money. “Where are you?”
“We’re in the garden,” Auryn said. “I’m out here with Gaz and the others. Tazz was looking for you, by the way.”
“Okay,” Nathan took his change and pocketed his items.
He nodded at the clerk, then made his way outside. “I’m just coming to the pub now.”
“It’s pretty busy,” Auryn said. “It’ll take you an age to get through to us. You’ll see Tazz first; he just went to the bar.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 158
“Sounds like a good idea! I’ll see you very soon.” He heard Auryn laugh again. “All right, bye.” Nathan ended the call smiling. He shoved his phone and the change into his pockets, and ripped open his chocolate bar. He wolfed down the chocolate as he walked the five paces next door to The Hobgoblin pub.
“All right, Nath,” greeted a large man who stood in the door alcove, smoking a cigarette.
“Hey, Carter,” Nathan replied. He bounded up the two steps and slapped his hand against the outstretched palm Carter held out.
“Fag?” Carter smirked as he offered his packet of cigarettes.
Nathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Nah, I’m good.
I’ve gotta catch Tazz at the bar while he’s there.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty rammed.” Carter nodded. “Gaz is out back too.”
“So I hear.”
“He’s ignoring me.”
“Aw, don’t take it to heart,” Nathan told him. “I know he misses you guys.”
“You think so?” Carter looked at him hopefully. Nathan smiled. Carter was like Gary; in fact they were almost the same size, except while Gary was all rugby shirts and jeans, Carter was more offensive T-shirts and skater shorts. He was also the current manager of The Hobgoblin, Gary’s now ex-boss and ex-roommate.
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 159
“Yeah,” Nathan nodded. “Why don’t you talk to him later? Let him have a few beers to chill out and go say hi.” Carter nodded. “All right, yeah, I will. Thanks, Nath.”
“No problem.” Nathan made to leave.
“Maybe you can sprinkle some of your fairy dust on him for me?”
Nathan turned back to frown at Carter. On the whole, he liked the man, but his habit of making slightly too offensive jokes tended to grate. Especially when Nathan knew a few things other people didn’t….
“Yeah, whatever,” Nathan replied. “I’m sure your bi-fairy dust would work just as well if you have a crush on Gaz.” Carter’s eyes widened in surprise. Likely he didn’t remember divulging such intimate secrets to Nathan when he’d been smashed out of his mind on whiskey a few months back.
Nathan smiled sweetly at him then pulled open the door to the pub. He couldn’t stand around bitching all day; there were drinks to be drunk and music to be listened to!
And hot new boyfriends to locate….
Inside, the place was already packed with people. The air was close, to say the least. Nathan squeezed his way through, saying hello to a few people he recognized on the way. He spotted Tazz waiting at the bar, his Mohawk erect, and walked up behind him.
“Standing firm,” Nathan commented, eyeing Tazz’s multicolored hair.
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 160
“Nath, you made it!” Tazz was notably pleased. “Thought you were gonna ditch us.”
“Auryn convinced me not to.”
“Good man! I’m just getting some in; you want a drink?”
“I won’t say no. Whatever you’re having, thanks.” Tazz ordered four bottles of beer. “The others are outside. Come watch this band with me, they’re like the Distillers meet the Misfits.”
“Awesome!”
They made their way through the pub, Nathan with one beer bottle and Tazz with three. The back of the venue was larger, with a modest stage area built out of old beer crates and framed by amplifiers on rickety poles, all of it coated in sticky beer. The Hobgoblin had been a live music staple for a long time.
The band currently ripping it up onstage was obviously popular with the crowd that had crammed in close and were pogoing up and down with reckless abandon. Nathan followed Tazz as they skirted in. He knew there was no way he was getting through that crowd to the beer garden. He’d have to wait until a break in the set to see Auryn. That, or risk getting crushed and losing his drink.
He edged along the side of the back bar with Tazz. The promoter, Buzz, was sitting next to the sound decks. Tazz passed the man a beer and he nodded in thanks. There wasn’t much point trying to speak at this end of the pub; it was strictly facial expressions and hand gestures only over the blaring music.
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 161
The band played their set, finishing with the singer leaping into the crowd. Buzz had to reach up more than once to hold still one of the amplifiers that threatened to wobble off its perch.
During the break, while the P.A. crackled to a quiet hum, the pub’s speakers played out a Dead Boys album.
Buzz moved out from his position to oversee the band changeover, and Tazz realized he was on next.
“Where’s the rest of your band?” Nathan asked.
“Probably in the garden with Gaz and the others.” Along with most of the crowd, they waited their turn to push through the back door and filtered out into the large beer garden. It was one of the biggest in Brighton, boasting numerous picnic benches as well as a spacious area for smokers. Gary sat at one of the benches with Jimmy, Auryn, and a couple more of their friends. Nathan headed toward them while Tazz ran off around the garden to round up his band mates.
“Hello,” Auryn said.
Nathan smiled wickedly as he sidled up next to Auryn, standing close enough to brush his hip at the man’s side.
When Auryn returned his smile, Nathan would have liked to leap onto his lap and smother him with kisses, but that wouldn’t have been the wisest idea amongst a crowd of straight, beered-up punk fans. He would just have to save it until later tonight.
“Hel-loo,” Nathan replied teasingly. “Come here often?”
“Not much. It looks a bit scary,” Auryn joked. “You’d better hold my hand.”
A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 162
“Wouldn’t risk it here, mate,” Jimmy muttered.
“I agree.” Nathan was unfazed. “Or I may get carried away.”
“Don’t let me stop you.” Auryn’s eyes danced as they gazed at each other.
Gary made a face into his pint glass while he mumbled,
“Are you two going to be insufferably soppy from now on?” After glancing at Gary, Nathan looked to Auryn to search for his answer to that. The man still had a smile on his lips and that flirtatious look in his eyes. Nathan was thrilled to see him nod in answer.
He grinned back, feeling like the cat who’d got the cream.
“Come on, you lazy gits!” Tazz called out as he stood at the beer garden steps. “We’re going on!”
“I can hear perfectly well from here,” Gary said.
“Now, Gaz,” Auryn chided him. “Come on.” Everyone else stood, ready to make their way inside.
“All right, all right,” Gary relented. “I needed a piss anyway.”
They joined the throng of people squeezing back inside the pub. Gary and Auryn found a safer spot near the back wall while Nathan and Jimmy braved the front of the stage to watch.
The band tore into their set with boundless energy.
Even though it was stifling hot and the people crammed in around him were bouncing excitedly, Nathan attempted to A Bar Tender Tale | Melanie Tushmore 163
behave himself. He felt a little self-conscious with Auryn at the back of the room.
When the band got onto their third song, with a lot of fist-in-the-air chants, the singer jumped amongst the crowd and joined in the scrum. Tazz was at the edge of the stage, holding up his guitar and shouting into the microphone.
Nathan got caught up in the energy, and before he knew it he’d whipped off his T-shirt and was leaping around with the rest of the crowd.
It was a little embarrassing during the next changeover when Nathan discovered he’d lost his T-shirt. He stood there sweaty and shirtless, trying to catch his breath.
“That looked like fun,” Auryn teased, as he came to stand next to him. He very subtly touched Nathan’s hip in a gesture that was both possessive and reassuring. Nathan was so distracted he was a little slow at answering.
Gary, of course, decided to cut in. “Yeah, Nathan likes nothing better than rubbing up against sweaty men. Right, Nath?”
“Yeah, sweaty straight men,” Nathan joked. “Shut up and help me look for my shirt.”
“Is this it?” Jimmy picked up a sodden bundle from the floor.
Nathan took the wet shirt. He sniffed it then opened it up to look at the print. “Oh, bloody hell. Yeah, that’s mine. I can’t wear this.”
“Aha!” Tazz overheard them and brandished a rolled up piece of black material. “Sounds like you need to buy one of our new band shirts!”
A Bar Tender Tale Page 13
