I laughed heartily as I watched River bounce around the room to the lively techno beat. He’d woken me up half an hour ago with a breakfast burrito and a soda, and now we were getting ready to go out for the day. I wasn’t sure what to expect; we didn’t have any set plans, other than exploring the city, and checking out a few shops River told me I had to see. I looked over at him as he ran a brush through his hair. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans with holes in the knees, and a tight black tee that hugged his muscles.
I looked down at my own outfit, plain old jeans and a baggy grey t-shirt. I sighed lightly; I didn’t have anyone to impress, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit shy about my lack of style. River must have noticed my frown, because he nudged my arm, giving me a reassuring smile.
“Tell ya what, how about a makeover?” I raised an eyebrow at him, the word conjuring visions of giggling females doing each others hair and makeup and nails. He laughed at my expression, shaking his head.
“Not that kind of makeover. Just some new clothes, maybe a haircut; a new style for your new life. What do ya say?” I thought about it for a moment; I had wanted to change myself for the better, so I supposed it made sense to start on the outside.
“Okay, sure. I mean, I guess I could use a few things.”
“Great, I know just where to take you. Don’t worry, man; when I’m through with you, you’ll be swimming in digits.” I blushed slightly, turning away to grab my wallet. I hadn’t had many relationships back home, and it was another area in my life I was hoping to gain some experience in.
“Speaking of, you got anyone back home? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?” I blushed harder as I followed River out to his car, shaking my head.
“Um, no. I’ve only dated a few, um, people… Nothing that really clicked, you know?” I met his eyes slowly; he seemed to be analyzing everything I said, all while keeping his signature smile.
“And by ‘people’, you mean…?” I felt myself blush harder, looking away again as we got into his car.
“It’s cool, man. You don’t have to tell me. Sorry, I guess I’m just kinda nosey.” I took a deep breath and smiled back at him.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind. I just… well, I’m not used to not being judged. Back in Sparks, they don’t… well, it’s not a very open-minded community.” He nodded knowingly, looking thoughtful. “I did have a boyfriend, for a little while, but he broke it off. He was too scared of getting caught. After that, I tried dating a couple girls; it was okay, I guess. But we never really did much, so I don’t know. You know?”
“Yea, I understand. I didn’t come out until my senior year; before that, I’d messed around with a few guys, but they were all paranoid and shit. Never dated a girl, though; I knew pretty early on that I was all about the dudes.” He laughed again, and I joined, feeling relieved. It felt better than I could have imagined, being able to speak so openly about my preference.
“Thanks. It’s good to be able to talk about it. It, it means a lot.” I felt a hand on mine, and looked over; he was smiling reassuringly again, nodding.
“Anytime, Zac. I mean it. If you ever need to get stuff out, don’t hesitate. I know what it’s like to feel alone. No one should have to feel that way. He gave my hand a squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel. I felt my chest tighten; I’d never had a really close friend, one I felt I could trust completely, but I had a feeling I’d found one now.
A couple hours later, I was being shoved into a dressing room with an armful of clothes; River and I were in a small shop that he’d insisted was perfect for me. I had to admit, I did like the atmosphere, a strange mix of punk and skater. Almost immediately he’d started throwing articles my way, commanding me to try them on. I laughed to myself as I locked the door; he could be downright bossy when he wanted, but in a way that was almost adorable.
The jeans I tried on were tighter than I was used to; I was shocked at my reflection, at how they hugged my curves, showing off a body I hadn’t realized I had. I looked at myself critically, surprised to find that I didn’t look nearly as bad as I imagined. I didn’t compare to River, but I liked what I saw. I pulled on a snug tee shirt, and opened the door, looking around for River.
He actually did a double-take, and I felt my cheeks burning as his eyes travelled up and down my body. My confidence faltered, until a grin slowly crept accross his features. I turned around, feeling awkward in the silence.
“Wow. Um, yeah. I’d say that’s a keeper.” He looked me over once more, nodding. Feeling self-conscious but flattered, I returned to the dressing room to try on a few more things. In the end, I decided on the first outfit, as well as a few similar shirts, a couple button-downs, and pairs of jeans. When I finished, I came out to find River standing there, his hands behind his back, a mishcheivous gleam in his eyes.
“Okay… don’t be upset, but I knew you had to have this.” Before I could ask what he meant, he held out what he’d been hiding, a black leather jacket. My mouth hung open as I took it, River grabbing my other things so I could slip it on. It fit perfectly, snug but not too tight. I looked at my friend, who smirked back, his cheeks just slightly pink.
“River, this is… you didn’t have to do this.” I couldn’t hide the awe in my voice; no one had ever gotten me anything this nice, and I was touched. He shrugged, heading in the direction of the registers. We cashed out quietly, before heading back out to the car.
“So listen, there’s this concert tonight. Kind of a battle of the bands thing. I’m supposed to cover it for the school paper, but I hate going to shows alone. You wanna be my date?” The playful smirk told me he wasn’t using the word literally, but it still made me feel warm. The thought of dating him wasn’t an unpleasant one. I nodded, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Yea, sure. I could probably take some pictures for you, if you want. I’m kinda into photography.”
“Awesome. I’m actually supposed to take pics, but it’s so hard to pay attention to the show when you’re looking at it through a lens.” I nodded in agreement, letting my mind wander a bit. I hadn’t been to a concert in ages, so that part of it was exciting as well. And the company certainly didn’t hurt. It wasn’t really a date, but I was still looking forward to spending more time with River. I let myself wonder what it would be like to actually date him, and the thought made me smile.
The first band was already playing when River and I walked into the club. We grabbed a table near the stage, ordering a couple of drinks; I snapped a few shots of the crowd, getting settled. I wasn’t used to going out, but the atmosphere was exciting, and I could tell I was going to enjoy myself. The audience mingled on the floor, some dancing, some standing by the bar; it looked to be mostly college kids, with a few older adults mixed in.
“So, you like it?” River shouted to be heard, and I nodded, grinning. “It’s a pretty cool place, I’ve been here a few times. They do karaoke sometimes; I totally gotta get you on stage.” We laughed, sipping our drinks and enjoying the music. It wasn’t bad, a three piece rock group singing an angsty ballad. I excused myself and got a little closer to the stage; a security guard saw my camera, but I waved the pass River had given me, and he nodded.
I took a few photographs before returning to my seat, where River had another drink waiting for me. I took a long drink, already feeling warm; I’d worn a button-down shirt over my tee, but I had a feeling I’d probably be removing it before long. The second band took the stage, this time an all-girl group with a more bluesy sound.
The night wore on, River taking notes, and me taking pictures. He convinced me to get up and dance at one point, and I prayed I hadn’t looked like too much of an idiot. I looked around nervously when RIver put his hand on my hip tentatively; he was taking things slow, for which I was grateful. But no one paid us any mind, and so I tried to relax and enjoy the moment. The way his eyes sparkled when I put my own hands on him made my breath catch, and I felt myself blush.
“And now for the last band of the night, please welcome The Black Tie Affair.” River and I separated to aplaud as the group took the stage. It was a basic four-man metal group, not special in any overtly obvious way, and yet I found my eyes drawn to the bassist. He was tall and lean, with bleach blond hair that washed over his made-up face; his eyes were smeared with dark shadow, and his lips were painted a pale pink.
I blinked a few times, to confirm my vision. It wasn’t that I’d never seen men in makeup, but I’d never seen it look… good. Very good, actually. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about his slightly effeminate features that made it work. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he played, moving so languidly to the flow of music. The song was half over before I remembered to take any photographs, and I had to force myself to look away.
The song ended too soon, and I had to mask my pout as they, as he disappeared from view. I felt a nudge, and turned to look at River, who was eyeing me with amusement. I felt my blush deepen, and busied myself with looking over the photographs I took. I realized sheepishly that I’d taken more of the bassist than of the rest of the group.
“See something you like?” I met River’s eyes, feeling mortified, but he just laughed and threw an arm around my shoulders. “Hey, man, don’t worry about it. I totally had a thing for this guy once, he was in this punk group. Never talked to him, but I was at every one of their shows, until the band split up, and he moved to Wisconsin.”
The top five bands were called back on stage, to announce the winners; The Black Tie affair was one of them, and once again my eyes were locked on the bassist. One by one, the awards were handed out; I couldn’t help feeling upset as The Black Tie Affair came in second place, especially when I saw the bassist’s grimace.
“His name’s Tommy,” River whispered in my ear. I looked at him, but he just shrugged. “I have my sources.” Tommy… I turned back to watch him exit the stage; he looked my way, catching my eye, and my breath caught in my throat. Tommy…
“They’re doing a show next weekend,” I heard River say behind me. “I could probably score tickets, if you wanted to go.” I nodded, smiling without turning around. Tommy nodded at me, smirking, before heading backstage, and my heart jumped at being acknowledge. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten so excited, but I couldn’t help it. The man was unlike anyone I’d ever met, and seemed to exude complete confidence. He was the epitome of the irresistable musician, and I knew I was hooked.