Page 25 of Oracles Always Win

“Youokay,Jakedear?Youlook a little pale.”Sally’sbrow furrowed with worry.

“I’mfine,”Iassured her, pulling my gaze away from the group in the corner.

Iglanced around the bar.Shit.Therewere several more people than just a moment ago.Mygaze dropped to the counter, andIfrantically searched for evidence of a new drawing or painting.UsuallywhenIlost time,I’dwake up to findIhad an upset stomach and a newly drawn picture.

Ididn’t see anything.Good.AndIwasn’t queasy.Alsogood.

“Hey,Jake, canIget a drink?” a woman shouted from the other end of the bar.

Inodded and got to work.

Thenext timeIglanced over atGage’stable,VanandHaydenwere still seated withGageand his friends.Basedon the nods and sober looks on their faces, they were having an intense conversation, but they didn’t seem ready to fight anymore so that was a relief.Sallywas right.It’dbe okay.ThenVangestured toward the bar and every single head turned to look at me.

Iwaved my hand awkwardly, then pulled it down quickly.

WhatwasIdoing?Iwas such a weirdo.Icouldn’t even smile and nod like a normal person.Nope.Ihad to wave, like a toddler waving to someone in line at the grocery store checkout.

Mygaze caught onGage’sfor a long moment and my pulse kicked up again.And, once again, my cock perked up and took notice.Whywas my body betraying me like this?Iwanted to die.ThankCezannefor the bar counter in front of me so no one could see my erection.Whoeverwas sitting next toGagenudged him with their elbow, drawingGage’sattention back to the conversation.Ilet out a long breath.

Itwasn’t normal to want to go over there and crawl into some strange guy’s lap.

Atleast it wasn’t normal for me.

I’donce viewed sex as a necessary milestone to get past, not somethingIfelt passionately excited about.WhenI’dfirst started taking art classes after high school,Idedicated myself to losing my v-card andIstill failed to get rid of it.Thefew timesIattempted to have sex had been disastrous.

Thefirst time,Ithought ifIgot naked with another guy my body would respond—wow, hadIbeen wrong.Mydick was completely uninterested.Thesecond time, to my horror, the guyIwas with took my limp dick as a personal challenge.Spoileralert: the guy was unsuccessful.Thewhole experience was awful and humiliating, causing me to swear off sex.Idropped out of the class we were both enrolled in, just soInever had to see him again.

Butin the last year, my sex drive had suddenly woken up like a rabid beast.Wasit enough?Ihoped so.

IbetGagenever had problems like that.

Hell, maybeIwouldn’t have problems like that either ifIwas with someone likeGage.

Andwhat if the guy, who may or may not have horns, wasn’t into men, or was already in a relationship, or wasn’t attracted to me in particular?IknewIwasn’t anything special.

Sure, he’d flirted, but had he been serious?Didhe mean what he said about getting together later?Myold roommate would have been disgusted by all my worries, but he was an expert at getting guys.Idefinitely wasn’t.

Andthese were legitimate concerns.

Howcould a guy likeGage, all godlike and perfect, want to have sex with someone like me?Whatif as soon as we were naked, my dick went on strike like it had in the past?WasIready to open myself up to that kind of mortification again?

Butwhat if it didn’t?

Myheart pounded in my throat.

Ijotted my phone number on a scrap piece of paper.It’djust take ten steps or so to get out from behind the bar and go to his table.Iclenched the paper in my hand.Wouldhis friends tease him about having the bartender try to pick him up?

Didthey know we’d already kissed?

Hehadn’t asked for my number earlier.Didthat mean he didn’t want it?Ihad to find out, right?Iwas still trying to work up the courage to approachGagewhen the doors slammed openagain.

Thedin in the pub dropped away.

Goodgrief.Whatnow?

Jeremy, a new guy to town, dashed inside.Adrian, his attentive boyfriend, was on his heels.

“Damnit,Adrian,”Jeremyexclaimed. “We’relate.Itold youNelsonandIsaacwouldn’t lie to me.Theytexted that things were starting and it’s true.”