No sooner had Rey Arrived than he began to feel like an outcast. It looked like a regular bar but still, most of his anxiety was fueled by his self-awareness and the knowledge that he did not belong.
Luckily, the bar may have been predominantly populated by those outside his orientation but Mun assured him that he too visited the bar from time to time just for leisure.
"Try not to stick out. If you are too rigid, people will smell your discomfort and there is always someone wishing to turn a straight man gay."
"How long do we have to be here?" Rey asked, seeming impatient.
"Until I get a night snack, which is something very rare for me. I have quite a reputation here you see, and a temper I'm trying to tame."
"Meaning you are using me as your wingman?"
"You have the looks for it, and if Ari gets here the better. He is a bottom magnet."
"You mean a chick magnet?"
The man giggled, "Something like that."
Rey could feel his insides twist from discomfort upon hearing the remark but brushed it off and told himself to calm down. 'It's just for tonight so think of the contract. This client is merely lonely, that is all. After four more of this, you'll never have to see him again.'
Scanning around, the place was rather crowded, a bar he would never have thought the client to consider coming to. Everyone had a kink for certain things and perhaps this was his. After spending almost an hour, the air grew musk and merry that Rey almost felt as if he were attending a circuit party.
"Hey loner? I've been watching you for a while and you seem lost." Rey turned, following the owner of the voice only to find a stranger. The guy was casually dressed, a half-opened blouse clinging onto him and revealing most of his chest. Scanning him, Rey rested his eyes on the two drinks he was holding with his left hand.
"At least take me out on a date first before you undress me like that." The stranger spoke meekly and sat right where the client was earlier and for a moment, Rey panicked and began looking for him.
"He went to the washroom and sent me here to care for you." Placing the drinks on the table, the guy pushed one towards Rey and introduced himself as the owner of the bar.
"Nice to meet you," Rey replied but refused to greet the hand that was extended in front of him.
The guy chuckled then retracted his hand away. "Can you try and be less obvious otherwise you'll get yourself kicked out. Not by me of course. I need customers to spend their money on drinks. However, half of the people here are tipsy already and aren't in their right mind to take lightly your blatant prejudice. You can leave if you don't like it here but buy a couple more drinks first."
"I'm not one of you."
"I can see that." The man replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "I feel bad for you though. Keeping company with the likes of that guy... He must have forced you here. Anyway, he is loaded so I'll tab him instead of you therefore, behave well okay?"
A light tap from the stranger on his shoulder almost made Rey choke from disgust, but he did his best to control himself from punching the guy in the face. He felt out of place and wanted to get out but then Ari promised to come. Checking his time, it was already past the hour with no sign of him. For a moment, Rey wondered, if Ari had been the only normal gay guy he'd ever met; as if that made any sense. Or perhaps Ari could be the only gay guy he could entertain.
Thinking back, he remembered their little tussle on the trip with Ned and caught himself smiling but the image of a naked and furious Ari made his smile vanish as soon as it had appeared.
Picking up his phone, he was about to ring him when the client appeared from behind. "Checking on my ex-boyfriend I presume? Perhaps he stood you up when he found out I will be around."
"Where did you disappear off to sir?" Rey asked, ignoring the client's remark.
"I sent someone to keep you company. Don't tell me you chased them away already?"
"Sir, I'd like to leave. I believe I've fulfilled my word to you."
"I thought you said Ari was coming."
"I can't wait any further." Scanning the pub once more, Rey voiced his thoughts aloud. "I have never been to a place like this before but manager Mun mentioned it's an experience I'd want to get familiar with considering most of the businesses manager Ari brought in initially were referrals from his gay networks."
"I am one of the referrals. I stuck around since Ari is great at his work, and then he rejected me."
"You told me that already," Rey said, not wanting to delve further into the subject.
"I did my best to catch his eye but he remained ignorant of my feelings and I scorned him for it. He never took me seriously and I held a grudge against him until you came along." Gulping down the remainder of the drink in his glass, the man cursed under his breath and leaned back in his seat. "He told me to get my life together and to stop coming to see him during his off-duty hours. To think he refused to date me just because I was a customer. What a joke."
Rey listened on as the guy lamented over his admiration for Ari and how badly it affected his self-esteem to the point of terminating the earlier contract. It didn't take seconds before a bartender replaced their drinks and the client urgent Rey to drink up or face the penalty, and seeming that the guy still held a grudge against Ari, Rey wanted to avoid being on his blacklist therefore, he did as told.
"Ari thinks he is too good for everybody. Does he not realize how much money I spent trying to woo him? I've had many broken relationships since no one could compare. I just couldn't get that worthless twatwaffle out of my mind."
"T-Twatwaffle...?"
"Don't you know how this industry works? You don't sign a contract just like that. It's a give-and-take arrangement. For one, I'm planning to get laid tonight and if you can't get me a date, you'll have to sleep with me."
Rey's jaw dropped his reaction sending the man into a fit of laughter. "Look at your petrified face! You are so gullible! We won't go all the way of course but we'll get somewhere interesting you know? Make soft parts hard as they should."
"I-I'm sorry but I-I can't."
"Don't be such a virgin. It's simple casual sex, nothing more, nothing less. You're handsome, I'm sure you've raised a dozen skirts in your lifetime, if not lowered trousers."
"I-I'm dating someone at the moment..."
"What a cliché of a trick. If you don't want to sleep with me just say it. The contract is already signed and besides, Ari no longer works there so I don't have a problem with manager Mun." Looking behind Rey, the man smirked. "You on the other hand are in a conundrum. There is quite a crowd waiting to mingle with you once I leave this table and one of those people is the dear manager that stood you up."
Immediately, Rey turned and let out a loud sigh of relief when he saw Ari grab a chair to sit beside him. "Sorry for my tardiness. I ran into a bit of trouble."
"We don't care. You are still late."
"Still holding a grudge Mr Lilwaswalva?"
"Call me Jin for today. The casual atmosphere demands it."
Ignoring his former client, Ari inquired how much Rey had had to drink from the bar attendant.
"At least twelve shots."
"Don't serve him more. He appears dangerously drowsy."
"He is scared since I told him we are going to sleep together tonight."
"I-I didn't agree...to it." Rey lamented, throwing his hand at the client.
"I see why you like him, Ari. Tough exterior but all weak inside."
"Pay him no mind Rey, and Jin, stop spouting nonsense..."
"Don't say bad things about Manager Ari." Rey cut in. "He is someone I respect and so does Manager Mun. He does not need to sleep with anyone to get business as you've perceived of his corporate clients, and that's something you'll never understand."
"Well," Jin raised an eyebrow. "Someone is drunk too soon. He is no fun."
"This was irresponsible of you Jin."
"After years of begging you to call me by my name, you finally do it, twice for that matter." The man laughed then lifted his empty glass and yelled, "I said my cup shouldn't run dry at this table!"
"Oh, my word." Ari shook his head in disbelief. "I'm taking Rey with me."
"No, you're not!" Jin shouted, grabbing Rey's hand. "You think I don't know what you are after? He's about to pass out anytime which makes him fresh prey material!"
"Whose fault is that?"
"Yours! You stood us up! This lack of etiquette is the reason I couldn't date you in the first place! Even now you still meddle, taking what's mine!"
"Whatever you have against me I can take it but leave Rey out of it. He is not your plaything neither is he gay."
"Didn't you listen to what he just said? The guy has a thing for you as you do for him! Don't take me for a fool! I've had my eyes on you, flustered when you spotted him but forget that! Who would have thought the high and mighty Ari would show up at such a wretched bar? You always turned me down whenever I'd invite you here but then, this guy shows up and tells me you'll be tagging along. At first, I didn't take him seriously but he kept looking at the door like some helpless kid waiting for Mommy to rescue him from the gay perverts!"
"Jin, let his hand go. I'm taking him home."
"I brought him here so I should take him instead!"
Ari let out an exasperated sigh. "Jin, you're drunk and the reason I rejected you was because of this so stop being so difficult. You knew he doesn't belong here so why did you force him to come to begin with?"
The man scoffed then looked at a half-passed-out Rey resting his head on Ari's shoulder. Surrendering, he let Rey's hand go. "You'll never get in his pants."
"I'm not trying to."