Love on the Rocks (Bar Tenders) Read online

  “I’m sorry?”

  “That’s one of my dad’s gig posters,” Justin explained. He turned on a hob—the wrong one—then eventually found the right one for the curry, to reheat it.

  “Your dad does Elvis?” Yena guessed.

  “Yep. He’s an impersonator. One of the best.” Justin always felt proud when he told people that. “Except, it’s only recently he’s been the right age to fit the part. At least, so he says. Hah.”

  Yena was quiet, and Justin turned to see him studying the poster. Yena looked at Justin, then back at the poster. The picture was a good one, from an old show; Justin’s dad was in his all-black leather suit for the ’68 Comeback Special.

  “You look like him,” Yena said quietly. “He looks amazing.”

  “Aw.” Justin grinned wide. His cheeks were flaming up again. “You say the sweetest things.”

  Yena laughed. “So, is he naturally dark, or…?”

  “Nah. We’re all blond.” Justin waved a wooden spoon, curry drops splatting on the counter. “He’s dyed his hair black since before I was born. He’s always been into his fifties stuff; rockabilly and that. Never without a stiff quiff, that’s my dad.”

  “You’ve seen him perform?”

  “Oh, sure. All the time. Mum’s often the driver to his shows. When I was little he used to dress me up as mini Elvis and get me onstage with him.”

  “No way!”

  “Yeah, loads. I think he knew the women in the audience would love it. He’s always had good ideas. At Halloween, he does a zombie Elvis show. It’s pretty rad.”

  “That sounds amazing.”

  “You’ll have to come see him.” Justin hoped his offer would be taken up. No one could resist his Elvis dad.

  “Does he do cabaret shows?”

  “Not so much these days. Just the big corporate do’s. More money for him. And weddings. He likes weddings ’cause there’s always lots of booze.”

  Yena chuckled. “He sounds like a lot of fun.”

  “He’s a fun dad. Although, I’ll tell you one thing, the fifties is not my spiritual era. I don’t mind Elvis, but I can’t stand rockabilly.” Justin shuddered at the thought. If he never heard the thonking, dull sound of a double bass again, it’d be too soon.

  “What does your mum think?”

  “Oh, she loves the fifties.” Justin snorted lightly. “Properly into her jive and swing. Pinup girls and classic cars. They made the lounge into a tiki shack; the bathroom is always greasy from dad’s pomade. They only wear vintage clothes too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “That… sounds a little intense.”

  “I know, right? I mean, in Brighton it’s not so hard to find that stuff, but as soon as I hit teenage years I was like, no, Mum and Dad! I’m into electro, so there!”

  “Rebelling?”

  “It’s gotta be done, right?” Justin spun around, looking for plates. As Tara had been so organized, she’d left them warming in the oven, along with the naan breads. Justin dished up the curries. He tore off strips of naan and set them on the side of each plate and brought the plates over. “Here we go. Hope you like it.”

  “It smells fantastic.”

  Stomach rumbling, Justin had to agree.

  “These look good.” Yena pointed at the plate of pani puri. “I’ve had them before. They’re pretty spicy, right?”

  “Not these.” Justin reached over to pick up a crisp, hollow shell. He poked his thumb into it, making a hole. “Depends what you put in. There’s potatoes or chickpeas, and the sauces are only a sweet mix, or the other one is coriander and mint.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yena, how do you not know this?” he teased. “This is Indian food.”

  “Justin,” Yena said back, tone sharp, “my mum is only half Indian. The meal she cooked the most often for us was chicken nuggets and chips.”

  “Erm, oh.” Justin seized up with nerves. Had he put his foot in it? “Sorry.”

  Yena shrugged. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. But before you get any ideas in your head, I was raised British. Even her parents didn’t have much to do with the Indian side of the family. I guess they wanted to integrate into the community in their own way, and that was by being as English as possible. That’s just what they chose to do.”

  Justin swallowed hard. Despite wanting to hide under the table, he forced himself to say, “I’m sorry, Yena.”

  “It’s fine.” He poked at his food with the fork. “I’m sorry, Justin. It’s not your fault. I guess I’m a little touchy about it. Everyone always seems to expect me to know more about the culture, or speak Hindi, but I really know very little.”

  “So, er, you ever been to India?”

  Yena snorted. “You kidding? The furthest I’ve been abroad is Paris, and that was on a crappy school trip.”

  “Oh.” Justin looked anew at the spread on the table, and he scolded himself for his choice of food. “Maybe I shouldn’t have surrounded you with curry and stuff, huh?”

  “No, I don’t mind,” Yena said, and he seemed to mean it. “This is nice. I like spicy food.”

  “Yeah?” Justin brightened. “Me, too. I always wanted to go on a food holiday, y’know? Like travel to countries and basically eat everything I could find. Even the weird shit.”

  Yena looked at him, a smile forming on his face. “Oh, yeah? Even those weird insect lollipops they have in China?”

  “Well, why not?”

  “Rather you than me.”

  “You mean you wouldn’t try one?”

  “Definitely not.”

  They smiled at each other. Yena looked so lovely sitting there, skin aglow from the candles, surrounded by exotic foods. Justin had to bite his tongue from blurting something out to that effect. “Er… so, if you could go on holiday, where would you go?”

  “Out of London would be a good start,” Yena said.

  “Really? I love it here.”

  “I’ve lived in south London my whole life,” Yena explained. “It can get a bit samey.”

  “Fair enough.” Justin thought that way about Brighton, though he knew he’d likely end up there again in a few years. “Sounds like a holiday is needed. If I had the money I’d whisk you off to a tropical island, and we could make rum punches all day and fall asleep in the sun.”

  “Wouldn’t you get sunburn?”

  “Fall asleep in the sun under a large parasol,” Justin amended.

  “Sounds great. I’m in. Let me know when you win the lottery, then.”

  “If you’re up for it, I’ll take out a loan and book the flights now.”

  Yena began to laugh. “You’re offering to take me on holiday? On our second date?”

  “Yeah, why not?” Justin smiled through his nerves. “I’d totally go on hollies with you, babe. Tell me what kind of swim trunks you’d wear.”

  Burying his face in his hands, Yena laughed more. “Oh, my God. You’re crazy!”

  “Nah, not really.”

  “This coming from a man wearing pimped out flip-flops to dinner.”

  Now it was Justin’s turn to laugh. “Oh, you noticed? Thought you’d missed ’em.”

  “How could I?”

  “Well, I know my dazzling good looks are distracting.”

  Yena’s laugh trailed off. “Yeah, and you know it, Justin.”

  “Sometimes I have to wonder,” Justin admitted. He leaned forward. “Yena, look, I….” Doubt gnawed at him, but Justin swallowed it down and said what he needed to say. “I’m not going to pretend I don’t fancy you. I think you’re hot. I thought that from the moment I first saw you. But, umm…. Well, if you want me to lay off, I’ll try my best.” He shrugged. “I’m a flirty guy. Like I told you, I can’t help it.”

  Yena blinked his dark eyes slowly and then dropped his gaze. Yena picked up his beer and drank a mouthful. “Wow.” He set his bottle back on the table. “Are you always so… up front?”

  Justin thought for a moment
and answered honestly. “I guess I am. But I’ve never, like, had a conversation like this before.” He laughed, mostly from nerves. “Only with you.”

  Yena grasped his bottle for another swig, refusing to meet Justin’s eyes. “I see.”

  Justin hoped Yena would elaborate on that, but, instead, he asked a question about the food. Justin knew he was changing the subject, but his harried nerves were begging for a break, so he relented. There’d be time to talk

  Chapter Seven

  AFTER DINNER was finished, Yena offered to show Justin how to make some cocktails.

  Justin wasn’t about to refuse. They cleared the table together, rinsing off dishes and stacking them in the sink. More than once, Justin caught himself thinking how nice it was hanging out with Yena, even if both of them were nervous.

  At least Justin wasn’t alone in that. He hadn’t been this nervous around another man since… well, since Matt, his boss at his old bar job in Brighton. Matt, who already had a partner that he lived with, but was simply too irresistible when he’d started flirting with Justin at work and….

  And it was all in the past, that affair. Justin wanted to put it behind him. The big difference here and now was that Yena was single, and Justin fully intended to turn the seduction dial up to eleven.

  As Yena set up a small bar of sorts on the cleared table, Justin brought out the dessert. He had a small selection of very creamy ice creams and some fruity sorbets. They ended up arranging everything on the kitchen table. In between organizing his glassware and bottles of booze, Yena had spoonfuls of the mango sorbet, which was fine, as Justin preferred the strawberry ice cream.

  The cocktail-making implements were set out. Justin tried to concentrate as he looked them over. He more or less knew the basics; he just had trouble remembering the order they went in. And it wasn’t easy trying to concentrate when the tutor was a sexy man he wanted to snog.

  Justin changed the CD; it was definitely time for some disco. He selected an ABBA greatest hits album and held his breath. Luckily, Yena didn’t seem to mind. The main light got switched on when Justin complained he couldn’t see clearly, and the candles were blown out and carefully stored away.

  “Right,” Yena addressed him. “Make me a margarita.”

  “Okay.” In his head, Justin ran through the ingredients. He hesitated a few times, but managed to get ice and the right alcohol into the glass shaker. It had to be in the glass, so the customers could see it being made.

  When it came time to attach the silver top shaker, Yena helped him position it. “Just like this,” he advised. “A firm tap, then turn it all upside down.”

  Justin liked the shaking part. He usually added an extra wiggle into his shake, to please the customers.

  Well, to distract them from what was likely a substandard drink, more like.

  Yena told him to stop shaking and get on with the drink. He was fighting a smile, so Justin knew he was enjoying himself. He set the shaker down, and Yena helped him hold it correctly. “Tap it here,” he said, pointing. “One good, hard whack, that’s all you should need.”

  Justin chuckled, but did as he was told. It took him three whacks before he managed to get the top off, which was a miracle in itself. He was so pleased with himself, he cheered, but he hadn’t finished yet. Next came the salting the glass bit, and finally the pouring.

  All in all, he did pretty well.

  Yena took the glass and had a sip. “Mmm. Not bad. But you need to shake harder.”

  “What!” Justin collapsed into a chair, feigning exhaustion. “I shook like nobody’s business back there.”

  “Shake harder. It mixes better.” Yena was smiling, so Justin smiled too.

  They took it in turns to sip the margarita, discussing what drink to make next. Justin knew he should practice more from his bar’s menu, but when Yena mentioned he’d brought strawberries and vodka for a daiquiri mix, Justin was sold.

  “I love daiquiris!” he declared, watching Yena prepare the drink. “It’s like drinking magical fruit juice. I wish we sold them at my bar.”

  “Justin, I hope you’re paying attention, because you’re making the next one.”

  “Ooh, tell me off again, please.”

  Yena laughed. “No! Look, pay attention.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Justin did try, but he was growing increasingly horny by the second. Yena seemed so focused on the drinks now, and Justin was dying for his attention. Screw the drinks. He was already quite tipsy.

  “Can we make something with the raspberry sorbet?” Justin asked.

  Yena considered, pursing his lips. “Possibly. What did you have in mind?”

  “I don’t really care. I just want to name a drink Raspberry Beret.”

  “Too late,” Yena told him. “There’s already a drink called that.”

  “Damn.”

  “Didn’t you say your menu had a rum punch?”

  “Yes. I like rum.”

  Yena laughed. “Good, ’cause we’re making one. It’s almost impossible to get wrong.”

  Raising his eyebrows, Justin smiled in challenge.

  “Even for you, Justin. Come on, you’re doing really well.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Are you praising me, sir?”

  His joke had the desired effect, making Yena laugh. “Come on, Justin. Make this drink.”

  “All right, all right….”

  Three parts rum, two parts juice, and a couple of bar spoonfuls of sugar syrup. Justin overpoured on the syrup and forgot to add the ice. Yena corrected that part and instructed Justin on his shaking technique. “Once you tap it in place and turn it over, you need to turn yourself away,” he said, holding Justin’s shoulders and maneuvering him.

  “Huh? Why?”

  “So you don’t accidentally brain a customer if you lose control of the shaker.”

  “Oh, right. Yeah, I’ve done that a couple of times.”

  “Oh, my God.” Yena reached around him. “From shoulder to stomach, Justin. You have to give long, good shakes.”

  Grinning, Justin turned to face him. “Show me.”

  “You just watched me before!”

  “Show me again?”

  Yena took hold of the shaker, eyeing Justin suspiciously. “I don’t think you’re as clueless as you let on.”

  “Ah.” Justin was still grinning. “Sir suspects.”

  That made him laugh. “Stop calling me sir!”

  “Or what?” Justin crowded Yena into the wall. The cocktail shaker became wedged between them, still clutched in Yena’s hands. “You know,” Justin murmured, hands settling on the other man’s slim waist. “I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me again. Like you did on our first date.”

  “Oh.” Yena swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I was… a lot more drunk then.”

  “Ah.” Leaning in, Justin brushed his cheek against Yena’s, smooth, as they were both clean shaven. “Are you telling me if I want a kiss, I need to get you more drunk?”

  “Umm, no… I don’t need to be drunk. That’s not what I meant.”

  Justin pulled back a little, searching Yena’s dark eyes. “So, can I kiss you now?”

  “If… if you want.”

  “Oh, I want,” Justin murmured. He leaned back in, touching his lips to Yena’s. When Yena returned the kiss, Justin opened his mouth to deepen it. Their tongues met and swirled, kissing softly at first, exploring each other’s mouths. Yena tasted of strawberry and rum, his mouth hot and sweet.

  Justin was fast getting turned on; his cock filled steadily and nudged at his zipper. He pulled away before he lost control and began dry humping his date right there in the kitchen. “Do you… umm—” Searching Yena’s dark eyes, he almost forgot what he wanted to say.

  “Do I what?”

  “Er, do you want to watch TV with me? It’s, um, in my room.”

  Yena smiled back at him. “Sure. I’ll… pour this drink first, shall I?”

/>   “Sure thing.” Any more to drink, though, and Justin would be sloshed.

  JUSTIN LED Yena to his room, his heart thumping inside his chest. He opened the door and switched on the light. His sparkly gold lampshade cast the room in soft, dappled light.

  “Nice light,” Yena said.

  “Yeah, I made it.” Justin beckoned him in.

  “Made it?”

  “Yep. Back in Uni. I did a light installation piece for my final project.”

  “Mmm.” Yena glanced at him and back at the light. “It’s really cool. What’s it made from?”

  “It’s a really thin metal,” Justin explained, going over to his television. “I started off using fabric but, er, I had a few accidents burning those.”

  Yena chuckled. “Ah.”

  “So.” Justin snatched a DVD from the stack next to his television. “Do you like Mamma Mia?”

  Moment of truth, Justin thought. When Yena didn’t reply, Justin looked at him expectantly.

  “What would you do if I said I didn’t?” Yena asked, a smile on his lips.

  “What, besides cry worse than Halle Berry winning an Oscar?”

  Another laugh. “I’d better say yes, then.”

  Justin grinned. “Have you seen it?”

  “I’ve only seen half, I think.”

  “You think?”

  “My sister was watching it once.”

  “Once?” Justin shook his head. “You’ll love it. Trust me. Although, when Pierce Brosnan starts singing I usually mute that bit.”

  “You mean you don’t join in?” Yena teased.

  Even though he felt his cheeks heat up, Justin quipped back, “You know me so well.”

  When he crouched down under his TV to turn on the DVD player, he got a shock. A furry black spider waited on the floor nearby, concealed by the stack of DVDs. Justin shouted in alarm, hurrying to move backward and slipping in the process. His drink spilled all over his cream and gold patterned rug, and the glass rolled across the floor toward Yena, who neatly stepped over it.

  “What?” he asked, coming closer, as Justin scrambled up. “What is it?”