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I unwrapped a pink one and popped it in my mouth. My face twisted up as the sour candy burst over my tongue.
Barry patted my hand. “Don’t worry, he’ll be here sooner or later. They both will.”
“Not tonight,” Neil said. “They’re all eating at Calhoun’s On The River tonight, then they’re heading to Daniel’s mom’s place out in Kingston. There’s gonna be a bonfire or something. For Daniel’s birthday.” He snorted like that was hilarious.
“That’s right. Robert and I got an invite.” Barry gestured at the club. “Had to work.”
Neil rolled his eyes. “Well, I wasn’t invited.”
“Unsurprising,” Barry muttered.
Neil lifted his glass my way. “Minty hates me.”
“I thought Minty liked everyone,” I said.
“Oh, he does. Unless you’ve fucked him. And you’re positive. And he thought youmighthave infected him because the condom broke. Even though he refuses to be tested to find out for sure.Thenapparently he hates your guts and spits on the ground when he sees you.”
“Oh,” I said, shocked. Who talked to strangers like this? Neil, apparently.
He shook his head and frowned. “If he’d get tested then he’d know for sure if it’s a problem. But he won’t. I’m careful about condoms, man. When Greg—my ex—got sick, I started using them right away even before I knew I had it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what else to say.
He shrugged, frowning. “So far, I’m fine. It’s weird, you know? I feel totally normal, but Greg’s really sick. We got diagnosed a few months apart, but he was sick within the first year. It’s messed up.”
Barry reached out and clapped Neil on the shoulder. “Tell Greg we miss him. It’s not the same around here without him.”
Neil nodded and lifted his drink to toast Barry. Then, without even saying goodbye, he climbed down from the stool and walked away. His shoulders were now hunched, and a confused, sad expression clouded his face. It was a harsh juxtaposition against the manic cheer of the club.
“Why won’t Minty get tested?” I asked when Neil had disappeared into the gathering crowd.
Barry shrugged. “Some guys are superstitious. They think if they get tested they’ll have it. And if they don’t, they won’t. Daniel’s working on him. If anyone can get Minty to do anything he doesn’t want to do, it’s Daniel.”
“Why’s that?”
Jealousy tugged at my gut. Daniel had told me Minty wasn’t his type, but what if his type changed? Was Minty in love with Daniel? Was that the basis of their relationship? And why did I care since I had a (crummy, lying, cheating) boyfriend?
Barry pulled a beer from a cooler, taking a few dollars from a short guy with red hair. When the guy walked away, he answered me. “Minty looks up to Daniel like a big brother. Back in high school Daniel protected him.”
“Oh. They’ve known each other a while?”
“Yep.”
I thought about that, sipping my drink.
Barry nudged my arm. “Go ahead. I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
“For the questions about Daniel. You’ve wanted to know more about him for months now, and we’re alone, so hit me.”
I wanted to be a smartass and deny it, but he was right. So I started with a question I’d been wondering about for a few weeks. “Did he tell you about coming to my house and the phone call with Jeremy?”
“Yes. After he told us both off for not suggesting it ourselves. Working at ARK has that boy all uptight about sex.” Barry looked at me seriously. “Which is good. HIV and AIDS aren’t jokes. Maybe Renée and I should’ve been harder on you and suggested testing. Every sexually active gay man should get tested regularly.”
“You’re not my parents,” I reminded him.
“No, but you’re a good kid. We like you. And we should help keep you safe.”
