“I…no, but I’m not sure if I want a boyfriend.”
“Ah, you’re questioning your sexuality.” He looked Rory over. “Is there someone you’d like to be your boyfriend?”
I want Bernard.
“I have a friend who is gay,” Rory said. “And I think I like him more than a friend. I’m trying to figure out if it’s just lust, or if it’s more.”
“Are you looking for a gift for your friend?”
“No. I want something for myself.”
“So, you want to experiment by yourself before you decide whether you want more with this friend of yours,” the man said. “It’s smart to try it on your own first. You’re not sure if you’re gay, bi, straight, or something else?”
This man was good. He pinned Rory within minutes of meeting him.
“Well,” Rory said. “I don’t think I’m straight. I find men attractive but can’t remember ever finding a woman attractive.”
He’d always referred to himself as straight. He just confessed to a stranger that he didn’t think he was straight. This guy wouldn’t say anything or judge him.
“Well, do you find your friend attractive?”
“I think he’s handsome, yes.”
“Okay, fair answer,” he said. “So, what does he look like?”
Rory described Bernard in intricate detail. His soft wavy black hair. His close-cropped beard. He even described how one corner of his mouth went higher than the other when he smiled.
“Well, that is very specific,” the man said. “Either you like him, or you’re just good with descriptions.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Here.” He handed him a DVD titledBear With Meand a bottle of lube.
“Why do I need this?” Rory asked.
“Well, this video has men built like your friend, so if it turns you on, then you might have deeper feelings for your friend,” the man said.
He looked at the cover. Two half-naked husky men held each other in a tight embrace. On the corner was a flag he saw earlier but didn’t know what it was. Even stripes of dark brown, orange, yellow, tan, white, gray, and black. In the top left corner of the flag was a black paw.
“What’s this?” He pointed at the flag.
“That’s the bear pride flag,” the man said. “It represents larger men. Those who don’t quite fit in the norm of the gay community.”
“Ah, so like me and my friend.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, and the lube.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever, you know, jacked off?”
Rory’s face warmed. “I…once in a while, I’ve never used lube though. I just jack off in the shower and I’m done.”
“Here.” The man handed him a magazine. “This will give some descriptions of self-pleasure. It goes beyond just jacking off. There are some great diagrams and explanations.”
Rory’s eyes opened wide with shock.
The man’s voice softened. “It has details on how to pleasure yourself, areas you can explore. I’ll throw it in for free.”
