Free Alex & Clayton by John Simpson Page B

deal, after all. Everyone has to eat!
     
     
    T HAT evening, Clay arrived at the Blue Moon Restaurant a little before seven and waited outside so that he and Blake could go in together. The air was turning a little cool, but it was still a fine evening to be outdoors. Finally, Clay saw Blake walking up the sidewalk in a tight pair of new-looking jeans and a pullover sweater. Clay immediately felt overdressed in his dress pants, shirt, and tie.
    “Don’t you look nice there, sexy!” Blake said as he walked up the steps to where Clay was waiting.
    Clay blushed. “You look very nice also. I hope I’m not overdressed this evening,” he said in return.
    “Nah, you’ll fit right in. Come on, let’s go in and get our table. I’m starving!” Blake said as he grabbed onto Clayton’s hand and began to guide him in. Startled, Clay quickly withdrew his hand from Blake’s grasp.
    Blake looked back and frowned but said nothing. Once they were seated and had placed an order for beverages, Blake looked at Clayton.
    “The way you reacted to me taking your hand reminded me of someone who stuck their finger in a light socket. Did I do something wrong?
    “I was just taken by surprise, that’s all. Please forget it, it’s nothing.”
    A waiter returned to the table and set an iced tea down in front of Clayton and a martini in front of Blake. He told the couple he would return in a minute to take their dinner order.
    Blake raised his glass in a toast. “To a very nice-looking gentleman who I hope to get to know a lot closer.”
    “Oh, ah, yes,” Clayton said as he raised his glass of tea. He began talking to cover his nervousness. “So, tell me, Blake, what do you do for a living, since I assume you live here year round?”
    “Actually, I live here and in Philadelphia, where I run an advertising agency. Most of my work is done via computer, so it allows me the luxury of living where I want and still be able to do my job. It’s one of the benefits of the modern age. What did we do before the Internet?”
    “I see. So what would you say is your average time in each place?”
    “I live here most of the spring, summer, and fall, and in Philly during the winter. It can get real cold here, as you’ll see. It even snows occasionally. It’s not all that different from living in Philly, so I use the winter months to work on any problems that have come up. Of course, I can always run up there if I’m here, so I do have the best of both worlds.”
    They ordered dinner, and while they ate, Blake filled Clayton in on the “dark secrets” of Rehoboth Beach. These secrets turned out to be where the best sex parties were, who was wealthy, and who had the prettiest young men hanging around their houses during the summer. Clay didn’t say much, as he really wasn’t used to gossiping about other people’s sex lives or how they chose to entertain themselves.
    Blake paid the check over Clayton’s objections. Clay felt they should split it, but Blake won. They walked out of the restaurant and into the night where Blake once again took Clayton’s hand. It still made Clayton nervous, and he looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching.
    When they stopped at Clay’s car, Blake took Clay into his arms and tried to kiss him. Clayton broke away and stumbled backward.
    “Please, we’re in public! We hardly even know each other, and you’re trying to kiss me,” Clay said in shock and anger.
    “Oh come on! This is Rehoboth Beach! Gays practically run this place. We own most of the businesses, have gay cops, and in the summer, you’ll see a lot more than just two guys kissing on a street!”
    “I don’t care. I’m not used to such behavior.”
    “Okay, so you like things to be private. I get it, not a problem. Do you wanna go to your place or mine?”
    “For what?”
    “For what? To fuck, of course! I wanna get into what’s under your clothes and own it!” Blake said loudly.
    “I’ll assume the four drinks you had are