1 Chapter 1
Barnaby Lassiter thought perhaps if he squinted his left eye and tilted his head a bit to the right the guy leering at him from the other end of the bar could pass for him.The man at the other end had dark hair and glasses like him.Maybe if he had another drink or two or three he could pretend.
The man, apparently feeling encouraged by Barnaby looking at him, got up, and made his way toward him. Barnaby shook his head and took a sip of his chocolate martini. Nope, not even close to looking like Nathan.
“Hey, gorgeous,” the man said as he reached Barnaby. His hand smoothed over Barnaby’s jean-covered knee. “Can I buy you another one?”
Barnaby smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’m meeting someone here.” Which was not a lie, actually. And he was glad of that.
The guy’s smile turned brittle. “Sure, whatever.” He moved away, but not before digging his fingers painfully in Barnaby’s leg.
Dickhead.
He sighed and glanced at his digital watch. Calvin was already thirty minutes late. Stood up by his older brother had to be the height of patheticness. Um…that probably wasn’t even a damn word.
The bell above the door jangled and Barnaby once more turned to look hopefully.
At last.
Calvin Lassiter, his older brother by seven years, was an emergency room doctor. Barnaby had dyed his hair bleached blond whereas Calvin’s was still sandy blond. His brother, dressed in dress slacks, shirt and a tie, was the picture of conservative. No hair out of place, no earrings, no nose stud.
All more than he could say for himself, of course. He had gone home from his work as an admin assistant at the Law Offices of Anderson, Llewellyn, and Stevens, and changed into jeans, a blue tank top, and a leather jacket. He had three diamond studs in his left ear and another one in his left nostril. He’d also applied eyeliner, mauve blush, and mauve lip gloss.
Calvin noticed him at the bar and walked over. He was already frowning. Not a good sign. His brother slid onto the stool next to him.
“Hey, I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“I’m busy, Barnaby. I had a meeting at the hospital this afternoon and it ran late.” Calvin ordered a red wine from the bartender and then turned to Barnaby. “Did we have to meet at a gay bar?”
“You’re gay, too.”
“I don’t hang out at bars,” Calvin said, with that note of superiority he usually had when speaking to Barnaby. “And neither should you.”
“I feel comfortable here.”
Calvin glanced around the bar. “I don’t see why. All these guys want is to get laid. None of them are looking for anything serious. And you have no idea if they have diseases or are serial killers.”
Barnaby felt the muscle in his jaw tick, but he said nothing and took another sip of his drink.
“If you’re looking for someone, why don’t you try one of those online dating services?”
“Oh, yeah, right.”
“They have some for gay men, you know.” Calvin looked at him critically. “I can see how some of them might find you attractive.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Calvin sighed. “I just don’t like you in places like this. You aren’t careful, Barnaby.”
He drummed his fingers on the bar. “Look, I didn’t ask you to meet me to get a lecture on how I am going to be murdered by a serial killer.”
His brother flushed. “Why did you want to meet?”
“Well, I need some advice actually.” Barnaby couldn’t look at his brother. He’d begun to realize this whole thing was probably a huge mistake. He scowled. “I want to know how to get someone interested in me who is like you.”
“Like me? What do you mean?”
“Like you but not stuffy and pompous. I mean, he’s straitlaced like you.” He finished his drink. “And doesn’t know I exist.”
The look Calvin gave him told him his brother could understand why someone would view Barnaby as invisible. Which, of course, depressed him further.
“You know what? Forget it,” he muttered.
Calvin’s hand on his arm stopped him from rising. “Don’t go all dramatic on me. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. But let’s start by getting out of here. I’m hungry and I can see you could stand to eat a meal or two, so let’s go find a restaurant and have dinner.”
* * * *
“First, don’t expect me to start to dress like you,” Barnaby told his brother a short time later.
His brother had chosen a hoity-toity steakhouse for dinner. Since Barnaby had been a vegetarian for years and he was pretty sure his brother knew that, he was not amused.
