Page 10 of Gratification in Gluttony (Passing Through Cafe #2)

Chapter ten

Bad Friends

As it turned out, Toni was not very good at friends. To the Elas’s credit, Jude wasn’t good at it either. So really, Toni couldn’t be blamed for the following weeks of flirting and phone calls. And depending on the definition of what did or didn’t constitute sexting, there may have been a few close calls.

But was it his fault?

Maybe.

Did he feel bad about it?

Well, no.

But he wanted to feel bad about it, and that had to count for something.

As it was, he and Jude had a friendly, albeit flirtatious vibe going on. Toni understood the boundary, and he had every intention of respecting it. But if Jude wanted to dance around the line, who was Toni to stop him?

Sure, it made things confusing, but Toni was willing to go with the flow for now. He could survive a few ambiguous weeks, right?

So, when Gem announced that they’d be going to the new club in Gluttony, Toni immediately thought of Jude. A lowkey, low stakes hangout at a club where they could flirt and dance. Maybe find a dark corner to kiss a little. Sounded like fun to Toni.

Going to the club Friday night! You in?

Have my final paper of the semester due Monday. Gotta stay home.

It’s just one night. You gotta live a little.

I’ll live AFTER my paper is finished.

Fine. Guess I gotta have a good time without you.

Lol. Make out with a hot person for me.

The playful smile slid from Toni’s face as he read the last message. Wait, what? Kiss someone else? The fuck was that supposed to mean?

He stewed over that text the next few days, and by Friday night, he’d resolved to fulfill Jude’s wish. He wanted Toni to kiss other people? Then Toni would kiss other people. He liked kissing people. He liked sex with people. And it had been, like, several weeks since his last hook-up. And since Jude, apparently, didn’t give a single fuck if Toni was off fucking with other people, then Toni would go wild.

Was it petty?

A little.

Had Jude’s clear dismissal hurt?

More than Toni wanted to admit.

So, he pre-gamed a bit before he headed out, a pleasant buzz calming his mind as he took the tram to the club where he’d meet up with the others. He didn’t want to get hammered like last time, but he still got a drink, chugging it faster than he should have so he could join Gem out on the dance floor.

And for a while, he was able to forget about his hurt pride and his clearly unrequited crush as he danced with Gem and Oliver. The human had no rhythm, deities bless him, but he allowed Toni and Gem to sandwich him between them and grind inappropriately.

Oliver’s Gymnot beau-to-be, Lile or Louie or whatever, showed up, and Toni kept an eye on them as they shared a drink by the bar. It wasn’t that Toni didn’t trust the guy… Okay, Toni didn’t trust the guy. Sure, he was from Gluttony, but he was Greed all the way through. His fancy clothes and accent, the way he carried himself, sat wrong in Toni’s stomach.

To be fair, Toni could make snap judgments about people, but he had experience with assholes like Lorn. And Oliver was family now, okay? And if there was one good thing Toni’s father had ever taught him, it was that he should always take care of his family.

“Hey, handsome,” a deep voice rumbled in Toni’s ear as big hands settled on his hips. “May we have this dance?”

Tearing his gaze from Oliver and Lilo, Toni turned and sized up the gorgeous Incubus and the tall Cervyn woman standing behind him, both of whom were staring at Toni like they wanted to fuck him right there on the dance floor. For a split second, Toni thought about Jude, but he shook the thought away. This was what Jude wanted, right?

Toni grinned, and it was all teeth. “You most certainly can. You are looking mighty fine in that dress, baby.”

The Cervyn smiled. “I think you’ll find it looks nicer pooled around my hooves.”

As the Incubus crowded against his back, Toni framed the Cervyn’s hips with his hands, fingers digging into her voluptuous curves. “Is that right? You’ll have to show me later.”

“That can be arranged,” the Incubus purred, and his aura had Toni’s dicks at attention immediately.

They danced for a long time, the Incubus’s erection grinding against Toni’s ass as the Cervyn plastered herself to his front. She tasted fruity and sharp, like whatever cocktail she’d been drinking, and Toni buried his hand in her long, coarse hair and tightened his grip. She moaned, and he drank it down.

And later, as she feathered kisses along his flaring gills, Toni craned his head back, giving the Incubus the opportunity to tongue-fuck his throat. He was drunk off the alcohol and the music and the Incubus’s sexual aura, and when they led him off the dance floor toward the rooms in the back, he followed.

“I’m gonna fuck you while she watches,” Incubus said, teeth tugging on his ear. “You good with that?”

“As long as you fuck me good, I can work with that,” Toni retorted, earning him a growl from the Incubus.

Now, he was talking a big game here. In reality, Toni hadn’t been fucked in a while. But ever since he’d learned that Jude came with many dick options, he’d imagined all the ways the human could fuck him. Or maybe Jude would just sit back and let Toni ride him. He wanted to fuck Jude too, if the human was into that, but Toni liked taking it up the ass just fine.

When lips landed on his, he blinked back into the moment—the moment where he was about to get fucked by some rando in the back room of a club while a strange woman watched. Because Jude wasn’t here. And it was fine. It was… fine.

“Hold on a sec,” Toni said, words muffled against the Incubus’s lips.

To the man’s credit, he instantly broke away and cocked his head, studying Toni’s face. “You okay, handsome?”

Toni opened his mouth to say yes. Because he was okay. Wasn’t he?

Instead, he said, “I need to make a phone call.”

The Incubus frowned, and the Cervyn’s brows rose, nearly disappearing into her hairline.

“Sorry,” Toni said, pushing the Incubus back. “Thank you for the dance. You’re both very hot. Normally, I’d be super into this. But my stupid feelings had to get all feely on me. It’s very annoying!”

Brushing past them, he stumbled and caught himself on the wall. “I’m okay,” he announced to no one in particular. “I’m fine. The floor’s a bit crooked. Watch your step. Now—excuse me!” He glared at the bodies in his way. “Would you—move! I need to make a phone call.”

He shouldered his way past the people crowded outside the back rooms—which everyone knew were reserved for fucking—and pushed into one. It was very dark and quiet, and Toni ignored the annoyed and offended shouts from the queueing people he’d cut in front of.

“I’m just making a call. Two seconds!” he promised as he shut and locked the door. “I’ll be quick. You can come in here very soon.”

He chuckled to himself at the accidental, but no less hilarious, double entendre as he pulled out his phone. “You can come in here. Ha, ’cause it’s a sex room, get it?” he asked the empty room. “Yeah, you get it. I should’ve been a fucking comedian. Sometimes, I even slay myself.”

The light of his phone blinded him for a second as he woke the screen, and he blinked away the blurry vision as he searched for Jude’s contact. Fuck, how much had he actually drank? He felt way more inebriated than he should have.

But that didn’t matter. The important thing was calling Jude immediately.

The phone rang for what felt like forever, but eventually, the line clicked.

“Hello?” Jude answered, sounding tired.

“I don’t want to kiss other people,” Toni said in lieu of a greeting.

“What? Toni?”

“Yes, of course it’s Toni. Who else would be calling you from Toni’s phone? Unless it’s not—” He pulled the phone away and scrutinized it. “No, it’s my phone. I just checked.”

“Where are you?” Jude demanded.

Glancing around his dark surroundings, Toni said, “Specifically? A sex room. But I’m not doing any sex. I could have, but I’m not. Because I didn’t want to.”

Air whistled through Jude’s nose. “Okay. That’s good. You shouldn’t have sex if you don’t want to.”

“I know. Consent is very important to me, especially my own consent.”

“That’s great,” Jude said, tone lifting in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I mean, I’m mostly okay. I think?” Toni rubbed at the space between his eyes, trying to get his thoughts in order. It was more difficult than it should have been. “I thought I was okay. But then he was all, ‘I’m gonna fuck you while she watches,’ and I was like, ‘whoa, cowboy, calm down.’ And I just… I didn’t want that.”

There was a beat of silence before Jude asked, voice hard, “Toni, listen to me. Are you safe right now? Or is someone trying to fuck you against your will?”

“No, I’m telling the story all wrong. I’m safe, and no one is molesting me. I’m fine. I’m also not fine, but that’s for a very different reason.”

“Are you drunk?” Jude asked next.

“Yes, though it was accidentally done.”

Jude’s chuckle dripped through Toni’s veins and lit up his blood. “Okay, so you’re currently in a sex room at the club, where no one is trying to fuck you, even though they wanted to? And you’re fine but not fine?”

It took Toni a second, but he finally nodded. “That about sums it up, yes.”

“Well, that’s clear as mud.” The human sucked his teeth, before sighing. “Toni, why did you call me?”

“Because it wasn’t you,” Toni said.

“What wasn’t me?”

“The guy. I mean, he was hot. And she was also hot. I could have been the filling in a very hot sandwich, which is honestly one of my favorites things to be. But it wasn’t you, okay? And I just… I don’t want to kiss other people. You told me to, and I tried, but I just don’t want to.”

Another beat of silence. “You shouldn’t ever do anything you don’t wanna do.”

“I know. But your text hurt my feelings, okay? So, I wanted to be stupid and petty. Turns out, my feelings wouldn’t let me, which was very inconvenient.”

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” Jude whispered, and Toni winced.

“I know that, and I ain’t saying this to make you feel bad or to make it your problem. It’s not. It’s all me, baby. But it is how I feel, and I’m allowed to feel my feelings. Gem told me so, and he doesn’t lie to me.”

Amusement rippled through Jude’s voice as he said, “Gem’s right. You’re allowed to feel whatever you feel.”

“And I feel like I don’t want you to tell me to kiss other people. Because I only wanna kiss you. Which ain’t gonna happen, and that’s fine. You have your boundaries, and I’m gonna respect it. But I still like you, and that’s on me. Okay? It’s all me, and I ain’t putting it on you or asking you for nothing. But you also can’t take that away from me. I’m allowed to like you.”

“Okay.”

“But maybe, you could just not tell me to make out with other people?”

“Okay.”

Toni traced the textured design of the wallpaper with his finger. “Okay. Thanks. I feel a lot better.”

Jude chuckled softly. “That’s good.”

“Yeah.”

“Toni?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“You know I don’t actually want you to make out with other people, right? But I can’t say that.”

“Why?”

Heaving a sigh, Jude said, “You know why. The semester’s almost over, and I have a really busy summer planned, and—”

“I know all that. It’s okay, Jude. I ain’t worried about that.”

“Aren’t you? You can’t hook up at a club, even though you wanted—”

“I didn’t want to, though. That’s what I’m saying.”

“But you should want to,” Jude insisted. “Because we aren’t—Toni, we’re just—”

“Friends,” Toni finished for him, and he sighed again. “We’re friends.”

“This isn’t friends,” Jude said.

Toni flinched. “It can be. We’re just friends who wanna kiss each other. But we can’t because of circumstances beyond our control. Forbidden love. It’s very romantic, if you think about it.”

Jude’s responding laughter filled Toni’s chest with pleasure. “I think you’re very drunk.”

“I’ll be honest, it kind of snuck up on me.”

“Wait, why are you alone? Where are the others?”

With a wave at the door, Toni blew a raspberry. “I dunno. Gem was dancing up on an Avia last I saw him. And Oliver had his tongue down Lupe’s throat. Which made me proud and a little nauseous, though the nausea could be the alcohol talking.”

“I think his name is Liel.”

“I don’t care.”

“How about you head back out there and find them. Maybe go home and sleep this off?”

Toni pouted. “I guess.”

“And Toni?” Jude whispered, like he was sharing a secret.

“Yeah?”

“I like you too, remember?”

And gods, how Toni smiled. “Of course. I’m very likable.”

Toni heard the smile in Jude’s voice as he said, “That you are. And maybe… maybe we could be friends that kiss.”

“I like that idea,” Toni agreed immediately. “I like it very much.”

“I can’t offer more than that right now—”

“I know. But I can work with that.”

“I’m gonna hang up before I say or do more stupid things.”

“You know, I ain’t the smartest guy. If you’re gonna do stupid things, just do me.”

Jude burst into laughter, and Toni grinned like an idiot, leaning his head against the wall. “Go home and get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay. I very much look forward to being friends that kiss.”

“I don’t think you’re gonna remember this in the morning.”

“Baby, I don’t think it’s possible for me to forget.”

“Sure,” Jude scoffed. “Though you might be embarrassed by some of the things you told me. Hopefully no one’s listening in.”

“Nah, I’m alone in here.”

A throat cleared behind Toni, making him scream—a very manly scream, of course—as someone hesitantly said, “Actually, we’re here too.”

Spinning around, Toni gawked at the half-dressed couple currently entwined in the corner of the room. “Oh my gods, how long have you been there?”

“The whole time,” the cute Nyko said, his tail flicking anxiously.

“We didn’t want to interrupt,” the older Bovyn said, offering Toni a tentative smile. “Your confession was very sweet.”

“Toni? Are you okay?” Jude squawked from the phone speaker.

“I’m fine. The room wasn’t empty,” he said to Jude, before addressing the two guys he’d barged in on. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt your lovemaking.”

The Nyko grinned mischievously. “Oh, that’s okay. I like being watched. It’s why Daddy left the door open.”

The Bovyn smiled dotingly at his partner and ruffled the fur between his ears. “You’re such a good boy.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, I’m very happy for you both,” Toni said as he motioned toward the door. “As for me, I’m gonna go now.”

“I hope you get to kiss your friend,” the Nyko chirped brightly.

“Just keep being open about your feelings,” the Bovyn advised.

“I will do that. Thank you for the advice and well wishes, kinky strangers.” Giving them his back, he brought the phone up to his ear and said, “I gotta go. I walked in on an exhibitionist couple and unknowingly became a voyeur. I think I need to sit down and reevaluate my life choices.”

“Okay, just text me when you get home so I know you’re safe?” Jude said, and his concern made Toni’s fins flutter.

“I can do that.”

“Good. Try to stay out of trouble.”

“Hey, I’m a very good boy. I don’t get into trouble. Trouble gets into me.” Toni cringed. “That sounded better in my head.”

And how Jude laughed. When Toni hung up the phone after bidding Jude farewell, the human was still laughing.