Troy went out again the next night.
The first bar was the same one from before. He ordered a drink, left it half-finished, and let someone find him. This time it was a man he’d slept with once months earlier—easy, familiar, no expectations. They barely spoke before leaving together. The apartment was closer than last time. Troy f****d him with the same controlled focus he always used, finished, and was already reaching for his clothes when the man tried to pull him back down.
“Stay a bit.”
“No.”
“You’re in a mood.”
Troy pulled his shirt on. “Don’t talk.”
The man sat up, offended. “You’re the one who came looking for this.”
Troy looked at him once. “And I got it. That’s the end of it.”
He left before the other man could answer. Outside, the night air did nothing. He sat in the car w
