Something Real Read online

  Nellie Christine

  Copyright © 2017 Nellie Christine

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author.

  Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1542329787

  ISBN-13: 978-1542329781

  First Edition

  Editor: Valerie Bateman

  Cover Art: Jianpeng Shao

  Cover Design: Canva

  ~ DEDICATION ~

  For Jane. This wouldn’t be possible without your encouragement, or your brownies.

  CONTENTS

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Coming Soon…

  Prologue

  “Whiskey Sour. Please.” Elijah slid onto the barstool while emptying his coat pockets for money. He pulled out a ten, a couple fives, and week-old peppermint wrappers. Twenty bucks wasn’t much in New York City, so he promised himself he’d drink slowly.

  The bartender was a young guy with dark hair and a smile too bright for this time of night. His eyes were a beautiful blue – closer to a cyan. Elijah took a moment to really look at him. He was dressed in a burgundy bowtie and matching suspenders, but it was the old-fashioned Pilgrim hat that almost made Elijah get up and leave.

  “Coming right up!” he said enthusiastically. He quickly turned and grabbed something from the top shelf.

  Elijah lifted an eyebrow. “Uh. Bottom shelf will suffice. I’ve only got twenty bucks on me.”

  “It’s on the house,” the bartender answered. “Anyone sad enough to come to a bar all alone on Thanksgiving night probably needs a little charity.” The kid placed a short glass in front of Elijah, added some crushed ice, and began to pour.

  “Thanks. I think.” Elijah stood his guitar by his feet and allowed himself to glance around the bar. This place was usually crawling with hipsters in wide-rimmed glasses, but tonight, there were only a few groups here and there. Most people were still at holiday dinner, he assumed.

  Good for them.

  “Would you like me to change the channel?” asked the bartender.

  Elijah pulled off his coat one arm at a time. The Cowboys-Eagles game was currently on all four screens. “Are the Knicks still playing?”

  “They lost by two.”

  “Of course.”

  “If you want basketball, the Cavs might be on.”

  Elijah picked up his drink and waved the kid off. “This’ll do. I just need to clear my mind, anyway.”

  The bartender gave an understanding nod. He lingered in the vicinity for a moment, standing awkwardly by the martini shakers. It must’ve sucked working on a night like tonight. Everyone was at home with their families, or freezing outside a store in preparation for Black Friday. Elijah knew he could’ve been a more interesting customer. He could’ve at least entertained him with conversation. Unfortunately, he wasn’t much of a talker.

  Ten minutes later, another patron entered the bar. She gave a jubilant wave to one of the groups towards the back and ran over for hugs. Elijah looked away from them and up at the television screen. It was the end of the third quarter. Maybe he’d make himself leave when the game ended.

  “Can I get you another?” his bartender asked politely – most likely wanting to keep himself busy. He was already approaching with the Bourbon before Elijah could accept or deny.

  “At least let me pay for this one.”

  The bartender shrugged. “Just give me a tip.”

  Elijah watched as his bartender skillfully poured the mixture into his glass. It had to be a 9:1 ratio of mostly whiskey. “Why are you being so nice?”

  The question earned him a laugh. The bartender grabbed a glass of his own and played it safe, opening a bottle of sparkling water. “What’s wrong with being nice? You should be grateful. It is Turkey Day, after all.”

  Elijah placed some money on the bar for a tip. “Okay.”

  “My name is Tony,” the kid continued. “And you are?”

  “Elijah.” Elijah wanted to ask the bartender for ID. He seemed kind of young to be in this establishment.

  “I’ve seen you around before. Are you waiting for someone?”

  Not quite… “More like avoiding everyone,” Elijah answered.

  “Bad break-up?”

  Elijah laughed now. “Huh? Me? Not at all.”

  Now, Tony seemed amused. He took a sip of his water before leaning against the countertop. “You come in here on Thanksgiving night with your guitar, looking like you need a Prozac and a nap. Am I wrong to assume you tried to sing your way back into your girlfriend’s heart before being rejected?”

  “Yes.”

  “So what’s the deal?”

  Elijah couldn’t believe he was about to have this conversation with a complete stranger. Usually, he told people to fuck off, but maybe it was the alcohol that allowed him to entertain this guy. And he couldn’t be mean to someone who was giving him free drinks. “For starters, I never had a girlfriend, and I never will.”

  Tony looked at him through his lashes. “Ah. Gay?”

  “Wholesomely, irrevocably gay.”

  Tony chuckled softly. “That makes two of us.”

  Elijah held his glass up and nodded to the bartender as they toasted. “I’ll drink to that.”

  They each took a sip before Elijah continued, pushing wavy, dark strands from his face.

  “And I don’t do relationships. I tried to and I wasn’t very good at it.”

  Tony seemed intrigued; one eyebrow dramatically rising on his face. When Elijah told people this, they could either identify or thought he was a slut. There was rarely an in-between. Fact of the matter; he was much better at fucking than he was at trying to make something work.

  “Was it a fidelity issue?”

  Elijah nodded. “On my part. I hurt someone I liked, and it happened more than once. I didn’t even try and make excuses, you know? I was to blame and that’s what it is.”

  Tony listened quietly.

  “Now, in order to keep people from getting hurt and keep time from being wasted, I live my life by a set of rules.”

  “This is going to be fun,” Tony said with a smile. He watched Elijah take another slow sip before shaking his head. “Are you one of those guys that considers himself Gay Hugh Hefner? Instead of admitting you’re afraid of commitment, or getting your heartbroken, you have as much sex as you can while saying you’re protecting the other guy’s feelings?”


  Elijah emptied his glass and placed it down with a smile. This Tony guy was a character. Everyone thought they had him figured out. What was wrong with having smart and safe sex? Why was it such a big deal?

  He licked slowly at his sour lips and shrugged. “Maybe I’d qualify as Gay Hugh Hefner if Hugh Hefner was a pay cut away from having to apply for food stamps.”

  Tony laughed.

  “I’m just a guy who likes what he likes.”

  “And what is it that you like?”

  “Hot, sweaty, loud, no-strings-attached sex.” Elijah placed the ten-dollar bill on the bar top. “Refill me, please.”

  He could see Tony’s eyes darken a little because of his response. The kid pushed the money back in his direction and walked off.

  “Hold onto that $10 before you have to apply for government assistance, Elijah. It’s so close to the holidays, too.”

  Elijah smirked. He watched as Tony made a brand-new drink in a taller glass, letting himself stare as he worked.

  If you ignored the stupid Pilgrim hat, he wasn’t half-bad looking.

  A trim waist, strong arms, and a tight ass that was hugged by the form-fitting black fabric. Elijah bet he knew Tony’s type. He’d fucked them before. They were the type that pretended to be appalled at the thought of hooking up just to hook up – the type that thought because they put effort into relationships with other guys that they should be given a commemorative plaque. To each his own. Elijah found that his way of living was most convenient for him.

  Tony returned with the tall glass and slid it in front of Elijah. “Would you like some fries or anything?”

  Elijah shook his head no, glancing back up at the football game. “I’m good.”

  “So,” Tony continued, loosening the bowtie he wore slightly. “Tell me about these rules of yours.”

  “Would you like to hear them?”

  “I’d love to.”

  Elijah smiled, looking around the bar. One of the parties had enough for the evening and were gathering their things to leave. He turned back to Tony just in time to see him biting on his lower lip.

  “Rule #1: No repeats. I’ve been known to make exceptions out of sheer convenience, but the other guy couldn’t handle it. So, no repeats. Rule #2: No spending the night. Once we have sex, either I get dressed and leave or he does.”

  Tony nodded. His face was somewhere in the middle of a blush and judging the hell out of Elijah for what he’d heard thus far.

  “Rule #3: There will never be any kissing on the mouth. Save that for your boyfriend.”

  “Wow.”

  “Rule #4: No pet names. Rule #5: The drunker, the better. Sober sex leads to pillow talk which leads to feelings. Feelings suck.”

  “Hm.” Tony rubbed at his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “It seems more to me like you’re trying to protect yourself from falling in love with someone.”

  Elijah allowed himself to laugh before taking a swig of his drink. He’d never been the type to catch feelings. Maybe if he had then he wouldn’t need these rules. Doing right by someone without hurting them would’ve been the preferred way. “I didn’t realize you were a shrink, but if that’s what you believe, then so be it.”

  Tony shrugged. “Are there any more?”

  “Well. The others are mostly for me. I always make sure he gets his first, and that I have protection. Oh, and I’m clear up front that we’re only having sex one time and one time only. That type of stuff.”

  “Well. That’s nice of you.”

  Elijah played with his glass. He was beginning to feel it now. “You still look disgusted. So… where’s your boyfriend and why are you working on Thanksgiving instead of spending time with him?”

  Tony playfully rolled his eyes before standing up straight. After glancing at the time, he stretched his limbs a bit. “I’m single. All my family is out of state and I’m going home for Christmas break. I actually go to NYU, and my friend works at this bar. I’m just holding down the fort for him so he can spend time with his folks and not get in any trouble.”

  “And that’s nice of you,” Elijah responded. He caught Tony smiling at him and reached for the kid’s hand.

  “How old are you, Tony?”

  “I’m 20,” he answered. “But I’m wise beyond my years.”

  Elijah smiled. “Do you know how to follow rules?”

  Tony laughed. “I’d like to think so.”

  “In that case, I know this place you could go when you get done here. It’s only a few blocks from here.”

  He could tell that Tony already knew where this was headed, but was grateful that he played along. “Where might that be?”

  “My place, of course.” He smiled, laughing when Tony did. “I might not be able to give you the romance you want, but I can give you a night you’ll want to relive again and again. That’s a promise.”

  Tony pulled his hand back. “That’s what a guy says before he’s a disappointment.”

  “You’ve been with the wrong guys.” Elijah sat back, placing the rim of the glass to his lips. “There’s nothing wrong with some casual fun every now and again.”

  There was a slight hesitation before his bartender began to blush. After an inward battle, Tony finally looked Elijah in the eyes. “I’ll close shop in another 15 minutes.”

  Chapter 1

  It had been close to twenty minutes of this.

  Grayson looked away from his Rolex and picked up his fork. There was no use. He only ended up pushing a meatball across the plate and watching as it bumped another. His appetite was gone, and if these two kept it up, he wouldn’t have one any time soon.

  In the couple’s defense, this was nothing new. Grayson shared a dorm room with his best friend, Oscar, for both junior and senior years, and an Upper East Side apartment with him the two years following graduation. Oscar was never shy about having girls over. Unfortunately for his roommate, that meant a lot of awkward walk-ins and occasionally having to turn his music up high.

  Oscar was less of a playboy now. He’d been dating the same girl for a record seven months, and Eleanor was an absolute sweetheart. Grayson liked her a lot better than Oscar’s ex-fling, Monica, who he caught standing in their kitchen one morning in a t-shirt too short to hide everything, drinking the last of the milk out of the carton.

  But even then, Oscar and Eleanor were still disgusting.

  Their waitress walked up to their corner table in the Midtown diner wearing an awkward smile. Grayson could tell she wanted to ask if they needed anything else, but with him playing with his food while the other two giggled and peppered kisses all over each other’s faces, she probably had her reservations.

  “Can I get a to-go box for this?” Grayson asked.

  She looked away from the couple and fiddled with her glasses. “Um … should I just bring the bill?”

  He nodded.

  Oscar smiled into another kiss from his girlfriend before pulling away. “If we keep this up, we’re going to miss Modern Family.”

  She laughed, wiping a bit of red lipstick from his cheek. “Fine. But you started it.”

  “And I’m not sorry, gorgeous.” Oscar looked down at the table and then up at his friend, giving Grayson a confused look in return.

  “Weren’t you complaining that you were hungry? You barely even touched your food.”

  Grayson glared at the two of them. They couldn’t be serious. He imagined he’d have a better time having dinner with an actual gorilla.

  “Did you expect me to be able to digest anything while your girlfriend nibbled on your ear and called you ‘Ossie-Bear’?” he asked. “Because that, Oscar, that fucks with a person mentally.”

  Eleanor playfully rolled her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Am I?” Grayson asked. He didn’t think he was being ridiculous in any stretch of the imagination.

  Even though she and her boyfriend were unbearable at times, Grayson hoped that Eleanor was the one that Oscar was smart enough t
o keep around. Not only was she sweet, but she had a good head on her shoulders. Eleanor was in a nursing program at Hunter College while working as a manager at a local café. She knew where she wanted to be in 10 years and Grayson hoped that would somehow rub off on his best friend.

  “Our adorableness has never –”

  “I prefer the term nauseating-ness,” Grayson said, interrupting Eleanor. “Or repulsiveness, since that’s actually a word. I’ll go with that one –”

  “As I was saying,” she cut in with a smile. “Our adorableness has never stopped you from eating before. I think something is bothering you. Spill it.”

  Oscar smirked as he picked up what was left of his Coke, drinking the last of it.

  Grayson sighed. It was never a good thing when Oscar wore that face. He knew that his best friend was going to either say something idiotic or something honest – neither of which would be things he wanted to hear right now.

  “There’s nothing bothering me,” Grayson began. “Maybe I just wanted to come out to eat with my best friend and his lovely girlfriend without seeing them engage in a good ol’ game of tonsil hockey. I get enough of that back at the apartment.”

  “Sonny wants a boyfriend,” Oscar said, turning to face Eleanor.

  Grayson dragged his palm across his face. “Here we go.”

  “We’re just easy to take his frustrations out on, apparently. But he hasn’t been in a serious relationship since college and it’s clear to see that he wants something serious. He just doesn’t want to admit it.”

  “First of all, Stephen and I broke up well after graduation, so it hasn’t been that long. Secondly, there’s literally nothing to admit.”

  “I keep telling him to go on Grindr.”

  Grayson shook his head, debating on whether or not he should even respond to that. It wasn’t like Grindr was the go-to place for someone looking for love. Hell. Grayson wasn’t even looking for love. He had a lot on his plate both figuratively and literally, since he currently couldn’t keep anything down. But dating wasn’t really an option for him right now.