CHAPTER THREE

Toby had spent the rest of the night trying to constrain his seething curiosity. Lying next to Adam did nothing to alleviate the situation since all his drug-induced blackouts left him frustratingly cryptic. Adam only remembered bits and pieces of the Lair and that was not enough information to satisfy Toby.

Consequently, Toby decided to return to the Lair, but this time he would not limit himself to the club's hours. He waited until the sun came up and Adam had left for work.

A small slit opened when Toby knocked, but no eyes greeted him like they had before.

"We're closed," came the echoed voice and the slit quickly shut.

Toby knocked again. "I'm not going anywhere!"

His fist pounded harder this time until he heard a muffled exchange behind the closed doors. He listened intently, but never caught a word. Nevertheless, the doors to the Lair parted.

Toby walked into the darken entrance. The club was seemingly empty. Once he was fully inside, the doors closed with a crash.

Toby jumped and when he turned around again Colin was directly in his face.

"It's okay, boys," the blond called over his shoulder. "I mean, where would our hospitality be if we cannot open our doors to Toby Moraitis?"

Toby saw the flash of hostility in the other man's eyes. "You know me?"

Colin raised his chin proudly and flaunted his very white teeth. "Oh, I know every member of the club by name."

"I'm not a member."

"But your buddy Adam is."

Toby felt his mouth go dry. "He isn't…" he stated like a question.

"He's an honorary member," Colin corrected abruptly. His lip started to pull back into his customary, wicked grin. "You did say he invited you, right? Because there are severe consequences for lying at the Lair."

"I'm exactly where I need to be," Toby maintained.

Colin managed to smile even through his disapproval. "What can I do for you, Toby? You may have noticed that I am always eager to please." He ran a hand down Toby's neck, but the other man shoved him away.

"I just want my shirt," Toby answered evenly.

The blond feigned remorse. "Oooh, that's gonna be a problem, Mr. Moraitis. You see, all misplaced items are thrown into the lost & found and whatever isn't claimed at the end of the night becomes property of the Lair. However…" Colin trailed off as he looked over Toby with an appraising eye. "I am willing to negotiate a trade if you are."

Toby could feel his insides twist at the offer and he couldn't help but groan his disgust.

Relishing in his unease, Colin continued, "But if the shirt was worth more than a pretty penny, I might be willing to work it off. Just tell me what you need. I'm open for ideas."

Toby continued to groan, but managed to strengthen his resolve. "What about information?"

"I'm not a knowledgeable kind of a guy," the man said dryly.

"It's a simple question I think you can handle," Toby promised. "Just what is your relationship with Adam? Are you two friends or something?"

"Oh, we're best friends when he's on his back," Colin assured through a penetrating gaze. "I can be your best friend, too, if you let me."

"The springs all dried up," Toby informed abruptly. "Where is all your saint coming from?"

"Whoa," Colin put his hands up in the air and backed away. "I'm sorry, but we are not that type of establishment. We take out legalities very seriously around here."

Toby looked around the darken cesspool. "Cut the bullshit. I know what's going on."

Colin's eyes steadily grew more intent. "I don't think you do."

"Adam told me."

"Adam lied."

Taken aback, Toby allowed a momentary cloud of doubt to shroud his face and Colin decided to jump at the opportunity to help him entertain the idea.

"Don't worry, buddy, it happens to the best of us." Colin very casually placed a hand on Toby's shoulder and began to lead him through the club. "Just can't trust a thing that bitch says."

"Yes, you can when it comes to Adam," Toby finally insisted without realizing he was being steered. "He may not have been the most dependable guy in past, but he always tries. He wouldn't say anything to me that he didn't believe was true."

"That's the funny thing about perception. You just never know what a person is gonna talk themselves into believing. It may legitimately have no basis in reality."

"If you know Adam half as well as you claim you do," Toby challenged, "you would know he doesn't lie."

"Hey," Colin said defensively as he ushered Toby towards the bar. "If I were in your shoes, I'd be in denial, too. Now have a seat at the bar. Enjoy a complimentary drink and I'll go get that shirt of yours."

Toby briefly pondered over the sudden shift of character. He may not have received the answers he was looking for, but at least he would retrieve his shirt. More importantly, he received the reminder he needed that Adam's trust in him was unwavering, as well the accompanied guilt that would ensure that he'd place more faith in his boyfriend from now on, (just as he should have from the beginning). He and Adam had a future, but the Lair was no part of it.

"It's noon," Toby indicated curtly as the bartender slid a glass of bourbon towards him. "Just… just give me a glass of water, okay?"

The bartender returned with a glass of ice water and a slice of lemon and handed it to Toby.

"I thought you guys only opened at night?" Toby asked bitterly as he took a sip.

"We like to keep the days open for private reservations," the bartender clarified.

Toby laughed into his glass. "Good. For a second I thought you guys actually lived here."

"I'd have to be dead to want to live in this crypt," the bartender joked as he watched Toby take small sips from his glass.

"It's not so bad here," Toby offered politely as he looked around the now abandoned club. During the quiet of the day, it looked very different from its sex-obsessed night life.

Toby admitted that he entered this establishment feeling overcome by resentment and confusion, but as he sat with the bartender, he felt all those anxieties slip away. The overpowering sense of forbidding that he had gripped him for days had finally began to loosen its hold.