When seven that night came around, Theo was at Liam's house to retrieve his phone. He wasn't sure what would happen when he got there, but he was prepared for just about anything. Either nothing except getting his phone back, or something completely provocative. This boy may come across as wholesome and naive, but he also comes across as someone that needs his feathers ruffled. These twenty-somethings always have a long list of fetishes that their girlfriends don't want to explore, which can cause a strain on the relationship. Especially the ones who have girlfriends that live out of town. That's a whole other strain altogether.

He rang the doorbell and Liam rushes down with a little bit more eagerness than is necessary for a cell phone retrieval, in Theo's opinion. However, if Theo is right in assuming that's not all this is, then he's right in bringing his bag. The door opens and Liam is standing there with Theo's phone in hand, inviting him inside.

"I was going to charge it, but I didn't have the right charger... and I'm sorry for going through your phone, but the guys at the bar didn't know where you lived and that was the only other thing I could think of" Liam looked at Theo with slight conviction at invading the stranger's privacy.

"It's fine" Theo laughed, but it seemed fake, in a sense. Like a customer service laugh. "It got me back here, didn't it?" Theo grabbed his phone and let his hand linger. He looked Liam up and down and decided that his body language SCREAMED that he needed a good lay. "Where can I put my things?" he asked and that's when Liam noticed his duffel bag.

"Whaaat exactly are you carrying that for?" Liam asked nervously. It was almost as if he knew the answer. "You planning on staying over again? Did something happen?!"

Theo looked at Liam with hesitation. Is he serious? "I came prepared this time. Obviously."

Liam was still confused "What?"

Theo looked at Liam with confusion and restated his previous claim. " This time. I wanted to be prepared" Theo looked at him making sure he understood this time.

"Prepared for what?" Liam was scared to ask, but at the same time he felt like he knew.

Tell me this kid's not serious. "Last night? What I told you? What my... other job is..." Theo was

starting to get frustrated. He didn't know if this was part of this boy's little kink or if he genuinely had forgotten. Either way, Theo was definitely sure that it wasn't going to be worth the money. Theo rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Never mind. Thank you for my phone back. I'll be headed out-"

Realization about their conversation made its way to Liam's brain, though as Theo was heading through the door. "DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHY I CALLED YOU HERE?!" Liam had the look of utter shock and amazement written on his face with a slight hint of being angry and appalled.

Theo rolled his eyes. There is no way this dude graduated high school. "It just kind of seemed-"

"EXCUSE ME?! DO YOU USUALLY ACQUIRE CLIENTS THIS WAY?! BY JUST ASSUMING THEY WANT SEX?!" Liam turned red in the face while Theo just laughed it off.

"Yes, actually, I do." Theo was telling a half-truth and Liam was stunned. He gaped at Theo, obviously wanting more information. "Look, I don't exactly advertise, but when someone hits on me or whatever at the bar, I can usually tell if that's what it's about by their body language." Theo looked Liam up and down, which made Liam uncomfortable, and he covered himself up. "Small town; small town rumors." Theo shrugged it off like it was nothing. How could he be so blasé about this? Liam wondered. "Most people know I'm just a bartender/stripper, but some people-" Theo looked Liam up and down again, which made Liam turn a darker shade of red before he could promptly look at the floor.

Theo couldn't help but laugh at his reaction before he finished, "-some people know what my 'side hustle' is. Some people... know that I'm discreet. I won't show up and tell their significant other, because I won't get attached. To me it's just a job. Some people like-" and he raises his eyebrow, tilts his head suggestively, and clicks his tongue at Liam with a cocky smirk. Liam was surprised by this. Did this man think his relationship with Hayden was that completely fragile? He hadn't done or said anything to imply that it was, other than the fact that she had moved.

"People also get off on the whole 'I'm not gay, I have a girlfriend' thing, so... I really couldn't just take it at face-value."

Liam was completely floored at the revelation. So, this is what Mason was talking about. People really are into some weird things. Liam has only ever been with Hayden, and it was always... nice? Not repetitive, but not something that they would make for a porno. They didn't fuck, they made love. That was supposed to be 'couples goals', right? Liam sighed. "What about your friends or your family? Do they not know? I'm sure you need someone to talk to about all this" Liam insisted.

Now it was Theo's turn to be in shock. "Why would I want someone I care about to know this? So that they can look at me every single day like I'm a failure?" Theo was coming unhinged already. Liam didn't mean anything by it, really. He just felt like it was a large burden for someone to have. Theo continued "Like it's just the product of my own failed upbringing and yet like it's also my fault?" Theo was scaring Liam, but he let him continue "Like I didn't try hard enough? They would be completely disgusted with me" Theo looked completely calm on his face, but his voice was angry. Liam felt like a shit.

"Why do you think this is the only way? You have a bunch of people who care about you. I saw it at the bar last night-" Liam started to press but then Theo stopped him.

"Those people; they were there for you." Theo said, trying to calm down. "They haven't spoken to me in years. The two that I work with, the ones that have to speak to me, we're not exactly friends."

Theo knew it was a lie because Corey was his best friend, but this kid was being judgmental, more than Theo initially thought he'd be, and Theo wasn't about to let him be right too. With that Theo left. Thanked Liam for keeping his phone safe and headed back to his house. Liam processed everything that just happened, and he called Mason.

"Wait, so this guy tried to bang you?" Mason being subtle with his words as per usual.

"No! Mase. Look. He left his phone here and he came back for it. Everything isn't about sex." It's okay to leave some things out, right? Mason may be his best friend, but that certainly wasn't his secret to tell. This dude obviously didn't want it told either. The only thing that Liam said was that Theo stayed over when the creepy guy at the bar acted all jealous and then he left his phone at Liam's house. That's not incriminating, right?

"Sounds like I didn't do my job to make your twenty-first birthday special. You didn't even get laid!" and as soon as the words came out, he winced. "I'm sorry dude. I didn't mean that. I know Hayden is the love of your life and all-"

"You know what? I don't think she is" Liam said with venom in his voice. "If she was the love of my life, she would have at least come up with a text or a card or... anything signifying she even cared or remembered it was my birthday. We have known each other since we were kids, and we know each other's birthdays. She didn't forget. She just didn't care" Liam finally let out what he had been feeling for the past month and it felt so good to tell his best friend. Liam had been hanging onto this feeling like it was just his paranoia and reading into things, but he finally realized that if a complete stranger cares more about his birthday than his girlfriend of five years, then something was severely wrong. Then he heard a voice on the other end. One that wasn't Mason.

"Mase did you get laid? Is that why this is a current obsession?" Mason laughed and shushed him like a small child.

"His name is Corey, and he was the bartender from last night"

"Did you shush me? Seriously?"

"You're not even on speaker phone bro and you talk SO LOUD" Mason laughed and Liam acted like he was offended.

"I most certainly do not! Also, why is this guy over again?! Not that you're unappealing, but two days in a row after you just met?"

"It's Sunday. Bar's closed" Mason reminded Liam. "Not like you have room to talk. You had a stripper over twice."

"That's not exactly a reason but whatever tickles your pickle, and I didn't 'have him over' like that" and Liam decided he didn't want that to be the opener for whatever innuendo Mason was going to decide to use so, he hung up. He got what he needed off his chest, so he felt better.

Theo was charging his phone when he got a text. It wasn't much but it was enough to set off alarms in his head.

Hey. This is my number in case you ever need anyone to talk to. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone your secret. It's not mine to tell -Liam

Why? Why did this kid feel the need? Why was it so important that Theo have someone to talk to about this? I'll give him this. He's smarter than he looks. Theo wasn't sure if that was such a good thing. He's also nosy and cocky and self-righteous. Theo laid down thinking about whether or not to text the boy back. Let him know what a huge invasion of privacy taking his phone number was. Then again, he hasn't done anything to provoke him yet. Better to leave it alone.