60: Shots, Shots, Shots

Inho forced his fidgeting hands to sit still on his thighs. He had been nervous to tell Stephen about applying to a local university, and it seemed his worrying was correct. He stared down at his limp fingers, “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

“No, it’s not that. I just… I really hate Abbotsford.”

“What?” Inho hadn’t expected that. “Why? What’s wrong with Abbotsford?”

“It’s a backwater hick town, for one,” announced Connor from the back.

“Shut up Connor, what did I just tell you?” Stephen glared into the rearview mirror. Connor crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout. Stephen turned back to Inho, “It’s just, it’s my… I just don’t like it there. Let’s talk about it when we’re alone. I’m not mad.” He reached over and place a hand over Inho’s, “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“Okay,” Inho nodded, reassured.

“Let’s park in overnight parking, and we can walk to my place after. I don’t want to worry about not drinking.”

“What about Connor, is he sleeping at your apartment too?”

“Depends on how he behaves tonight, right Connor?” He shot Connor a warning glare as they got out of the car, “Don’t embarrass me tonight, hm?”

Connor’s pout intensified, and the three of them walked a few blocks to a glass apartment building. It looked just like all the other skyscrapers in the downtown core. Stephen tapped in a door code, and it rang twice before a crackly voice screamed, “Stephen!” through the speaker, and the door unlocked. They entered, piled into the elevator, and shot up 15 floors.

“This is your friend Christian’s place right?” Inho asked.

“Yes.”

“And Tavy will also be there, and his boyfriend Luis, and um, Blaire, and –”

“Did you memorize their names?” Stephen pulled him close against his hip, “Inho, seriously. Don’t be so nervous.”

Inho frowned, and Connor asked a question before he could confirm the rest of his list, “Are all your friends gay?”

Stephen shrugged, “Most of my close ones are. I met these guys when I first came to Vancouver.”

“Did you date any of them?” Connor pressed.

“Some of them. Stop being a creep; you don’t need to know this.”

Inho gave Stephen a sidelong look. He hadn’t known Stephen had dated anyone in this group. But, he also didn’t want Stephen to think he was annoying like Connor, so he stayed silent, not pressing for details.

When the elevator slid open, Stephen led them down a bright clean hallway to a door in the corner. There was a welcome mat in front that said, Welcome to the Shitshow.

“Cringe,” Connor observed, and Stephen laughed.

“I know right? Chris is such a basic bitch,” he answered, and knocked on the door. Connor shot Inho a smirk as if he’d won a point for making Stephen laugh. Inho frowned at the implication.

There was a rustling of movement and giggling behind the door and it swung open to reveal a small crowd of smiling men. One of them was holding out a shot-glass full of dark liquid. Inho skimmed the group quickly, nervously trying to identify everyone before entering.

“Stephen! My favorite person is finally here!” A tall white man with shockingly blonde hair yelled from the back, at the same time that a short man with warm brown skin and a huge smile held out the tiny glass and announced, “Take your shot to enter!”

Stephen looked taken aback but accepted the shot with a bemused expression, “I thought this was a dinner party, why are you guys all wasted?”

“Is this your boyfriend? Boyfriend, I’m Blaire,” chirped a smiling white man with brown hair and an Australian accent. He quickly poured another shot to pass to Connor.

“He’s so young! Stephen, what the heck?! How old is this child you’re dating?”

“He’s so pretty though, oh my goodness!”

Inho was relieved to be standing behind Stephen, there were only four people inside, but they were all clamoring and intense. Connor was preening in the attention.

Stephen intercepted the shot before Connor could accept it, “That’s my nephew Connor, you wolves, and he’s eighteen, no alcohol for him.” He tossed back both the shots quickly, one after the other, and frowned, “What are you giving me?”

“Espresso vodka!” someone shouted.

From the back, the blonde man yelled again, “Connor! My favorite person is finally here!”

“Chris, stop yelling,” Stephen pushed Connor into the apartment and the others moved to let him in. Inho stepped forward into the space he left, “This is my boyfriend, Inho.”

“Um, hello, I’m Inho,” Inho said, then immediately kicked himself. Stephen had just said that.

The group looked at him for a moment, processing, then the man in the back yelled, “Inho! My favorite person is finally here!” And the man with the bottle pressed a shot into his hand.

Inho relaxed and followed everyone inside as they got settled in the living room. He took a small sip of the vodka, it tasted like coffee and nothing.

“Shoot it, don’t sip it!” The Australian directed him cheerily, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Inho answered, and threw back the drink. He cringed again at himself for apologizing. He only really drank soju and beer back home, nothing you needed to shoot.

Everyone found their seats in the living room and Inho sat on a wide ottoman, awkwardly holding his empty glass in his fist. He watched Stephen across the room, handing the bottle of wine they’d brought to the blonde man, who must be Christian.

“Where’s Alana?” Stephen was saying.

“She’s working late at the hospital, she’ll be here tonight,” Christian answered, his voice lowered so that Inho almost couldn’t hear him over the others talking, and he nodded towards Inho, “He’s not your usual type, huh?”

Inho tensed up and he stared at Stephen for his reaction, but the short man from before sat down next to him just then, distracting him.

“So, Inho right? So good to meet you! I’m Luis,” Luis shook Inho’s hand. He smelled strongly like alcohol, and his cheeks were red, but he still wore a big welcoming smile. Inho relaxed slightly and focused on greeting him.

On the couch, Connor was smiling coyly at a large man with tattoos down to his wrists.