On the far side of the city, Simon stood in the entryway of a bar he had never been to. In fact, he had never even heard of it until Mira and Rich asked to meet there. It was packed full of guests, a fact that didn’t surprise him seeing as it was a weekend. Even through the snowy cold, people always gathered to drink.

This place is nicer than I expected, Simon thought. There was a guarded coat closet at the entrance, something he had only ever seen at his cousin’s wedding at a luxurious indoor venue. They even had an entrance fee, though Rich said he would pay him back later.

Simon searched through the swarms of people but could find neither Mira nor Rich. As he slowly shuffled forward, avoiding eye contact wherever it might pop up, he absorbed the scenery. A high vaulted ceiling with lots of wooden arches and soft lights hung above. The bar itself was long, stretching at least twice as far as the ones Simon frequented. And of course to fill it out, there were seven bartenders behind the counter with even more popping out to visit tables.

Strangers around him murmured to each other, though none loud enough for Simon to make out any specific words. Every noise jumbled into the next one, creating a barrier for any eavesdropping.

He tried to blend in the best he could, afraid that if he appeared too confused he would be asked to leave. An empty table, the only one he could see in the whole bar, ended up being his sanctuary. He pulled out one of the artsy, wire-backed chairs and sat on the edge while he re-tied his shoes. They had been bothering him all day, anyway.

Waiting around a foreign bar, surrounded by people he had never seen before, all so he could talk to some parents about their kid, was not what he wanted to be doing. Still, Dani and Ryan had a date night planned, and it beat sitting at home and thinking about that.

And Dani warned me about it… Does she think I’m that fragile? I’ve come to terms with it, even if I think it’s weird. It’s not like I would start a fight.

He remembered his conversation with Phoebe at Thanksgiving a couple weeks prior. Even though they were half-asleep, it had helped Simon think more clearly about everything.

A sibling… Maybe I did always treat her as a sister, and that’s why nothing ever happened between us. Well, that and the fact that she only transitioned this year, so obviously nothing was going to happen before that. But if I was more outgoing, louder, stronger like Ryan, would that have changed things?

Simon realized his shoes were both tied and he had been sitting there holding the laces for a while. He switched positions so he could, while still sitting at the edge of the chair, look at his phone and keep up his guise of nonchalance.

What am I saying? I don’t want to change things. I’m okay with how everything is now. I have control over my life.

In the middle of his intense thinking, another chair at his table shifted. Simon sat up straight, and saw Mira sitting down while Rich talked to the doorman across the floor.

“Hey,” she said, her voice overly melodic and drawn out. “Sorry we made you wait, our babysitter held us up.”

Simon nodded, struggling to think of what to say. While he knew they would be arriving in more casual outfits, he wasn’t expecting Mira to be wearing a cocktail dress.

Woah, I guess they dress up when they go out, huh? He spotted Rich approaching in a suit he was sure cost more than a year of his rent. It was then he looked around and noticed that it wasn’t just Mira and Rich. Over half of the people in the bar had nice outfits on.

Is that why the door guy rolled his eyes at me?

As Rich found their table and pulled out his own seat, Simon's nerves flared.“You guys should have told me there was a dress code, I could have worn something nicer than this.” He gestured at his dark blue jeans and long sleeved t-shirt.

“It’s alright.” Rich waved his hand at him. “They don’t really care here. The worst they’ll do is give you a dirty look, or be a little slow with your drinks. But if you’re with us I doubt they’ll give you a hard time.”

Simon was a little relieved, though he still felt out of place. “If you’re sure.” Mira flagged down a bartender from the corner of his eye. He did his best not to stare at her low-cut dress. “Does that mean you’re here a lot?”

Mira smiled at him and slid her chair an inch closer. “We try to make our way here every month. It’s a good excuse to dress up and feel young again.”

He wanted to laugh but caught on that she wasn’t joking. The idea that they needed to feel young didn’t seem right. They were both obviously past their twenties, but he couldn’t imagine anyone else their age having half as much energy as them. Even his mother had slowed down over the past few years.

“So, Simon.” Rich leaned in and placed his hand on the table next to his wife’s. “I have to thank you again for meeting us. Young men such as yourself get intimidated easily, if you can believe it.”

“That’s surprising.” Simon didn’t know where to look, and instead stared at the bartender approaching them. “Though I guess most teachers are older.”

Mira giggled. “You working at the school isn’t important. It’s just how we met. Tonight we can do anything, or be anyone, if you want.”

Huh? Not important?

A sinking feeling made its way through Simon, but before he could get clarification, a fourth voice spoke.

“What drinks can I get for you three?” A man a few years older than Simon stood by their table. He had a nice suit on, but none of the bartenders seemed to have a set uniform. “Rich, Mira, your usual?”

The couple nodded. Mira set her hand on Rich’s, with Simon in between them, while everyone waited on his answer.

What did she mean by that? Doesn’t care that I’m a teacher? Wasn’t that the whole point of this?

After a few seconds without an answer, Mira touched the server’s arm. “Get him a martini, sorry. His first time, he’s a little nervous.”

The man nodded and walked away, but not before giving Simon a sly grin.

My first time? I’ve been to a bar before, I was just a little slow to order.

As pieces slowly clicked together in Simon’s mind, he began to fidget.

“So,” Mira said. “How does a handsome guy your age decide he wants to work with kids? You never explained it. Did some other career fall through, did you spend your college years traveling the globe?”

Simon relaxed. Okay, maybe they do want to talk about that. Did I overreact? Or hear what she said wrong? It’s pretty loud, after all.

“I actually have a computer science degree.” Simon tried to settle into his chair, though the metal back encouraged him to stay upright. “But jumping into a career didn’t feel right. Every job I interviewed for looked awful, and eventually I had to pay bills, so I took an opening at the school. It’s enough to cover my expenses, plus I have two roommates which helps keep things cheap.”

Rich inched his chair in as well, sandwiching Simon between the married couple. “I don’t blame you. When we were young, we didn’t commit to anything – except each other – for a long time. A year in Europe, two in Asia, a good few months sailing. It all helped us grow into the people we are today.”

Mira appeared lost in her husband’s eyes. “And when we did start our careers, and eventually our family, we knew who we were and haven’t had any regrets since.”

Rich nodded. “If you like working with kids, I say keep doing it. Or if you hate your degree, go back and get another! It’s not cheap, and people will chastise you for it, but it’s better than waiting ten years and then doing all of that anyway.”

Huh. Maybe I should consider that…

“That’s good advice,” Simon said. “I’ve been pretty lost on where to– Woah!”

A pinch on his thigh from under the table made Simon yelp. Thankfully he had kept it quiet and no other tables looked over at him, but he was startled.

He looked over at Mira, who was smiling at him. “Too hard?”

The last piece that he needed clicked into place.

Oh my god.

“Wait, why did you two want to meet with me exactly? Was it not to talk about Kaylin?”

The couple’s faces switched from excitement to dread.

“Well, we thought we were clear enough, did we really need to say it?” Mira said as she slid her chair away.

Simon said his next words with a whisper. “Wait, was this so I would sleep with you, Mira?”

Rich scoffed. “And me.”

There’s no way. It’s a joke, right? How could I not have caught on to that?

“I– That’s– Sorry, but, I don’t want to do that?” Simon had no clue if there was a polite way to decline a threesome, but he knew it wasn’t what he had said.

“Yeah, we’re realizing that,” Rich said with a sigh. “We should have made it clear in our texts, our apologies.”

Mira crossed her arms and slid even further away and she refused to make any eye contact. “I can’t believe we made a beginner's mistake like this. It’s so embarrassing.”

“I’m… sorry for wasting your time.” Simon moved to stand up but Rich held out his hand.

“Let me at least pay for your drink. And while you’re at it, you can tell us how Kaylin’s doing. May as well make some use out of the night.”

“Fine, you’re right,” Mira said, now slouching as her enthusiasm drained away.

Simon still wasn’t sure if he could handle talking to them any further. They’re embarrassed? How about me? God, I can never tell Ryan about this. Or anyone!

A pit formed in Simon’s stomach as the couple collected themselves. A wish that he could be adventurous, or spontaneous, or outgoing. Even if he didn’t think he’d ever want a threesome, he wanted to be someone with willpower. Someone who could take an awkward situation and overpower it. Someone who could accidentally get into the same situation he did and stick the landing, whatever that meant.

Mira and Rich were a strange couple, and while he didn’t want to sleep with them, he wanted their courage.