John isn’t cool: he’s resigned to the fact that he’s out of step with fashion, that his CD collection hasn’t moved out of the late 90s, and that he hasn’t dated since becoming a single dad. When well-meaning coworkers invite him out to a bar, his rusty flirting skills mean that he doesn’t recognize that Carter—a failed art student turned waiter—is into him. That’s hurdle number one—number two is that the idea of being with a man never went further than late-night curiosity for John. A hookup can’t hurt, but where is there to go after?
This story is also included in First Timers Anthology.