An Encounter on the Dance Floor.

Nate stepped into the bathroom, enjoying a respite from the beat of the club music. He located an unuccupied urinal and relieved himself. He caught the guy -- a twink probably in his mid-twenties -- taking a piss next to him while holding a beer bottle. Nate suppressed a grimace. He could never get past the idea of bringing food or drink into a bathroom, especially a bathroom where he couldn’t quite identify all the smells and figured he was glad for that.

Once finished with his business, Nate washed his hands thoroughly and dried them with the scratchy paper towels he took out of the white dispenser. He tossed the wet papers and grabbed a couple dry ones to wipe the rivulets of sweat streaming down his forehead.He didn’t know how so many of the other club-goers seemed desert dry despite the time they spent on the dance floor.

He tossed away the second bundle of paper towels in the garbage bin beneath the dispenser and headed for the doorway leading back out into the club. He rubbed his right temple as the assault on his ears escalated. He smiled at the slim Asian guy who was walking toward him. He was probably a year or two younger than Nate and a few inches shorter than Nate’s own 5’11” frame. The smaller man glanced at Nate’s extra-large build and practically rolled his eyes as he sailed past on his own voyage to piss.

“So much for being friendly,” Nate sighed to himself as he headed to the bar.”Try not to let it get you down. You came here to dance, not hook up.” He tried to push away the thought that it would be nice if he could accomplish both just this once. The bartender finished serving another customer and looked at him expectantly.”Water, please,” Nate shouted over the cacophony coming from the nearby dance floor.The bartender nodded and pulled a bottle from one of the fridges beneath the bar. He handed it to Nate, who enjoyed the cool plastic against his palm. He handed over both payment and tip,which earned him a smile and a salute. He cracked open the drink and practically guzzled half of the cold liquid before replacing the cap and heading to the dance floor.

He found a spot where he could stake a claim on a tiny area in which he could move his feet, hips, and the rest of his body. He set about figuring out how to synchronize his movements to the beat that vibrated in every part of his body this close to the large speakers. He wasn’t a great dancer, but he enjoyed getting lost in the process. “After all,” he told himself, “that’s what matters, right?”

As he swayed and gyrated his hips, he scanned the crowd around him. He noticed one guy leaning against one of the rails that partially divided the dance floor from the bar area. The guy seemed to be watching Nate. Nate smiled, not daring to wave just in case the guy was actually checking out someone behind him. After a few moments, Nate realized that the guy was making his way toward him in his acid washed jeans and sports jersey. He smiled again and this time, the guy returned the gesture.

A few seconds later, the pair were less than a foot apart, dancing for each other. Nate hoped his clumsy attempts at trying to impress or entice the guy didn’t look too ridiculous. The guy’s moves seemed cool if a bit stiff. Nate wondered if this one might be even more self-conscious than he himself was, and marvelled that such a thing might even be possible.

After a couple more minutes, the music changed. The guy paused for a moment, gave one last awkward smile, and melted into the crowd. Nate considered following him, then decided against it.”If I chase after him, it’s probably not going to go the way I want. Better to enjoy the moment for what it was. Leave it on a high note,” he told himself. “Still, it’s kind of cool that a guy that cute just suddenly decided to come dance with me.”

With that, Nate smiled and become lost to the music and his own bodily movements once more.