Dante Wright

Letting out a deep breath, Jude walked inside the Toys of Eros. He had never been in a store like this before, mainly because he never felt an interest in seeing what it had to offer. However, he wanted to explore this new territory in hopes that maybe it would help him feel more comfortable in his skin. He shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled at the person behind the counter. “Hi,” he said softly as he walked towards him, glancing around at the place. He looked at the thing that the unfamiliar face was working on. “What’s that?” he asked, “I like the rainbow.”

“It’s a chapstick cozy,” Dante explained reaching for one of the finished products in front of him as an example. “But I suppose currently it’s just a shaft. I’ve still got to make the balls for it,” he continued momentarily setting his work down. Crocheting and talking just made him destined to drop a stitch and on something as small as this it wasn’t a blunder he could easily look past. “I like the rainbow too, it’s hand dyed. I got it from a shop down the way. This is just the last little bits of it. I used it to make socks initially,” he went on.

“Yeah…Texas doesn’t sound like the place for me.  I swear, people who live in the south are made of stronger stuff,” Copper laughed.  “I mean, they would have to be to live down there, at least I think so.”  It was definitely not the thing for Copper, that was for sure.  Nodding, he confirmed, “Yeah, I am.  I’m not like one of those who thinks eating meat is wrong, it’s just wrong for me.  My dads are both vegetarians, though they never forced it on us.  But I just kinda was influenced by them I guess.  It never feel like a big loss to not have meat in my diet, though admittedly I do have to work harder to get protein.”  Although Copper liked various meat substitutes, he could understand what Dante was saying.  “A lot of that stuff is pretty high in sodium anyway,” he commented, “so it’s better to go with more natural stuff.  But I’ll admit I eat fake meat a lot of times because it’s easy to prepare usually.”  Copper didn’t want it to feel like he was preaching vegetarianism, so he just let the subject drop.  “So do you not go in the water at all?  Or just not deep?” he asked.  But apparently Dante went in at least a little bit because he needed to change into his swimsuit.

Once Copper was changed into his suit, he waited for Dante, looking down at himself and feeling suddenly self-conscious.  That kind of thing had been happening a lot lately, he’d noticed, these breaks in his confidence, and he knew exactly why.  Should he put his shirt back on?  Were his swim trunks too snug or short?  Copper wondered these things, but before he could do anything about it (like changing again or at least actually putting his shirt back on, Dante was back.  Trying not to think about that stuff, Copper responded, “Just some water bottles,” heading into the kitchen to grab some.  Because this area of the house was open concept, he could still talk to Dante from the kitchen, and he was bending down putting a few bottles of water into a bag when he heard his new friend comment on the size of the house.  “Yeah, that’s why I know I should get one,” Copper replied, standing up and heading back into the kitchen.  “When I got this place, I hadn’t actually seen it in person, so I sort of overestimated how much space I would need.”  Copper had never really had to do anything like this before, find a place of his own to live other than like an apartment for when he was in grad school.  “Definitely too much space for one person,” Copper said, looking around.  “Ready to go?” he asked Dante then.

“That’s a very nice way to describe them,” Dante said as he bit his tongue. He wasn’t one to commend the south for it’s ‘strength’. If anything he felt there was a lack of it. Bullheaded cowardice seemed like a much better descriptor but he wasn’t going to bash the south to a northerner. “I don’t think I could ever do it but I was raised to have meat with every meal,” he explained. He never even thought about trying to go vegetarian growing up. The conversation would end in a fight surely and he’d be more likely to starve surviving on nothing but sweet corn and sides of peas and carrots than get any support for an alternative diet. Not that it was probably shocking to anyone that someone raised with two dads had a different upbringing than someone raised with two conservative parents. “I do go in the water and stuff just not when there’s sharks around. I’m not really looking to get bit,” he admitted. 

“I always look at a place in person before I rent it,” Dante said. He’d had friends wind up in absolute shitholes jumping to fast on a craigslist ad with a too good to be true deal. Dante’s digs were far more humble and not nearly as spacious and he liked it that way honestly. Most of the entertaining Dante did was for people he wanted in close quarters anyways so there wasn’t much need for a ton of extra space. If he wanted to party he’d just go out or go to a friend’s. “I’m ready to go, yeah,” Dante confirmed heading back out towards his car.

“It’s an English pale ale, not like IPA’s. You may or may not know, but just in case, IPA’s have pale ale in the name, but are hoppier and have higher alcohol by volume. English pale ales are brewed more for an equal malt-to-hop ratio, and taste lighter,” he said, pouring out the perfect glass of the light, frothy beer. “I like this one. Plus, WT works with whale conservation, so… you feel good about drinkin’ it, mate,” Julian added with a little smirk. “This is good for that nice, lunch time drink. Not necessarily tryin’ to get munted here!” Julian pushed the glass towards Dante and bobbed his head along to the hip hop beat of the song playing on the radio. Sue him, Julian was a music lover, and the loud music kept his mood riding high when weed shouldn’t couldn’t at work. “I’m gonna check on your food, yeah? Sit tight and take a look around. There’s a dessert menu an’ shit here.” With that, Julian turned to wash his hands on the sink behind the bar, then wiped his hands on the clean towel tucked where his apron strings wrapped around the front of his narrow waist, before heading back.

Dante worked in restaurants before. He knew the basics about beer and how to sell it but he let Julian continue his pitch. “Well it’s good to know that they work with whales and aren’t just massive horndogs,” Dante joked though he guaranteed the tongue in cheek humor was intentional even if they worked with conservationists. Conservationists had to have some dirty whale humor in them. “Munted? I don’t think I’ve heard of that word before. Where’s it from?” Dante asked tried to go around asking where Julian’s accent came from. He had a habit of guessing it wrong if it didn’t have a drawl attached to it like he was used to. He could only really ever peg a southern or ex-southern. “Cheers, thanks,” Dante said as he took the beer and quickly went for a sip It was remarkably a pint of beer. Neither the best he had or worst he’d shotgunned in the past and was suitable for what he’d hope was a good chicken sandwich. Dante grabbed the dessert menu and looked it over. The typical ice cream treats didn’t catch his eye but when Julian did come back he couldn’t help but ask about one dish. “So a fish cake filled with beans is... a dessert item?” He asked there wasn’t a visual on the menu and the description just sounded like a savory dish to him.

“You should get some water, man. But not freezing cold. That way your body doesn’t have to burn extra energy trying to warm it up and instead focus that effort into bringing everything back to normal” West suggested, since he knew that sometimes people went for cold water when feeling thirsty or really tired after physical activity, but not that cold was actually the best to stop dizziness. “That sounds helpful. I usually throw my phone on the back seat and drive. That means I get lost quite often” West was definitely not the driver of the firefighting truck. He’d never be able to get the team to the right spot quick enough. 

“I was headed for the water fountain so I guess I’ll be getting whatever temperature that thing puts out. I didn’t bring a water bottle with me today,” he admitted. It’d been a last minute decision to come to the gym after all. “I didn’t know that about cold water. Is that why it can give you a stomach ache if you drink it too fast?” Dante asked. That was a phenomenon he’d experienced before not that it stopped him from guzzling down an ice cold drink on a hot day. “I don’t think my phone’s ever more than a few inches from me,” Dante said looking down at the device he’d just been reunited with. “Well until today that is and clearly this could’ve ended poorly.” Dante didn’t want to have to think about what losing his phone would’ve been like. It’d happened before and he wasn’t looking to go through that again.

“That I am,” Tamsen gestured to the store just down the street, “That’s my place.” He gave Dante a look when he didn’t recognize the name of the movie. “The dog was actually named after a Winn-Dixie, the movie was actually made after a book. It’s a good read, ten out of ten would recommend it,” Tam mused.  “He’s more of a gentle giant,” he assured. “Though, he’d still probably run at you soaking wet but he’s up there in age, so he can’t get very far.” Tamsen brightened, “Yes, the breed reigns from the Western Alps… so like Switzerland and Italy. They were originally bred for rescue by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border, which is where their name comes from.”

“That’s an interesting name for a dog,” Dante decided. It made him wonder if there were four-legged friends out there called Piggly Wiggly or Kroger now. “I’ll have to look into it,” Dante said knowing that the conversation about this book/movie would leave his brain the moment he stepped away from Tamsen. “That’s good to know. Maybe you guys need a siren or something to warn people of a potential wet dog encounter if them getting loose is a common occurrence.” Dante stopped petting Polly as soon as she seemed content with the affection she’d bolted at him to receive. “That’s cool about St. Bernards. Do they still rescue people there or is that practice no longer a thing?”

It was nice having silly conversations again, conversations about otters and animal-shaped snacks and such, and Copper just kept smiling.  And he liked hearing about Dante’s past in Texas, saying, “I would hate it.  I like having seasons and stuff, and that kind of heat would make me feel like I was melting.  Definitely glad that it’s not like that here, plus we get the ocean here too.  Kind of perfect.”  And he had to admit, “You’ve got a point.  It’s kinda weird eating animal shaped snacks that are apparently alive because they’re smiling back.  That’s something that never occurred to me, even as a vegetarian.”  Copper just laughed, amused by the silliness of the conversation still.  “I guess I can just stick with regular chips and crackers that aren’t animal shaped.”  And he was also glad that Dante was apparently amused by his serial killer comments and not creeped out, or if he was, he was keeping that to himself.

After he had told Dante about sabbaticals and leaves of absences and the like, Copper realized he may have inadvertently been hinting at his past.  But Copper didn’t want Dante to know about that yet, didn’t want him to know that he was privileged and had had a charmed life until recently (and still did compared to a lot of people, Copper knew that.  But he wanted Dante to like Copper because of who he was, not because of his money, though Copper could already tell that Dante wasn’t that kind of person.  Still, he kept thinking about how a lot of his friends hadn’t been there for the hard stuff, how he had gone through a lot of his recent heartbreak alone, so he couldn’t help but feel like they were only there for what Copper could give them.  That was one of the reasons that Copper wanted to to start fresh and hadn’t felt too badly about leaving his friends behind.  Copper was in danger of getting lost in his thoughts, so he tried to focus on Dante and their talk of sharks.  “I actually like sharks,” Copper told Dante.  “Once when I was surfing, I saw one swim by me.  That was actually kind of scary, and I didn’t surf for awhile, but it didn’t mess with me or anything.”  Once at his house, Copper looked up at it, knowing that he might have made a mistake getting this house if he was trying to conceal his wealth.  But he just brushed it off, and luckily Dante didn’t ask too many questions.  

“Sounds good,” Copper replied when Dante said he would change there, and then the two men walked inside.  Luckily the inside didn’t look too fancy since Copper was still unpacking and hadn’t gotten a lot of furniture yet.  “There’s a bathroom in this hallway here,” Copper said, leading Dante there.  “I’ll meet you in the living room if that’s cool?” he asked.  Once Copper had left Dante, Copper quickly changed into his swimsuit, taking off his work shirt and grabbing a different t-shirt, slinging it and his towel over his shoulder.  And then Copper walked back out into the living room to meet up with Dante.

“From July to September you literally are melting and if you don’t have good AC it’s the longest three months of your life,” Dante explained unfortunately coming from a place of experience on the subject. “You’re vegetarian?” Dante asked. “I don’t think I could ever do that. I eat a lot of meat,” he admitted. As a southern boy it was inevitable. Most meals of his life consisted on some sort of variation of meat and potatoes. “Fake meat kind of weirds me out. Like why make stuff that’s supposed to taste like stuff your goal is to get rid of?” Dante didn’t want to get in a debate about vegetarianism but so far it seemed few conversations were off the table and he was curious to hear a vegetarian’s take on it.

“Yeah nope, that makes me want to stay out of the water even more. They get a lot closer to shore than people think. Last spring I think someone got bit here in Cape Cod and he was only in waist deep water,” Dante explained. The guy hadn’t even been surfing and Dante wasn’t about to get on a board to make himself look more seal like. Dante didn’t even want to think about how he was sitting in a car with someone who’d had their own encounter with a shark. It’d wig him out too much and make him not want to go to the beach.

Dante followed Copper into the house the interior wasn’t as grand as the outside and what little out of boxes didn’t seem like it came straight from a design magazine. “Cool, thanks,” Dante said letting himself into the bathroom. He kept his time in their short only pausing to fix his hair in the mirror for a moment before changing into his own swim trunks and carrying the rest of his clothes out the bathroom with him. “Do you need anything else from your place?” Dante asked following him into the living room. “You definitely scored on this place. If you got a roommate you’d probably never even run into them honestly.” Which was the best situation for roommates in Dante’s opinion. From his experience the closer he got to a roommate the messier things got. 

West narrowed his eyes then turned quickly to double check that the pop socket was actually as described and when he confirmed it, he turned around to hand over the phone. “Here you go. I think there are some security cameras in here, maybe some secret ones in places there shouldn’t be cameras, like the showers, but be more careful where you leave your things, bud.” The blond suggested and took a water sip from his bottle. “Never been a pop socket guy, by the way. I get the functionality of it, but I didn’t like having that big thing popping from my jeans pocket. Plus, it forces me to put my phone down when my hand gets really tired” He laughs. 

“Well I hope that’s not the case,” Dante said. He was comfortable with his physique but he was fairly certain that nobody wanted to be on some deep web candid camera. “But thanks, usually this thing’s tethered to me at all times but I guess I just had an intense run today. I’m feeling a little dizzy, I’ll admit,” Dante explained. He hadn’t had a bunch of water before getting on the treadmill so that probably played a hand in his forgetfulness. “You get used to the bulkiness pretty quick. They’re also handy in the car. I’ve got a special mount for it so I can have it hands free and use it for maps and stuff,” Dante shrugged.

Time: Mid afternoon

Lip balm, breath mints, and condoms were some of the best sellers at Toys of Eros; all of which had a place up by the register with Dante. They were the last minute impulse buys of the adult toy industry in many regards. What wasn’t a best seller were the crocheted willy shaped chapstick holders Dante made that lined the cash register. They were a novelty of course but the occasional purchase with a gag gift kept Dante supplying them. One can only reface lube labels and sanitize vibrators for so long and Dante typically had his hook and a crocheting project to keep him busy as he waited for customers.

Today, he was working on a rainbow chapstick holder when the door chimed. “Welcome to Toys of Eros, let me know if you need any help finding anything,” Dante proclaimed only glancing up from their stitching for a moment to make sure it wasn’t anyone they’d 86′d from the establishment.

Even though, they had a gym at the fire station, West liked coming to Adonis because the equipment was ages better, plus it was much closer to his place so he didn’t have to go to the station when he had days off but still wanted to take the killer 9AM abs of steel class. He was walking out from the room and spotted a lonely phone on one of the treadmills. He grabbed it and followed someone who seemed like was just getting off from it. “Hey, sorry. I think you left you phone over there.” He stated, tapping the person’s shoulder and holding up the phone. But then quickly hid it behind his body. “Wait, should have asked you first if you were just using the second treadmill on the first row and if you forgot something there, if both answers are correct then I’d ask you which color is the forgotten’s phone case. Just to make sure the phone is really yours” He chuckled and waited for the other to answer. 

Dante was only at the gym to avoid the Wright family beer gut. The moment his brothers quit playing football all the muscle they’d packed on melted into a Coors light six pack pretty quickly. Dante was built differently from them (no one expect him to be a quarterback that’s for sure) but he still feared his looks would go downhill if didn’t stay fit and even if his motivation was strictly for vanity purposes there were worst ways to spend the morning than on the treadmill. The run had left him in a bit of a daze. He felt like jello floating through the gym and was headed straight for the water fountain when he felt the tap on his shoulder which instantly had Dante feeling around for the phone that wasn’t in his pocket. “Yes,” Dante answered. “It’s mine it’s black with a solar system pop socket on it,” he explained before wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.

Ryan: we'll have to go shopping one day -- i'll find you a shirt that you'll LOVE

Ryan: well

Ryan: i have A pen just doesn't use the type of ink you'd normally use

Dante: I'll hold you to it. I need new shirts anyways. I got moths somehow so half my stuff has holes now

“Oh, it’s like a prolonged vacation,” Copper explained.  “Like sometimes you have a really stressful job, and you just need a break, so you take a sort of leave of absence.  Or sometimes you have other projects to work on.  Like one of my colleagues at my last job took a six month sabbatical to write a book, for instance.”  Copper said all this without really thinking about the fact that he was likely giving away the fact that he didn’t used to be a barista.  “Yeah, the winter isn’t going to phase me,” Copper stated confidently.  “I guess technically we’re a little more north here than where I lived in Rhode Island, but not by much at all, so the winter should be essentially the same as what I’m used to.”  He had always liked the cold weather anyway, so he was fine with it, but Copper reasoned, “It’s probably a lot different than what you were used to before moving here, wasn’t it?”  Copper grinned at Dante explained his reasoning, and he understood what the man meant.  “Otters are more popular than bears or a lot of other animals even,” he agreed.  “I think it’s probably because they’re so cute.  So yeah, I guess I get it.  If a company was going to make an organic snack like that, you would think they’d cater to what was more popular.  I guess Teddy Grahams already existed though, they just made them organic for rich people to fool themselves into thinking they’re being healthy.”

Smirking, Copper retorted, “None of the best serial killers come across as one,” and then he groaned.  Why had he said that?  “I don’t know why I do this,” Copper sighed, and he gave Dante a warm smile, hoping he still didn’t come across as a serial killer but rather as a hopelessly awkward guy just trying to be funny.  As they drove, Copper began directing Dante to where his house was, listening to the man talk about skateboarding.  “It’s a little different with surfing because if you fall, you just land in the water, so it’s like…a smoother landing or something, I guess.  But then you have to worry about drowning or, yes, shark attacks, though those aren’t nearly as common as people think.  But I get your point.  You’re not gonna drown or be eaten by a shark while skateboarding unless something goes very, very wrong.”  Laughing, Copper added, “So I take it we’re not going to be going surfing or skateboarding then anytime soon.”  They had reached Copper’s house, and he was suddenly self-conscious because it was a little big for one person, and it was definitely nicer than a barista could afford.  “I’m looking into getting a roommate,” Copper told Dante, as if this explained the size of the house, not adding that he didn’t actually need a roommate.  “Do you want to come in, or do you want to just wait out here while I run inside and change?”

It was becoming clear to Dante that Copper came from outside of the service industry world. Not once had Dante ever referred to one of his coworkers as a “colleague”. Nor was any of his coworkers from any past jobs able to quit their job to pursue writing a book... or be able to afford a beach house even if it was a steal of a deal. “No, winters up north here are way different. I’m not a fan I grew up outside of Houston and the coldest it ever got was 60, in the winter,” he explained. Up here it seemed people began breaking out the swim gear at that temperature, “Summers are terrible. It’s really unbearable going weeks on end in the 100s.” Overall Dante liked the weather up north more. He’d much rather bundle up in layers that have to suffer buck naked in front of an open refrigerator to stay cool. “Otters are cute but they already get plenty of love. I don’t really see the point of making any foods animal shaped. It’s kind”I’ of weird eating cute little mini versions of things, like goldfish crackers. I don’t really want to think about eating a ‘snack that smiles back’, you know?” Dante said with a shrug of his shoulder. He preferred cheez-its over goldfish anyways and graham crackers over the animal shaped varieties anyways. Food tasted just the same without all the whimsical shapes.

“Well I’ll be sure to return you to wherever you need to be before sundown just to be safe,” Dante joked. The beach Dante was planning to head to wouldn’t be completely desolate in the afternoon so any nefarious intentions that might be hiding behind this guy’s smile wouldn’t go unnoticed. “They’re not completely uncommon. There’s a lot of shark sightings here in Cape Cod,” Dante explained. “You ask any of the old guys drinking beer downtown and they’ll tell you all about the current state of things.” The house –– as expected –– completely out of a barista’s price range even with a roommate but Dante wasn’t going to comment. Whatever wealthy world Copper left clearly was something he was trying to put behind him even if his digs didn’t reflect it. “I’ll come in, I’ve got to pee and should probably just change into my trunks here,” Dante decided as he parked the car outside of their home. “Lead the way.”

Ryan: no light blue, wtf, that would look good with your skin idk why you don't have any

Ryan: but right yes, pink. bring it to me!

Ryan: well, i'd love to make a card for you but atm i'm afraid i'm short of a pen

Dante: noted and idk why i don't just don't find many shirts i like that are light blue.

Dante: omw

“I guess I’ll have to wait and see,” Copper replied.  “I’m planning to still be here in the off-season; I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.  There isn’t just like a prolonged sabbatical for me.”  Copper didn’t know if he would be here forever, but he knew for the time being that this was the best place for him, somewhere he could try and rebuild his mess of a life.  Smirking, Copper asked, “The organic Teddy Grahams are a real thing?  That was just something ridiculous I thought I made up.”  He had to laugh, amused by the fact that that was actually a thing that existed, not to mention what Dante said next.  “Wait, what is it about otters that make them more ‘organic’ than bears?”  Copper wanted to know Dante’s reasoning behind this claim.  “Maybe you should invent them,” he went on.  “Organic Otter Grahams.”  Truthfully that didn’t sound very appetizing, and Copper made a disgusted face before laughing again.  Already he was feeling more at ease.  More seriously, he considered, “Maybe I should stop by sometime just to see what they have, and I like bakery stuff.”  He didn’t have much else to do, so Copper thought he’d probably explore Gable’s sooner rather than later.  “So where is the best place to shop if not there?” he questioned Dante.  Chuckling, he asked, “So if two years isn’t long enough to make you local, how long is it gonna take?”

“You’re welcome,” Copper responded, smiling back at the other man, and then he took one of the cups.  “Really I should be thanking you.  It’s…honestly been a little lonely since moving here, so I’m glad to have someone to hang out with.”  They made their way to Dante’s car, and then Copper joked, “Don’t worry, I’m not a serial killer or something.”  Although he laughed, Copper’s smile faded seconds later as he acknowledged, “That’s exactly what a serial killer would say, isn’t it?”  Wasn’t this something guys did though sometimes?  A lot of his friends would meet strangers on Grindr or something and have them over.  Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing for Copper to get into Dante’s car or Dante to let Copper in, but he felt like they could trust each other.  So Copper got into the car, buckling his seatbelt.  “Do you surf?” Copper asked as they headed toward his house.  “I used to when I was in high school and during college - well during my undergraduate at least - and I’ve been thinking about getting back into it.”

“What’s a sabbatical?” Dante questioned. “The off-season is nice as long as you’re fine with knowing everyone in town and don’t mind a brutal winter but you said you’re from Rhode Island, right? You’re probably used to them,” Dante said. He was glad that he’d gone 22 years of his life without having to dig his car out of a foot of snow. There was no real explanation for what made an otter a more ‘organic’ feeling animal in his mind but he supposed he could try. These were the conversations worth having more than the weather in a couple of months. “I don’t know... just more trendy, I guess? They seem to always use trendy animals for things. Like isn’t there that company Annie’s that uses a bunny as a mascot. Bunnies are super trendy. Last week I think I came across an article about how ‘house bunnies’ are becoming the new house cat. Otters are just more trendy than bears. Everyone knows what a bear is. I don’t think I knew what an otter was until I was like nine,” Dante said hoping he’d expressed himself well enough. “I didn’t peg you as a serial killer,” Dante insisted. It didn’t look like the guy was carrying anything and if Dante was wrong, well, he should’ve known better and end up a cautionary tale but really Dante wasn’t worried. They were in his car after all and he kept a knife in there that Copper didn’t need to know about. Dante headed towards the beach sure that eventually Copper would step in to direct him towards his house. The question about surfing got him to shake his head. “I’ve never actually tried to if I’m being honest. I don’t think I’ve got the balance for them. The only time I stepped on a skateboard I fractured my wrist so I don’t think I’d be that much better at surfboarding also I’m not looking to be shark bait.