This is a small excerpt from one of my works in progress, False Starts, which is about two guys in college who make a ton of mistakes and fall in love.

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The Magnetic Fields blasted on the radio, and Blake felt like dancing. It wasn’t normal dance music—as least not fast, chest-thumping dance music, all bleached out by synthesizers. It was more classic than that, more rhythmic, and whenever Blake heard that music, he either wanted to dance or to fuck, and dancing was easier to do in public.

They spent so much time at Rocket Pizza precisely because it played music like this. Blake tapped his toe, and shook his hips a bit, trying to work the rhythm through. Fuck but he loved this song.

Jay carried over their regular pizza—cheese, because the cheese here was so good, they’d never bothered to try anything else—and Blake grabbed a bite before the pizza had even hit the table.

“A little eager tonight, huh?” Jay said, settling into the bar stool.

“Just hungry,” Blake grunted. “Long day.”

“Beer?” Jay said, handing him a PBR, chilled to perfection. Blake knew it made him kind of a hipster, but he still liked PBR, ironically or not.

“Yes, always,” Blake said, chugging it down. Jay just gave him a nudge, and laughed.

“Man, where did the girls get to?” Jay said.

Blake just shrugged. Their girlfriends were supposed to meet them here, but it was still early, especially for a Friday. “They’ll be here,” he said, grabbing another piece.

Jay shifted in his seat uncomfortably, and Blake noticed for the first time what he was wearing. Nice slacks, a button-down shirt, some sort of product in his hair. “Why are you so fancy?” he said.

To his surprise, Jay blushed. Actually blushed. Jay had reddish brown hair, and a normally pale complexion, but when he blushed it went all the way from his neck to his sculpt. He looked like a tomato. It was not subtle. “No reason.”

Blake set his pizza down, and studied him. “Ok, what’s going on?”