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Either way, in spite of what he said, this wasn’t a real date. It wouldn’t hurt to find out what made him quite so… fabulous.
    Though at the moment the steely look in his eyes wasn’t encouraging. He looked pissed and seemingly at a loss for how to deal with my kind of stupid.
    “Hey, I didn’t mean to offend you. Let’s start over. What d’ya say?”
    Benny shot me an imperious sideways glance as he picked up his drink. “Fine. Try again.”
    I gave him a mock dirty look and cleared my throat. “So… tell me about yourself.”
    “My name is Ben—”
    “I know your name. Tell me something I don’t know, like… how old are you?” I asked for the second time.
    “Twenty-four. You?”
    “Thirty-one.”
    “Now what do we talk about for the next forty-seven minutes?”
    “I don’t know. Just… talk.”
    “Hmm. I have an idea. I’ll tell you something you’d never guess about me, then you do the same, capisce ?”
    “I think that’s more or less what I suggested, but sure… capisce .”
    “Here goes… I’m an incredible bowler.”
    “Bowler? Like ten pins and a bowling ball? That kind?”
    Benny rolled his eyes. “Yes, that kind. I used to play in a league twice a week in Hoboken with my cousin Shirley. The commute got to be a pain, so I quit the team a year ago, but if I do say so myself… I’m pretty darn good.”
    He was right. I didn’t expect that. His smug expression made me laugh.
    “I’m impressed. You went to Hoboken twice a week?”
    “Fuck you.” He chuckled good-naturedly. His eyes creased enticingly at the corners, giving him a boyishly sweet look no amount of eyeliner could hide. “I haven’t been in a while, but I’m going next week. I told Shirley I’d sub for someone on her team.”
    “Do you have a big family?”
    “Gigantic. I’m Italian. It comes with the territory. My immediate unit is just Mom and me, but I’ve got more aunts, uncles, and cousins than the average human.”
    “Trust me, I know the feeling. I’ve got the big Jewish family instead of the big Italian one. Every birthday party and anniversary was a freaking event when I was growing up. It still is that way. No one does things quietly in the Gulden family.”
    “Same here. Where I’m from, the quiet ones get ignored. You have to yell to make yourself visible. Or dye your hair.” Benny winked before throwing his hand in the air to get Don’s attention.
    Don nodded and motioned to me, silently asking if I wanted another. It would be number three. Hmm. I started to protest but decided to drink slowly instead. Hanging out with Benny wasn’t so bad. Sure, he was dressed a little… differently, but he was easy company. And there was something refreshing about being with someone so comfortable in his skin.
    “Did you dress like that when you were growing up?”
    “Insulting. Try again.”
    I gave him an exasperated look and downed the last of my martini just as Don arrived with the next round. I gently tapped my glass against Benny’s, accidentally nudging his thigh when I turned. The innocent contact made me curiously hungry for more. I pushed the thought aside and concentrated on him.
    “What I was trying to ask was—well, no… actually I got it right. Did you? The colors, the makeup… it might be politically correct to say they hardly matter, but let’s be honest, kids aren’t particularly PC. Especially teenagers. You’d have either been teased, beaten up, or both if you’d gone to my junior high school wearing pink.”
    “I was,” he said blandly. “Adolescence is not for the weak-spirited gay boy.”
    “Truth.” I tapped my glass against his and took a healthy sip.
    “Adulthood isn’t, either,” he added with a laugh. “At least I have a better understanding of the kind of idiots I’m up against now. I’ve learned along the way it’s best to just be yourself. You can’t rely on other people to make you happy or speak up for you. Il silenzio non fu mai scritto