Read Online Alex & Clayton by John Simpson - Free Book Online

the shop, how he might change some things, and what he needed to order from vendors. He thought about his target date for opening and was confident that he could make it, even if he only had the stock on the shelves to sell. He began to regain his sense of well-being, but in spite of that, he still felt lonely.
     
     
    A LEX had made a list of what to buy at the furniture store and was determined to find exactly what he needed for the house and not one thing more. He was not a fan of shopping for anything but guns, and they were no longer a necessity in his life.
    As he walked among the sofas and chairs, he spotted a guy about his age who was kind of hot in a nerdy sort of way. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt that showed off a body in fairly decent shape. At one point, the stranger looked over at Alex, and Alex was floored by the other guy’s eyes. They smiled at each other, and Alex quickly checked for a wedding ring, smiling again when he didn’t find one.
    But as the proverbial ships passing in the night, they wandered off into other parts of the store. A salesperson was glued to Alex’s hip now that he was saying, “I’ll take that and….”
    By the time Alex was done, he had spent just over ten thousand dollars. He had everything he needed, and he was happy with the quality and the look of the furniture. He even squeezed an extra five percent off the total because he had spent so much money. He also blackmailed them into promising free delivery within two days. The only thing he failed to buy was something for the bare walls. He knew some art would give his new home a personality, but he literally knew nothing about what to buy. He needed advice from someone who knew what they were talking about.
     
     
    C LAYTON also found what he wanted at the furniture store, and his bill was just over five thousand dollars, since he only had a one-bedroom condo to furnish. He had brought lamps and paintings from his family home, so he didn’t need to buy lighting fixtures or art. His purchases would be delivered in four days, and he paid for delivery.
     
     
    A COUPLE of weeks passed before both houses were fully set up and pleasing to their owners. Alex still needed art for the walls, but he was in no hurry. Not only were the houses set up, but Clayton had his bookstore cleaned, new stock had been delivered, and announcements were made about the grand reopening of Rehoboth Beach’s only gay bookstore:
    “Clayton’s Rainbow is open for business on Monday, October 1st, and the community is cordially invited to visit. In addition to on-site purchases, be sure to visit Clayton’s Rainbow on the web, and order your books for delivery!”
     
    The night before the grand reopening, Clay was lying in bed, unable to sleep. Had he thought of everything? Was there anything that could ruin the smooth operation of the business? When his mental review was finished, and he found nothing obvious that needed attention, he finally fell asleep.
     
     
    O N THE morning of Clayton’s Rainbow’s opening, Alex sat down at his kitchen table with his coffee and opened the morning paper. As he skimmed the headlines and news stories, he came across the announcement advertising the gay bookstore. Alex smiled and thought, Nice! I’ve got a source for porn mags!
    Alex poured a second cup of coffee and decided that after he finished it, he would take a walk over to the bookstore and see what the place looked like open for business. He also decided to see what sort of nightlife they had in Rehoboth Beach in the off-season. Later that evening, he’d go out for dinner and pay a visit to the Blue Moon Bar. This was turning out to be an interesting day!
     
     
    C LAYTON got up, showered, put on coffee, and walked out onto his balcony while it brewed. He took a deep breath of the crisp air, cool but not cold now that the sun was up. It looked like the perfect type of day to open a new business! He heard the coffeemaker beeping and went back