shop, slamming the door violently behind him.
As the shop’s bell threatened to topple from its bracket, James searched the faces around him. “I don’t understand. What did I say?”
Jess cleared her throat. “Did you know Ash’s parents died?”
“Yes. When he was nineteen.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t tell you any of the details.”
“No. He didn’t.”
Jess placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. He doesn’t like to talk about it. It took him three years to tell me.”
With a sinking sensation in his stomach, he listened as Jess told the story. On Ash’s nineteenth birthday, he had gone out celebrating with his friends from university. The next day he had arrived home to a scene of devastation. A massive fire had ripped through his home, burning it to the ground with his sleeping parents inside. Nothing remained. No photos, no mementos, and no family. Without any other relatives, the house fire left Ash alone and lonely.
James’s stomach roiled. He had not really believed it when Ash said he wanted a home and a partner. Like a movie camera shifting focus to the long shot, the details in the background became clear. Ash longed for connection and had always wanted a committed relationship.
Of course. Great! Now, he had ruined everything with his selfish and rash actions!
Rachael placed her hand on James’s arm. “I’ll go see him this afternoon. It’ll be okay, James.”
“It will,” said Jess.
“Of course it will,” said Stephanie.
He stared at the scuff on his shoe. “Yeah…. Sure it will.” Standing quickly, he moved to the shop counter and grabbed the box of pens for sale.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven blue pens. Two, four, six, eight, ten red pens. Three, six, nine, ten sparkly pens….
Chapter 11
J AMES PUSHED open the door. The pulsing heat and music slammed into him, causing his step to falter. A bar. A crowded bar.
Every pair of eyes, all male, turned to zero in on them.
Ash had brought him to a gay bar.
Ash grinned, then forged into the fray. With a spring in his step, James followed. Ash’s grin made his heart light. Over the last two weeks, Ash’s reserve had slowly melted, and he no longer moved away from James’s touch. Maybe, just maybe everything would be all right.
They snaked through the crowded bar area and skirted the dance floor. Thankfully, they left behind the sweaty mass of gyrating half-naked young men and headed toward the promise of a slightly more civilized experience—a row of red vinyl-covered booths.
As he followed Ash through the noisy throng toward a vacant booth, interested and appreciative eyes followed his young man. He slid his hand to the curve of Ash’s back and lingered there until they reached their destination.
Once settled into the booth, he placed his arm across the padded seat and around Ash’s shoulders. It was a little obvious, but he needed to stake his claim before any of the locals decided to move in for an attack. “So, this is an unusual choice.”
Ash chewed on his bottom lip. “Well, I thought… maybe, it might give me a little more insight into our relationship and being gay… or something.”
James grimaced. “I think this is probably the last place I’d choose for that.”
A bar filled with half-naked young men, all looking to hook up, was the last place James would ever visit. To make matters worse, Ash looked particularly gorgeous tonight. Was Ash ready to fend off the advances that were sure to follow? Likewise, was he ready to witness those same advances? “We’ve never been to one together, and I don’t think it was your kind of scene before you met me.”
Ash laughed. “Are you saying I wasn’t into men before I met you?”
“Well, no. I didn’t mean that.” He bit back a smile. “Just, don’t make eye contact with anyone for more than three seconds.”
“What?”
He forced his face into a serious expression. “In a place like this, it’s a silent signal that
As the shop’s bell threatened to topple from its bracket, James searched the faces around him. “I don’t understand. What did I say?”
Jess cleared her throat. “Did you know Ash’s parents died?”
“Yes. When he was nineteen.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t tell you any of the details.”
“No. He didn’t.”
Jess placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. He doesn’t like to talk about it. It took him three years to tell me.”
With a sinking sensation in his stomach, he listened as Jess told the story. On Ash’s nineteenth birthday, he had gone out celebrating with his friends from university. The next day he had arrived home to a scene of devastation. A massive fire had ripped through his home, burning it to the ground with his sleeping parents inside. Nothing remained. No photos, no mementos, and no family. Without any other relatives, the house fire left Ash alone and lonely.
James’s stomach roiled. He had not really believed it when Ash said he wanted a home and a partner. Like a movie camera shifting focus to the long shot, the details in the background became clear. Ash longed for connection and had always wanted a committed relationship.
Of course. Great! Now, he had ruined everything with his selfish and rash actions!
Rachael placed her hand on James’s arm. “I’ll go see him this afternoon. It’ll be okay, James.”
“It will,” said Jess.
“Of course it will,” said Stephanie.
He stared at the scuff on his shoe. “Yeah…. Sure it will.” Standing quickly, he moved to the shop counter and grabbed the box of pens for sale.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven blue pens. Two, four, six, eight, ten red pens. Three, six, nine, ten sparkly pens….
Chapter 11
J AMES PUSHED open the door. The pulsing heat and music slammed into him, causing his step to falter. A bar. A crowded bar.
Every pair of eyes, all male, turned to zero in on them.
Ash had brought him to a gay bar.
Ash grinned, then forged into the fray. With a spring in his step, James followed. Ash’s grin made his heart light. Over the last two weeks, Ash’s reserve had slowly melted, and he no longer moved away from James’s touch. Maybe, just maybe everything would be all right.
They snaked through the crowded bar area and skirted the dance floor. Thankfully, they left behind the sweaty mass of gyrating half-naked young men and headed toward the promise of a slightly more civilized experience—a row of red vinyl-covered booths.
As he followed Ash through the noisy throng toward a vacant booth, interested and appreciative eyes followed his young man. He slid his hand to the curve of Ash’s back and lingered there until they reached their destination.
Once settled into the booth, he placed his arm across the padded seat and around Ash’s shoulders. It was a little obvious, but he needed to stake his claim before any of the locals decided to move in for an attack. “So, this is an unusual choice.”
Ash chewed on his bottom lip. “Well, I thought… maybe, it might give me a little more insight into our relationship and being gay… or something.”
James grimaced. “I think this is probably the last place I’d choose for that.”
A bar filled with half-naked young men, all looking to hook up, was the last place James would ever visit. To make matters worse, Ash looked particularly gorgeous tonight. Was Ash ready to fend off the advances that were sure to follow? Likewise, was he ready to witness those same advances? “We’ve never been to one together, and I don’t think it was your kind of scene before you met me.”
Ash laughed. “Are you saying I wasn’t into men before I met you?”
“Well, no. I didn’t mean that.” He bit back a smile. “Just, don’t make eye contact with anyone for more than three seconds.”
“What?”
He forced his face into a serious expression. “In a place like this, it’s a silent signal that
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