Read Online By Any Other Name by Tia Fielding - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tia Fielding
Tags: Gay & Lesbian
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Smiling, he sat in his chair and ignored his friend for the time being, just to give him space, if nothing else. In half an hour more, he heard a bit of a snore and turned to see that Skye had fallen asleep with the book on his chest and the blanket mostly covering his feet. He looked peaceful and much younger than he was, even though there was nothing boyish about Skye anymore. He was all man, and Dru had to admire that. Look but not touch, that was his personal rule. Thom wasn’t jealous, but his self-esteem was low enough for Dru to pay attention. Why would he make the man he loved feel bad when it could be avoided easily by keeping his paws to himself? It might prove to be tricky—after all, he did touch his closest friends often and without thinking—but Skye wasn’t just any friend, now was he?
He turned back to the screen and began to go through his newest assignment, a website for a gay bar in the city. He had told the owner he did pages and that theirs sucked—and not in a good way. The guy had been offended but had called the number on the business card Dru had slipped him. Now Axel was his new client, and not only did it mean that Dru could get into the club for free, but he could get more clients of the club scene, and maybe, if he played his cards right, there would be some GLBT charities he could work for and get the publicity. He hoped he could hire someone to help with the websites; technically, he could do that already, but he wanted to be absolutely sure he could pay someone who was a professional a suitable salary.
Around noon the doorbell rang, and he got up, glancing at Skye, who twitched in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Dru moved quietly down the stairs and to the door.
“Kara, hi,” he said in a whisper, and Kara raised her brows.
“Hi, bad timing?” she asked, and Dru shook his head.
“Not at all. Skye’s sleeping in the loft. Was just about to make some lunch anyway. Want some?” he asked, and Kara nodded. They closed the door quietly and walked into the kitchen.
Kara went to turn on the radio on the counter and turned the sound down a bit. Dru realized he hadn’t put on any music, which he usually needed to be able to concentrate. It had probably been the fact that Skye had been there, breathing and turning pages and then lightly snoring to fill the silence. Dru smiled a bit at the thought.
“What are we eating?” Kara asked, walking to the fridge like it was her own. The way their little circle used time in the kitchen, usually eating takeout but occasionally doing some basic cooking or sandwiches, it might as well have been.
“Paninis. Can you take out what we need and I’ll pop the bread in the oven?”
She did as asked, and they worked side by side for a while, chatting quietly and moving around each other like they so often did. They were just laughing at something when there was a cough from the stairs and they turned to look at the man descending.
“Skye, sleep well?” Dru asked and smiled, getting a slightly nervous nod in return.
“Yeah, I think the company helped,” Skye said, his eyes darting around a bit, his movements somehow awkward, like he didn’t know where to put his hands.
“This is Kara, our neighbor whose house we passed on the way here. Kara, this is Skye, my friend from ages ago.” Dru nodded, and Kara stepped forward only to stop and give Skye a little wave.
“Hi.” She smiled even though there was a bit of hesitation in her eyes.
“Hello,” Skye replied and moved to lean his hip on the edge of the island. That way he was between Kara and Dru. It was clear to Dru that he was already making Skye feel safe.
Dru leaned over to take the bread from the oven and left it to cool down a bit.
“Lunchtime.” Dru grinned, and Skye smiled a little. All of a sudden, the phone went off, and Skye jumped, but so did Dru. He went to pick up the annoying thing.
“Dru
Smiling, he sat in his chair and ignored his friend for the time being, just to give him space, if nothing else. In half an hour more, he heard a bit of a snore and turned to see that Skye had fallen asleep with the book on his chest and the blanket mostly covering his feet. He looked peaceful and much younger than he was, even though there was nothing boyish about Skye anymore. He was all man, and Dru had to admire that. Look but not touch, that was his personal rule. Thom wasn’t jealous, but his self-esteem was low enough for Dru to pay attention. Why would he make the man he loved feel bad when it could be avoided easily by keeping his paws to himself? It might prove to be tricky—after all, he did touch his closest friends often and without thinking—but Skye wasn’t just any friend, now was he?
He turned back to the screen and began to go through his newest assignment, a website for a gay bar in the city. He had told the owner he did pages and that theirs sucked—and not in a good way. The guy had been offended but had called the number on the business card Dru had slipped him. Now Axel was his new client, and not only did it mean that Dru could get into the club for free, but he could get more clients of the club scene, and maybe, if he played his cards right, there would be some GLBT charities he could work for and get the publicity. He hoped he could hire someone to help with the websites; technically, he could do that already, but he wanted to be absolutely sure he could pay someone who was a professional a suitable salary.
Around noon the doorbell rang, and he got up, glancing at Skye, who twitched in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Dru moved quietly down the stairs and to the door.
“Kara, hi,” he said in a whisper, and Kara raised her brows.
“Hi, bad timing?” she asked, and Dru shook his head.
“Not at all. Skye’s sleeping in the loft. Was just about to make some lunch anyway. Want some?” he asked, and Kara nodded. They closed the door quietly and walked into the kitchen.
Kara went to turn on the radio on the counter and turned the sound down a bit. Dru realized he hadn’t put on any music, which he usually needed to be able to concentrate. It had probably been the fact that Skye had been there, breathing and turning pages and then lightly snoring to fill the silence. Dru smiled a bit at the thought.
“What are we eating?” Kara asked, walking to the fridge like it was her own. The way their little circle used time in the kitchen, usually eating takeout but occasionally doing some basic cooking or sandwiches, it might as well have been.
“Paninis. Can you take out what we need and I’ll pop the bread in the oven?”
She did as asked, and they worked side by side for a while, chatting quietly and moving around each other like they so often did. They were just laughing at something when there was a cough from the stairs and they turned to look at the man descending.
“Skye, sleep well?” Dru asked and smiled, getting a slightly nervous nod in return.
“Yeah, I think the company helped,” Skye said, his eyes darting around a bit, his movements somehow awkward, like he didn’t know where to put his hands.
“This is Kara, our neighbor whose house we passed on the way here. Kara, this is Skye, my friend from ages ago.” Dru nodded, and Kara stepped forward only to stop and give Skye a little wave.
“Hi.” She smiled even though there was a bit of hesitation in her eyes.
“Hello,” Skye replied and moved to lean his hip on the edge of the island. That way he was between Kara and Dru. It was clear to Dru that he was already making Skye feel safe.
Dru leaned over to take the bread from the oven and left it to cool down a bit.
“Lunchtime.” Dru grinned, and Skye smiled a little. All of a sudden, the phone went off, and Skye jumped, but so did Dru. He went to pick up the annoying thing.
“Dru
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