Read Online Rainbow Hill by Alex Carreras - Free Book Online Page A

don’t read too much into it. Plus we haven’t had any one-on-one time.”
    “That sounds like an excuse to me, and a bad one at that.”
    Ethan shifted, resting the phone between his shoulder and chin. He examined his cuticles, stalling. “Remember that I was only coming for a brief visit, and now I’m planning to stay for a yet undetermined amount of time. When I was ambushed with—” He waved his hands in frustration. “—this, Randall was not my primary concern.”
    “Point made,” Nikki mumbled. “But all I have to say is, you certainly have more willpower than me because Quinn looks good. Real good.” She hummed her approval, the sound bordering indecent. “He was always a cutie, but he is one hunk of a man now. Did you check out those shoulders? And that chest! I could trace those pecs with my tongue.” Nikki made that noise again, which was beginning to annoy the crap out of Ethan.
    “You have a husband,” Ethan reminded. “You can’t do that to him.”
    “I love Ryan, but he has bigger boobs than I do. And for some reason, I don’t think doing that to my husband would have the same desired effect as doing it to Quinn.”
    Ethan chuckled, forcing thoughts of Ryan’s moobs out of his head. “Let’s not discuss your husband’s or your chest size, okay? Or even Quinn’s, for that matter.”
    “You’re the one who brought it up.” Nikki paused.
    Ethan prepared for another round of questioning.
    “Where is the man in question now? Sleeping in the buff a few doors down? Or is he showering, all those manly parts—soapy, slick, and wet?”
    “You really haven’t matured much since high school, have you?”
    “It’s better than being a dried up, old, humorless prude. Where’s that boy I love so much? Did you leave him in the city?”
    “That boy grew up.”
    “That boy is full of himself,” Nikki teased.
    “So when are we getting together so you can do this friendly banter face to face?”
    “I was hoping you’d ask that.”
    Ethan was beginning to regret that he did.
    “I thought I could wrangle up a few old classmates and we could do karaoke at Rascals.”
    “That redneck truck stop place?” Ethan groaned. “Won’t I be lynched in a place like that?”
    “Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a bar by its clientele. Rascals is loads of fun. And FYI, the owner’s daughter is a lesbian. She came out last Christmas, and the place has never been the same.”
    “The more time I spend here, the more I’m surprised…and a little confused.”
    “Ethan, you’re always judging people. Do you realize that? And ironically, you are always fearful that you’re the one being judged because you’re gay. Times have changed, even in Jefferson. Granted, we still have prejudiced pricks, but their hate is not exclusive to gays only. Those people hate everyone except whites. And sometimes they’re not even safe.”
    Nikki was right. Ethan did judge people. But it was a protective mechanism, Ethan had been so used to doing it when growing up, and now he didn’t know how to stop doing it. “I’ll try my best to stop.”
    “And I’ll keep bringing it to your attention if you don’t.”
    “What are friends for?” Ethan responded under his breath.
    “Can I count you and Quinn in for the reunion sing-along?”
    “I can’t speak for him, but against my better judgment, I’ll start practicing my best rendition of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’.” Ethan started to hum a few bars of the eighties hit.
    “Haven’t you tortured me enough with that song?” Nikki spat. “It wasn’t even popular when we were growing up. Can’t you stick to songs people our age remember?”
    “I love that song,” Ethan admitted, feeling a little offended. “It’s soulful.”
    “It’s awful.”
    “Coming from the girl who knows every word to every Britney Spears song penned.”
    “Well, at least she’s not a sixty-year-old woman with a smoker’s voice and a bad frost job.”
    Ethan couldn’t