Read Online The Guy With the Suitcase (Once Upon a Guy #1) by Chris Ethan - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Ethan
Ads: Link
halfway across Manhattan, at a place he had never been before, from what he remembered, and with an arts store calling him from across the street. He laughed. Life was such a weirdo sometimes. The way it worked you up. The way it mocked you.
He crossed the street and went inside. He bought a small sketchbook and a couple pens and pencils. To heck with his savings. He’d missed drawing. Having nothing to do for the rest of the day, he found his way to Mario’s and sat inside filling in the pages of his new possession. He was so indulged in his activity that he let his hot cocoa run cold, a sin of biblical proportions in his book.
He felt a cold hand on his shoulder and he jumped. It was Sonia.
“Sorry, sweetie, didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? You haven’t said a word in the…” she looked at the clock on the wall and calculated, “three hours you’ve been here. You haven’t even touched your cocoa. Is it not good? Do you want another one?” Her eyes were wide with concern and her lips sucked in forming a thin pale line.
He nodded. “I’m good, Sonia. Thanks. I’m just…I don’t know…I guess it has been so long since I’ve had a pen and paper that I got carried away,” he replied and she formed an indistinguishable smile. Rafe could tell just by the change in her eyes’ size. “I’ll take your offer on the cocoa, though,” he said.
“Ok, but you better drink this one, or I’ll call the meds to get you tested,” she chortled as she walked back to the counter.
“Gotcha,” Rafe replied and resumed his drawing. It had been three hours, yet it felt like only minutes since he’d sat down. He looked at what he’d been drawing. He hadn’t decided on anything before he started, but his hands had shaped a human body and then added the details, and looking at it now, the almost finished piece looked so much like Pierce he was astounded by both his lingering talent and his photographic memory concerning the man.
What had Pierce done to him? He seemed to be the one anchor that his mind went back to every time it remembered a traumatic experience. This kick-ass, macho, shy man who didn’t speak much but blushed a lot, was making his stomach ache, but in a good way. As if it would hold his breath captive until they saw each other again.
“Oh, who’s that? Your boyfriend?” Sonia sang as she put another cup next to Rafe. Rafe saw her looking at his pad.
“No. I wish,” he answered. What was wrong with him? Why did he keep saying that about Pierce every time someone asked him? He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance with Pierce. They were both homeless and hopeless. Even if they did manage to get something going, how long would it last before Rafe beat it? He was sick, and without money he would eventually die.
He downed his cocoa and decided to color Pierce in.
A hand pulled his notebook down, making him jump again. This time, it was Marissa.
“Hey, guuurl!” she said, taking a seat across him. “Whatcha doing?” She peeked at Rafe’s half-colored Pierce and hummed. “Mmm, who is this hottie?”
“No one,” Rafe said before he could express it as a wish like he’d done twice before.
“What’s up with you?” Marissa asked.
Sonia approached the table again and put down a cup of tea in front of her. “Oh, he’s been like that all day. I think someone is in love,” she said, prancing back to her counter.
Marissa laughed. “Is that true?”
He shook his head. Just because he’d drawn a guy he’d met and really liked didn’t mean he was in love. Just because he was sitting in silence not touching his hot drink didn’t mean he was infatuated.
“Com’on. You can tell me if you are. Who is it?” Marissa insisted, asking what he looked like and where he met him. Rafe was getting sick of the interrogation fast. He felt his blood rising inside of him and his skin getting hot.
“I’m not in love, Marissa. I was nearly raped, for fuck’s sake,” he scoffed
He crossed the street and went inside. He bought a small sketchbook and a couple pens and pencils. To heck with his savings. He’d missed drawing. Having nothing to do for the rest of the day, he found his way to Mario’s and sat inside filling in the pages of his new possession. He was so indulged in his activity that he let his hot cocoa run cold, a sin of biblical proportions in his book.
He felt a cold hand on his shoulder and he jumped. It was Sonia.
“Sorry, sweetie, didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? You haven’t said a word in the…” she looked at the clock on the wall and calculated, “three hours you’ve been here. You haven’t even touched your cocoa. Is it not good? Do you want another one?” Her eyes were wide with concern and her lips sucked in forming a thin pale line.
He nodded. “I’m good, Sonia. Thanks. I’m just…I don’t know…I guess it has been so long since I’ve had a pen and paper that I got carried away,” he replied and she formed an indistinguishable smile. Rafe could tell just by the change in her eyes’ size. “I’ll take your offer on the cocoa, though,” he said.
“Ok, but you better drink this one, or I’ll call the meds to get you tested,” she chortled as she walked back to the counter.
“Gotcha,” Rafe replied and resumed his drawing. It had been three hours, yet it felt like only minutes since he’d sat down. He looked at what he’d been drawing. He hadn’t decided on anything before he started, but his hands had shaped a human body and then added the details, and looking at it now, the almost finished piece looked so much like Pierce he was astounded by both his lingering talent and his photographic memory concerning the man.
What had Pierce done to him? He seemed to be the one anchor that his mind went back to every time it remembered a traumatic experience. This kick-ass, macho, shy man who didn’t speak much but blushed a lot, was making his stomach ache, but in a good way. As if it would hold his breath captive until they saw each other again.
“Oh, who’s that? Your boyfriend?” Sonia sang as she put another cup next to Rafe. Rafe saw her looking at his pad.
“No. I wish,” he answered. What was wrong with him? Why did he keep saying that about Pierce every time someone asked him? He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance with Pierce. They were both homeless and hopeless. Even if they did manage to get something going, how long would it last before Rafe beat it? He was sick, and without money he would eventually die.
He downed his cocoa and decided to color Pierce in.
A hand pulled his notebook down, making him jump again. This time, it was Marissa.
“Hey, guuurl!” she said, taking a seat across him. “Whatcha doing?” She peeked at Rafe’s half-colored Pierce and hummed. “Mmm, who is this hottie?”
“No one,” Rafe said before he could express it as a wish like he’d done twice before.
“What’s up with you?” Marissa asked.
Sonia approached the table again and put down a cup of tea in front of her. “Oh, he’s been like that all day. I think someone is in love,” she said, prancing back to her counter.
Marissa laughed. “Is that true?”
He shook his head. Just because he’d drawn a guy he’d met and really liked didn’t mean he was in love. Just because he was sitting in silence not touching his hot drink didn’t mean he was infatuated.
“Com’on. You can tell me if you are. Who is it?” Marissa insisted, asking what he looked like and where he met him. Rafe was getting sick of the interrogation fast. He felt his blood rising inside of him and his skin getting hot.
“I’m not in love, Marissa. I was nearly raped, for fuck’s sake,” he scoffed
Similar Books
