Dedication
For Jenn and Noah
With gratitude to Lyn Lucas,
Judy Peddle, Jan, Laurie, Tena, & Lyn
Chapter 1
THE small coffee table turned over twice, crashing upside down. The beveled-glass surface shattered.
“Get the fuck out of here, and don’t come back! I’ve had it with you and your bullshit flirtations. You want to pick up every random guy you see, fine with me. But no more coming home to my place.”
“But, Derek, you know that’s not true. I may be a flirt, but I’m still all yours. Besides, I thought this apartment was ours.”
“It was my place before I met you, and it’ll be my place after you’ve gone. I’m just clearing out the unwanted and unnecessary merchandise. You’ve been too well used by this point anyway.” Derek marched off toward the bedroom.
Jeff felt sick to his stomach. It was as if he’d been literally punched in the gut.
Before he disappeared from view, Derek tossed over his shoulder, “Leave your key on the way out. You’ve got my number. Just text with your address, and I’ll have your shit sent to you.”
Jeff started, the bedroom door slamming shut with a crack as loud as thunder. He gazed around, taking in the condition of the room. It was in a shambles. This was the worst in a line of incidents becoming more and more frequent the closer he tried to get to Derek. But this wasn’t what he’d bargained for.
Jeff had thought he’d found the man of his dreams in Derek when they’d met a year earlier. Unfortunately, once he moved in, with promises of monogamy from both of them, Derek couldn’t handle it any time Jeff even looked at another man for more than a split second.
He’d heard about abusive relationships, but Jeff had never been in the midst of one before. Now it was all he could do to grab a few things he’d left in the kitchen and hurry off. Although unscathed physically, his heart and spirit were broken. Fortunately, it was near the end of summer, so the weather was good; at least he wasn’t being turned out into the cold and snow. Clutching his meager belongings in his arms, Jeff didn’t know where to go.
WALKING down the streets of Boston, heading for his dead-end job as a bank teller, Craig wished his creative side was able to make him money. He’d spent his short adult life searching for the ideal job to combine his desire for the outlandish and unusual with his mercenary side. It was a merger that seemed impossible to bring about.
Backpack on his back, Craig rapidly approached the Boston Bank and Trust Company, stopping just a few yards away when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He immediately thought of ten different jokes about vibrators, all of which would fall flat on the straight postgrads marking time with him at the bank.
Not caring who was on the other end, but welcoming the distraction from his depressing thoughts, Craig answered his phone. “Talk to me. I need entertainment.”
“Oh, Craig! I don’t know where to go, what to do, or who to do it with.”
Through bouts of weepy gasps in-between each word or phrase, Craig made out the distinct, almost sing-song voice of his best friend.
“Jeff, what’s got you in such a snit?”
“It’s not a snit. Well, it’s certainly not a typical snit.”
“Oh. What’s darling Derek done this time?” Craig hated Jeff’s boyfriend and wished he’d evaporate from the planet—or their lives at the very least.
“He’s not so darling anymore.” Jeff was obviously sniffling, recovering from a good cry.
“You just came to that conclusion?” Craig rolled his eyes. He wanted to belt Derek one right across the jaw. Only the fear that the creep would have him arrested and charged with assault had stopped him from doing just that many months ago, and it still kept him from belting Derek, no matter how much he deserved it.
While Jeff had never shown up with a black eye or black and blue skin, it was crystal clear Derek was scaring him into submission, and not the kind of submission that could be fun with the proper rules and regulations.
“This time it’s over for good. He kicked me out.”
Inwardly cheering, Craig knew Jeff would be devastated. His first true romance ended, albeit with a long overdue finale. “Maybe it’s for the best.” Craig arrived at the entrance to the bank but, wanting to be a supportive friend, didn’t enter and remained on the pavement and continued to talk to his friend. “Listen, I just got to my jail. How about lunch? Can you make it?”
“That would be great, but what do I do until then? I’m off today, and I have no place to go.”
Craig sighed. “You have my key.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d been entertaining. Wouldn’t want to walk in on someone in your shower and scare the shit out of him.”
“No, Jeff. No entertaining this morning or last night. In fact, it’s been a pretty dry week.”
“You?”
“Yes, me. My dick isn’t always in a state of full-alert 24/7.”
“Could have fooled me.” Jeff laughed. It sounded nice.
“I’m glad my sex life gives you such a big thrill. That alone should tell you how yours has been.”
“Hey! The sex was great.” Jeff sounded almost put out.
“I’m sorry, the sex was great. It was just his attitude the other twenty-three and a half hours of the day that sucked with Mr. Wonderful.” Craig could envision Jeff biting his lip. “I’m sorry, hon, but you know he’s a total jerk when he’s not fucking you. Maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.”
“I know you’re right, but it was fabulous having someone love and want only me.”
“Except he didn’t want you. He wanted his version of who you should be and how you should behave. He didn’t want the terrific guy I know, the Jeff who loves men, loves to flirt, and loves to get attention. He could never see the man who’s capable of flirting and still able
