AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good for you,” she said. “So, what are you gonna do, Casanova?”
There was silence on the phone as I tried to answer her question. I wanted to sound brave, even fierce with my response. “I’m not sure.”
“Oh, my fucking God,” she moaned.
“I really like Chad,” I stated. “I want to be with him.”
“Then make it happen, asshole,” she said. “You’re successful. You’re a catch. You’re fucking loaded, too.”
“He’s not a big fan of money,” I stated.
“Even better,” she said. “Wow! That’s a first for a gay guy, isn’t it?”
“Like I said, Chad is different from any guy I’ve met.”
“Then get going already,” she urged. “Guys like him don’t stay single long.”
I hadn’t thought about that. How did I know whether Chad was seeing someone else? I didn’t.
“Thanks for the call, Marla. You’re a good friend.”
“But seriously, Cole. You’ve got this. You are a good partner. I’ve witnessed you in a relationship. You’re good at it, and I mean that,” she said. “And please don’t let old, tired, voices convince you that you don’t have something to offer, because you do.”
“You really think so?”
“I really do,” she answered. “And rumor has it that Alan has been saying he made a mistake in leaving you.”
Her comment caught me off guard. I should have been thrilled by her news, but I wasn’t. Alan ruined what we’d had. I could never trust him again, even if I felt like I missed us every single day. I was surprised to hear myself think such thoughts. Maybe I could see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The pinprick of light was very tiny at best, but I could envision a life after Alan, and that was indeed an achievement.
“I wish he would’ve felt like that the day before he left,” I admitted. After admitting that to her, I felt oddly free. “Surprisingly, Marla, I feel absolutely nothing hearing you say that.”
“And that, my friend, is the best news I’ve heard this year. I love you, Cole. You’re lovable. You hear me?” she asked.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone and walked to the edge of the deck. The waves were small and quiet due to the calm and sweltering day. The view was spectacular and suddenly I felt a tiny bit less alone.
“You need to convince him he can love again.” I jumped out of my skin, turning in every direction to find the voice I’d just heard as clear as day. “You didn’t think I’d leave your ass alone, did you?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Chad
After my third honk, Cole opened his front door, stretching and yawning, wearing only boxers. My heart skipped a beat and my dick reminded me it’d been a while since any attention was paid to it.
“Howdy, sleepyhead,” I said, jumping out of my Jeep. “Put some trunks on and get your lazy butt out here.”
He yawned again. I’d definitely woken him. “What for?” he asked, rearranging some fairly large morning wood in his boxers.
“You and I are detailing our fleets today,” I said.
“You call your one Jeep a fleet?” he quipped. “Besides, I’ve never washed a car before,” he replied. “Let alone detailed one. Whatever that even means.”
“Great! Today is the day you learn, my friend,” I stated, pulling my vintage Nirvana T-shirt over my head and tossing it into my Jeep. I crossed my arms while his eyes devoured me. I knew he found me attractive. Hell, I found him the same way. “Chop-chop, mister,” I ordered.
“I need to brush my teeth,” he said. “And what time is it, by the way?”
“It’s nine,” I said. “I’ve been up since six, and you don’t need to brush your teeth. This ain’t no job interview. I’m the boss and you’ve got exactly five minutes to report to duty.”
Cole stepped back into his house and slammed the door. Maybe my surprise visit wasn’t going over as well as I’d hoped. I wanted to get to know him better and hoped we could bond over washing cars. One of my favorite tasks. He’d been on my mind for days and as hard as I resisted imagining anything between us, my brain or my heart—I wasn’t sure which—wouldn’t let my imagination cease running wild with thoughts of him.
