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“A thank you gift for our hosts.”
We found the couple in the living room. Sawyer was sitting on the couch, and Alastair was stretched out with his head on his husband’s thigh. Alastair sat up when we joined them, and as Gabriel handed over the bag, he explained, “On the surface, it may look like this is just for Sawyer, but it’s actually for both of you. Sawyer can wear it, and Alastair can enjoy the view.”
Sawyer pulled a black silk corset from the bag, and a huge smile spread across his face as he said, “Oh yeah, we’ll definitely both enjoy this. Thanks, Gabriel.”
“There are four complete outfits in there. I think I got your size right, but I can make some alterations if the fit’s a bit off.”
“Everything you’ve ever made for me has fit perfectly,” Sawyer said, as he pulled a black silk and lace camisole from the bag. “Wow, this is beautiful. You went to a lot of trouble to make this stuff, so how can we repay you?”
Gabriel told him, “This is meant to be a thank you gift for letting us stay here. We want you to know we really appreciate it.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Alastair said. “The apartment would have just been sitting empty, which always feels like a waste. We’re both glad you got some use out of it.”
There was a knock at the door, and Sawyer got up and said, “I’ll get it.”
As he left the living room, Alastair peered into the bag and smiled. Then he said, “You’re right, this definitely is a gift for both of us. Thank you. It means a lot to Sawyer, too. You know how much he loves lingerie, and it’s almost impossible to find things that fit properly. Even stuff that’s supposedly made for men tends to be cut for a slim, androgynous body type, which doesn’t work for him.”
A few moments later, Sawyer and Roger came into the room. Roger was dressed in a dark blue suit and white shirt, but he’d left off the tie, which passed for dressing casually with him. He was carrying a pink bakery box and a small carton of cookies, and there was a large, padded mailer under his arm. After he put everything on the coffee table, he and Alastair grabbed each other in a back-slapping embrace and exchanged greetings.
Then Roger handed Alastair the carton of cookies, which had a picture of a baby on it, and said, “I heard you were puking your guts out mate, so I brought you your favorite digestive biscuits. They used to be the only thing you asked for when you were a kid and felt ill.”
“I love these,” Alastair said, with an embarrassed grin. “In fact, I was wishing I’d brought some back from the UK, so thank you.”
Roger turned to Gabriel and said, “I’m really sorry about going overboard and leasing that shop without even asking if it was something you wanted. I’ve brought you a dozen chocolate croissants, which I hope will distract you from being angry with me.”
Gabriel crossed the room and gave him a hug. “I’m not angry. It overwhelmed me at first, but I know you were trying to help. I’m worried about you though, because I know that must have cost a fortune, and I doubt you can get your money back if you signed a lease.”
Sawyer and Alastair had both returned to the couch, and Sawyer said, “I feel like we missed something. What are you two talking about?”
Roger sat in one of the gray armchairs around the coffee table, and Gabriel and I settled into the other as he explained, “That storefront I subleased on Castro Street, after you decided not to put another coffee house in that neighborhood. I got it for Gabriel when I heard he wanted to start a men’s lingerie company, but I didn’t bother checking with him first. That led to a bit of a fallout.”
Sawyer looked confused. “I didn’t know you were planning to start a company, Gabriel. Why didn’t you tell me, so I could help you?”
Roger’s brows shot up, and he blurted, “Shite! I’ve fucked up again, haven’t I? Gabriel didn’t want your help, so I probably shouldn’t have been talking about this.”
Gabriel quickly jumped in and said, “I just didn’t want to bother you and Alastair with this. You’ve both already done so much for me by letting me stay in this apartment, and I would have felt like I was trying to take advantage of our friendship.”
“We know you’d never try to take advantage of us,” Sawyer said, “and I’d love the opportunity to invest in your company.”
Gabriel said, “I decided to hold off on this idea, because I don’t know how to run a business, and I can’t afford the start-up costs.”
