by DJ Monroe
“From what I saw out there on that basketball court, the way you interacted with those kids, you’re pretty good at that,” Colton said, pouring more wine into both of their glasses.
“What about you?” Lincoln asked. “What would you do if the unthinkable happened and you lost your job?”
“I like my job and I’ve been there five years, so I don’t think I’d have a hard time finding another one in the same field,” Colton said honestly.
“So, you’d stay in IT?”
Colton sighed. “Well, I’ve always wanted to study interior design, maybe start my own design business one day, but -.” He stopped. Grant had always told him it was a dumb idea and he’d pushed it aside. “Well, that would be a big step.”
Lincoln looked around the room. “So you decorated this apartment?”
Colton nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
“You have really good taste,” Lincoln said. “I like the way you’ve used contemporary furnishings but still made it feel warm and homey.”
Colton’s breath caught in his throat. He looked away and blinked a few times. Now, why should a simple compliment like that from a stranger, almost bring tears to his eyes?
“I hope your partner appreciates what you’ve done,” Lincoln said, smiling and placing his glass on the coffee table.
“You know what, I’m starving,” Colton said, changing the subject. He wasn’t about to mention the fact that Gran rarely noticed his surroundings, whether Colton had done the decorating or not. “I say we get those steaks started and Richard can just take what’s left over when he gets here.”
“Agreed,” Lincoln, placing his glass on the table and standing up. “What can I do to help?”
“If you’ll man the grill, I’ll set the table,” Colton said.
“Deal. How do you like your steaks?”
Colton handed him the tender steaks which had been marinating all day. “Medium rare.”
“That’ll be easy. That’s the way I like mine, too,” Lincoln said with a little chuckle.
Out on the balcony, Lincoln placed the steaks on the hot grill.
Making sure to keep his eyes off those form-fitting jeans, Colton balanced two salads on a tray and then scurried back in for the bread. When he returned with refilled wine glasses, he was met with the satisfying sizzle.
“I hope you like this dressing I made,” Colton said. Being in such a small space with Lincoln sent his senses reeling and he fought to control his shaking hands. “If not, I can get you something else.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Lincoln said. He added it to his salad and then speared a slice of tomato and popped it into his mouth. “Delicious. Maybe you should think about going into catering. This looks and tastes amazing.”
Again, Colton found himself almost in tears over the simple compliment. He concentrated on his salad, wondering what in the world was wrong with him today. He couldn’t remember being this emotional for a while.
“Great,” Colton said, sitting down across from him.
They talked about the neighborhood and Mr. Ashley while crunching down their salads, with Lincoln getting up to check the steaks from time to time. Colton kept his eyes on his salad. Maybe, once he matched up Lincoln with Richard, he would stop noticing every move this big, beautiful man made.
“Steaks are ready,” Lincoln announced.
Colton took their empty salad bowls to the kitchen. He returned with plates and baked potatoes and then went back for all the fixings.
“You have simply outdone yourself,” Lincoln said when they were seated at the table again.
“It’s really a pretty simple meal but one of my favorites,” Colton told him.
“Mine, too,” Lincoln said as he watched Colton cut into his steak. “How is it?”
Colton placed the delectable morsel in his mouth and chewed. “Ummmm, perfect.”
“Good,” Lincoln said, his smile coming easier now and more often.
While they ate, they talked more about Lincoln’s involvement with the neighborhood boys and the weather and a myriad of other subjects which included Colton’s dreams of owning his own design business. Lincoln seemed genuinely interested and asked intelligent questions that gave Colton even more ideas.
“You should write all of this down and put together a business plan,” Lincoln suggested.
“I suppose I’ll need that won’t I,” Colton said, wishing Grant was as excited about his idea as Lincoln appeared to be.
The wine flowed as freely as the conversation between them, causing Colton to open a second bottle. Eventually, Colton stopped worrying about whether Richard was going to show or not. He was disappointed, but he found himself enjoying Lincoln’s company more with each passing moment.
When their plates were empty, Colton offered dessert.
Lincoln declined. “Sorry, I am stuffed.”
“Just a thin slice of cheesecake,” Colton offered again and then grinned. “Strawberry.”
Lincoln hesitated and then laughed. “Okay, but just a small piece.”
Back in the kitchen, Colton sliced into the cheesecake he’d made that morning and carried saucers back out to the table. “More wine?”
“How about coffee?” Lincoln suggested.
“Sounds good,” Colton said and rushed out to the kitchen again.
When he returned with two steaming mugs, Lincoln took one of them and sipped.
“I’d like to ask you a question, if you don’t mind,” Colton said.
“Okay,” Lincoln said.
“If I’m stepping out of line, just tell me to mind my own business,” Colton continued.
Lincoln nodded.
“The letter you received that I opened by mistake. I read it before I realized it wasn’t meant for me,” Colton began.
Lincoln’s gaze hardened but he didn’t stop Colton from talking. “I figured you had.”
“So I know you lost someone close to you.”
“This is true,” Lincoln said. His voice, his whole demeanor had changed and Colton was beginning to wish he hadn’t brought up the subject. “It wasn’t the first time but, I promise you, it will be the last.”
Chapter Seven
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Colton said, hating that this charming, intriguing man might choose to be alone for the rest of his life.
Just like Richard had promised he would be when he and Jeremy broke up.
God, he was lucky to have Grant.
“It’s for the best,” Lincoln said, appearing to recover somewhat.
“Maybe you’ll change your mind once you’ve had time to heal,” Colton suggested.
“Nope. Not gonna happen again,” Lincoln said with finality. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound negative.”
Colton changed the subject and by the time they’d finished their coffee, it was growing dark and they were back on friendly ground again. Lincoln left soon after that.
While cleaning up after the meal and loading the dishwasher, Colton called Richard and still there was no answer. He left another voice mail, telling him that he’d missed spending an evening with a delightful man. It was his loss.
Later, in bed, he called Grant. Just as he was about to hang up, Grant answered sounding abrupt and impatient.
“How do you always know to call when I’m trying to eat dinner?” Grant wanted to know.
“Hello, darling. I love you, too,” Colton said, glancing at his watch. “Why are you eating dinner at ten at night?”
“It’s been a long day,” Grant snapped.
“Evidently,” Colton said, sorry he’d interrupted what was probably the only quiet time Grant had that day. “I really just wanted to talk to you about the dinner party I had this evening.”
“Yeah, how did it go?” Grant asked.
“Well, Richard was a no show. And he was a big part of my plan,” Colton said.
“Uh huh,” Grant grunted.
“But I really enjoyed talking to Lincoln. He’s a teacher and he
really loves his work. I think you’ll like him, too,” Colton said and, as his excitement increased, he continued. “I’ll invite him over for dinner again when you come home. I really do think that he and Richard would be perfect for each other. If I can get Richard to slow down and—”
“Look,” Grant interrupted. “I’m coming home Wednesday night. Can we talk about this then?”
“Yes, of course,” Colton said. “I was just excited and I wanted to share it with you. You know, for me, things aren’t real until I tell you about them.”
“I know,” Grant said. “I’ll be home not long after you get off work Wednesday. We can talk about it then.”
Colton’s heart skipped a beat and his stomach did a that little flip that it did when he knew Grant was coming home. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Same here,” Grant said.
“And I promise to make you glad you came home,” Colton said, a seductive tone sliding into his voice, one that he hoped would make Grant as excited about coming home as he was.
“You always do,” Grant said. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
Colton tapped the screen, slid down onto his pillow and hugged Grant’s pillow close. His last thought was about how lucky he and Grant were to have found each other and to be so compatible for the most part. He dozed off to sleep with a smile on his face.
IN THE END, LINCOLN was glad he’d taken Colton up on his dinner invitation. He looked around his apartment, realizing just how lifeless and cold he had let it become. Just because Jon was gone, he didn’t have to live like this. He decided he would invite Colton over to help him redecorate and offer to pay him for his services. After showing him the furniture he had in storage, he’d let Colton pick out what to move over here.
Maybe Colton would help him pick out some artwork to brighten the place up. He smiled, picturing the look on Colton’s face when they talked about the way he had decorated his own apartment.
The most interesting part of that conversation was that Lincoln wanted to kiss him. He shrugged off that thought. Colton was taken and Lincoln hoped his partner knew what a gem he had.
Soon, he would be out on the scene again, picking up strangers and bringing them home. Decorating the apartment would be for him only. He didn’t need to make an impression on any of them, but it would make him feel more comfortable.
Just as he settled into bed, making a note to himself to mention the redecorating to Colton when he saw him again, his phone chimed. Seeing his dad’s number on the screen made him smile, and he sat up on the edge of the bed to answer. Talking to his dad always helped and, somehow, the old man knew exactly when Lincoln needed to talk.
A few nights ago he’d been sure he never wanted to talk to or see anyone ever again, but Colton had been right, the intimate dinner had brought him out of that shell and started the healing process.
“Dad,” Lincoln said, immediately putting the phone on speaker.
“Hello, son.” His dad’s voice was firm and steady, always had been, always would be and it always settled Lincoln’s anxiety. "Just wanted to check and see how you weathered the storm the other night.”
Lincoln chuckled and realized he’d actually laughed aloud while having dinner with Colton. Another thing he’d never thought he would do again after reading Jon’s letter. "I'm just fine, Dad. You don't have to check on me like I'm a little kid or something."
"You'll always be my little kid," his dad said, laughter in his voice. They’d had this discussion before. "No matter how old you get."
Lincoln felt his eyes burn with unshed tears. His parents loved him unconditionally. He would never forget the night he told his dad about being gay. The reaction he got was not what he expected, although it should have been. It ended with a simple hug and his dad whispering the words, “I love you, son.”
“I get it, Dad,” Lincoln finally said.
“Why don’t you come over one night this week for steaks?” his Dad suggested. “It’s been a while and we can catch up.”
“Sounds good,” Lincoln said.
“Um, bring Jon if he’s back in town,” his dad added.
“He’s not,” Lincoln said and then debated about burdening his dad with the bad news. His dad had never liked Jon much to begin with, but he wanted Lincoln to be happy and had told him as much. “I got a letter from him on Friday. He’s found someone else. He’s not coming back at all.”
There. Saying it aloud to his dad made it real. He and Jon were finished. There was still a dull ache in his chest but, from experience, he knew it was another step on the road to recovery. Even though he found it hard to fathom, there would be life after Jon, just like there had been with all the others and he knew exactly what to do about it.
Silence and then his dad said, “I’m sorry, son.”
“Me, too, Dad. Me, too,” Lincoln said, curling up in the bed with his phone on the pillow beside him. “Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe it’s good I found out the kind of person he was before we did anything permanent.”
His dad agreed. “You know, if you’d like to move back home for a while, I’m sure your mother would love that.”
Lincoln chuckled. That was the last thing he wanted to do. “No, dad, I’m fine here.”
“We just worry if you’re alone,” he said.
“I have plenty of friends,” Lincoln said.
However, since Jon had been gone, he had begun to realize that most of the people he thought were his friends, were really Jon’s friends. And not one of them had contacted him since Jon moved out. Maybe they had known his real intentions all along.
Either way, it didn’t matter now. He would never be in this predicament again.
"I guess you can say I told you so now," Lincoln said, eyes stinging with unshed tears again.
"Never. I had my doubts about him but you’re a grown man. You know what your heart needs and wants. Who am I to interfere?"
"Thanks, Dad, for being so understanding," Lincoln said.
"It's what dads do," the older man said gruffly.
"I can tell you one thing. I won’t go through this again,” Lincoln told his father. “This will be the last time I get my heart broken.”
No response but his dad was listening.
"From now on, it'll be one night stands, friends with benefits or whatever you want to call it. Nothing permanent."
"Now, don't jump into that lifestyle too fast," his dad said. "When a horse throws you, you get right back in the saddle. Don’t let him win, son."
"If I do get back in the saddle, it’ll be a long, long time from now,” Lincoln said, strengthening his resolve.
His dad chuckled softly. “Take care, son. And don't be a stranger around here. Your mom wants to see you."
Lincoln laughed in spite of the tears now spilling out of his eyes, sliding down his cheeks and onto his lips. He had been afraid to give in and just cry earlier. He was afraid he might just cry forever.
"I'll see you Wednesday night for sure,” Lincoln promised, and hoped his dad didn't hear the hiccup in his voice on that last word.
Chapter Eight
Richard didn’t return Colton’s call until Monday evening after work. Even then, he simply apologized for being a no-show Sunday night. Hard as he tried, Colton didn’t think he sounded very apologetic at all.
“You promised,” Colton said. Despite their long friendship, Richard’s attitude made him so angry sometimes. Like when he promised to go somewhere with him or attend some event with him and then just ghosted without a word.
“Man, I said I was sorry. I was just too tired from partying all weekend down at Paddy’s. I fell asleep before dark and didn’t wake up until it was time to go to work on Monday.”
Colton was as disappointed in Richard as he was angry. “Well, you missed a wonderful evening with a really great guy.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. But don’t worry. I’m going to give you a second chance to meet him,” Colton told him.
“Lucky me” Richard grumbled under his breath and then added, “Colton, you know I’m not looking for something long term. I’m having fun playing the field. Maybe this guy wants the same thing since he just went through a breakup.”
“I never said it had to be long term, although I think you’d make a great couple,” Colton said, smiling at the memory of Lincoln sitting across the table, his quick smile and those intelligent brown eyes. Then Colton remembered watching him with the boys. “He’s charming and witty and you already know how what a great body he has.”
“Sounds like you might have a little boy crush,” Richard said. “Why don’t you go out with him?”
Colton sighed. “Now that’s a ridicules thing to say. I just wanted to make sure the two of you met each other.”
“I meet plenty of guys,” Richard told him.
“I know that, but Lincoln is different from the jokers that hang out at Paddy’s,” Colton argued. “The word quality comes to mind.”
“Who said I was looking for quality?” Richard said.
Colton ignored that. “Let’s try again. Maybe this coming Saturday night,” he said. “Grant is coming home Wednesday night and should still be here over the weekend. It’ll be a nice foursome.”
“We’ll see,” Richard said.
By the time Wednesday night arrived, Colton had worked himself into a frenzy of excitement. He worked late Monday and Tuesday so he could take off early on Wednesday. As he shopped for groceries for dinner and another bottle of wine, he was hoping Grant would give him a reason to call in sick the next day. That evening was almost a repeat of Friday night except there was no drenching rain, or a thunderstorm, and this time he found a parking space right in front of the building.
At the last minute, he remembered to check the mail. The little box was empty. Well, Mr. Ashley would be happy about that. Then he climbed onto the creaky elevator and headed up to the third floor.
After the groceries were put away, the wine chilling, he checked his watch. He had another hour before Grant was due home. Plenty of time to prepare a light, romantic dinner and remake the bed. As he smoothed the soft blue sheets out on the big bed, he shivered with excitement, thinking about being in Grant’s arms again. It had been, what, three weeks? Maybe they would have several nights together before he had to go out of town again and Colton intended to make the most of all of them. He showered and shaved in anticipation of Grant’s arrival, wanting to be squeaky clean just in case Grant wanted to take him to bed before dinner.