Only Box Set

by Lane, Shawn;

  Calvin sighed. “Yes, I know.”

  “If you know, well, why don’t you let them know you aren’t the prick they think you are?” Matt blushed. “Um, sorry.”

  “Whatever. I know what they say about me. They aren’t quiet about it. I’m here to help patients who come in with injuries or illnesses, often life-threatening. I don’t care about winning popularity contests.”

  “Okay, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not,” Calvin insisted. He’d never found it easy to make friends. In fact, he could count on one hand how many people were actually close to him. Most of the time it didn’t bother him.

  “I’m glad you agreed to have breakfast with me anyway.” Matt pushed his mostly empty plate away and patted his stomach. “I’m stuffed. I’m going to go home and do some errands before I catch a few hours of sleep. I’ll be off for a couple days starting tomorrow.”

  Calvin picked up the check Betty had left. He pulled out his wallet and left several dollars for the tip. “I’ve got this.”

  “Oh, hey, thanks, but I didn’t mean for you to pay,” Matt protested.

  “Forget it.” Calvin moved across the booth and stood.

  After he paid, they headed outside. Calvin looked at the overcast sky.

  “Looks like rain,” Matt said.

  “Yes. Well, see you later.”

  “Matt.”

  Calvin frowned. “What?”

  Matt stepped into Calvin’s personal space. The bastard was taller than him, too. His face was so close his hot breath brushed Calvin’s cheek as he dipped his head to speak. “I want to hear you say my name.”

  Calvin laughed. “Please.”

  Matt grinned. “Okay, please, Matt. It sounds even better.”

  He backed up a step, but Matt pursued him. “Get real.”

  “Come on. If you want me to go, you have to say it.”

  Calvin glared and tried to move away, but Matt’s hand closed over his forearm.

  “Fine. Please, Matt.”

  Matt smiled the same man-eater smile of before. “Hmm. Definitely making progress. See you soon, Calvin.”

  He walked to his bike, swung a long leg over his motorcycle, and placed his helmet on his head.

  Calvin turned away, irritated at himself for staring at Matt. He wasn’t even attracted to him. He got in his car, picked up his cell, and hit the button for Barnaby’s work.

  “Hey, bro, what’s wrong?”

  Calvin closed his eyes. “Nothing.”

  “Don’t give me that. You don’t call me at work out of the blue. And your voice just cracked.”

  “I just wanted to hear your voice, B.”

  “Calvin—”

  “I lost a patient today. Kind of reminded me of you.”

  “I’m sorry. But I’m okay.”

  He smiled a little. “I know. How are you and Nathan doing?”

  “Really great. Want to come over for dinner? I’ll cook.”

  “You?” Calvin laughed. “Getting all domestic on me, huh?”

  “Yeah.” He heard the grin in his little brother’s voice and felt lighter.

  “Sounds good. What are you going to make?”

  “How about pizza. All cheese, of course.”

  “Of course. Okay, I’ll see you guys later. Around seven okay?”

  “Perfect. Bye.”

  Calvin hit end call and started his car. He was suddenly exhausted and looking forward to several hours of sleep. He just hoped he wouldn’t dream of bad boy nurses.

  Chapter 3

  “Hey, Walton, rumor has it you were forced to have breakfast with Dr. Lassiter,” Rick Moore, the only other male nurse on duty that night, called to Matt as he was preparing to take his lunch.

  Matt stopped mid-walk and turned to the group of his fellow nurses who stood in a cluster just inside the double doors that read Patients and Medical Staff Only. Mary, Louise, and Donna stood next to Rick. This had been the group who had warned him about Calvin his first night.

  He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah, we did have breakfast at Benji’s. How’d you know?”

  Mary grinned. “Valerie saw and told us.”

  “Oh. Yeah, well.” He shrugged.

  “I don’t know how you could eat with that asshole across from you.” Rick made a face.

  He found himself a little annoyed. Yeah, he realized Calvin wasn’t the nicest doctor of the staff, but…still. “He’s not so bad.”

  “Yeah right,” Louise said with a laugh. “Oh, I get that he’s nice to look at. But that doesn’t make up for what a dick he is. How’d you get stuck having breakfast anyway?”

  “I asked.”

  Now they were staring at him like he’d lost his mind. Matt scowled.

  Donna smirked. “You think he’s hot, don’t you?”

  “Well…yeah.”

  “Oh, my God, you have the hots for the Ice Queen?” Rick snickered. “Sorry to disappoint you, Walton, but I don’t think Lassiter ever has sex. I mean if he was getting laid, he’d be nicer, right?”

  Matt said nothing, deciding he wasn’t comfortable with their assessment of Calvin. “Um, well, it’s my lunch so I’m going down to the cafeteria for a sandwich or something.”

  “Wait,” Rick called before he could get away. “Want to make a wager?”

  “A wager?”

  “We’ll each bet you a hundred bucks you can’t get the ice queen to sleep with you. If you lose, you owe four hundred bucks. If you win, you get it.”

  “Yeah,” Mary said enthusiastically. “And we should put a time limit on it, like a month.”

  They all nodded, smiling broadly. Really it was stupid and pretty juvenile. But as far as Matt was concerned, he wanted to pursue Calvin anyway. If these four jerks lost their money it would serve them all right.

  “Fine, whatever. Can I go get my lunch now?”

  “Sure, sure.” Rick waved. They all laughed and Matt decided maybe they were the pricks and not Calvin.

  * * * *

  The next day, on his day off and after some sleep, Matt took a chance and called his stepbrother, Nathan.

  “Llewellyn.”

  “It’s me.”

  “Who is me?”

  Matt sighed and sank down on his secondhand lumpy couch. “Matt.”

  “Matt who?”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake. Matt Walton, your stepbrother.”

  Nathan chuckled. “I knew that. I was yanking your chain.”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “You’ve developed a quirky side since you hooked up with Barnaby.”

  “Maybe so. What’s up?”

  “Well, I called to ask you if you have Calvin’s phone number.”

  There was a long pause. “Barnaby’s Calvin?”

  “No, Calvin Klein. Yes, Barnaby’s brother.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  Matt rolled over on to his stomach. “I don’t really feel like going over it. Let’s just say we work together and I need…to call him.”

  Just give it to me.

  “All right. But Barnaby’s going to ask.”

  “Don’t tell him I asked and he won’t know.”

  Another pause and then Nathan rattled off the number. “All right, I’ve got a conference call. Say hello to our parents for me next time you talk to them.” And then Nathan was gone.

  Matt programmed Calvin’s number into his cell, then sat up. Now he was uneasy about actually using the number to call. He fully expected Calvin to balk at the idea of a real date.

  He got up and showered, and when he was done, wrapped a towel around his waist, sat on his bed and picked up the phone once more.

  Jabbing his finger into the speed dial number, Matt waited, breath held, as he listened to the rings.

  “Dr. Lassiter.”

  Matt swallowed, his heart hammering. “Calvin, this is Matt. Matt Walton.”

  No response.

  His palms sweating, he cleared his throat. “Are you there?”

  “Yes.
How did you get my number?”

  “Nathan.”

  “Ah. Okay, what is it?”

  “I was wondering…I’m off today.”

  “I remember.”

  Matt lay down. He thought maybe it would help. “Want to maybe go somewhere with me?”

  Smooth, Matt.

  “Where?”

  Okay, that was not a no. “Um, dinner?”

  Matt could hear a sort of rustling on the other end and he was dreading Calvin saying no. He just knew he was going to. And probably with some lame excuse like he was washing his hair. He prepared himself for the disappointment.

  “What time?”

  He sat up straight. “What time?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can pick you up at six. If you give me your address that is.”

  “Well—”

  “I have a car, too. I’ll bring it,” Matt quickly said.

  “All right.”

  Matt barely had time to scramble to find a pen before Calvin was rattling off his address. “What do you like to eat?”

  “I’m good with just about anything.”

  “Chinese?”

  “All right. See you at six.”

  Matt smiled as he disconnected the call. Calvin had actually agreed.

  * * * *

  Matt pulled into the end of the driveway at Calvin’s modest suburban home. The good doc lived on a cozy little cul-de-sac.

  He’d agonized just a bit on what to wear to his first official first date with Calvin and ultimately decided on black slacks and a navy polo shirt along with his bomber jacket. He’d lined his eyes with navy eyeliner.

  When the door opened to reveal his date, Matt stared, more than a little in awe. Really, he didn’t think he’d seen a man more attractive, more beautiful than Calvin. Calvin had dressed in navy pants similar in style to his own slacks, but he wore a button-down navy pin-striped shirt opened at the throat. A sexy gold rope chain lay against the creamy expanse of his throat.

  But when he tore his gaze away from that, it was Calvin’s too-blue eyes framed by delicate gold lashes that made his breath hitch and his knees weak. And those…lips. Matt didn’t know how long he could resist those plump, kissable lips.

  “Hello.”

  Matt smiled, exhaling to calm the rapid beat of his heart. “You look fantastic.”

  Calvin blushed. “Um, thanks. Let me get my coat.” He returned in just a few seconds shrugging into an Armani coat.

  “Wow, nice coat.”

  His date shrugged. “A Christmas gift from my grandmother. I think she got it on eBay.” Calvin stepped outside and turned to lock his front door.

  When he turned around, Matt crushed his mouth over Calvin’s, unable to resist trying out those lips one second longer. They were the softest, tastiest damn lips he’d ever kissed. He pulled away before Calvin had time to protest too much.

  “Sorry,” he said, not sorry at all. “I’ve just been wanting those since I first saw you in the cafeteria.”

  Calvin didn’t answer, but his lips did turn up just a bit in a small smile. When they reached his car, he raised an eyebrow. “You? A Mercedes?”

  He laughed. “I know. It was my stepdad’s. He upgraded and it’s older, so he gave it to me. I rarely ever drive it because the bike gets better mileage and it’s more my image.”

  “Definitely,” Calvin agreed. “But there was no way I was going to ride on it.”

  “I know. All right, let’s be off.”

  Chapter 4

  Calvin wondered just what he was doing as a little old Chinese lady led them to a table on the right side of the rather small Chinese restaurant Matt had chosen for their date. He couldn’t really call it anything else at this point.

  He had to admit, sort of, Matt had a cuteness about him. Something that was just more than his persistence. Physically, Calvin decided Matt looked pretty good. The earrings and the eyeliner were still a bit much.

  This was all new to Calvin. He’d never actually dated anyone he worked with. Well, really, he hadn’t been on a date since his early days of medical school. The only sex he’d had for some time had been self-applied. He’d become one of the best customers at an online adult toy store.

  He smiled at the old lady when she brought them a pot of tea and two little cups. Picking up his menu, Calvin glanced around. Looked like there were only two other parties eating in the restaurant.

  “Have you been here before?”

  Matt nodded. “Only for takeout though. It’s not too far from my apartment. It’s pretty decent and there aren’t any bugs.”

  “That you’ve seen.”

  Matt laughed. “Well, yeah. I figure all restaurants have some, but if they’re out in the dining area tapping me on the shoulder, well then I worry.”

  “So that’s your measure of a restaurant? I’ll keep that in mind.”

  They settled on kung pao chicken and egg foo yung and decided to stick with the hot tea to drink.

  “I remember Nathan said something about you and your brother being raised by your grandmother,” Matt said after the old woman left to put in their order.

  Calvin stiffened, but tried to force himself to relax. It was okay to talk about. “Right. She was great. Still is.”

  “How much older are you than Barnaby?”

  “Seven years.”

  “Well, besides my stepbrother, Nathan, I have two half-brothers and a half-sister. And I have an older full sister.”

  Calvin sipped the Chinese tea. “Do you see your father still?”

  The other man shrugged. “Not in a while. Used to. He moved to the Midwest. We talk through emails mostly.” Matt shifted. “How—how often—do you ever?”

  Calvin shook his head, his gut tightening. His father had murdered their mother and was now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. She’d been pregnant with Barnaby at the time, who had miraculously been saved. And Calvin…he didn’t want to think about it.

  “No, never. When I was in my early twenties he wrote me a letter.” He poured himself another cup of tea and held the small cup in his hands, needing the comforting heat. “I didn’t read it.”

  “Wow. It must have been tempting to read it though.”

  “No, not even slightly. He can rot there.” He set the cup down.

  To his surprise, Matt reached out and took his hand, holding it and stroking the palm with his thumb. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to spoil our night with bad memories.

  “Yeah, thanks. I would rather talk about something else.”

  Matt smiled. “What made you decide to be a doctor?”

  Oh, great.

  “I spent some time in the hospital when I was a kid and I really came to admire the people working there,” Calvin said. He hoped Matt wouldn’t ask any questions about his hospital stay. He hurriedly asked, “What made you decide to be a nurse?”

  “My mom is one and I guess I just really looked up to her and wanted to help people.”

  “That’s a great reason.” Calvin was relieved when their food arrived. It was time to change the subject. He wasn’t really very good at date conversation, but he decided to plunge ahead rather than return to the other topic. “When did you realize you were gay?”

  “Pretty much as soon as I hit puberty,” Matt said, spooning out portions of both dishes on his plate. “I never could get excited over breasts.”

  Calvin chuckled. “I know what you mean. I was a teenager, too.”

  “It’s kind of interesting both you and Barnaby are gay.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah. I guess you like who you like. I’ve never really analyzed it too closely. My grandmother was very supportive of both of us.”

  “I still can’t believe you don’t have to beat off the boyfriends.” Matt shook his head. “You’re really gorgeous.”

  Calvin felt his cheeks heat. “No, I’m not.”

  “Oh, hell yeah, you are.”

  He rolled his eyes. “If you say so.”

 
After they finished, and the Chinese woman brought the bill, which Matt paid, he reached for Calvin’s hand again, this time threading his fingers through Calvin’s. He liked the feel of Matt’s hand holding his.

  “I’m not ready to take you home quite yet. There’s a bar just around the corner, want to go there?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  Calvin sighed, not happy at all about the disappointment on Matt’s face. “Look, I’m just not comfortable at bars.”

  The other man grinned. “You will be there. It’s not like you think. Trust me. Please?”

  His jaw tightening, he gave in. “Fine. Okay.”

  Matt leaned across the table and pecked him on the lips. It was so fast he didn’t have time to react.

  * * * *

  The establishment Matt drove them to was just a tiny little corner bar named Ollie’s. It was dark and quiet inside. Other than the bartender, there were only three other people besides Matt and Calvin. Soft eighties music played.

  Matt led them to an even darker corner booth. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Cabernet sauvignon.”

  “Be right back.”

  Calvin hated to admit it, but this wasn’t so terrible.

  Matt returned from the bar and set his wine in front of him and scooted into the booth, sitting very close to him.

  Calvin felt nervous, jittery. “What did you get?” he asked, eyeing the highball glass of brown liquid.

  “Coke.”

  “And?”

  Matt smiled. “Just Coke. I’m driving precious cargo.”

  Calvin rolled his eyes. “You lay it on thick.”

  “Yeah, I guess I do,” Matt admitted. “But you’re really hot.”

  He laughed at that—it was absurd. Even more absurd was the warmth that filled him at the admiration in Matt’s gaze.

  Matt smiled and grabbed the hand he didn’t have wrapped around the wineglass. “You should do that more often.”

  “What?” A shiver went up his spine as Matt’s thumb stroked the inside of his wrist.

  “Laugh, smile. Your whole face lights up. It’s breathtaking.”

  Calvin couldn’t help but laugh again. Matt was too funny. Breathtaking, indeed.

  Matt squeezed his hand. “Do you really not know how stunning you are? It’s hard to believe.”