Alex & Clayton

by John Simpson

  CLAYTON also found what he wanted at the furniture store, and his bill was just over five thousand dollars, since he only had a one-bedroom condo to furnish. He had brought lamps and paintings from his family home, so he didn’t need to buy lighting fixtures or art. His purchases would be delivered in four days, and he paid for delivery.

  A COUPLE of weeks passed before both houses were fully set up and pleasing to their owners. Alex still needed art for the walls, but he was in no hurry. Not only were the houses set up, but Clayton had his bookstore cleaned, new stock had been delivered, and announcements were made about the grand reopening of Rehoboth Beach’s only gay bookstore:

  “Clayton’s Rainbow is open for business on Monday, October 1st, and the community is cordially invited to visit. In addition to on-site purchases, be sure to visit Clayton’s Rainbow on the web, and order your books for delivery!”

  The night before the grand reopening, Clay was lying in bed, unable to sleep. Had he thought of everything? Was there anything that could ruin the smooth operation of the business? When his mental review was finished, and he found nothing obvious that needed attention, he finally fell asleep.

  ON THE morning of Clayton’s Rainbow’s opening, Alex sat down at his kitchen table with his coffee and opened the morning paper. As he skimmed the headlines and news stories, he came across the announcement advertising the gay bookstore. Alex smiled and thought, Nice! I’ve got a source for porn mags!

  Alex poured a second cup of coffee and decided that after he finished it, he would take a walk over to the bookstore and see what the place looked like open for business. He also decided to see what sort of nightlife they had in Rehoboth Beach in the off-season. Later that evening, he’d go out for dinner and pay a visit to the Blue Moon Bar. This was turning out to be an interesting day!

  CLAYTON got up, showered, put on coffee, and walked out onto his balcony while it brewed. He took a deep breath of the crisp air, cool but not cold now that the sun was up. It looked like the perfect type of day to open a new business! He heard the coffeemaker beeping and went back inside. He poured a cup and got the morning paper from his doorstep. Sitting down, he opened the paper looking for his ad. There it was on page two!

  Clayton smiled, and everything felt so right. Seeing his name in the newspaper put Clayton into a great mood that was heavy on confidence. When he finished his coffee, he poured another in a go cup and went to his car. The drive over to his business only took a couple of minutes, but Clay reminded himself that this was fall, and it would take longer come spring and summer with the hordes of visitors.

  He parked, entered the shop, and turned off the alarm system. He made a quick inspection of the store, making sure everything was in its place and that he had unpacked all the most recent magazines and put them out.

  He turned on the cash register, the lights, and even though it was five minutes early, he walked over to his front door, and flipped the closed sign around. He unlocked the door and Clayton’s Rainbow was open for business.

  As he waited for his first customers, he turned on a laptop that he’d dedicated to the business. It would receive any orders that came in over the Internet, and he wanted to make sure the partially finished website was up and running. He smiled when everything worked as it should and laughed aloud when he saw the counter register five visitors. He was confident that time would drive that number way up. He needed to make time to work on the website so that it looked professional but was also appealing to the eye. Except for that, everything was in place. Now all he needed was customers!

  Chapter Five

  AT 8:20, the door opened and the first visitor of the day walked in. Clay looked up and smiled at the man standing just inside the shop.

  “Good morning! Welcome to the grand opening,” Clay said.

  “Yeah, I saw the ad in the paper and decided to come on over and see what you got. I was here a couple weeks ago, and it looked like a deserted storefront. I was kinda disappointed, so I’m glad to see that the store has reopened. Is it under what they always call ‘new management’?” Alex asked, trying to figure out where he had seen this man before.

  “Yep. I bought the store when I moved here about a month and a half ago. If you’re looking for something in particular, and I don’t have it, I’ll be glad to get it for you.”

  “Thanks, appreciate that,” Alex said as he turned away to walk through the rows of racks. In between looking at the books, he glanced up at the shopkeeper, whose familiarity continued to nag at him.

  “Have we met somewhere?” Alex finally asked.

  Clay looked up, surprised at the question. He studied Alex’s face and recognition dawned on his face.

  “Yeah, I remember you. We didn’t really meet, though. We just passed one another at the grocery store a few weeks ago. I’m surprised I didn’t remember you right off.”

  “That’s right! We both kinda looked lost, wandering around the grocery, not sure what the hell we were doing.”

  “That was the first time I had gone to that store, and I didn’t know where anything was. It took me a lot longer to shop than it normally would,” Clay said with a chuckle.

  “Same here. I’m kinda surprised that you didn’t have your lover out shopping for you since you’re tied up with getting a business off the ground,” Alex said, poking around for information.

  “First, I’d need to have a lover, and second, I’d have to convince him to do the shopping. I’m quite single, I’m afraid.”

  “Same here. Just retired and moved here from Washington, DC. How about you?”

  “I retired early and moved here when my mother died. There was nothing left to keep me in New Jersey, so I decided to open this store and live here.”

  Alex nodded like it all made perfect sense. He walked over to the magazine rack and picked out a couple that appealed to the more prurient interests of most gay men. Off the shelves, he picked out a couple of books about gay cops, one with the title Murder Most Gay. Alex laughed. Eh, once a cop, always a cop.

  He put his purchases down on the counter and Clay rang them up.

  Clay was very conscious of the sheer animal sexuality of his first customer. “That’ll be thirty-eight fifty please,” he said, looking at the man’s face as Alex dug out his wallet. “You don’t look old enough to have retired, if you don’t mind me saying that,” Clay said cautiously.

  Alex smiled at Clay. “Why should I mind you telling me I look young? I hope that’s always people’s reaction to me. I worked law enforcement in a department that allows retirement after only twenty years. So when I was ready, I pulled the pin, and here I am, far from where I was and quite happy about it.”

  “Ah, that explains your choice of books to read,” Clay said with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, well, I like to see if authors know what they’re writing about.”

  “Here’s your change, and thank you very much. You’re my first customer, and as custom dictates, I will frame one of the dollar bills you just gave me and put it up on the wall. It represents the first buck this place made for me,” Clay said, all smiles.

  “Well, thanks for reopening the store. I’ll be a steady customer for you. I love to read and didn’t have any time to do it while I had a career. I’ve a lot of catching up to do.”

  “You’re welcome. Since we’re both permanent residents here, maybe I’ll see you around town,” Clay said, with a little hope in his voice.

  “Very possible!”

  Alex waved and left the shop, happy that he had some new reading material. He also found that he was mildly attracted to the owner of the bookstore. As he walked home, he wondered if he should have asked him out to dinner that evening but decided that would have been rather forward at their first meeting. He didn’t want the bookstore owner to think he was the sort who would pick up anyone simply because it was off-season and the pickings were slim. He was sure he was going to ask the book man out, but at a better time.

  THE first day of business saw over thir
ty local people visit the bookshop, all of whom were gay. His sales were good, and when he closed for the day, he still had a smile on his face. He counted out his proceeds, made up a deposit slip, set the alarm, and closed up. He made the short drive to the local bank where he used the night drop and smiled once more. It was a day of firsts, which included the first time he talked to the very good-looking guy he had seen in the grocery store. A retired cop! Dating a cop had always been a fantasy of Clayton’s, but one he never believed would happen in the real world. In fact, except for a few seedy meetings on the seamier side of town, Clayton’s love life slept in the world of fantasy, and he firmly believed none of it would ever come to pass.

  He was as frightened as a man as he had been as a boy about people discovering his sexuality. For him to actually open a gay bookstore was so far out of character, and it had taken the death of his beloved mother to give him the impetus to take such a bold step. Surely most people would assume that the owner of a gay bookstore was gay.

  The big question was: could he possibly learn to socialize comfortably with members of the gay community? He knew he couldn’t get up the courage to ask someone out, but maybe he would be found attractive. Certainly by no one like the sexy retired cop who was just in the store, but someone more like himself, mature, pleasant-looking, and in decent shape. He smiled when he thought about how much fun it would be to go on a real date, to dinner, a movie, and whatever happened in the car afterward.

  “Well, if it’s going to happen anywhere, Rehoboth Beach in the summer should do it!” he said as he made his way home.

  THREE weeks later, on a rather unpleasant morning with mist rolling in from the ocean and casting a general gloom over the town, Alex realized he had read everything he had bought on his first trip to Clayton’s Rainbow. He smiled when he thought of the name, and he felt a slight stirring in his pants when he thought about the owner of that gaily named bookstore. He didn’t feel like running in the fog, or going to a local gym he’d joined, so he decided it was the perfect time to visit the bookstore for more reading material.

  It wasn’t raining, so Alex walked to the store and found he wasn’t the only customer this time. A couple of other people were looking around, and Alex moved past them until he could see Clay behind the counter. They smiled at each other as Alex headed toward the “cop section” of gay stories. He decided to get four books and no magazines. He actually liked reading the books more than looking at pictures of guys who—while hot—all looked the same, with the same everything. He became bored with them very quickly.

  As he picked out a couple of cop books, he also looked for spy novel-type stuff and after a few minutes, decided that the store had far more stock than on his first visit. Alex estimated that there were at least three hundred books on display, and he felt like a kid in a candy shop.

  Clayton rang up the other two customers, and they left, leaving him alone with Alex.

  “Good morning. Nice to see you back!”

  “Hi, Clay, had to pick up some more reading material. Am I wrong, or have you added about a hundred books to what you had when you opened?”

  “You do pay attention, don’t you? Yes, I expanded the stock to include more genres within the gay fiction line. That book you’ve picked out, The Last Battalion, that’s from a publisher that I hadn’t carried upon opening, but I found they have a wonderful line of spy novels and such. So, now I sell their books too!”

  “If you keep it up, you’re gonna make me very happy,” Alex said, throwing out a double entendre that didn’t get caught.

  “Well, that’s my aim: to keep the customer happy. It’s what will keep me in business, especially in the off-season.”

  Alex put the books on the counter and quickly looked toward the door to see if anyone was approaching before he spoke.

  “Listen, Clay, I was thinking. We’re both new in town and all that, and you seem to be a pretty neat guy. I’d like to go out on a date with you. Would you like to come to my house for dinner, and we can watch a movie afterward?” Alex asked with his engaging smile in evidence.

  Clay was taken aback. Had he heard correctly? “Excuse me? Did you just ask me out on a date?” he asked sheepishly.

  “Sure did. Unless of course you’ve got a man, which wouldn’t surprise me, as good-looking as you are.”

  “A man? Oh, no, no. I’m quite single. Ah, yes, I’d be delighted to come over for dinner. That’s very kind of you.”

  “Great! Let’s see. You’re not open on Sunday, right?” Alex asked.

  “Not during the off-season, no. I’m not sure yet about high season.”

  “Good, how about this Saturday night then? You won’t have to get up early to be here at the store, so we won’t have to watch the clock. I’ll cook dinner. What’s your favorite?”

  “Saturday is fine. Please don’t go through any trouble on my account, though. Anything you make will be fine with me, sir.”

  “Okay, Clay, but if you call me sir once more, I’m gonna take you over my knee and spank you! Hear me?”

  “Sorry, it’s a habit. Can I bring anything?”

  “Yes, you can bring a bottle of wine, but it’s not mandatory. It’s only to satisfy that social thing about having to bring something.”

  “Red or white?”

  “See! Social convention always brings problems with it. Tell you what, you decide. I’m not one for worrying about what kind of wine goes with what I’m cooking. If it’s red meat and you bring a white wine, so be it!”

  “Okay then, I look forward to it. What time?”

  Alex took a piece of notepaper off of the counter and wrote down his address and the time he’d expect Clay. “Does that work for you?” he asked as Clay looked at the note.

  “Sure does. I close at five on Saturdays, so I’ll have plenty of time to shower before I come over. Don’t wanna come to dinner in the same clothes I worked in all day. Thank you for the invitation. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “My pleasure. ’Sides, as cute as you are, I better ask you out before some of the locals finally get to you! Now how much do I owe you for these books?”

  “It comes to fifty-two dollars, but since you’re gonna be a regular customer year around, I’m going to give you a ten percent discount, so that makes today’s bill forty-six eighty.”

  “That’s awfully nice of you. Are you sure you wanna do that being that you just opened?”

  “I’m the owner, and I can do what I want. Here’s your change, and thank you for coming in today. Can’t wait until Saturday!”

  Alex smiled, winked, and said, “Nor can I, stud, nor can I.”

  He left Clay with his mouth hanging open. He just called me stud! That incredibly gorgeous hunk of manflesh just called me… stud!

  AS ALEX walked home, he was delighted that the cute bookstore guy had agreed to come over for a date. It would be the first one in his new home, and the only question was whether to take him to bed that first date or wait. Alex thought highly of Clay and was less likely to do a hit and run on him because of that. He was quite used to a “date” consisting of nothing more than deciding whose house they were going to hit the sack in.

  Alex wanted this to be a little different. He wanted to make a good first impression outside of the environment of the bookstore, and he had a nagging suspicion that some guy in the past might have done a number on the owner. He seemed too timid and reserved for a gay guy with his looks.

  Now, what to cook?

  ON THURSDAY, Clayton only had three customers, but one of them was a very cute guy who looked around thirty years old, well built, and very masculine but obviously gay. He walked in and made eye contact with Clayton as he walked the aisles of the small bookstore. Finally, he picked up a book and walked up to the counter.

  “Hi, I’m Blake. You the new owner of this place?”

  “Hello, yes, I’m Clayton,” Clay said, sticking his hand out to shake.

  “You’re kinda hot, but I suppose that’s nothing new for
you to hear. I suppose you’re married?” Blake boldly asked.

  “Married? Ah, no, of course not.”

  “You’re kidding. You’re single? Wanna go out tonight?”

  “You’re asking me out? Tonight?”

  “Yeah.” Blake grinned. “You act like no one has ever asked you out before, which I know to be a lie from looking at you.”

  “Why do you say that?” Clay asked confused.

  “Dude, you cover it up well, but it’s obvious you have a nice body, a great face, and I bet you’ve got one fine ass on you. Now see what you’ve done! You got me talking trash, and I didn’t intend to go there. You’re new here. Come on and lemme take you out to dinner and tell you all the town’s dark secrets.”

  Clay was flattered that a total stranger wanted to take him out to dinner. And the guy was very cute, so why not?

  “Okay. Where do you wanna meet and what time?” Clay asked.

  “Let’s see. Have you been to the Blue Moon Restaurant yet? It’s over on Baltimore Avenue, about two blocks from the beach.”

  “I think so. I’ve certainly seen Baltimore Street while driving around. If the restaurant is on Baltimore, I’ll find it.”

  “Great. Let’s see, why don’t we say seven o’clock.”

  “That suits me. I’ll see you then, Blake. And thank you for asking me out.”

  “Oh, it’s my pleasure.” Blake paid for the book and smiled. “See you at seven, then.”

  Clay couldn’t believe his luck. He hadn’t been asked out by a male in his entire life, and now in the space of two days, he had made two dates. It’s just dinner, he kept telling himself. No big deal, after all. Everyone has to eat!