“Oh, sure. I see how it is. Always have better things to do than talk to your mother,” And here it went. The guilt trip. She’d tried this countless times since he moved out. But he’d be damned if he’d let it work. “I’m so lonely over here. You never come to visit me.”
“I promise I’ll come see you soon, okay? Maybe for Halloween. Would you like that?”
She released a heavy sigh, the type that said she was irritated, and it honestly annoyed him.
“Whatever. I’ll talk to you later,” And then she hung up.
He pressed the off button on his phone, sitting it back down on the base before he shrugged out of his jacket, reaching down to release Houston from his leash. “She’s crazy,” He muttered. Of course, he immediately felt bad for saying it. Who, in today’s society, was actually sane?
His shower was nice. He always enjoyed hot water beating down against his skin, warming him up and relaxing him at the same time. He always felt so tense and he wasn’t entirely sure why. His life wasn’t really that stressful. He had it better than most people, being independent and having a job he enjoyed. It was just his hackling mother. It never seemed to end. Ever.
Once he was back in the living room, laptop on and warming up, Kasen was finally satisfied. There was nothing like taking a few minutes to just relax and do something fun. He scrolled through various videos on YouTube, trying to find something funny, because nothing lifted his spirits quicker than that. He was a fan of fan-made videos about his favorite movies; such as Star Trek, or Star Wars.
It didn’t take long for him to get lost in his own little word, amusement written all over his face while Houston lounged lazily on the couch. The hours would eventually pass by until it was time to start getting ready for work. It was a plus that he didn’t have a specific uniform to wear. He dressed in his usual attire of dark denim jeans, a t-shirt, and his favorite denim jacket. He said goodbye to Houston, willing him to hold the fort down as he left.
Just like all nights at work, tonight would be a good night. Kasen was positive of this. When he was at work, he felt like an entirely different person. No matter how anonymous he may have seemed, people liked him and they depended on him for something. Sure, radio wasn’t as popular as it used to be thanks to XM radio and iPods, but at least there were still those few faithful followers who would always dial in their favorite requests. So once inside his little studio, Kasen flipped on the switch and let contentment set in.
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To say it had been an eventful day was an understatement. Rowan wasn’t sure how a Pomeranian succeeded in getting a fish hook stuck in its jaw, but it had happened, and he’d had a frantic old woman about to pass out in his office for nearly an hour before he finally removed the damned thing. According to her, there wasn’t any fishing equipment in her home, and there was no way possible any had gotten in her yard.
Rowan suspected that maybe one of the neighborhood kids had done it, but then again, who knew how strange things happened. Freak accident, maybe. But all was well now as he headed home, turning on the radio to the station he’d been enjoying for the last week.
“This is Cool Kasey, back for another hour of all the music you love. Or at least I do,” Then there was that cute laugh that Rowan found himself smiling at. It really was an attractive laugh. He wondered who it belonged to. He hadn’t met anyone named Kasey in town, and apparently, the DJ was a masked figure who only came out at night- and only between the hours of seven and two.
Though Rowan would never admit it to anyone, he fell asleep to that voice. Around ten at night, Cool Kasey would always take a few minutes to talk about world events, or his own thoughts. Rowan found that he could relate to most of them.
Like the night before, Kasey had been talking about how he enjoyed life. He seemed so easy to please, really. He spoke of how he enjoyed seeing the sun beaming down through the thick leaves of trees and how it could make designs on the grass. He liked taking walks and breathing in the fresh air, being grateful that his town wasn’t polluted by smog and worse things.
He’d also heard Kasey mention that loneliness wasn’t always a bad thing, but sometimes, it ate at him. Rowan could relate deeply to that. He knew all too well that the solitary life style could be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Kasey never seemed to be too down though. He was always in high spirits on the air, and sounded as if he really enjoyed his job.
It was probably a bit silly to be listening to a complete stranger, and wondering what he’d be like in person. But that’s just how Rowan’s mind worked. He was always thinking about possible scenarios, even if the chances of them becoming a reality were slim to none. He tried to imagine what Kasey looked like. Probably a tall, skinny fellow with big framed glasses. He probably wore flannel shirts and jeans with holes in the knees.
Or maybe he was completely wrong. Maybe he was a rebellious teen who hid out in his basement and was as good looking as Christian Slater in Pump Up The Volume. Rowan rolled his eyes despite himself, turning into his driveway as he shut off the engine and got out. His new home was really nice, and the price hadn’t been one he could pass up.
It was a single story house, with two bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen was large and comfortable; something he particularly enjoyed because he liked to cook. He always had to have his space. Being the bachelor that Rowan was, he liked to have room to move around. There was also a basement, though he hadn’t really ventured into it too much. There was all sorts of junk down there from the previous owner, and he’d made it a mission to check it out one day. Rowan was a sucker for antiques and the mysteries of other people’s belongings.
He shrugged out of his jacket once he was inside, tossing it onto the back of his couch as Napoleon headed straight for his food bowl in the kitchen. “Aw, come on. Surely you’re not hungry,” Rowan teased as he flicked on the switch in the kitchen and watched his dog’s tail wag happily.
“Hold on. I’ll get you something,” He promised. He moved to the cabinet beneath the microwave, pulling out the ten pound bag as he tended to his best friend. Napoleon wagged his tail excitedly as he munched down on the food. Rowan patted his back gently before he put the bag away and then moved to turn on the radio so he could continue listening to Cool Kasey. He began browsing through his cabinets, trying to figure out what he wanted for dinner.
“That was Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne,” Kasey was about to start taking in phone calls, and Rowan was seriously contemplating calling in just so he could personally say hi. No, he couldn’t do that. He could just call in and make a request again- he’d done it the night before. It wasn’t like Kasey would know he was fond of his voice or anything, right? Of course, that was silly. Kasey was used to people calling in requests and Rowan was certain he had recurring callers.
The night before, he’d requested Feels So Close by Calvin Harris, and tonight he was pretty positive of the song he wanted to hear while preparing the noodles for his pasta salad.
Chapter Four
“Cool Kasey on the line, playing only the coolest tunes; now what is it you want to hear?”
“Hey, Kasey! This is Deena.”
“Hey, Deena. How’s the late shift going?”
“Horrible. I just want to go home but I’m closing tonight. We had another one quit.”
“Aw, that sucks. I’m sorry, Dee. Is there anything I can play to make you feel better?”
“Actually, good sir, I would very much enjoy hearing Safety Dance.”
“Ah, there’s nothing like a little Men Without Hats to cheer you up. I’m on it.”
“Thank you, Doll.”
As soon as the conversation ended, the line was already blowing up again.
“Cool Kasey on the line, playing only the coolest tunes; now what is it you want to hear?”
It would go on like that for forty five minutes or so, and Kasen would have enough requests to last until his shift ended. He was doodling against his jean leg as he answered yet another
call.
“Cool Kasey on the line, playing only the coolest tunes; now what is it you want to hear?”
“Hey, Kasey.”
Kasen blinked, quirking a brow, “Hi there,” He didn’t really recognize the voice, and from the way the guy said his name, it sounded as if he was really happy to talk to him. But not like everyone else; there was just something different about this.
“I was hoping you’d have room for one more request.”
Kasen bit his bottom lip, grinning a little to himself, “I always have one more spot for a request. What can I play for you?”
“Well, I’m fixing up some fantastic pasta salad, and nothing gets me into the cooking mood like People in Planes. Do you have any of their songs?”
Kasen rolled his eyes to himself, “Do I have any of their songs? Of course I do. Which would you like to hear?”
He heard the quiet chuckle from the other end. Was that flirtation? “Vampire.”
“You got it,” Kasen said as he hunted down the file, quickly transferring it over onto the playlist. “I’ll play it next. Just for you,” He bit his lip again. Not that he’d ever actually flirted with someone before. Or maybe he was just perceiving the conversation in the wrong way. Maybe it was just a really friendly guy. Or a drunk guy. Everybody was flirtatious while drunk, right?
“Thanks, Kasey. I’ll talk to you later,” And then he hung up.
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Rowan hung up the phone, gazing at it for a moment before he placed it back down on the base. Had he really just done that? Was he flirting with a complete stranger? He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before sighing, and then he shook his head as he turned on the stove to let his water begin boiling.
He was really out of shape with flirting. He’d probably sounded stupid and now Kasey probably thought he was a creeper. Perfect. But wait…it wasn’t like he knew him. He didn’t know his name. He definitely couldn’t identify him from his voice, right? Exactly. Maybe he was safe. Maybe.
“All right, Guys. We’ve got a really special request going out to, we’ll call him Pasta Salad,” There was that cute laugh again. Jesus Christ. “So I hope you’re listening, and I hope that salad tastes superb,” Rowan couldn’t help but to smile as his song began playing.
It seemed that his dinner was fixed within no time. Napoleon lounged beside of him on the floor while Rowan enjoyed his meal. Though really, it was quite lonely with no one to converse with. Sure he could talk to his dog, but his dog didn’t exactly talk back. Sometimes, he liked that; but not all the time.
He contemplated hitting redial on his house phone, but perhaps that would be a bit too much. Maybe he just needed to take a shower and go to bed. But really, showers were better in the morning. They helped him wake up. He just had to find something to do to keep him from calling that number again.
It wasn’t as if anything would happen from it anyway. Cool Kasey probably had someone waiting for him at home, and Rowan was just being irrational about the entire thing. He wasn’t looking for anyone anyway, right? Not after last time. He settled for a glass of wine, sitting on his bed as he kicked off his work shoes. He didn’t even bother undressing. He once again turned on the radio as he listened to Kasey’s calm voice coming out of the speaker.
“It’s almost bedtime for most of you Chartreuse beauties, and I bid you all sweet dreams. As for me, I’ll hang out here for a few more hours, daydream a bit, and then I’ll head on back to mine for a little downtime with my best pal.”
Best pal. That had to mean he had a girlfriend, right? Or a boyfriend. But more than likely a girlfriend. Rowan honestly hadn’t come across anyone who seemed to be like him. Which was slightly discouraging, but at the same time, it was reassuring that he wouldn’t get hurt again. So why in the hell was he even thinking about Cool Kasey in such a way?
Maybe it was just because he was lonely. Everybody got lonely. Especially men who had been hurt before; and were used to having someone to come home to at night. He’d been so good to his ex. He would have done anything for him. But that was just the type of guy Rowan was. He was a hopeless romantic of sorts.
But it still didn’t give him an excuse to be thinking about someone he didn’t know, and he couldn’t even put a face with the name! What if he wasn’t Rowan’s type?
That was dumb. He didn’t have a type. Rowan had never gone after a certain type of person. It had always been about personality, heart, and he went with his gut feeling about people. Though he had been wrong about his ex, hadn’t he? So maybe he shouldn’t be too quick to trust his instincts any more. Then again, what was life without a little risk? Those were his last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.
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Kasen’s eyes finally opened around ten o’clock. Houston was staring at him with those big blue eyes of his, whimpering a bit.
“Mm. Give me just a second, Boy,” Kasen mumbled tiredly as he rubbed the sleep from his own baby blues. He slowly sat up, stretching his arms out as his back popped. He probably slept like the dead, when he finally fell asleep, that is. He had come home, fixed himself a warm cup of tea, and then sit at the table for a long while as he thought about the guy who’d seemingly had such a flirtatious tone with him.
People in Chartreuse; they just didn’t do that. None of them. Not the men, at least. It wasn’t uncommon for a girl to flirt with him; though he paid no mind to it. But for a guy? This was a big deal to Kasen. But he wasn’t sure that he’d ever figure out who it had been. He didn’t associate with too many people and he was positive he didn’t recognize that voice.
As he walked Houston to the park, he shivered from how low the temperature had dropped. It was almost time for Halloween, so of course it was going to get colder. It wasn’t that he even minded the chilly weather; he just preferred a very comfortable sixty five to seventy. He could see his breath in the air every time he exhaled, and he was momentarily amused.
Houston was happily bounding about inside the security of the park, and Kasen found his spot on the bench as he pulled out his cigarettes. He lit one up, taking a drag as his eyes scanned the park. Hardly anyone was here today. But he couldn’t exactly blame them. It was pretty damn cold. Anyone would be smarter to risk an accident in the house rather than freezing their butt off.
As his cigarette shortened, he glanced over to see the same guy from yesterday entering the park with his dog leading the way. He gave a nod of recognition to him as he flicked his cigarette to the concrete and then pressed the toe of his shoe onto it to extinguish it.
“Good morning,” The man said cheerfully, giving Kasen a warm smile as he nodded in return. “Bit chilly today, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Kasen nodded as he glanced up at him. There were those eyes again. But Kasen didn’t need to be staring so hard. He quickly averted his gaze back to Houston, who had wandered over to sniff at the other dog curiously.
“Hey there,” The man nodded towards Houston. “This is Napoleon.”
“Oh yes, I remember from yesterday,” Kasen replied with a shy smile. “That’s Houston.”
“Houston, huh? Does he have a problem?”
Kasen blinked, “Excuse me?”
The man chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck for a second, “Sorry. That was movie humor. Apollo Thirteen, you know?”
Oh. Now he felt like an ass. He should have known that. Kasen’s face heated up with a blush as he laughed nervously and then looked back down again, “Oh, right. My bad. I’m not fully awake yet.”
“Not a problem,” The man replied as he motioned towards the bench. “Mind if I have a seat?”
“Oh, uh. Please, go right ahead,” Kasen nodded as he scooted over a bit. He chewed at his bottom lip, feeling his stomach knot up. This was not the time to be checking out a guy he didn’t know, and more so, he wasn’t supposed to be checking out anyone in Chartreuse. That was a sure ticket to get his ass kicked.
Chartreuse was a very small tow
n, and no matter how much the outside world was changing and becoming accepting of a person’s sexual preference, Kasen knew that Chartreuse would never be able to accept him, or anyone else like him. They were too southern, for one thing. Not to mention the fact he was certain there were members of the KKK who resided in his very own town.
He only knew about that because his mother had spoken of them when he was younger. He wouldn’t be surprised if someone he was related to was involved, or someone his mother had dated was in it. Either way, he didn’t like the thought of what the KKK stood for, nor did he respect it. Anyone who could have that much hate in their heart was bad news. Anyone with that much hate, needed to be shipped off to a separate island so that everyone else could attempt to live in harmony.
He continued to bite on his bottom lip as he glanced down at Houston, who was too busy getting to know his new found friend. They took off through the park, leaving Kasen with no legitimate excuse to avoid the other man. Shit.
It was awkwardly quiet for a few moments, but then the man spoke up again, “I’m Rowan,” He offered, sticking his hand out towards Kasen from the side.
Kasen nodded, glancing down at his hand, before he reached out to shake it, “Kasen,” He replied. “Kasen Reed.”
“Kelly,” Rowan added. “Rowan Kelly,” He grinned. “I like your accent.”
Kasen looked down again, feeling the heat rush to his ears this time as he laughed lightly. He hadn’t really ever thought about his accent before. Everybody around him had that accent. But he also realized that Rowan didn’t talk like he was from anywhere near him. The accent did seem familiar though. It was as if he’d heard it somewhere before. Perhaps on the television once?
“Thanks,” Kasen said with a nod. “I like yours, too.”
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Rowan finally felt like he was getting somewhere. Just conversing with the younger fellow beside of him was making him feel better. He hadn’t had much contact with the males in this place. He’d really only had Natasha, Mrs. Birmingham, and a few other local women who’d brought their pets in for check-ups.
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