Chapter 2
He was lounging beside the communal pool with his neighbor and friend Kallie Richmond, enjoying the sunlight and considering whether he should take a dip. It was Saturday, and many families were at the pool. Children’s laughter and the sounds of boisterous splashing filled the air, making him smile. Two of those children belonged to Kallie and her hubby Dan, and they were currently involved in a lively game of Marco Polo at the other end of the pool.
“So tell me more about this guy that lives across from you,” Kallie remarked.
He sighed. “I already pretty much told you all I know, Kallie. His name is Caleb Vargunin, he works downtown, he’s gay…”
“It’s that last part that you should be focused on,” she said tartly. “You’ve obviously got the hots for this guy. Why not go for it?”
“Because I have no idea whether he’s interested in me. Just because I have the hots for him, doesn’t mean that he does for me. It would be pretty embarrassing if I asked him out and he turned me down.”
“Hey, you have to take a chance once in awhile!” Kallie chided him. “So he might turn you down. He might also say ’yes’. You never know until you try, right?”
He snorted. “Says a woman. I’m more in Dan’s position than yours, because all you had to do was stand around and wait for him to ask you out, not the other way around. I’m sure he knows how difficult it can be to try something like that, when you’re just waiting for rejection.”
“Why should he reject you? You’re cute, Leon, and a sweet guy too. What’s not to like?”
He smiled at her, stretching out his legs. “Thanks, Kallie. Although…” he looked glum, “Obviously David didn’t see anything special in me.”
“David was an idiot,” his friend replied briskly. “I always thought so.”
He stared at her in surprise. She grinned. “I never said anything when you were still with him, because you obviously really cared about him. But I was glad when he left. I’ve always thought you could do WAY better.”
Leon didn’t know what to say to this. Just then, though, he happened to look up toward the stairs that led down to the pool, and his heart began to thump rather erratically in his chest when he caught sight of a familiar figure standing there. Caleb was casually dressed in a black t-shirt that stretched over his body in a way that raised Leon’s internal body temperature at least thirty degrees. He also wore a pair of light khaki slacks, and leather sandals on his feet. Sunglasses covered his dark eyes, and he was looking down at the pool with an enigmatic expression on his face.
Seeing the direction of his gaze, Kallie turned to see what he was staring at. “Oh!” she cried when she saw the man standing at the top of the stairs. “Is that him?”
“Yeah,” Leon said softly.
“Wow. He’s not exactly handsome, is he? But he’s got a great body,” Kallie said assessing.
Leon said indignantly: “I think he’s very handsome!”
She grinned at him, and he turned a little red. “You’ve really got it bad,” she teased.
He would have replied to this provocative statement, but just then Caleb began to descend the stairs toward the pool. His mouth went dry and he shivered. He was glad that he had a towel on his lap to cover the unmistakable bulge under the crotch of his shorts. Caleb paused by the gate leading into the pool, and Kallie waved her hand in the air. “Hey, hi!” she called.
When he glanced at her, she nodded to show that she was talking to him. She made a ‘come here’ gesture, and he turned toward them and walked over. Leon cursed his friend silently in his head as Caleb approached them. “Hello,” he said politely to Kallie.
“Hi,” she said again. “I’m Kallie, Leon’s friend. You know Leon, right?”
Caleb’s head swiveled toward him, but Leon still couldn’t read his expression with his eyes covered by those sunglasses. “Of course I know him. He’s my neighbor across the way. He fed me dinner my first night here,” Caleb said. “I’m still grateful for that,” he added to Leon.
“It was no problem,” he said, noticing that his voice was faintly hoarse. “I enjoyed it.”
“So did I. I’ve just been so busy these last few days that I didn’t have time to reciprocate someway. But maybe we could have some take-out together at my place? Tonight?” he asked.
Leon felt his heart leap in his chest again. “I’d love that,” he said sincerely.
“Good,” Caleb said with a nod.
Kallie looked as pleased as a cat with a bowl full of cream. “I just wanted to say ‘Welcome to the apartment complex’,” she said to Caleb gleefully. “I hope that you’ll be…” her eyes swiveled to Leon’s face, “VERY happy here,” she went on wickedly.
Leon turned dark red and wished that he could sink through the concrete. He glared at his friend, who only smirked at him. Caleb said quietly. “Thank you. It takes some getting used to - I lived back East before this,” he told her.
Kallie nodded. “Yeah, I can see how this would be really different for you. But that’s okay…I’m sure that Leon can show you the ropes,” she added, throwing her friend a sly look.
Leon wondered if it would be okay to kill his friend right here and now. But fortunately for him, her daughter Hannah came running up just then crying that her brother Russ had been mean to her. Kallie excused herself to go sort out this family crisis, and Leon gratefully watched her leave before turning back to Caleb. “So what are you doing today?” he asked, trying to sound friendly but neutral.
A shrug. “Not much. I’m too new here to know where to go, and I’m still finding my way around the city. I finally got all my stuff unpacked and arranged in my apartment, so I guess I’m sort of bored. That’s why I came over here when I heard all of the voices.”
“Well, as you can see, we have a lively community here,” Leon said, glancing over at the screaming pack of children cavorting in the water. “A little too lively, maybe,” he added with a wince as a dental drill screech rose over the top of the other voices.
Caleb’s lips lifted slightly. “I think I’ll make a graceful retreat, now,” he said. “How about you come over to my place about seven? Seven thirty?”
“I’ll be there,” Leon said, trying not to sound too eager.
“Great. Any preferences about what take-out to get?”
“Chinese? I know this great place that delivers. I’ll give you their number,” Leon said, rising to his feet. “I have a flier for the place in my apartment,” he explained.
“Okay, lead on, sir,” Caleb said with a slight smile. They headed up the stairs, Leon acutely conscious of just how close that Caleb was to him. He was glad to emerge onto the sidewalk, because his breathing had started to get erratic and any moment now he would have started walking funny. And Caleb would have been sure to want to know why he was hobbling…
He lead the way to his apartment, opening the door. Caleb stopped in the doorway but he turned around and made a welcoming motion. “Come on in. No evil will befall you here, I promise…”
Caleb grinned and walked inside. He stood looking around as Leon went into the kitchen to get the flier for his favorite take-out Chinese restaurant from the little peg board near the phone. He saw a bundle of white fur lying on the sofa, which raised its head to reveal a pair of bright blue eyes. The cat blinked at him thoughtfully, then yawned. It uncurled itself and jumped off the sofa, coming over to wind around his ankles. He bent down to pet the cat, which began to purr loudly at his touch.
Leon, who had halted in the doorway to the kitchen, stood there with the flier in his hands and watched while Felina loved all over Caleb. God, how he wished that he could do the same! His heart was melting as Caleb’s long fingers scratched the top of Felina’s head, and the cat rubbed herself ecstatically against him. He hated to break up this adorable scene, but…
He cleared his throat gently. “I see you’ve found Felina.”
“No, she seems to have found me,” Caleb replied as he straightened up. The cat by his ankles mewped demandingly, not liking the loss of attention.
Leon handed the flier to Caleb, then reached down to scoop his insistent pet up in his arms. “She really seems to like you,” he remarked, as Felina looked over at Caleb as though to say: Well, I’m back within arm’s reach now. What are you waiting for?
Caleb shrugged and reached out to gently stroke her head, which made her go all limp in Leon’s arms. It almost made HIM go limp as well…except for one part of him, that is… “She’s really cute,” Caleb said.
“Yes. I got her as a kitten. The best present I ever got from my ex-boyfriend, actually. He gave her to me the Christmas before last.”
“It’s been a long time since I had a pet. I’d almost forgotten how much fun they can be,” Caleb said, sounding rather wistful. He tickled the blissful Felina under her chin, making her eyes go lidded in feline satisfaction.
“Well, you could have a pet here as long as you pay the security deposit,” Leon told him.
“No. I’m afraid that I work too many odd hours sometimes to keep a pet. I wouldn’t have the time to give them the attention they deserve,” he scratched Felina behind her ear, making her purring grow louder.
“If that’s the case, then you can always come over and pet Felina whenever you want,” Leon said, knowing this was a blatant fish on his part to get Caleb over to his apartment but not caring.
“I might take you up on that,” Caleb remarked, once in awhile.”
Leon felt pleased. It wasn’t right to use his cat to try to be closer to a hot guy, but sometimes you just had to be wrong…
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He was lounging beside the communal pool with his neighbor and friend Kallie Richmond, enjoying the sunlight and considering whether he should take a dip. It was Saturday, and many families were at the pool. Children’s laughter and the sounds of boisterous splashing filled the air, making him smile. Two of those children belonged to Kallie and her hubby Dan, and they were currently involved in a lively game of Marco Polo at the other end of the pool.
“So tell me more about this guy that lives across from you,” Kallie remarked.
He sighed. “I already pretty much told you all I know, Kallie. His name is Caleb Vargunin, he works downtown, he’s gay…”
“It’s that last part that you should be focused on,” she said tartly. “You’ve obviously got the hots for this guy. Why not go for it?”
“Because I have no idea whether he’s interested in me. Just because I have the hots for him, doesn’t mean that he does for me. It would be pretty embarrassing if I asked him out and he turned me down.”
“Hey, you have to take a chance once in awhile!” Kallie chided him. “So he might turn you down. He might also say ’yes’. You never know until you try, right?”
He snorted. “Says a woman. I’m more in Dan’s position than yours, because all you had to do was stand around and wait for him to ask you out, not the other way around. I’m sure he knows how difficult it can be to try something like that, when you’re just waiting for rejection.”
“Why should he reject you? You’re cute, Leon, and a sweet guy too. What’s not to like?”
He smiled at her, stretching out his legs. “Thanks, Kallie. Although…” he looked glum, “Obviously David didn’t see anything special in me.”
“David was an idiot,” his friend replied briskly. “I always thought so.”
He stared at her in surprise. She grinned. “I never said anything when you were still with him, because you obviously really cared about him. But I was glad when he left. I’ve always thought you could do WAY better.”
Leon didn’t know what to say to this. Just then, though, he happened to look up toward the stairs that led down to the pool, and his heart began to thump rather erratically in his chest when he caught sight of a familiar figure standing there. Caleb was casually dressed in a black t-shirt that stretched over his body in a way that raised Leon’s internal body temperature at least thirty degrees. He also wore a pair of light khaki slacks, and leather sandals on his feet. Sunglasses covered his dark eyes, and he was looking down at the pool with an enigmatic expression on his face.
Seeing the direction of his gaze, Kallie turned to see what he was staring at. “Oh!” she cried when she saw the man standing at the top of the stairs. “Is that him?”
“Yeah,” Leon said softly.
“Wow. He’s not exactly handsome, is he? But he’s got a great body,” Kallie said assessing.
Leon said indignantly: “I think he’s very handsome!”
She grinned at him, and he turned a little red. “You’ve really got it bad,” she teased.
He would have replied to this provocative statement, but just then Caleb began to descend the stairs toward the pool. His mouth went dry and he shivered. He was glad that he had a towel on his lap to cover the unmistakable bulge under the crotch of his shorts. Caleb paused by the gate leading into the pool, and Kallie waved her hand in the air. “Hey, hi!” she called.
When he glanced at her, she nodded to show that she was talking to him. She made a ‘come here’ gesture, and he turned toward them and walked over. Leon cursed his friend silently in his head as Caleb approached them. “Hello,” he said politely to Kallie.
“Hi,” she said again. “I’m Kallie, Leon’s friend. You know Leon, right?”
Caleb’s head swiveled toward him, but Leon still couldn’t read his expression with his eyes covered by those sunglasses. “Of course I know him. He’s my neighbor across the way. He fed me dinner my first night here,” Caleb said. “I’m still grateful for that,” he added to Leon.
“It was no problem,” he said, noticing that his voice was faintly hoarse. “I enjoyed it.”
“So did I. I’ve just been so busy these last few days that I didn’t have time to reciprocate someway. But maybe we could have some take-out together at my place? Tonight?” he asked.
Leon felt his heart leap in his chest again. “I’d love that,” he said sincerely.
“Good,” Caleb said with a nod.
Kallie looked as pleased as a cat with a bowl full of cream. “I just wanted to say ‘Welcome to the apartment complex’,” she said to Caleb gleefully. “I hope that you’ll be…” her eyes swiveled to Leon’s face, “VERY happy here,” she went on wickedly.
Leon turned dark red and wished that he could sink through the concrete. He glared at his friend, who only smirked at him. Caleb said quietly. “Thank you. It takes some getting used to - I lived back East before this,” he told her.
Kallie nodded. “Yeah, I can see how this would be really different for you. But that’s okay…I’m sure that Leon can show you the ropes,” she added, throwing her friend a sly look.
Leon wondered if it would be okay to kill his friend right here and now. But fortunately for him, her daughter Hannah came running up just then crying that her brother Russ had been mean to her. Kallie excused herself to go sort out this family crisis, and Leon gratefully watched her leave before turning back to Caleb. “So what are you doing today?” he asked, trying to sound friendly but neutral.
A shrug. “Not much. I’m too new here to know where to go, and I’m still finding my way around the city. I finally got all my stuff unpacked and arranged in my apartment, so I guess I’m sort of bored. That’s why I came over here when I heard all of the voices.”
“Well, as you can see, we have a lively community here,” Leon said, glancing over at the screaming pack of children cavorting in the water. “A little too lively, maybe,” he added with a wince as a dental drill screech rose over the top of the other voices.
Caleb’s lips lifted slightly. “I think I’ll make a graceful retreat, now,” he said. “How about you come over to my place about seven? Seven thirty?”
“I’ll be there,” Leon said, trying not to sound too eager.
“Great. Any preferences about what take-out to get?”
“Chinese? I know this great place that delivers. I’ll give you their number,” Leon said, rising to his feet. “I have a flier for the place in my apartment,” he explained.
“Okay, lead on, sir,” Caleb said with a slight smile. They headed up the stairs, Leon acutely conscious of just how close that Caleb was to him. He was glad to emerge onto the sidewalk, because his breathing had started to get erratic and any moment now he would have started walking funny. And Caleb would have been sure to want to know why he was hobbling…
He lead the way to his apartment, opening the door. Caleb stopped in the doorway but he turned around and made a welcoming motion. “Come on in. No evil will befall you here, I promise…”
Caleb grinned and walked inside. He stood looking around as Leon went into the kitchen to get the flier for his favorite take-out Chinese restaurant from the little peg board near the phone. He saw a bundle of white fur lying on the sofa, which raised its head to reveal a pair of bright blue eyes. The cat blinked at him thoughtfully, then yawned. It uncurled itself and jumped off the sofa, coming over to wind around his ankles. He bent down to pet the cat, which began to purr loudly at his touch.
Leon, who had halted in the doorway to the kitchen, stood there with the flier in his hands and watched while Felina loved all over Caleb. God, how he wished that he could do the same! His heart was melting as Caleb’s long fingers scratched the top of Felina’s head, and the cat rubbed herself ecstatically against him. He hated to break up this adorable scene, but…
He cleared his throat gently. “I see you’ve found Felina.”
“No, she seems to have found me,” Caleb replied as he straightened up. The cat by his ankles mewped demandingly, not liking the loss of attention.
Leon handed the flier to Caleb, then reached down to scoop his insistent pet up in his arms. “She really seems to like you,” he remarked, as Felina looked over at Caleb as though to say: Well, I’m back within arm’s reach now. What are you waiting for?
Caleb shrugged and reached out to gently stroke her head, which made her go all limp in Leon’s arms. It almost made HIM go limp as well…except for one part of him, that is… “She’s really cute,” Caleb said.
“Yes. I got her as a kitten. The best present I ever got from my ex-boyfriend, actually. He gave her to me the Christmas before last.”
“It’s been a long time since I had a pet. I’d almost forgotten how much fun they can be,” Caleb said, sounding rather wistful. He tickled the blissful Felina under her chin, making her eyes go lidded in feline satisfaction.
“Well, you could have a pet here as long as you pay the security deposit,” Leon told him.
“No. I’m afraid that I work too many odd hours sometimes to keep a pet. I wouldn’t have the time to give them the attention they deserve,” he scratched Felina behind her ear, making her purring grow louder.
“If that’s the case, then you can always come over and pet Felina whenever you want,” Leon said, knowing this was a blatant fish on his part to get Caleb over to his apartment but not caring.
“I might take you up on that,” Caleb remarked, once in awhile.”
Leon felt pleased. It wasn’t right to use his cat to try to be closer to a hot guy, but sometimes you just had to be wrong…
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