Don't Read in the Closet volume one (57 page)

He gripped the phone
tightly and listened to Shea apologizing for not getting back to him sooner. “I
had some trouble with my phone. Coffee sounds good.” Shea had named a time and
place. “Call me if that doesn’t work for you, otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow.
Or call me if you just want to talk. That’d be good too.” Shea’s voice had
softened. “I’m really glad you called, Levi. I want to see you again.”

Levi played the message
again, just to hear Shea’s voice. Who was he kidding? He had it bad. Just the
sound of Shea’s voice made his heart race and his stomach flip.

CHAPTER FIVE

Shea got to the coffee
shop early. He ordered an iced tea and sat at one of the outside tables on a
grassy strip beside the sidewalk. He’d chosen this coffee shop because it was
dog friendly, just in case Levi decided to bring Whirlwind.

It was early evening and
though it was still warm out, it was comfortable sitting outside. It had been a
pleasant shock when he played Levi’s message. He hoped like hell Levi wouldn’t
chicken out and be a no-show.

Levi was pretty
experienced when it came to sex. He’d had some smooth moves when they’d been
together on the couch, but he’d sounded nervous when he’d left his message.
Shea suspected Levi wasn’t all that experienced in the dating department. He
had a feeling he’d spook Levi if he moved on him too quickly. Still, he wasn’t
letting him get away without more contact details.
 

He saw Levi from half a
block away. Shea watched him check his wristwatch and rake his fingers through
his hair. He was wearing pressed chinos and a button down shirt. Levi had made
an effort with his appearance. Shea took that as a good sign.
  

Levi saw him and made
his way to the table. He smiled almost shyly. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Shea smiled back.

Levi looked awkward.
“I’ll just go get something to drink. Can I get you anything else?”

“I’m good, thanks. Is
outside okay?”

“Yeah. It’s nice to get
some fresh air. Be right back.”

Shea watched Levi as he
entered the coffee shop. He came back a few minutes later with an iced coffee
and sat down across from Shea.

Levi took a sip of his
drink and sighed. “God, that’s good.”

“Where’s Whirlwind?”

“I left him at home. I
wasn’t sure I should bring him.”

“You should. Bring him
next time.”

“Okay.” Levi looked as
if he was nervous and Shea wondered if he should have mentioned a next time.

Levi turned his drink
around, playing with the condensation ring on the table. “It’s a little weird
doing this.”

“Doing what?”

Levi flushed. “Sitting
here, getting to know each other.”

Shea grinned. “Feeling
awkward is a requirement for every first date.”

Levi flushed harder.
“This
is
my first date.” He grabbed
his iced coffee and drank.

Shea studied him.
“Ever?”

Levi nodded and stared
at the table. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”

Shea reached across the
table and squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you did.” He paused until Levi looked
up. “Getting to know each other doesn’t have to be an ordeal. We can make it
fun. Next time we could maybe see a movie or walk in the park with Whirlwind.
If you like baseball we could go to a game.”

Levi looked relieved. He
met Shea’s eyes and nodded. “Okay. Yeah.”

“Great.” Shea released
his hand and sat back.

Levi watched him as he
drank his iced tea. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Ask away.” He
wanted to get Levi talking, get him relaxed.

“How did you get my
number?”

Damn
. He’d kind of hoped it wouldn’t come up. Shea took a breath
and launched into his explanation.

Levi’s lips pressed
together but he didn’t say anything. Shea wasn’t sure if he was mad or trying
not to laugh.

“So it just made sense
to write it down then and there,” Shea finished.

“That’s pretty slick.”

Shea stared at him
unsure how to interpret that comment. The corner of Levi’s mouth curved up and
a dimple appeared in his cheek. Levi’s small smile blossomed into a full-on
grin and Shea felt some of the tension in his shoulders ease.

It was easier after
that. They talked for hours. Somewhere in the middle Shea got up and bought
them each another drink.

They traded all the
basic information such as age, siblings, and jobs. But they mostly talked about
dogs.

Levi told Shea how he’d
ended up with Whirlwind. He shared some of the horror stories of raising a
puppy that ate anything, including socks and even a bar of soap.
  

Shea told Levi he’d
always wanted a dog, but as a kid, his parents had never allowed it. That once
he was settled, he’d decided on an older dog that could be left at home while
he was at work, without fear of his house being destroyed. He even talked to
Levi about Lacey’s arthritis and his decision to let her go.

Levi watched him as he
spoke, his indigo eyes sympathetic.

“That must have been
tough.”

“It was the hardest
thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Levi reached across the
table and squeezed his shoulder.

It was getting late but
Shea didn’t want Levi to leave. He wanted to spend more time with him and he
envied Levi. He had someone to greet him when he got home. Suddenly Shea
couldn’t bare the thought of walking into his empty house. “Do you want another
drink?”

Levi glanced at his
watch. “Thanks, but I should get going. Whirlwind will need to go out soon.”

“I could come with you.”

Levi gave Shea a
surprised look. “You want to come home with me? I didn’t think—”

“Levi,” Shea
interrupted. “It’s not just sex. There’s something more between us.” He bit his
lip as Levi sat silent. “I won’t try to force you into something you don’t
want, or you might not be ready for, but let me come home with you tonight.
Please.”

Levi stood and Shea
worried he’d pushed too far too fast. Some of his fears must have shown in his
face because Levi moved to his side and smiled at him.

“Okay. But you’d better
not complain if your socks get chewed.”

Shea got to his feet and
Levi took his hand. “Come on. Let’s go take Whirlwind for a walk.”

THE END

Author
bio:
Pender Mackie lives in Canada though she spent her childhood years in
England.
 

An
imaginative child, Pender wasn't a willing student. Her father, deciding some
incentive was needed, promised her a pony as soon as she could read.
 

Properly
motivated, Pender picked up a book and discovered the joys of fiction. Though
her infatuation with ponies didn't last, she still loves a good story.

Pender
has been a technical writer for over twenty years and spends her daily commute
making up characters, romantic plots, and daydreaming.
 

Pender
has been writing M/M romance stories for a couple of years, but submitted the
first of them to Silver Publishing earlier this year. Her first story, Scent of
Attraction, was released in April. She has two more short stories coming out in
October and November of 2011 and is busy putting the final touches on several
others.
 

Pender
can be reached at [email protected]

Information
about Pender’s upcoming releases can be found on her Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pender-Mackie-Author/164033403655486
or on her blog at http://pendermackie.blogspot.com

Selected by KM Mahoney

Dear Author,

These guys have been
friends for years (and are maybe teammates) and are indulging in a bit of
"I'll show you mine..." They're old enough for looking to lead to
touching, to lead to...?

[PHOTO: Two very young men, naked except
for jeans pushed low on their thighs, sit together on a low stone wall. Fully
exposed but unaroused, they touch foreheads, eyes closed. One is a little more
muscular, shaven-headed with a dragon tattoo on one pec. The other is slender,
with short dark hair and a star tattooed on each pale shoulder.]

Sincerely,

Morgon

Genre:
contemporary

Tags:
college

Words:
6,569

SHOW & TELL

by
KM Mahoney

When Matt saw
the white blur hurtling through the air in his direction, he acted purely on
instinct.

“Oomph!”

As he lay on
the ground, it occurred to him that stepping into the path of flying objects
was really not in his best interest.

“Matt! Man, are
you okay?”

Great.
Just what I need.
Matt blinked up at the blue sky, trying to catch his breath again. Maybe if he
pretended to be unconscious, the owner of the voice would go away. Of all the
people to witness his act of stupidity, it would have to be Blaine.

Matt took a
deep breath, unconscious act ruined when he winced at the stab of pain in his
chest. Amazing, how much a flat plastic Frisbee
hurt.

“Matt?”
Concerned brown eyes moved into his range of vision, obscuring his sight of a
fluffy pale cloud shaped like a duck. “I am so sorry! I yelled when I saw you,
but I guess you didn’t hear the warning, huh?”

“Nope.” Matt’s
denial sounded more like a choked wheeze than an actual word.

“Is he okay?”

“What
happened?”

“Sheesh,
Blaine, that was some throw.”

Suddenly a
small crowd surrounded them. Matt closed his eyes again. Maybe if he wished
hard enough, they’d all go away and let him melt into the ground in peace.

“Matt?”

Matt sighed,
gave up avoidance as a lost cause, and sat up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” he
insisted, not sure exactly who he was addressing. He nearly sent up a prayer of
thanksgiving when his protest worked, despite being a tad weak. He received a
few gentle slaps to his shoulders, some sympathetic looks, before people
started wandering away.

Blaine leaned
over and extended a hand. Matt took it and let the bigger man haul him upright.

“You know,”
Blaine commented. “Most people step
out
of the way of airborne objects.”

Matt just
rolled his eyes at the dry tone. “Most people aren’t me,” he pointed out.”

“Thank God for
that.” Blaine flashed a cheeky grin, teeth white against his olive skin. “One
of you is enough for any college campus.”

“You know what
I meant.”

Not most people
were goalies on one of the top-ranked college soccer teams. Having white, round
projectiles aimed at his body tended to be a daily occurrence. And if he didn’t
get in their way, he got chewed out by the coach. So it screwed up his
instincts a bit. They’d won the NCAA Division I Championship last year; Matt
could handle screwed up instincts.

“Want to join
us?” Blaine offered.

“Hell no.”

Blaine laughed,
the sound low and husky, sending a ripple of pleasure through Matt. Damn, but
he loved that sound. “Had enough of Frisbees for one day, huh?”

“Sure, let’s go
with that.” Matt smiled. Blaine knew very well that Matt hated Frisbee golf. No
matter how much he tried, he couldn’t understand the damn rules. Blaine insisted
it was simple and Matt was just weird. Matt wouldn’t argue the weird part, but
he still maintained that Frisbee golf was a stupid game and did
not
qualify as a sport.

“If you’re
sure,” Blaine teased gently.

“Blaine! Move
your ass, man!”

Blaine waved over
his shoulder and started jogging backward. “See you later?”

“Of course you
will. We live together, idiot.”

Blaine grinned
again, the expression wide and happy, before turning and heading back to his
game.

Matt shook his
head, rubbing at the ache in his chest. He could practically feel the bruise
forming and the damn thing was gonna be beautiful. Red and green and all colors
of the rainbow.