Another Chance With Love (Chance Series Book 2)

by Blake Allwood

  “Probably, I’m pretty sure my plans for law school are done. Once Luka is a little older, I’ll take on more cases and see where it leads me. For now, though, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.”

  When I dropped Trevor and Luka at home, I was feeling pretty euphoric, at least until I walked into the office and came upon my angry boss.

  “Peter, I need to see you in my office,” he said as he walked away. Assuming I needed to follow, I came up behind him.

  When we got to his office, he closed the door behind me and asked me to sit in the chair across from him. I knew things were going to go badly when he started the conversation with, “I know things are different nowadays…”

  I sighed and tried not to frown as the old man continued.

  “Your life is your own, but as long as you work for me, you need to be more discrete.”

  “Mr. Franklin, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  “On my way into work this morning, as I drove through the park, I saw you and some man kissing, and were you pushing a stroller?” he asked.

  I bit my tongue to keep myself from saying something I’d regret. When I remained silent, he sighed. “This is still the South, Peter,” he continued. “We have several clients who’d have fired us if they saw that display. You represent the firm, and whether you like it or not, how you conduct yourself has a direct impact on us.”

  I continued to sit in silence, not wanting to be disrespectful and say something that would cause me to get fired. But I also didn’t want to compromise my values and personal worth as a human being. I could tell my silence infuriated the man, but I was sure anything I said would infuriate him even more.

  Finally, he stood up and crossed to the door. As he opened it, he said, “This is your warning, Peter. Keep your lifestyle to yourself, or I’ll be forced to let you go.”

  I stood and left without looking at him but determined to keep my head high. This wasn’t my first experience with bigotry, but it was the first time it threatened my livelihood. I’d keep my mouth shut, but I wouldn’t hide my pride for who and what I am. No, I wouldn’t give that up, not even for a job.

  I checked over my schedule, made sure I could work from home, and let the secretary know I’d be out for the rest of the day. I know I was poking the bear, but if I stayed, I was sure by the end of the day I’d be fired anyway.

  My anger grew as the day went on, and eventually, I decided to call my mother and vent. I knew she’d listen, console me, and hopefully offer some advice on how to proceed.

  “It’s unfair,” she replied after I’d whined for about thirty minutes. “But you know there aren’t any laws to protect you. You’ll have to either sit quietly or quit.”

  I sighed. “I know Mom. I’d quit, but this firm lets me explore my passion for retrofitting older designs with modern components. Well, more importantly, they’re the only ones in town that have the clients who want that kind of work done.”

  “So, what’re you going to do?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. For now, I’m going to spend less time in the office and more at home.”

  “Why don’t you look for another firm?”

  “I signed a non-compete. I can’t work with anyone in a two-hundred-mile radius for two years.”

  “Oh,” she sighed. “Well, you could come back home,” she said hopefully.

  I chuckled. “Because Texas is so much more open and accepting of homosexuality. Didn’t they just pass a law that allowed doctors to refuse to treat gay people?”

  “Yeah, well, that’s true. But you know Austin’s different from the rest of Texas.”

  “I know Mom, but I’ve sort of met someone, and I’m not ready to move away just yet.”

  I knew I’d set myself up for hundreds of questions, but I needed to let her know I’d met someone anyway. I wasn’t quite ready to let her know who yet because, well, because she was who she was, and she’d done what she’d done. All that aside, I loved my mother and wanted her involved in my life.

  Mom paused. “I’m working hard not to pry, Peter,” she said, sounding timid. “But when you feel secure, I’d like to meet him, and I promise I’ll be totally different than I was with Martin.”

  “Speaking of Martin,” I decided to shift the discussion and take advantage of my mother’s changed attitude. “Have you spoken to him again?”

  “Yes, he and I have been corresponding but only through Facebook. He and Elian got married, you know. At first, I was really upset about Martin finding someone else and not being able to fix what I’d destroyed between you and him. But Elian really is good for him. I pray every night, Peter, that you can find someone like Martin has.” She sighed a long sigh and paused, clearly not sure how to proceed.

  “Mom, I forgive you. Martin is special, and I’m happy he found someone to love him, and I’m going to be okay. You can stop beating yourself up now.”

  She sighed again. “Until you have someone in your life, I’m not sure I can forgive myself. But I appreciate your forgiveness, son. Reconciling with Martin has really helped. It’s strange to be communicating with him as much as I do, but I think he needed the reconciliation as much as I did. That whole experience was traumatic. The fact that I can remember it all so clearly, but can’t reason why I acted so horribly… It’s a lot to process Peter. It’s like someone else possessed me and lashed out toward him.”

  “Mom, in a way, that’s what happened. I think that’s why I couldn’t understand what Martin was telling me back then. You may dislike someone, but you’ve never lashed out. It helps to know it was the tumor, but it took a long time for me to be able to forgive you.”

  I could tell she was crying but working to hide the tears.

  “Mom, tell me this. If you could go back in time and change it, would you?”

  “Of course, honey. I wish I’d known about the tumor earlier so I could’ve had the surgery or at least give some warning why I was acting the way I did, but I can’t go back, as much as I want to… I can’t.”

  “I know, Mom. But just knowing you’d do so if you could, that helps. Your remorse really helps me see that it wasn’t intentional. I do have a question, though, since we’re really talking about this now. Did you like him, really, or did your dislike for him influence you?”

  Mom waited a moment before responding. “It’s hard to say because I can’t tell how much was the tumor and what was me. It gets confusing in my head, you know? I’ve thought about it a lot, though, and here’s how I’ve reconciled it in my mind. If you’d brought Martin home, say, a year before you did and introduced me to him, I would’ve had some concerns. Most moms would I think because we want the best for our kids, but I think now that I know him, and he and I are getting along, I think I’d have grown to like him in the long run.”

  I thought for a moment about what she said. “So if you disliked someone I was dating now, or thought we weren’t really a good paring, you could learn to like them?”

  She didn’t hesitate at all this time. “Yes, I would love them because you love them. That’s all that’s required now. I want you to find someone you love with all your soul, and I want them to love you the same way.”

  “What if they have a kid?” I asked, waiting to see if she put two and two together.

  I wasn’t disappointed. Her quick mind went straight to where I was headed. “You’re dating Trevor?” she asked.

  “You can’t bug him, Mom. Promise me you won’t.”

  “Of course not, honey. But just so we’re clear, it’s taken every ounce of willpower in me not to try to set you two up. He’s such a good boy and insightful for his age.”

  I chuckled. “Well, thanks for not interfering. We are new, but I like him… I like him a lot, actually.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you. And I promise unless he reaches out to me, I’ll keep my distance.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Okay, I’ve got some work to do. Thanks for letting me vent too. I needed it.”
/>   “Anytime, sweetheart,” she replied. “Sometime in the future, I want to meet that baby, but only when you’re ready.”

  I laughed out loud. “We’ll see,” I replied before we finished up our call.

  __________

  After the confrontation with Mr. Franklin, work settled back into a normal routine. I spent much more time working from home, and no one seemed to notice or care.

  I was given some freedom to help with the party, so I spent quite a bit more time with Doris and Trevor, making plans for the big reveal.

  We’d gotten preliminary approval from the neighborhood and city for construction, and luckily, the neighborhood liked that we were building something reminiscent of the current architecture. The lot Leonardo had purchased was one of the last derelict properties in the area.

  Reporters began to swarm Trevor’s property as news of the party got out. For the first time in my life, I began to be more discreet about my relationship with Trevor. I was concerned that if we were seen together, I could lose my job and be forced to move away from the man and his son that I was growing more fond of by the day.

  When the invitations went out to the city’s elite, which included the budding movie studio people, I knew I could no longer visit Trevor’s home without being exposed. I didn’t want to let Trevor know I was in jeopardy of losing my job, mainly because I was embarrassed I didn’t have the backbone to stand up to my boss. The more I thought about the situation, the more I realized I didn’t want to lose my ability to live in Atlanta. I liked the city, but I was beginning to love the man.

  Luckily, Leonardo kept me busy on-site, and we began clearing the debris and leveling the area, so when the press took pictures, there would be some progress. We’d already heard several positive comments from the city and neighbors about how nice it was to have the derelict lot cleared and cleaned up.

  Leonardo had an antique looking fence installed around the property, which reinforced the idea that we were going to create something reminiscent of the character of the area. Politically, the man knew what he was up to. Several other infill programs had been proposed for this site and were immediately shut down by the neighborhood. I confessed to Leonardo that if he’d wanted anything other than the Victorian style, he’d probably never have gotten this far.

  As things ramped up, neither Trevor nor I had time to spend together. I was surprised at how much I missed him and Luka. Was it possible to get this attached in such a short time? Apparently so. With Martin, our relationship had been a slow burn. With Trevor, I seemed to go from zero to one hundred within seconds of meeting him.

  Luckily, we were able to talk on the phone every night. That just made me miss him more, though. Before it was all said and done, I was anxious for the damn party to be over so we could go back to the way we were before.

  Trevor

  For the most part, Aunt Doris took the lead at the party. I’d never seen her so inspired before, and I got caught up in the energy because of her.

  I missed Peter more than I wanted to admit. I was almost sure I was getting overly attached because my predicament left me more vulnerable than I would’ve been otherwise.

  Regardless, when we were days away from the big party, I was happy to see the end in sight.

  I moved into a temporary living space on the top floor. What was once a ballroom for the original owners. Apparently, the house was built so guests would go to the top of the house to party.

  Luckily, my grandpa designed the space as a studio apartment. Although it was never used, it did give Luka and me a cool place to hide while our first floor was turned into a party venue for Leonardo’s big reveal.

  I was surprised at how much more I got done now that I worked up here. There were fewer distractions, and Luka even seemed to be more settled than when I’d worked from the first-floor music room. Once the party was over, I decided we’d spend our days up here working instead of downstairs.

  Aunt Doris had the men bring up a couple of comfortable couches she found at one of her consignment stores. Because we weren’t in the main part of the house, both Aunt Doris and I felt easier having the space more comfortable. We didn’t feel compelled to follow any architectural rules or period appropriateness like we did in the rest of the house.

  Peter visited us once before things got too hectic. And to my surprise, he didn’t criticize us for being more casual up here. In fact, he even commented on how comfortable the space was with its vaulted ceiling and wide plank floors.

  Of course, when Leonardo saw it, he had a hundred ideas about setting the space up for doing some photos for his online catalog. Luckily, Aunt Doris nixed it, saying, until the party was over, this was the family’s personal space.

  As the party drew closer, things seemed to swirl around us. I swear there were several days I didn’t go down to the first floor at all. Leonardo hired a nanny for us who sat with Luka when I had to run errands, and Aunt Doris wasn’t available to sit with him. I was reticent at first, but the older lady had years of experience working with infants and was probably better qualified to care for Luka than I was.

  I didn’t have to call on her often, but when I did, she was great, and Luka seemed to like her.

  __________

  On the day of the party, I let the Nanny take full responsibility for Luka. I was happy she’d sat with him some before that day because she had a handle on his peculiarities. I dashed up and down the stairs all day checking on him like the helicopter parent I was, but even during his tantrums, the nanny seemed to have him under control.

  When Peter asked me to lunch, I readily agreed. I was hungry to get out of the house but also to spend time with him.

  When we got to his car, Peter leaned over and kissed me, and I immediately melted in his arms. “Damn, Peter, I think I’m hungrier for you than food.” I sighed.

  “In that case, let’s go to my place.” And without waiting for my response, he put the car in reverse and took off toward his condo.

  I laughed, then ran my hand over his crotch like I had the first time we’d headed to his condo for a quickie.

  Peter moaned. “You don’t play fair.”

  “Not when it’s been this long,” I replied, trying to sound like me rubbing his crotch was something I was entitled to do.

  Peter chuckled, but this time he reached down and opened his pants and put my hand on his underwear-clad cock. It was my turn to lose control. My body ached to have Peter inside me. He didn’t have to give any more of an invitation than he did. I bent over, pulled his cock out of his underwear, and took him in my mouth.

  Peter moaned but maintained control as he drove. “Oh fuck, Trevor...your mouth feels so good,” he uttered.

  When we got to his condo, he zipped up, and we rushed to get inside.

  We didn’t make it to his bedroom this time. We stripped just inside the door. I went to my knees, taking his cock back into my mouth while Peter leaned up against the door.

  “I want to taste you, Peter,” I said, between sucking him. Then I pushed his cock deep into my throat and swallowed.

  “Oh, fuck!” he cried.

  He pulled me to my feet, and we quickly undressed on our way back to his bedroom. Before we got to the bed, he asked, “Have you ever topped?”

  I shook my head, but my cock jumped at where this appeared to be going.

  “Do you want to try?”

  My mouth went dry with anticipation, and I just nodded, unsure my voice would work.

  Peter climbed into the bed, reached over to the bedside table, and pulled out the lube, a condom, and a dildo. “Oh fuck, this is so fucking hot!” I replied mostly to myself, but Peter chuckled.

  I watched as he lubed up the dildo and worked it into his very sexy hole.

  I rubbed my own cock as I watched him prep himself for me. When Peter threw his head back and pushed the dildo all the way in, I crawled up beside him and kissed his chest, moving down to the yummy treasure trail, which flowed tantalizingly all the way down to hi
s cock.

  He continued fucking himself with the impressively sized dildo when I took his cock back into my mouth. Peter moaned loudly, and I matched his rhythm, sucking him as he fucked himself. I edged him over and over, which just seemed to make him thrust the dildo into his hole harder and harder.

  Finally, I said, “Can I fuck you now?”

  Peter nodded and smiled. “You’ll need to use a whole lot of lube.”

  I blushed. “I don’t have to if it’s too much.”

  Peter laughed. “Oh, it’s too much, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try. I want that monster inside me, Trevor!”

  I leaned over and kissed him hard, moving to lie between his legs. I took the dildo from him and worked it around in his hole, stretching him as much as I could. When I pulled it out and positioned myself to replace it with my cock, I looked at it and smiled. “That’s about the same size as me. It’s sort of huge.”

  Peter laughed. “Yeah, they call it the doc. I’ve been using it to prep for this.”

  The thought of Peter using this giant dildo with me in mind made my heart stutter. “God, I dreamed of fucking you, Peter. But don’t let me hurt you, okay?”

  Peter smiled and ordered, “Stop talking and start fucking!”

  I didn’t need to be asked twice. I lined my cock up and began head fucking him, slowly, not wanting to hurt him, but oh, how I wanted to grind his ass. I can’t count the number of times I’d jacked off in the shower with Peter’s ass in mind. I just never thought he’d let me try.

  When Peter didn’t seem to be in any pain, I pushed further in and watched for any indication he was uncomfortable. Luckily, the dildo seemed to have done its job because Peter was arching and beginning to push against me.

  “Fuck, you’re so tight, Peter. I could come just sitting here.”

  “Not yet,” he said. “Not until you put that big cock all the way in.”

  “Can you handle it?” I asked, still unsure.

  “God damn, stop asking and fuck me, Trevor!”

  I laughed, and seeing he wasn’t in any pain, I complied. I thrust my cock all the way in, and Peter moaned then seemed to melt into the bed. I fucked his gorgeous ass watching his face as it showed how much he was enjoying me.