by Van Barrett
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Linemates is a 115,000 word stand-alone romance with a HEA! Narrated in present tense, dual first-person POV. No cliffhangers or cheating. Steamy MM scenes are depicted. Light MF elements depicted.
The Carpenter's Apprentice
A summer job that changed his life.
Ethan was more shy computer nerd than skilled & studly handyman when Jake took him as his apprentice, but a few years under the manly carpenter has this late bloomer about to blossom and show his true colors.
Ethan's on-again, off-again girlfriend isn't crazy about his career, and she's made big plans to move half-way across the country. She wants Ethan to come with her ... but only if he agrees to leave carpentry behind and go back to school.
Ethan's head is reeling with questions and doubts. He loves spending time with Jake -- and the thought of giving that up makes him sick to his stomach. Can Ethan pry himself away from Jake for a relationship that's not built on a solid foundation? Will he discover another reason why he finds Jake so magnetic?
Still waters run deep.
Jake found out too late that he was actually into guys. Tough luck for him -- between raising his daughter and running his own business, he's got his hands full. Love will just have to wait. Not that he has any idea where to find it in the first place ...
He knows his crush on his apprentice Ethan is totally inappropriate, not to mention hopeless and stupid. Sure, Ethan's a cutie -- but he's also totally straight! Hell, he's got a girlfriend that he's willing to move half-way across the country for!
But when Ethan and his girlfriend unexpectedly run into some problems and split up, Jake invites the younger apprentice out to his country home for some "guy time" ... and sparks fly. Did Jake just do something incredibly unprofessional -- or could Ethan actually be curious about getting with another guy?
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The Carpenter's Apprentice is a 65,000+ word stand-alone romance with a HEA! Narrated in dual first-person POV. No cliffhangers or cheating. Steamy MM scenes are depicted. Light MF elements depicted.
Excerpt from Seven Nights:
1.
First Time for Everything
– Austin Rockwell –
“So wait, who are these friends of yours again?” Austin asked his girlfriend curiously as they walked on the sidewalk.
At eleven o'clock, Madison, Wisconsin was only starting to wake. Groups of rowdy frat boys, giggling sorority sisters, bantering hipsters, and all the other cliques shuffled by the couple on the crowded sidewalk.
It was a typical Friday night in this college town, and you could smell it in the air. The powdery, floral notes of perfume; the rich musk of cologne; the yeasty, lingering stench of stale beer. You could feel it in the air, too – the frenzied banter pouring out from every bar and balcony; the desperate hope of running into that boy or that girl you've had your eye on; the promise of a late-night hook-up.
“Au~stin!” Kelly cried out with pretend-outrage. Her ballet flats made a soft, almost noiseless patter on the pavement – a stark contrast compared to the satisfyingly solid clicks of Austin's Italian, brown leather loafers. “How many times do I have to tell you? It's Mike's party. Amanda's boyfriend.”
“Ah, right.” Austin nodded. Amanda was Kelly's best friend. “I remember now.”
“Yeah, and he's throwing a bash for all of us in the English department. It's a sort of last hurrah before we get all stressed out by next week …”
“Nothing like a kegger to get everyone ready for mid-terms.” Austin stifled a laugh. “Okay, so it's a party full of English majors. I won't forget it this time, I promise.”
“Please, Austin.” Kelly put her hand on Austin's forearm and stopped him. She gave her boyfriend her big, pleading eyes to let him know that she was serious. “Don't say it like that.”
“Say what?”
“'English majors' – sounding all full of disdain! You know we get that from every angle, right? From other students, from our families? From everywhere?”
Austin stuffed his hands into his khaki pockets and gave a cocky shrug. The kind of shrug that said maybe, just maybe, all that derision was kinda-sorta, y'know … deserved?
“Well?” Austin flashed his perfect, stark white smile.
“Well what?” Kelly's tone made it clear: she wasn't interested in joking around about this. Not now, not on the way to Amanda and Mike's party.
Austin bit his lip. Sometimes, it can be so hard to keep your mouth shut – even when you know you really should.
“… Statistically, graduates in the humanities make, on average,--”
“Shh shh shh.” Kelly put her index finger to Austin's lips. “Nope. Not tonight, Austin. Please. I just wanna have a good time tonight.”
“Okay. Fine.” Austin let out a good-natured laugh, and the couple started walking again.
But Kelly had to claim the last word. “Besides, we can't all be finance majors.”
“Oh, but the world would be such a better place …” Austin trailed off with a dreamy, although sarcastic, sigh.
“Yeah, right!” Kelly laughed. “I can just picture it: a world full of number-crunchers, all jockeying to be the first guy to crash the economy for his own gain.”
“Ahh, I see now.” Austin gave her a playful smack on the butt. “So your major is off limits to criticism, but mine isn't.”
“I was just testing you. 'Cause you're probably gonna be hearing stuff like that all night. I don't have to remind you of the political views of my classmates …”
Austin polished his finger-nails on his suit jacket, a navy piece by Ermenegildo Zegna.
“Oh Kel, how uncouth do you think I am? I'm diplomatic. I know how to fit in … even in the midst of savages.”
“God, you're too much, I swear!” Kelly burst into laughter. “I just want you to try to fit in tonight, alright? I know I'm asking a lot, but … don't take the bait they throw your way. Please. Just be the bigger man.”
“Well. I always am.” Austin bobbled his head.
At last they arrived at Mike's house on South Orchard St. The porch was packed with party-goers, all clutching drinks and more than a few blowing out clouds of cigarette smoke. The rental house still sported a brown and yellow color scheme – a dead give-away that it hadn't been painted since the 70's. Worse, a tangled mess of Christmas lights drooped from the porch, looking sad and out of place in March rather than festive.
Everything about the house screamed neglected student rental. But in this neighborhood, Austin thought with a smirk, it wasn't exactly out of place.
“So how do I look?” Austin struck a distinguished pose before they walked up the porch stairs. He knew he was over-dressed for this house party but he didn't care. He had his style, and sometimes that meant looking out of place. Better to be over-dressed than under, as far as he was concerned.
Kelly looked her boyfriend over. His jacket was obviously nice, too nice. His khakis were neatly ironed and his loafers were probably more expensive than her entire outfit put together.
“Um. Like a fish out of water.” Kelly giggled.
He grinned. “A man has to look sharp, Kel.”
“I know. You always do.” She cautiously mussed his neatly-styled blonde bangs, making his hair just a touch less perfect. He liked to keep the sides of his hair short and trim, since it accentuated his cheek bones and jawline. But his bangs had more length and body. “Anyway, I don't care what anyone else thinks. I know you've got a good heart somewhere in there … even if you don't know it.”
“Ha. If you say so.”
She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him lightly on the lips.
The couple pushed through the mass of bodies and carved a path into the house. Inside, the living room had been cleared for a makeshift dance floor; loud music blasted from a set of speakers and hot, sweaty bodies grinded and rubbed together to the beat.
“Kelly!” someone, a male, shouted as he sprang up from the couch. His hair was long and straggly but pulled ba
ck into a bun, and he wore a scruffy beard. He rushed at Kelly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. He was built like a bear and Kelly nearly disappeared from view in his large arms.
Kelly looked uncomfortable. “Um, hi, Glenn … this is my boyfriend, Austin.”
Glenn pulled back and noticed Austin. His gaze swept up and down Austin's frame, taking in his stature and dress with a hint of scorn.
Finally, Glenn's eyes narrowed at Austin. “Oh. Hey.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Austin extended his hand for a shake, but Glenn only looked at it and made a sour face.
“I don't shake. Fist bump.” Glenn made a fist and pressed it awkwardly into Austin's palm.
“Fist bump?” Austin chuckled and rescinded his hand. “Is that a fear-of-germs thing?”
“No, it's more of a, I wouldn't be caught dead shaking hands with the President of the College Republicans, type thing.”
“Ah.” Austin responded with a confident smile and a tip of the head. “Touché.”
Kelly grimaced and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Um, Glenn – is Amanda here?”
Glenn replied with his eyes still locked on Austin's. “Yeah. She's somewhere out back. Probably by the keg.”
“… Okay. Thanks. C'mon, Austin, come with me.”
Austin nodded at Glenn again and side-stepped his way around the friend. The couple made their way through the house.
“So what's his deal?” Austin chuckled. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm picking up on a serious case of the 'nice guy's with a not-so-secret, undying crush--”
“Oh please, it's nothing like that! Glenn just gets like that when he's drunk. Normally he's a really sweet, nice guy …”
“See! There it is!” Austin held the backdoor open for his girlfriend and let her walk through first. “You even said it yourself. 'Nice guy.' I knew it.”
In the backyard, the vibe of the party was calmer. A circle crowded around the keg, shoving their plastic cups towards the tap. Groups of friends stood in several circles throughout the yard, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
Kelly spotted Amanda with her boyfriend, and party host, Mike at her side. “There they are! Let's say hi.”
Kelly sidled up to Amanda and deftly nudged her shoulder. Amanda saw Kelly and her face lit up – and the girl pulled herself out of the circle. They hugged each other and exchanged greetings. Then Amanda turned to Austin.
“Hi, Austin! So glad you could make it.” She extended her arms for a hug and Austin embraced her.
“Good to see you again, Amanda. How are you?”
“Great. Little tipsy. Here, I want you to meet Mike!” Amanda tugged on Mike's shirt sleeve. He was recounting a story – which sounded like some tale from freshman year in the dorms – animatedly waving his hands around as the story climaxed. The crowd hung on every last word and burst into an uproar at the punchline.
Mike turned to Amanda. “What's up, babe?”
“This is Austin, Kelly's boyfriend!”
Mike looked up and met eyes with Austin. “Austin … Austin! Hey, man, it's good to finally meet you.”
Mike put his hand out to shake. Austin gave him his hand in return and the two men shook. Austin knew that Mike probably didn't respect him either, given the bend of this crowd. But at least Mike could swallow his personal feelings and act polite.
“The pleasure's mine, Mike.”
Mike had a nice, firm handshake. In business and in dealing with people, Austin knew to never let his guard down – his Dad had made sure to drill that lesson into his head – but a good handshake and eye contact went a long way towards establishing a man's trustworthiness.
“I've heard a lot about you. But after two years, I started to think I'd never actually meet you.” Mike grinned sneakily at Kelly. “Sometimes I wondered if you actually existed, or if Kelly had just made you up entirely.”
“Austin's a busy guy …” Kelly laughed self-consciously.
Austin put his arm around Kelly. “Yeah. That, and obviously, we tend to run in different crowds.”
Mike grinned. “Well, I hope our crowd will treat you kindly.”
“Speaking of.” Kelly palmed her forehead and lowered her voice. “We ran into Glenn. He's, um, wasted.”
“Sure is!” Mike laughed out loud. “Did he give you grief, Austin?”
Austin chuckled, brushing the encounter aside. “No, not really. I mean, he refused to shake hands with a 'College Republican' on principle – but really, it's okay. I don't take it personally. I'm used to it.”
Mike pursed his lips with surprise. “That's it? He let you off easy. It was just a couple hours ago when he heard the news that you might come tonight – and he started spouting off about how he was going to grill you about your Dad actually being an evil space lizard, hell-bent on conquering planet Earth!”
Mike clapped his hand on Austin's shoulder, and the two men shared in a hearty laugh.
“God!” Austin shook his head, still wearing a grin that was equal parts amusement and shock. “Where the hell do people come up with this stuff?”
Mike's eyes sparkled. “We're both in creative writing, Austin. We're not exactly known for being grounded.”
Austin smiled coyly. “Hey. You said it, not me.”
Mike turned to Kelly. “So Kelly, tell me about the essay you wrote for Irish drama . . .”
The two classmates were whisked away into a conversation about school. Austin saw the opening he was waiting for. He gestured at Amanda, nodding his head towards a more private area. She agreed and the two stealthily stepped away from their significant others.
“So?” Amanda gushed, her arms folded. “What's the word?”
“Found a cabin up at a lake resort, this place called The Pines. It's up north. I've scheduled it for the week after graduation … but that's still a surprise. I'll ask her if she wants to take a little road trip. Then we'll head up there and stay for a week. And uh, at some point, not sure when or how, but I guess I'll pull out the ring and ask her.”
“Eeeeee!” Amanda squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands gleefully. “Yes! Yes! She'll love it.”
“Shh, don't give it away.” Austin glanced nervously across the yard at Kelly, but she was still distracted by shop talk with Mike. “And uh, don't – don't get carried away, either. Because I'm not totally sure yet.”
The life drained from Amanda's face and her voice dropped a couple octaves. “What do you mean you're not totally sure yet?”
“It's just – look. It feels a little forced. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you came to me, but--”
“Forced?” Amanda gasped.
“Forced what? What're you guys talking about?” Kelly interrupted, wedging herself between the two.
“Uh! Nothing!” Amanda blurted out guiltily.
Holy hell, you're a bad liar, Austin thought, his eyes widening at Amanda. Thankfully, having been raised in a political dynastic family, Austin possessed a quick wit and a crafty slickness to boot.
“I was just telling Amanda here how you managed to force me to come to this party,” he lied.
“Uh, yeah! Hee-hee! That's right,” Amanda giggled with relief.
Defiantly, Kelly pinned her fists to her hips. “Well it's about time you met my friends from school, don't you think?”
Austin nodded, his expression stately and practiced. “Oh, yes, absolutely.”
“You've only managed to put it off for two whole years.” Kelly waved her finger in the air with sass.
“Well, let's not pretend that you're all that fond of my fraternity brothers, dear.”
“Don't forget your College Republican pals,” Kelly added with a roll of her eyes.
Austin laughed. “So we understand each other.”
“Gosh. What a match made in heaven?” Amanda quipped sarcastically.
Just then, a student walked up to the group holding a tray of cookies. He held the tray up as an offering. “You guys want a cookie? They'
re totally delicious. And magical.”
Before anyone could say more – or stop him – Austin swiped a cookie off the tray and popped it into his mouth.
“Enjoy!” the student smiled, and stared, for way too long before he finally walked off.
Amanda's mouth gaped open. Kelly bit her lip with a look of concern.
“Mm. Hey, that's good. Uh. What's gotten into you two?”
“Um, Austin …” Amanda shook her head.
“Austin …” Kelly mumbled in a drawl.
“Shit.” Austin gulped loudly as he swallowed the last of his cookie down. “That cookie wasn't just chocolate chip, was it?”
Amanda shook her head slowly. Kelly buried her face in her hands.
“Well …” Austin shrugged. “I guess there's a first time for everything.”
2.
What a Difference a Day Makes
– Austin –
Austin hadn't just gone through college without having met Kelly's friends from school – he'd also managed to never try marijuana. Of course, as he joked, it was probably not a coincidence that he managed to cross those both off his list tonight.
He had, of course, been well-acquainted with alcohol. Austin wasn't a heavy drinker by any means, but at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one would be hard pressed to avoid alcohol completely. Plus, living in a frat house his first two years of school made for some pretty interesting nights, to say the least.
But being voted the President of the UMW College Republicans and elected head of the student body meant one had certain responsibilities. No, the job wasn't anywhere near as serious as a real politician's. He'd seen first hand just how hard his Dad had to work, of course, constantly having to rally support for bills. Schmoozing with other Congressmen, low-key deals with lobbyists, back-room negotiations and more. Not to mention all the speeches and public appearances and day-to-day paper-pushing that Dad had to stay on top of. Compared to his Dad's workload, getting the student committee to, say, approve a new vending machine on campus was a walk in the park.
