by Rick R. Reed
No, no one stepped aside to make room for them. That was fantasy. But reality was even better, Seth thought, because of all of the kids dancing right alongside Darrell and Truman. The pair—black, white, gay, gender flaunting—were just another couple on the dance floor.
And that was a beautiful thing to see.
And then Seth saw something that surprised him, maybe even made his heart ache a little. There in the corner, hardly discernible in the dim light, was the star quarterback of the football team, Kirk Samson. He looked handsome and masculine in his tuxedo, and his date, Amber Wells, stunning in a shimmering turquoise dress, her black hair in a messy upsweep that looked elegant nonetheless, clung to him, perhaps to try to get him to notice her.
Kirk stared at Truman and Darrell, clutching a glass of punch in his fist. Seth could read, even from across the dance floor, the longing and the envy on the young man’s gorgeous face as he watched Truman and Darrell swirl together on the dance floor.
Seth didn’t say anything to Dane, not yet. The moment was so clear, so sad, that Seth didn’t think he could put anything about it into words. His gaydar had never picked up on Kirk Samson, but now it was dinging wildly, and Seth could see a hidden boy, unhappy and wishing for a different life.
Amber stood on tiptoes to whisper in Kirk’s ear, and whatever she said made him laugh. But the laugh looked strained, his face tight. He clutched Amber to him, and she, mistaking his despair for affection, clung to him, laying her head on his chest. Over the top of her head, though, Kirk continued to watch Darrell and Truman dance.
“He wishes he could be them,” Seth said to Dane.
“What? Who?”
And Seth nodded toward Kirk. “Can you see it?”
Dane didn’t say anything for a long time, and at last, in a voice tinged with regret and pain, he said, “Oh yeah. I can see it, because that was once me.”
“Once?”
“Yeah… and for a long time. Until you came along.” Dane studied Seth’s face for a moment, and then he said something that completely undid Seth. “Wanna dance?”
“You’re kidding.”
Dane shook his head. He stepped away from Seth a bit and held out his hand. “The time has come.”
Seth took Dane’s hand, allowing himself—in a little shock—to be led to the dance floor. There they did attract some notice as Dane took Seth into his arms and began moving gently with him in a little circle, shifting gracelessly from foot to foot. Seth chuckled a bit, but only on the inside. Dane was a terrible dancer. But here he was, in front of God, the school, and everyone, dancing with his man.
And no one said a word. No one cried out in disgust, or fury, or with recrimination.
They all simply danced.
And Seth made a point to let go of his fear of past hurts, of prejudices, and to feel the warmth of this man in his arms, trying desperately to dance, simply to please him.
He glanced over and saw Truman and could at last read the legend he had written across his T-shirt.
Seth smiled.
It said “One word frees us from pain: Love.”
Seth stood on tiptoes to whisper in Dane’s ear, “I love you.”
And Dane looked down at him, smiling. “Ditto.”
More from Rick R. Reed
Life can change in the blink of an eye. That’s a truth Andy Slater learns as a young man in 1982, taking the Chicago ‘L’ to work every morning. Andy’s life is laid out before him: a good job, marriage to his female college sweetheart, and the white picket fence existence he believes in. But when he sees Carlos Castillo for the first time, Carlos’s dark eyes and Latin appeal mesmerize him. Fate continues to throw them together until the two finally agree to meet up. At Andy’s apartment, the pent-up passion of both young men is ignited, but is snuffed out by an inopportune and poorly-timed phone call.
Flash forward to present day. Andy is alone, having married, divorced, and become the father of a gay son. He’s comfortable but alone and has never forgotten the powerful pull of Carlos’s gaze on the ‘L’ train. He vows to find him once more, hoping for a second chance. If life can change in the blink of an eye, what will the passage of thirty years do? To find out, Andy begins a search that might lead to heartache and disappointment or a love that will last forever….
With the couple next door, nothing is as it seems.
Jeremy Booth leads a simple life, scraping by in the gay neighborhood of Seattle, never letting his lack of material things get him down. But the one thing he really wants—someone to love—seems elusive. Until the couple next door moves in and Jeremy sees the man of his dreams, Shane McCallister, pushed down the stairs by a brute named Cole.
Jeremy would never go after another man’s boyfriend, so he reaches out to Shane in friendship while suppressing his feelings of attraction. But the feeling of something being off only begins with Cole being a hard-fisted bully—it ends with him seeming to be different people at different times. Some days, Cole is the mild-mannered John and then, one night in a bar, he’s the sassy and vivacious drag queen Vera.
So how can Jeremy rescue the man of his dreams from a situation that seems to get crazier and more dangerous by the day? By getting close to the couple next door, Jeremy not only puts a potential love in jeopardy, but eventually his very life.
Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.
Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking. When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more—something real, something true—to separate the good from the bad and find the love—and the hope—that just might be their salvation.
You never know where the love of your life might turn up.
When Matt Connelly suggests to his best buddy Cody Mook that they head to downtown Seattle to audition for the gay reality TV show Husband Hunters, both agree the experience might be a lark and a chance to grab their fifteen minutes of fame. What they don’t know is that the show, modeled after HGTV’s House Hunters, will open doors of longing neither expected. For Matt, the secret love he has long harbored for Cody might be thrust into the spotlight. Cody might realize his search for his perfect-forever-man extends no farther than the man who’s always been at his side.
Husband Hunters promises laughter, tears, and, just maybe, a happy ever after. Will Cody and Matt’s story be one of best-friends-to-lovers—or an outright disaster?
Tricks can mean many things: sex partners, deceptions, even magic—or maybe all three.
Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago’s Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent breakup. When the two spy each other, magic blooms.
But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he’s ever known? This question might not even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions.
Readers love Rick R. Reed
The Couple Next Door
“I did have fun reading it… However, I will probably be sleeping with the lights on and probably will never date again after reading this.”
—MM Good Book Reviews
“Of the several Rick R. Reed books I’ve had the pleasure to review, this one is the best.”
—Inke
d Rainbow Reviews
Tricks
“Outstanding book. Highly recommended.”
—On Top Down Under Reviews
“My breath was caught in my throat, my hands shook, and I couldn’t sleep. I love and hate this story for that.”
—Boys in Our Books
Dinner at Fiorello’s
“This is the second book I’ve read from this author, and I was just as charmed as before with his characters and the lush setting descriptions.”
—Joyfully Jay
“Reed has crafted a lovely and almost heartbreaking story about two men coping with loss.”
—The Novel Approach
RICK R. REED is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery, and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love. He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation, and The Blue Moon Cafe). His novel, Raining Men, won the Rainbow Award for Best Contemporary General Fiction. Lambda Literary Review has called him, “a writer that doesn’t disappoint.” Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever “at work on another novel.”
Rick always enjoys hearing from readers and answers all e-mails personally. Contact Rick at:
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.rickrreed.com
Blog: rickrreedreality.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rickrreedbooks
Twitter: @RickRReed
By Rick R. Reed
Bashed
Big Love
Blink
Caregiver
Chaser • Raining Men
The Couple Next Door
Dignity Takes a Holiday
Dinner at Fiorello’s
Dinner at Home
Homecoming
Hungry for Love
Husband Hunters
Legally Wed
Simmer (Dreamspinner Anthology)
Tricks
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Big Love
© 2016 Rick R. Reed.
Cover Art
© 2016 Reese Dante.
http://www.reesedante.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
ISBN: 978-1-63476-976-1
Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-977-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920898
Published April 2016
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Late August
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Early January
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
May
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
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