Sunday Snippets: The Jealous Guy #2 #storyorgy #mmromance #deepdiscount

1. The Jealous Guy

A Story Orgy Single

50% off at Select Retailers

The Jealous Guy

(Scene from Chapter Two)

***

Dish after dish came and went, soup and salad and fish and beef.

Max was afraid at first, cautious of the strange surroundings and worried that despite Syd's protestations the others around them were judging his casual garb. He was out of his depth with food like this, in a place like this, and he was very much afraid that it showed in his hesitations and reactions to the unusual dishes.

Finally, dessert was served, and it was something he recognized. "That looks beautiful."

Rich shortbread cookies drizzled with dark chocolate, caramel, and sprinkled with sea salt garnished a single glistening mound of vanilla ice cream.

Syd spooned up a bit of the ice cream and cut a portion of cookie, making sure that each element of the dish mingled on his spoon. "Try it." The spoon hovered in front of Max's mouth, and he obediently opened up. The creamy delicious morsel landed on his tongue, and his mouth exploded in flavor.

"That is amazing." He picked up his own spoon. "So, this is something you do a lot?"

"Eat? At least three times a day."

The teasing deserved a like response, so Max licked his spoon clean before scooping up another bite. Syd groaned softly under his breath, but Max heard it and ducked his head to hide a satisfied smile. "Eat like this. I had you pegged as safe, structured…"

"Boring, you mean." Syd sounded so disappointed, Max decided there was no harm in letting the man know how he felt.

"Sexy," he whispered across the single flickering candle. "With those glasses and suave suits, I couldn't help wondering what was underneath. Every time you loosened your tie in my section, I wanted to whoop and holler and scream 'take it all off"."

"You're not disappointed? That I'm more than a human calculator?"

Even in the dim light, he could see Syd's flush of pleasure, but he felt the intensity of his gaze. Syd wanted him, and Max was ready to take what he could get.

"Disappointed? That beneath the ultra-intelligent, hot geek exterior beats the heart of a wild man? An adventurous spirit? A man who makes a meal a sensual experience?"

"That's leading up to no, isn't it?"

"No, I'm not disappointed. Yes, your wild side meets with my approval." He leaned in close enough to feel the heat of the candle on his chin, to hear the catch of Syd's breath. "Yes, your gamble paid off. Yes, you're getting lucky. How do we pay the bill at this joint, and please tell me you don't have roommates?"

Syd pushed back his chair and held out a hand to help Max from the seat. Pleased by the courteous gesture, which seemed to contradict the strange atmosphere, Max allowed himself to be towed to his feet. "The bill is paid in advance. That's how he does things. Underground dining is different than anything we know about how restaurant business is supposed to work. It's an experience, an adventure, as you said, all its own."

Max's phone vibrated against his thigh and he stifled a curse. Freeing his hand, he shot Syd an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I have to take this." He turned to the side slightly, but was conscious every second of Syd's presence at his side, his stomach leapt pleasantly, his skin heated as though touched. He was so going to enjoy everything this strange evening offered.

"Max?"

"What's up, Kyle? I left your dinner in the microwave and your homework checked out okay." A raucous noise erupted across the line. "Kyle? Where are you?" Their neighborhood was noisy, but that sounded more like a rave or a concert.

"You know how I told you Bentley and Fracker were having a party?"

Everything went still. Syd's hand landed on his shoulder and Max jerked away instinctively. "The party we agreed you wouldn't go to?" A slow thread of anger and fear twined through him, squeezing out the desire and happiness. Kyle was seventeen, an emancipated minor, but he was still Max's brother and he couldn't help feeling responsible for him.

His brother sighed heavily. "Yeah, that party. Well, when you said you were going out and not to wait up, and they texted me at work, well, fuck. I told them I'd just stop by on my way home. I never planned to stay longer than it took to say happy graduation and—”

"You got off work at eight; it's nine now." He glanced over at Syd, who stood frowning, arms crossed. "Sorry," he mouthed softly.

"I know. The thing is, I got here, and someone gave me a Coke, and well, Max, I think there was something in it because I'm sweating, and I feel like I'm going to puke and…I can't ride my bike home. Can you pick me up?"

"Of course I can. Do you need to go to the emergency room? We might want to get your stomach pumped."

"I don't know. Just…we can decide later. But I want to get out of here." Hearing his usually stoic brother near tears ripped Max's heart out.

"I'm on my way. Frack's place, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, bro."

Max hung up his phone and turned back to face Syd, who was positively glowering. Wow. Max stepped back automatically. In his experience, expressions like that were portents of danger. "I have to go." He smiled tentatively at Syd, whose frown deepened.

"Why? I thought we were…"

"Yes, it's just that Kyle needs me right now, and he's always going to be my little brother, even though he's more grown up than our parents will ever be." And that was way too much oversharing for a first date. From the look on Syd's face, it might be their only date. The man sure was upset by the early conclusion to their night. "I'm sorry."

Syd stood still for a minute, then seemed to consciously force a smile. "It's fine. Your brother, huh? I'm an only child myself."

They exited the gas station turned restaurant and Max found himself hovering in the sultry evening air. He needed to go, to get Kyle and see for himself if his brother needed a doctor or could sleep it off, but he was reluctant to let this time with Syd end, especially when it looked like circumstances might have ended any chance for another evening like it. "It's just me and Kyle. Our parents, they're…um, not good for us. I moved out as soon as I could when I turned eighteen, and that left Kyle alone with them at thirteen."

"Uh huh." Syd was glancing around the parking lot. "Where's your car? I'm over at the bank, under the streetlight. I take it Kyle wasn't able to stay at home if he's emancipated?"

"I’m here, next to the rusted gas pump. And yeah, when he turned sixteen, he couldn't take it anymore. He got a social worker to help him, and …we're roommates, which is why if we'd…well, why we'd have gone to your place." The tension between them was easing, and Syd's arm felt great wrapped around his waist as he guided Max to his beat up old Volkswagen Bug.

At the car, he turned to face Syd. "I'm sorry to have to leave like this. I was really enjoying your company and looking forward to seeing your place."

"You could pick up your brother and then come over." Syd's green eyes sparkled down at him, his lips slightly parted.

Max's heart rate increased, his breath caught in his throat. The slow simmer of awareness that he'd been enjoying all night sparked into a small flame of want. "I…"

Syd bent and covered his mouth with firm, demanding lips and whatever he'd been about to say disappeared. Max's lips parted of their own volition, and Syd took immediate advantage, slanting his lips and darting a questing tongue inside. Eagerly, Max sucked the tongue, rubbed it with his own.

Twisting, he wound his fingers into the short strand of hair at Syd's nape and leaned into the taller man. They traded breath, stoked the embers of lust into an inferno with nibbles and licks and that damned tongue that dominated his mouth like Syd owned him. At last, breathing heavily, Max forced himself away with a whimper. "Damn." He touched his mouth, lips damp and swollen. He could taste Syd…and he wanted more.

Syd smiled challengingly at him. "You can come over after you drop your brother off."

"Kyle?" Oh shit. "No. I have to pick him up. He needs me." He shook off Syd's arm around his waist and opened his car door.

Syd pouted. "I'm going to let you run off, but only if you promise me that I can have another chance to impress you."

Sighing, Max slid into his car and rolled down the window. "You don't need to impress me, but if that means you're willing to go out with me again, then the answer is yes."

The brilliant smile Syd flashed him as he shut the car door vanquished the demons of doubt that had crept in over the past few minutes. It was okay for Syd to be disappointed, hell Max was disappointed. "I'll see you at lunch tomorrow, okay? We'll sort it out then."

Find out more of Max and Syd's story next weekend!

Don't want to wait? 

You can pick it up for 50% off at the following locations for the month of March only. 

SW Link https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/528076

SW Coupon Code WY55A

ARE link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thejealousguy-1420205-148.html

Discounted, no code required

Payhip Link: https://payhip.com/b/RwTd

PH Coupon Code W5I52QAEN5

Apologies, at this time we are unable to offer this discount via Amazon. 

Amazon Link http://www.amazon.com/The-Jealous-Guy-Story-SIngles-ebook/dp/B00IFRB6JY

Can't get enough Bad Boyfriends? 

Check Out Havan Fellow's story at...

Havan's Blog 

Meet Syd and Max, Save 50% #storyorgy #mmromance

The Jealous Guy

A Story Orgy Single

50% off at Select Retailers

The Jealous Guy

"Welcome to Parsnip and Thyme. How many?" A cheerful, perky voice grated over nerves frazzled by pouring over numbers that didn't add up no matter how many times he tried. Sydney Huber, vice president in charge of operations at Carbondale Union, refocused his attention from the recalcitrant numbers to the speaker. A cute young girl in a blue checked dress a la Dorothy of Oz stood at the hostess stand, practically bouncing in place with enthusiasm. She seemed an odd choice for a place he'd always considered tranquil and exclusive. She belonged, he thought nastily, at a TGI Friday's or an Applebee's, where she could foist beer and sickly sweet margaritas on French fry munching, hamburger gobbling twentysomethings and college students.

Sydney frowned at the bubbly blonde. "Just me. The same as yesterday and the day before and every day for the last six months." He paused to survey the room, scarcely recognizing the peaceful café where he'd been eating his lunches for the last six months, seeking the reason for his lunchtime habit. Somehow, he had the strange idea that if he could just set eyes on Max, some magic button would reset and he'd feel right again, be able to cope.

Instead, waiters in green polo shirts, black jeans, and small white aprons darted about with trays of food, pots of coffee, and pitchers of juice. Tall, short, thin, muscular, light-haired, dark-haired, at least four of them, but none the golden-haired, golden-skinned beauty he'd come to see.

Somewhere in the elegant little restaurant a baby was crying, and an anxious mother crooned and begged for the baby to calm down, further disrupting his much needed peace. Voices rose and fell all around, dishes clinked and clattered. There might be less noise at a McDonald's. Sydney scowled. So much for using his lunch hour to recover his equilibrium. His ears were still ringing from his boss's strident demands for instant answers, the sobs and protestations of the tellers who had no idea what had happened, and his own bewildered inability to account for a missing deposit of some twenty thousand dollars.

The dry-erase board with the daily specials boasted of cream of avocado soup and sweet potato sandwiches and a variety of other vegetarian delights. Someone, most likely the bubbly little hostess, had drawn hearts over all the i's and made smiley faces inside all the o's. It looked ridiculous.

The whole world had discovered his favorite little vegetarian café, and while normally Sydney Huber would be pleased for the owner, a lean string bean of a man named Alisdair, today he was irritated beyond measure. It was the final straw on a day that had gone from bad to worse.

"Oh. Yes. Would you like to sit at the counter since it's just you?" Her smile grew, white teeth gleaming, painted lips stretched wide. Her head tilted inquisitively to the side.

"No. I would like to sit in Max's section, as usual." He glanced around the room, as if saying his name would conjure the man.

"I'm afraid Max's section is full. We're very busy today. I'm sorry." She held the menu to her chest and jerked her pointed little chin toward the counter. "There are several single seats at the counter." Three bar chairs were empty there, as she had said, but a good dozen people were packed in at the space, sitting practically elbow to elbow. The older woman who usually worked the counter had been replaced by another young girl, this one dark-haired and pale-skinned. If he sat there, he wouldn't even be able to catch a glimpse of Max in the background, the entire restaurant would be at his back.

"No, Barbie. I'll wait for a table to open up in Max's section." Fuck. Hopefully that would be soon as he didn't have time for an extended lunch today, not with his superior breathing down his neck for the teller audits.

"My name is not Barbie." A petulant tone replaced the bubbly goodwill in the blonde's voice. The smile disappeared and the blue eyes narrowed slightly. The thin blonde pointed to her name tag. "I’m Kate."

He sneered at her, curling his lip in derision. "I'm not paid to remember your name, but you're paid for customer service. What kind of hostess doesn't remember the preferences of a customer who eats in their restaurant daily?"

A familiar tanned hand reached across Sydney and plucked the plastic-coated menu from Kate. "One who just started yesterday?" A frisson of awareness prickled its way across Sydney's skin, weaving a trail of heat and butterflies from the point of contact to his stomach and groin. His mind leapt for the distraction, his body yearned for more contact.

A blush heated his cheeks as he realized Max had overheard him being snotty to the hostess, who was beaming worshipfully at his favorite waiter, hell, his favorite person. "Thank you so much, Max. I tried to tell him your section was full."

"It's all right, Kate. I have a table reserved for you, Mr. Huber, right this way." Sydney nodded curtly, ashamed of the way he'd acted.

"I…" He began to apologize, but Max was moving off across the crowded restaurant at a fast clip, dodging tables, chairs, and servers deftly. Sydney closed his mouth with a snap and concentrated on following that sweet ass, clad in tight black denim, framed by the sides of a short white broadcloth apron. "Ahh." He loosened his suddenly too tight necktie and unbuttoned the top button of his collar. He could only hope that no one noticed the swelling in his groin or the direction of his gaze as he was incapable of looking away despite the predictable effect.

Max stopped at a tiny glass and wrought iron table in the corner, where Sydney would have a view of the entire café while he ate. The table had been set up with one place setting and a simple white carnation in a glass vase. Sydney smiled, looking directly into Max's green eyes, relaxing. It was just the way he liked it. "Thank you, Max."

He slipped into the seat and glanced at the menu in Max's hands. "I don't…"

"I know. You want a grilled Havarti and tomato sandwich, a bowl of creamy tomato soup, and a glass of ice water with a wedge of lemon."

"Yes, exactly." He smiled, pleased that Max knew him so well. "Thank you."

Instead of writing down the order and going off to call it, Max stood beside the table, head tipped to the side so that a long lock of fine blond hair that had apparently escaped its ponytail fell forward. "Is something wrong, Mr. Huber?"

"Wrong? Why do you ask?" Nothing wrong at all that a decent lunch and the opportunity to stare at his crush wouldn't cure. He took advantage of the opportunity to study Max's green eyes and high cheekbones, resisted the strange need to pour out his woes, the boss who hated him, the tellers who looked to him to save their jobs, the tension of being responsible for figuring out which of the young men and women had misplaced the deposit, of determining whether one of the people he had hired, had trusted, was a thief or an idiot. Instead, he said, "Call me Syd, Max. I've been coming here a long time, I think we can skip the Mr. Hubers."

Soft pink lips parted, a tongue slicked over them, and Sydney shifted, letting his legs fall apart, giving himself more room. Mesmerized, he followed the path of that tongue as it swept across the lips he wanted to taste, then disappeared back inside the mouth he wanted to explore.

"Okay. You were pretty…short with Kate, Syd. That's not like you."

He forced himself to look away from Max's mouth and meet his gaze. A soft concern lit the green eyes, a faint frown marred the usually clear brow.

"It's not?" Sydney frowned. His lips twitched as he recalled his secretary creeping about with a solemn expression, the way the clerks and tellers ducked to the side as he approached. "I…"

"I always enjoy waiting on you because you're so pleasant." The young man persevered, "You've always got a smile for me and…" Max's voice trailed off and he shrugged. "I’m sorry. It's none of my business, I was just worried. I'll put your order in." He stepped backward and turned as though to leave.

And Sydney found a courage he'd been looking for for the last six months. "Wait."

Find out more of Max and Syd's story next weekend!

Don't want to wait? 

You can pick it up for 50% off at the following locations for the month of March only. 

SW Link https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/528076

SW Coupon Code WY55A

ARE link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thejealousguy-1420205-148.html

Discounted, no code required

Payhip Link: https://payhip.com/b/RwTd

PH Coupon Code W5I52QAEN5

Apologies, at this time we are unable to offer this discount via Amazon. 

Amazon Link http://www.amazon.com/The-Jealous-Guy-Story-SIngles-ebook/dp/B00IFRB6JY

Can't get enough Bad Boyfriends? 

Check Out Havan Fellow's story at...

Havan's Blog 

Last Chance! Get your copy today! #mmromance #free #erotic

Today is your last day to pick up a free copy of The Old Soda Shop! In the spirit of the season, I'm giving away one of my very first stories- previously published in the very first Story Orgy Anthology- 

The Old Soda Shop

You can get your Free copy of this sweet, sexy, tale of lovers reunited

at 

All Romance eBooks  from now until December 31, 2014

#FREE M/M Romance for the Holidays! My gift to you

Just a reminder there's only one week left to pick up your free copy of The Old Soda Shop! In the spirit of the season, I'm giving away one of my very first stories- previously published in the very first Story Orgy Anthology- 

The Old Soda Shop

You can get your Free copy of this sweet, sexy, tale of lovers reunited

at 

All Romance eBooks  from now until December 31, 2014

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He's spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that brought him more pain than joy in the end.

Sam Balantyne’s last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop the headstrong business student from chasing his dreams. When his ambitions flounder, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He isn't looking for a second chance; he just wants to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, has Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

EXCERPT

Sam Balantyne trudged down the slushy sidewalk of the historic district of Greely, Colorado, gazing unseeing into the falling slush. The gray sky suited his mood. Very few people were foolish enough to be out walking in this mess. Most people had the sense to be at home or somewhere warm. Not Sam. No, thanks to his flaky, thoughtless sexy roommate, he walked down an icy street in a part of town where even bikes were frowned upon just off campus. It was safe enough not to look. No random cars would splash murky water on unwary pedestrians. No cars were permitted on the brick work streets of Old Town.

Sam knew where he was going and exactly how many steps in the icy slush it would take to get there. An hour ago, he’d been contentedly lounging on his bed, studying for midterms next week, when his flighty roommate called. He curled his hands into fists inside the deep pockets of his navy wool pea coat. Fucking Matt. Such a goddamn pie-in-the-sky dreamer. How did I end up with an art student for a roommate in the first place? Every month turned into a damn race against the clock to see if Matt would be able to pull together his share of the rent, or the cable, or whatever. Bad enough that Sam perpetually fed the man, now this.

Apparently Matt had gotten the rent money but couldn’t be bothered to come home and give it to Sam. No. Sam had to meet him at the soda shop off Fifth Street because Matt had other things to do. Ordinarily, Sam loved the soda shop. He and Matt had spent many great sunny afternoons there, sitting on the patio, guy watching and laughing, even occasionally sharing a lemon Italian Cream Soda.

The bitter cold wind cut through the thick wool of his coat, and Sam caught himself wondering if Matt had had the sense to wear a jacket when he left the apartment that morning. Probably not. The sun had been shining then, and Matt never could see beyond the moment.

Someone, possibly even Matt himself, had put a colorful knitted ski cap on the head of the old stone lion that guarded the occult book shop next door to the soda shop. The lilting notes of a sexy little jazz number drifted from the tiny bar on the other side of the soda shop. The music and the light from the window created a perfect backdrop for the vision that met Sam’s eyes when he looked up. In the golden glow from the soda shop window, he saw Matt sitting at a tiny table for two on the front patio of the shop. He wore a thin leather jacket and Sam’s navy blue wool beanie tugged down low over his ears as he sat on the tiny black iron chair. His booted feet rested on the other seat. Matt puffed on one of the little clove cigarettes he favored and cupped hands covered in fingerless gloves around the tiny source of heat. The little table in front of him held an ashtray and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate into which the slushy snow fell.

Sam shook his head. Smoking cloves was bad enough, better than tobacco scent-wise by a small margin, but who the hell sat on the patio in this freaking weather? Airheaded art majors, that was who. “God damn it, Matt! How many times have I told you to dress warmly when you leave the house? You’re going to get sick! And…” The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them, a ludicrous tirade that his own mother would have cringed to hear. He snatched the cigarette out of his roommate’s hand. “Smoking this shit will kill you!”

Matt turned to look at him, and Sam nearly groaned. The heavy feeling in his heart, the anger at Matt’s foolishness, seemed to melt away as he caught the expression in those bright blue eyes. He wasn’t surprised to find his own heart beating faster, stirring with desire despite the cold. He was surprised by the lilt of happiness that brightened the gray of the late winter day. Fuck. He didn’t want to feel this way, to let anyone have the ability to create sunshine in his day with a crooked little smile. Especially not Matt. Matt drifted along perfectly content, dreaming and painting and starving for his art. Sam dreamed of bigger things. He wanted success, the bright lights of a big city, and by big he didn’t mean Denver! He wanted all the luxuries life could afford. And that look in Matt’s eyes… had he always looked at him that way?

Matt removed his boots from the seat with a grimace.

“No, thanks. I’ll pass. Look. I’m going home this weekend.” He hadn’t planned to, but a weekend in Denver with his mom and dad, siblings running all over, would screw his head back on straight. “You keep the rent money. Use it to find another place to stay, okay? I can’t keep doing this every month.”

Matt protested instantly, the shock on his face heart-wrenching. “Sam, I promise. It won’t happen again. I got a job. That’s why I couldn’t come to the apartment.”

Sam shook his head, schooling his features to hide his feelings. “No. It’s just not working out for us.” But it could, his heart argued. He shut it down instantly. Not taking that chance. Better to end things now, before either of them got any more involved and while they both still had the chance to make their dreams come true.

“Sam, I love you. I don’t want to move out. Just, please, give me one more month to prove I can do this?” Matt’s voice cracked on the words he forced out. Sam couldn’t tell if tears or melting snowflakes caused the dampness on his pale cheeks.

Hardening his heart, Sam continued, “That’s just it, Matt. I don’t want to be loved. I don’t want to love anyone. I just wanted to get laid a little. I need freedom to pursue my dreams, and taking care of you, it’s a burden I don’t want. I thought it was all just fun. You’re taking things way too seriously. So, please, do us both a favor and leave before I get back Monday afternoon?” His dad would lend him the money for the rent this month.

Unable to meet those blue eyes without throwing his arms around Matt’s slim shoulders and hugging him tight, without promising that they could try again, without swearing he would never be such an ass again, Sam turned and stumbled against the stone lion, knocking the knit cap into the slush, where eddies of muddy liquid blurred its bright colors. He whirled and tromped back up the street he’d just come down, ignoring Matt calling his name behind him as he went.

Happy Holidays! December Giveaway Information Here #mmromance #free #erotic

Greetings friends! In the spirit of the season, I'm giving away one of my very first stories- previously published in the very first Story Orgy Anthology- 

The Old Soda Shop

You can get your Free copy of this sweet, sexy, tale of lovers reunited

at 

All Romance eBooks  from now until December 31, 2014

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He's spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that brought him more pain than joy in the end.

Sam Balantyne’s last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop the headstrong business student from chasing his dreams. When his ambitions flounder, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He isn't looking for a second chance; he just wants to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, has Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

EXCERPT

Sam Balantyne trudged down the slushy sidewalk of the historic district of Greely, Colorado, gazing unseeing into the falling slush. The gray sky suited his mood. Very few people were foolish enough to be out walking in this mess. Most people had the sense to be at home or somewhere warm. Not Sam. No, thanks to his flaky, thoughtless sexy roommate, he walked down an icy street in a part of town where even bikes were frowned upon just off campus. It was safe enough not to look. No random cars would splash murky water on unwary pedestrians. No cars were permitted on the brick work streets of Old Town.

Sam knew where he was going and exactly how many steps in the icy slush it would take to get there. An hour ago, he’d been contentedly lounging on his bed, studying for midterms next week, when his flighty roommate called. He curled his hands into fists inside the deep pockets of his navy wool pea coat. Fucking Matt. Such a goddamn pie-in-the-sky dreamer. How did I end up with an art student for a roommate in the first place? Every month turned into a damn race against the clock to see if Matt would be able to pull together his share of the rent, or the cable, or whatever. Bad enough that Sam perpetually fed the man, now this.

Apparently Matt had gotten the rent money but couldn’t be bothered to come home and give it to Sam. No. Sam had to meet him at the soda shop off Fifth Street because Matt had other things to do. Ordinarily, Sam loved the soda shop. He and Matt had spent many great sunny afternoons there, sitting on the patio, guy watching and laughing, even occasionally sharing a lemon Italian Cream Soda.

The bitter cold wind cut through the thick wool of his coat, and Sam caught himself wondering if Matt had had the sense to wear a jacket when he left the apartment that morning. Probably not. The sun had been shining then, and Matt never could see beyond the moment.

Someone, possibly even Matt himself, had put a colorful knitted ski cap on the head of the old stone lion that guarded the occult book shop next door to the soda shop. The lilting notes of a sexy little jazz number drifted from the tiny bar on the other side of the soda shop. The music and the light from the window created a perfect backdrop for the vision that met Sam’s eyes when he looked up. In the golden glow from the soda shop window, he saw Matt sitting at a tiny table for two on the front patio of the shop. He wore a thin leather jacket and Sam’s navy blue wool beanie tugged down low over his ears as he sat on the tiny black iron chair. His booted feet rested on the other seat. Matt puffed on one of the little clove cigarettes he favored and cupped hands covered in fingerless gloves around the tiny source of heat. The little table in front of him held an ashtray and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate into which the slushy snow fell.

Sam shook his head. Smoking cloves was bad enough, better than tobacco scent-wise by a small margin, but who the hell sat on the patio in this freaking weather? Airheaded art majors, that was who. “God damn it, Matt! How many times have I told you to dress warmly when you leave the house? You’re going to get sick! And…” The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them, a ludicrous tirade that his own mother would have cringed to hear. He snatched the cigarette out of his roommate’s hand. “Smoking this shit will kill you!”

Matt turned to look at him, and Sam nearly groaned. The heavy feeling in his heart, the anger at Matt’s foolishness, seemed to melt away as he caught the expression in those bright blue eyes. He wasn’t surprised to find his own heart beating faster, stirring with desire despite the cold. He was surprised by the lilt of happiness that brightened the gray of the late winter day. Fuck. He didn’t want to feel this way, to let anyone have the ability to create sunshine in his day with a crooked little smile. Especially not Matt. Matt drifted along perfectly content, dreaming and painting and starving for his art. Sam dreamed of bigger things. He wanted success, the bright lights of a big city, and by big he didn’t mean Denver! He wanted all the luxuries life could afford. And that look in Matt’s eyes… had he always looked at him that way?

Matt removed his boots from the seat with a grimace.

“No, thanks. I’ll pass. Look. I’m going home this weekend.” He hadn’t planned to, but a weekend in Denver with his mom and dad, siblings running all over, would screw his head back on straight. “You keep the rent money. Use it to find another place to stay, okay? I can’t keep doing this every month.”

Matt protested instantly, the shock on his face heart-wrenching. “Sam, I promise. It won’t happen again. I got a job. That’s why I couldn’t come to the apartment.”

Sam shook his head, schooling his features to hide his feelings. “No. It’s just not working out for us.” But it could, his heart argued. He shut it down instantly. Not taking that chance. Better to end things now, before either of them got any more involved and while they both still had the chance to make their dreams come true.

“Sam, I love you. I don’t want to move out. Just, please, give me one more month to prove I can do this?” Matt’s voice cracked on the words he forced out. Sam couldn’t tell if tears or melting snowflakes caused the dampness on his pale cheeks.

Hardening his heart, Sam continued, “That’s just it, Matt. I don’t want to be loved. I don’t want to love anyone. I just wanted to get laid a little. I need freedom to pursue my dreams, and taking care of you, it’s a burden I don’t want. I thought it was all just fun. You’re taking things way too seriously. So, please, do us both a favor and leave before I get back Monday afternoon?” His dad would lend him the money for the rent this month.

Unable to meet those blue eyes without throwing his arms around Matt’s slim shoulders and hugging him tight, without promising that they could try again, without swearing he would never be such an ass again, Sam turned and stumbled against the stone lion, knocking the knit cap into the slush, where eddies of muddy liquid blurred its bright colors. He whirled and tromped back up the street he’d just come down, ignoring Matt calling his name behind him as he went.

What Not to Say #6

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

What Not to Say #5

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

What Not to Say #4

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

What Not to Say #3

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

Meet Sam...The Old Soda Shop

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

What Not to Say #2

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks! 

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?

Lemon Cream Soda - Something my characters and I have in common

I can't even remember when it was, back in the nineties I suppose, I worked at the mall, and there was a shop that sold Italian cream sodas. 

To Die For. 

So when I got this prompt, that was the thing that stood out in my mind... 

Lemon Italian Cream sodas. 

The Old Soda Shop 

An M/M Romance by Lee Brazil 

At All Romance eBooks!  

Former college roommates Matt and Sam have a history.

Will a chance encounter in the street lead to a second chance at love?

Years ago, art student Matt Gilray's world turned on its axis when his lover Sam rejected him at their favorite hangout. He'd spent the years since learning to be a businessman and an artist, letting go, forgetting a love affair that had brought him more pain than joy in the end.

A last minute realization that his college fuck buddy had turned into a lover wasn’t enough to stop business student Sam Balantyne from chasing his dreams. When the dreams runs out, Sam returns home and buys the derelict soda shop where they used to hang out. He wasn't looking for a second chance; he just wanted to enjoy a memory.

In the process of “freeing himself to pursue his dreams”, 

had Sam tarnished them beyond recovery?