Alexander Monroe lives in Grasspatch, a town so small, the founders couldn’t even be bothered thinking up a proper name for it. He works at the newsagency/post office, where his duties include ordering newspapers and magazines, printing Lotto tickets, and delivering the mail. One morning he has to deliver a parcel to the mysterious Mr Christian O’Neill, who lives in an oddly-shaped mansion on the outskirts of town. Not much is known about Mr O’Neill, although there is certainly an abundance of rumours -- a faded rock star, a media-shy actor. Alexander can’t wait to find out the answers for himself. Rather than being odd, Christian turns out to be the most interesting person Alexander has ever met. In fact, he asks to come back, and with each consecutive visit, he learns more and more about Christian, and about the power of the mind and the wonders visualisation can bring. But even as Alexander learns how to get what he thinks he wants, he loses Christian. Is it too late to find him again? And if he does, will what they had still be there?

Cool Blue

“Like it?” asked Christian. “Not as grand as the house in Grasspatch, but I didn’t have much time to prepare.”


Alexander dropped his suitcase and shook his head. His eyes scanned the far horizon while the steady, gentle whoosh of the waves racing up the sand towards them filled his ears. When his gaze returned to Christian he smiled.


“You didn’t do all this for me, did you?”


Christian shook his head. “Not the sea. But I did think it might be nice to row back to Grasspatch.”


Alexander stepped closer to Christian, kissed him on the lips then hugged him as though he were never going to let him go again.


“I’ve missed you so much. More than you know, and more than I realised.”


They kissed, a more tender, loving kiss. Alexander could feel them both growing hard, but this seemed neither the time nor the place for sex. This was a time for just being together.


Chapter 35