English professor Brian Daly is finally able to live openly with the love of his life, local weatherman Jay Tanner. Jay has ended his sham marriage and come out of the closet, and he and Brian now share a condo in the city. But there’s trouble in paradise. Brian’s best friend Olivia can’t seem to get along with Jay. The two bicker whenever they’re together. In addition to trying to broker peace between his friends, Brian is busy fending off Sean, an infatuated student who wants Brian to be his first lover. When Brian spurns his advances, he threatens to accuse the professor of sexual harassment if the two don’t sleep together. Just when things seem like they can’t get any worse, Brian discovers Jay has been cheating on him with a woman. And not just any woman -- Olivia, who is now pregnant with Jay’s child. Brian’s world crumbles as his relationship with Jay falls apart and his friendship with Olivia is destroyed. While he works to try and put his life back together, Brian is relentlessly pursued by Sean. But this time Brian doesn’t turn him away, and the two begin a relationship that helps Brian get over some of the heartache he’s suffered. After a while, Brian also reunites with Olivia, and becomes a kind of surrogate father to her newborn daughter. The baby helps him hold onto Jay in some small way. Even though he and Jay are no longer a couple, Brian still longs for his former partner. But when Jay reappears in Brian’s life, Brian discovers he isn’t quite ready to forgive and forget. While he still loves Jay, will he ever be able to trust the man again?

Collusion

I folded the paper and shoved it and the key card into my jacket pocket. I had less than twenty-four hours to figure out what to do. I really had no idea how to deal with Sean. Even if I took the note to Jill or some other college administrator, I couldn??t prove he??d written it. It wasn??t handwritten or even addressed to me. Being the loose cannon that Sean was, I could easily see him turning the tables and accusing me of creating the note myself in order to falsely accuse him. Plus, given Jill??s antipathy toward me, I couldn??t expect to receive any sympathy from her. She??d take Sean??s word against mine and I??d be out on my ass.


Chapter 21