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

After I left Princeton, I drove aimlessly around central New Jersey and Bucks County for a while and before heading back to Philadelphia. The sun was setting by the time I got home and the condo was empty. When I went into the bathroom, I immediately noticed that many of Jay??s toiletries were gone. His razor, toothbrush, and hair care products had all disappeared. A quick search of our bedroom revealed that some of his luggage and clothing were also missing.


??Fuck,?? I cursed, slamming the closet door shut. I called Jay??s cell, but got voice mail. I wished he??d talked with me before taking off, at least to let me know where he was going. Figuring there was nothing I could do until I heard from him, I changed into a pair of pajamas, swallowed a Valium, and climbed into bed.


Chapter 26