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??d met Michelle a few years ago when she came to Philadelphia for a visit. She, Olivia, and I all went out for dinner and had a great time. Michelle was sassy and bossy and funny and I liked her??at first. Then later that night, after our dinner together, she called me in a drunken rage and accused me of using Olivia and threatened to fuck me up if I gave her sister AIDS. Lovely.


??So, you had a nice visit in Detroit??? I asked Olivia as we walked along the Schuylkill River. Courtney, who was safely ensconced in her stroller, had fallen asleep soon after we left Olivia??s apartment.


??Yeah,?? Olivia said as she pushed the stroller. ??It was great. Some of my cousins came from Alabama and we had a cookout at my parents?? house.??


??She??s great. She has a new boyfriend and they seem happy together.??


??Good.?? I??d never told Olivia about her sister??s drunken call to me. I figured it wasn??t worth the drama.


Chapter 53