When the first note shows up at the restaurant where he works -- when he isn't designing costumes for a local theater -- Jim Foster laughs it off. When the notes keep coming, he doesn't find the fact that he might have a secret admirer quite so amusing. Alan North, a lonely, bookish customer at the restaurant, is too shy to even think of talking to Jim -- as much as he wants to. Then the killings begin. Two of Jim's friends are murdered in what appear to be muggings. However, the detective in charge of the cases believes they're more than that, and that Jim is either the killer ... or being stalked by one. When Jim and Alan finally connect, can they help find and stop the stalker, or will Alan end up dead before their budding relationship can become more than friendship?

His Secret Admirer

“No.” Alan resisted smacking him. “I’m serious. Why did you kiss me?”


“Because I wanted to. I have for most of the evening, but you kept putting distance between us, whether you knew it or not.”


“I knew it. I didn’t want to…to take a chance that our friendship would end, now that there’s no need for us to, to be together, I guess. I didn’t want to hurt when that happened.” Alan looked down, chewing his lip.


“I think we’ll always be friends,” Jim replied quietly, taking Alan’s hands. “I also think there’s a very large possibility we’ll be more, but I wasn’t going to presume. That’s why I kissed you. To find out if you felt the same way.”


Alan looked up, his vision blurry. He took off his glasses, wiping one hand across his eyes, then smiled at him. His vision was still blurred, until he put his glasses on again. “Sorry to go all sort of emotional on you,” he said. “It’s…Yes, I feel the same.”


Chapter 37